JP2020527365A - Equipment and methods for producing sheets based on plant debris using a shoe press type press unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A press unit (11) that extracts water from a sheet only by the effect of the pressing action applied to the press unit (11) in the form of a shoe press on an apparatus for producing sheets based on plant debris such as recycled tobacco or recycled tea. Is provided. The method for producing a sheet based on plant debris includes a step for producing a sheet based on plant debris, which comprises preparing the device.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a sheet based on plant debris such as recycled tobacco or recycled tea. This device is a headbox-type feeder, a molded cloth containing a suspension that captures fibers based on the plant debris, and uniformly distributes the suspension over the entire width counted perpendicular to its traveling direction. The running molded cloth, the press unit in which the wet sheet preformed on the molded cloth is pressed to extract the amount of water contained in the wet sheet, and the wet sheet coming out of the press unit is dried. Has a drying unit that receives.

The present invention also relates to a method for producing a sheet based on plant debris, which comprises the step of preparing such a production apparatus.

Over the last four years, there has been one problem with the efficient and safe production of sheets based on plant debris. The properties of plant splinters may vary depending on the field of application. For example, this issue may relate to sheets based on recycled tobacco or sheets based on recycled tea.

Especially in the case of recycled tobacco, tobacco manufacturers recycle tobacco waste generated during the production of cigarettes by incorporating it as part of the tobacco mixture that makes up the cigarette. These tobacco wastes are mainly from tobacco leaf stems that are not used after harvesting the leaves, poor quality leaves, or different sizes of tobacco powder produced when tearing the leaves or at different steps in the production of cigarettes. It is composed.

Traditionally, the process of reusing tobacco waste essentially involves the production of sheets based on recycled tobacco. When the production is complete, the recycled tobacco sheet is then subjected to a sheet impregnation step, a final drying step of the impregnated sheet, and a shredding step. These steps will be described later.

The production of recycled tobacco sheets involves the steps of dispersing tobacco waste, then draining and cleaning, then pressing the waste to extract its extract from the fiber substrate, and then refining the tobacco fiber. It has a step of diluting the fibers in water to a concentration of about 1%. This creates a suspension containing recycled tobacco fiber and water.

The production of recycled tobacco sheets then includes the following steps: First, the suspension is supplied over the entire width of the molded fabric at the traveling speed of the molded fabric by a feeder commonly referred to in the relevant field as a "headbox" to cover the entire rotating molded fabric. The suspension is then subjected to a drainage step on the molding cloth until a continuous sheet is formed with a dryness of about 20% and a dry basis weight of about 65 g / m ² . The sheet, pre-formed on the molded fabric, is then transported towards the press unit to increase its dryness to about 40%. The sheet thus pressurized by the press unit is then conveyed to the drying unit and generally undergoes a drying step in a series of drying rollers heated with steam until it reaches a degree of drying of about 80%.

The impregnation step described above is the exit of the device for producing recycled tobacco sheets, where the pre-extracted extract is pre-concentrated by evaporation and added with different additives to customize the final product. The essence is to re-impregnate the sheet. The final basis weight is usually around 105 g / m ² . In fact, the concept of using recycled tobacco was originally developed by manufacturers for economic purposes by recycling unreused waste to replace some of the fresh tobacco. Then, in addition to the original economic aspects, the possibility of optimizing the composition of the cigarette by adding additives that enhance its combustion quality as the primary means available by the cigarette manufacturer. Have.

At the completion of the process, shreds are made to shred the final sheet for broadcasting in various containers for later shipping and transportation operations.

Among the issues that must be considered in equipment for producing recycled tobacco sheets, the strength of recycled tobacco sheets is higher than that of paper sheets of similar basis weight compared to known techniques in the field of paper sheet manufacturing. It can be quite low. The reason is that the mechanical properties of the used raw materials (fibers and dust from the stems) are significantly lower than those of the wood fibers contained in the paper sheet. As a result, the risk of the recycled tobacco sheet being broken or disassembled throughout the manufacturing process is very high, which makes it difficult to increase the yield of production. Fracture of a sheet during production requires the suspension of production in order to perform certain operations called transfer operations, which means manufacturing loss and economic loss, in addition to obvious technical and human inconveniences. Therefore, it should be understood that the problems inherent in the technical field of the present invention are much more specific and considerably more complex than the problems known in the field of paper sheet manufacturing.

In an attempt to increase the strength of the recycled tobacco sheet during its manufacturing process, it has already been considered to include non-cheating wood fiber in the recycled tobacco fiber solution. These are usually composed of resin wood fibers that are more durable than deciduous tree fibers. However, this operation significantly increases the cost of the final product and is only done to the extent that it is really needed.

