Calender with adjustable roll supports

A calender comprising:

• two spaced apart support frames;
• a top roll mounted between two bearings, each bearing being mounted to one of said support frames, the top roll defining an axis about which the top roll rotates;
• a bottom roll mounted between two bearings, the bottom roll being positioned below and spaced from the top roll, the bottom roll defining an axis about which the bottom roll rotates, the axis of the top roll and the axis of the bottom roll defining a calender plane;
• a plurality of intermediate rolls, positioned between the top roll and the bottom roll, each intermediate roll having a selected diameter, and each intermediate roll rotating about a roll axis, the intermediate rolls being placed one above another, so that when the top roll, bottom roll and intermediate rolls are brought together they form a plurality of calender nips therebetween;
• wherein each intermediate roll is pivotally mounted by arms to pivots on the support frames, the arms being pivotable about a pivot axis extending through the pivots, wherein a pivot radius is defined between each intermediate roll axis and the pivot axis of the arms which mount said intermediate roll, wherein each intermediate roll diameter is less than about 40 percent of the pivot radius;
• and
• a pair of support cylinders extending between each intermediate roll and the frames, the support cylinders being mounted to the frames and extensible to cause the axis of each intermediate roll to pass through the calender plane twice as the support cylinders are extended.

A calender comprising:

• two spaced apart support frames, each support frame comprised of two spaced apart vertical walls;
• a top roll mounted between two top bearings, each top bearing mounted fixed with respect to the support frame;
• a bottom roll mounted between two bottom bearings, the bottom bearings mounted for vertical motion on hydraulic pistons and slidably mounted to the support frames;
• a plurality of intermediate rolls placed one above another, so that when the top roll, bottom roll and intermediate rolls are brought together they form a plurality of calender nips therebetween;
• wherein each intermediate roll is positioned between opposed bearings which are mounted to bearing housings which are mounted to arms which are mounted by pivots to the support frames;
• each bearing housing having a portion forming upper support cylinder attachment brackets;
• and
• a support cylinder extending between each upper support cylinder attachment bracket on the bearing housings and a lower support cylinder bracket mounted on one of said support frames, the lower support cylinder bracket being mounted below the upper support cylinder attachment bracket and spaced inwardly towards the pivots on the support frames, so that a greater vertical motion of each intermediate roll is provided;
• wherein each intermediate roll rotates about a first axis, and the arms to which said intermediate roll are mounted pivot on the support frames about a second axis, and wherein a pivot radius length is defined between the first axis and the second axis, each intermediate roll having a diameter which is less than about 40 percent of the pivot radius length.

A calender comprising:

• two spaced apart support frames;
• a top roll mounted between two bearings, each bearing being mounted to one of said support frames, the top roll defining an axis about which the top roll rotates;
• a bottom roll mounted between two bearings, the bottom roll being positioned below and spaced from the top roll, the bottom roll defining an axis about which the bottom roll rotates, the axis of the top roll and the axis of the bottom roll defining a calender plane;
• a plurality of intermediate rolls, positioned between the top roll and the bottom roll, each intermediate roll having a selected diameter, and each intermediate roll rotating about a roll axis, the intermediate rolls being placed one above another, so that when the top roll, bottom roll and intermediate rolls are brought together they form a plurality of calender nips therebetween;
• wherein each intermediate roll is pivotally mounted by arms to pivots on the support frames, the arms being pivotable about a pivot axis extending through the pivots, wherein a pivot radius is defined between each intermediate roll axis and the pivot axis of the arms which mount said intermediate roll, the pivot radius being greater than 61.75 inches;
• and
• a pair of support cylinders extending between each intermediate roll and the frames, the support cylinders being mounted to the frames and extensible to cause the axis of at least one intermediate roll to pass through the calender plane twice as the support cylinders are extended, and to move the axis of the at least one intermediate roll a distance parallel to the calender plane approximately equal to or greater than twenty-one and one half inches while causing motion perpendicular to the calender plane of less than about 0.45 inches.