US 8,574,401 B2Granted

Apparatus for inserting or removing a clothing in an industrial machine

AssigneeMetso Paper, Inc.

InventorsDan Andersson, Göran Ekström

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Abstract

An apparatus (24) for inserting an endless, flexible clothing (15) in or removing such a clothing from an industrial machine in which the clothing is arranged to run in an endless loop, comprising first and second units (25, 26) between which the clothing is to be fed in an advancement direction (F) essentially transversal to the run direction of the clothing in the machine. According to the invention the apparatus comprises an upstream zone (A), an intermediate zone (B) and a downstream zone (C) along the advancement direction of the clothing; and also a member (29) for bringing the units to interact in the first zone and the third zone, alternately, such that the clothing is locked between the units in the first zone and the third zone, alternately, allowing the feeding of the clothing into the upstream zone when the clothing is locked between the units in the downstream zone such that the clothing is accumulated in the intermediate zone, and allowing the feeding of the clothing accumulated in the intermediate zone into the downstream zone when the clothing is locked between the units in the first zone such that the clothing is fed out of the apparatus through the downstream zone (C).

Claims30

Dependent claims

An apparatus for inserting a flexible clothing in or removing such a clothing from an industrial machine in which the clothing is arranged to run in an endless loop, comprising:

a first structural unit and a second structural unit being arranged opposite to each other, said apparatus being arranged to feed the clothing between the first unit and the second unit in a clothing advancement direction essentially transverse to the run direction of the clothing in the machine;
wherein the apparatus comprises:
an upstream zone, an intermediate zone and a downstream zone being arranged one after the other along the advancement direction of the clothing;
and
at least one first member being arranged for bringing the first unit and the second unit to interact with each other in the upstream zone and the downstream zone, alternately, such that the clothing is arrested between the first unit and the second unit in the upstream zone and the downstream zone, alternately, allowing the feeding of a predetermined breadth of the clothing into the upstream zone when the clothing is arrested between the first unit and the second unit in the downstream zone such that a breadth of clothing corresponding to said predetermined breadth of clothing is accumulated in the intermediate zone, and allowing the feeding of the clothing accumulated in the intermediate zone into the downstream zone when the clothing is arrested between the first unit and the second unit in the upstream zone such that a breadth of clothing corresponding to said predetermined breadth of clothing is fed out of the apparatus through the downstream zone.

2 more elements

A method of inserting a flexible clothing in or removing such a clothing from an industrial machine, wherein the clothing is fed through an apparatus in a clothing advancement direction which is essentially transverse to the run direction of the clothing in the machine, which apparatus comprises a first structural unit and a second structural unit being arranged opposite to each other, between which units the clothing is fed, and which apparatus displays an upstream zone, an intermediate zone and a downstream zone being arranged one after the other along the clothing advancement direction, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the apparatus alongside the machine;
feeding a long side edge of the clothing into the apparatus;
and
repeating the sequence of:
arresting the clothing between the first unit and the second unit in the downstream zone and releasing the clothing in the upstream zone;
feeding a predetermined breadth of the clothing into the upstream zone such that a breadth of clothing corresponding to said predetermined breadth of clothing is accumulated in the intermediate zone;
arresting the clothing between the first unit and the second unit in the upstream zone and releasing the clothing in the downstream zone;
and
feeding the clothing accumulated in the intermediate zone into the downstream zone such that a breadth of clothing corresponding to said predetermined breadth of clothing is fed out of the apparatus through the downstream zone.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.