Other known techniques, which are now the most common techniques, correspond to the use of the manufacturing equipment shown in Attached FIG. The technique comprises the press unit 1 of the manufacturing apparatus arranging a rotary drum 2 in the form of a very large cylinder heated by high pressure steam, commonly referred to in the relevant field as a "Yankee". Generally, the diameter of the drum 2 is very large, reaching 5 m. After suction from the molded cloth 3 by the suction device 4, the wet sheet is transported on the transport felt 5 and then relative to the drum 2 at the position of the first pressurizing roller 6 and then at the diameter. Pressed twice at the position of the second pressurizing roller 7 of 750 mm. The wet sheet is then kept in contact with the drum 2 and the water vapor released by the drum allows the wet sheet to begin drying even before the sheet has passed through the drying unit itself. .. The wet sheet is then released at the outlet of the drum 2 for winding around the drying unit. In such a press unit, the pressing action received from the wet sheet through the two rollers 6 and 7 is combined with the drying action received by the wet sheet by the action of releasing water vapor by the drum 2, and the 40% required for the sheet. It is possible to reach a degree of dryness of about 45%.

The advantage of this solution is that it allows the wet sheet to be supported while minimizing the transport that causes the wet sheet to break.

On the other hand, however, the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 has many drawbacks with respect to the press unit design described above.

First, using such a Yankee is problematic due to its considerable size and very high cost. As a result, in most cases the user will not have a spare Yankee and will not be able to operate the entire manufacturing equipment in the event of a failure or maintenance. In addition, it will be necessary to use a crane to handle this device.

In addition, handling the Yankee requires the use of water vapor in a very large volume of drum 2, which can be potentially dangerous in the case of excessive pressure, making it uneconomical to extract water from the wet sheet. Become.

It is also very difficult to find and maintain suitable conditions for the automatic winding of the wet sheet by the Yankee and the automatic removal of the wet sheet from the Yankee for winding by the drying unit. This leads to many failures in the manufacturing equipment due to removal problems at the press unit level, as well as sheet breakage.

In addition, peeling the wet sheet at the Yankee outlet is often a problem, and in order to properly peel the sheet from the drum 2, it is necessary to limit the dryness of the resulting wet sheet.

Further, by pressing the wet sheet against the Yankee in a very narrow pressure range with the two press rollers 6 and 7, the mass of the wet sheet becomes small, which may cause a problem in the subsequent operation. In fact, when the fibrous mat is over-compressed, it is often a problem to have the sheet re-hold the same amount of extract and additives required, and sometimes not to impregnate the core of the mat. Quality problems may occur (during impregnation, the sheet turns dark brown and any impregnation defects can be detected directly).

Finally, keeping the wet sheet in contact with the hot, smooth surface of the Yankee during very long transports will reduce the porosity of the sheet surface, which is problematic for subsequent operations. Occurs. In fact, even if the fibrous mat core maintains sufficient volume mass, lowering the surface porosity will later lead to problems in the reimpregnation operation.

The above problems have been described for specific cases of the production of recycled tobacco sheets, but these problems are not limited to specific cases and similar problems apply to most plants, for example, the production of recycled tea sheets. It is also involved in the manufacture of based sheets.

An object of the present invention is to solve all or part of the above-mentioned drawbacks.

In connection with the above, it is necessary to provide an apparatus for producing a sheet based on plant debris such as recycled tobacco or recycled tea, which meets all of the following objectives at the press unit stage.

Continue to transport as much as possible avoiding the risk of crushing a very brittle wet sheet, which is composed of a collection of fibers that are actually significantly lower in mechanical properties than the mechanical properties of a paper sheet based on wood fibers. thing,
Extracting the wet sheet by pressing it towards the drying unit with as much water as possible, and thus with as much resistance as possible, to dry and transport as much as possible.
Keeping the wet sheet as heavy as possible to improve extract uptake during re-impregnation,
Keep the porosity of the wet sheet surface as high as possible.

For this purpose, a device for producing a sheet based on plant debris such as recycled tobacco or recycled tea is provided, which device is used.
A headbox-type feeder, which contains a suspension that incorporates fibers based on the plant debris.
A running molded cloth, the feed device uniformly distributing the suspension over the width of the molded cloth in the direction perpendicular to the running direction of the molded cloth and the molded cloth until a wet sheet is obtained by the molded cloth. Molded cloth, configured to ensure that the suspension is drained during transport,
The previously formed wet sheet is provided with a press unit that is subjected to a pressing action to extract water contained in the wet sheet on a molded cloth, and a drying unit in which the wet sheet coming out of the press unit is subjected to a drying action.
In the manufacturing apparatus, the press unit extracts the above amount of water only by the effect of the pressing action, and the shoe press is composed of the shoe press.
A press shoe with a support surface and
A counter press with a support surface located on the opposite side of the press shoe support surface,
A compression mechanism that urges the support surface of the press shoe in the direction of the support surface of the counter press,
It has a closed-loop drive belt that is partially located between the support surface of the press shoe and the support surface of the counter press and is driven by traveling movement by a drive mechanism.
In the press unit, a wet sheet that is continuously driven by the effect of the traveling movement of the drive belt is interposed between the drive belt and the support surface of the counter press, and the press shoe is oriented in the direction of the support surface of the counter press by the compression mechanism. It is configured to receive the pressing action by the effect of urging the support surface.

