Seal arrangement for through-air drying papermaking machine

A through air dryer for drying a wet web of paper in a paper making machine, said dryer comprising:

• a rotatable cylinder having a porous cylindrical deck;
• at least one continuous drying fabric wrapped about a portion of the circumference of the deck for transporting the web thereabout with the web supported on a surface of the fabric;
• a plurality of fabric support members positioned relative to the cylinder so as to direct the fabric and wet web onto and from the cylinder, the fabric support members including a first fabric support member located at an upstream end of the cylinder and disposed adjacent the deck for directing the fabric and wet web thereonto, and a second fabric support member located at a downstream end of the cylinder and disposed adjacent the deck for directing the fabric and the web therefrom;
• a hood interacting with at least the first and the second fabric support members and covering the portion of the cylinder about which the fabric and the web are wrapped, the hood being operable for passing drying air between the interior of the hood and the interior of the cylinder;
• and
• a plenum cooperating with the hood and at least the first and the second fabric support members to form a substantially sealed enclosure containing the cylinder, the plenum having at least one sealing mechanism forming seals with both the first and the second fabric support members with at least one of the seals being formed by the sealing mechanism sealingly engaging the drying fabric wrapped about the corresponding fabric support member.

A system for enclosing a through-air dryer having a rotatable cylinder with a porous cylindrical deck and having at least one continuous drying fabric wrapped about a portion of the circumference thereof adapted to transport a wet paper web thereabout, said system comprising:

• a plurality of fabric support members positioned relative to the cylinder so as to direct the drying fabric and the wet web onto and from the cylinder, the fabric support members including a first fabric support member located at an upstream end of the cylinder and disposed adjacent the deck for directing the fabric and the wet web thereonto, and a second fabric support member located at a downstream end of the cylinder and disposed adjacent the deck for directing the fabric and the web therefrom;
• a hood interacting with at least the first and the second fabric support members and covering the portion of the cylinder about which the fabric and the web are wrapped, the hood being operable for passing drying air between the interior of the hood and the interior of the cylinder;
• and
• a plenum cooperating with the hood and at least the first and the second fabric support members to form a substantially sealed enclosure containing the cylinder, the plenum having at least one sealing mechanism forming seals with both the first and the second fabric support members with at least one of the seals being formed by the sealing mechanism sealingly engaging the drying fabric wrapped about the corresponding fabric support member.