GB478713A - Improvements in and relating to felt conditioning devices for paper-making and like machines - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0478713/IV/1> <PICT:0478713/IV/2> <PICT:0478713/IV/3> In a felt conditioner for paper-making and like machines, the operation of the conditioner unit which applies a conditioning fluid to the felt and withdraws it by suction, is substantially confined to its traverse in one direction only, so that the conditioning operations are evenly timed. The conditioner unit 1 moves on a carriage 2 along an angle bar 3, a half nut 6 on the carriage engaging a rotatable threaded shaft 5, driven from a shaft 7 either directly through a clutch 9 or indirectly, at increased speed, for the idle return portion of the traverse of unit 1, through gearing 10, 11, 13, 14, variable speed-gear 15 and another clutch 12. The direction of travel of unit 1 is controlled by engagement of an abutment 18 thereon at each end of its traverse with an abutment 17 causing rocking of a bell-crank lever 19 to engage one or other of clutches 9, 12. At the end of the working stroke the supply of conditioner fluid and then the suction may be cut off by movement of rod 16 actuating pawls 38, 39 carried by the carriage to rotate two star-wheels 29, 30 connected to cams 31, 32 controlling valves 24, 26 in the fluid supply and suction pipes 23, 25. During the idle return stroke, pawls 38, 39, and other pawls 35, 36, carried by the carriage 2 pass idly over the star-wheels and at the commencement of the next working stroke pawls 35, 36 rotate the star-wheels to turn on the conditioner fluid and suction. The fluid supply nozzle is drained during the idle stroke by a valve 40 kept closed during the working stroke by the fluid pressure. If desired rubbing contact between the felt and the unit may be eliminated during the return stroke, the unit being, for example, mounted with slight lost motion on a slanting surface 41 of carriage 2. A conditioning fluid such as water need not be turned off during the idle stroke, its delivery on the felt being prevented, e.g. by the interposition of a pivoted shield between the jet and the felt, movement of the shield being caused by a star-wheel rotated by a finger on the rod 16. In a modification, the jet itself may be rotated, such rotation shutting off the water supply if desired. In another modification, the conditioner unit may travel over an endless path, the plane of which may be parallel with the felt, the unit either being constantly in contact therewith or dropping away from it during an idle stroke or the plane of the path may be inclined slightly or even at right-angles to the plane of the felt. A plurality of conditioner units may be spaced at fixed intervals from one another in such an arrangement. The flexible pipes from such units may be led to nipples on a plate rotating once for each complete cycle of the conditioner units in contact with a block having arcuate channels extending over a fraction of the block's surface, according to the number of units employed. Conditioner fluid and suction are applied to the channels in the blocks. In a further modification, several units may be used, each reciprocating over a fraction of the width of the felt.