Shoe press technology has long been known in the field of paper sheet manufacturing,
The use of the technique in certain cases of the production of sheets based on plant debris involves many synergistic effects that are characteristic of the properties of the plant debris, described below, and the efficiency of the manufactured products and equipment. Allows significant improvements in both.

Due to the simplicity of such a press unit compared to current Yankee-type solutions, the wet sheet is preferably permanently supported and supported by strips that ensure its drive or absorption of extracted water. A solution can be applied to send to the drying unit without transporting. To put it the other way around, using the Yankee means temporarily releasing the seat after removing it. Due to the above advantages, it is possible to improve the manufacturing speed during manufacturing and / or reduce the risk of sheet breakage. Therefore, the yield of the production line is improved accordingly. Moreover, the need for adding wood fibers to increase the mechanical strength of the sheet is reduced and further suppressed with respect to the requirements of the prior art, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

Fortunately, operating such a press unit is significantly safer than operating a Yankee. The reason is that the user is more likely to have spare parts and can avoid discontinuing production. What's more, shoepress technology has a proven track record in reliability and maintenance, and sheet producers, such as recycled tobacco sheets, pose a potential threat to sustain production in the event of equipment failure. It is possible to eliminate the installation of the Yankee. Yankees are constrained by standards regarding the use of pressure equipment, which is no longer a constraint on shoe presses.

In addition, the presence of press shoes and counter presses can advantageously apply pressure over a wider pressure range, and by pressing the fibrous structure to extract as much water as possible. Ideal. In addition, this phenomenon is facilitated by the fact that sheets of plant debris, typically recycled tobacco sheets, naturally have a low tendency to retain water in their fibers, which is the effect of pressing by this technique. It means that the increase in dryness is optimal. The amount of water extracted by the press action between the press shoe and the counter press is very large, much greater than the amount of water extracted via the two press rollers 6 and 7 in the case of the Yankee. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a sheet having better strength and higher dryness at the outlet of the press unit with only one pressing action. By removing the drying function in the press unit, safety is improved and it becomes very economical.

Moreover, such manufacturing equipment makes it possible to achieve higher maximum dryness than can be achieved with Yankee-type press equipment. As a result, the steam requirement of the drying unit is reduced by increasing the degree of drying at the inlet thereof, which enables further energy saving.

Moreover, in this wide pressure range, the ability of the press shoes and counter presses to apply a specific pressure lower than the pressure applied by the rollers 6 and 7 in the case of the Yankees, in a very advantageous way, results in a large amount of sheet production. Can be maintained in a reasonable amount. This facilitates the absorption of the extract during the subsequent re-impregnation operation using the extract previously extracted from the tobacco waste and additives in certain cases of recycled tobacco.

According to certain embodiments, the shoe press
The surface for supporting the wet sheet, which is interposed between the seat surface of the counter press and the portion of the wet sheet running in the space between the support surface of the press shoe and the support surface of the counter press, is extracted. A running absorption strip, containing a fiber array that creates an empty volume suitable for absorbing a portion of the amount of water
And / or, at least a surface for supporting the wet sheet, which is interposed between the traveling drive belt and a portion of the wet sheet running in the space between the support surface of the press shoe and the support surface of the counter press. Includes a running absorption strip containing a fiber arrangement that produces an empty volume suitable for absorbing a portion of the extracted water.

These configurations prevent one of the surfaces of the wet sheet from being exposed to a smooth surface or a hot surface. The wide variety of felts available on the market allows the surface porosity of fibrous mats to be kept high, allowing for maximum impregnation.

According to another particular embodiment, the length of the support surface of the press shoe counted along the travel path of the drive belt is greater than 250 mm. Therefore, the fact that the press shoe, and thus the counter press, includes such a long support surface allows the pressure region to have a very wide surface for the purposes described above, and pressing can be done with the extract. To maintain a large volume that facilitates the uptake of the additive during the subsequent reimpregnation operation, a large amount of water is extracted with a single press action without excessively increasing the mechanical pressure on the wet sheet. Is guaranteed to be effective. In fact, a model that extracts water by pressure from a sheet based on plant debris has shown that the process of applying pressure to the sheet over a long period of time is more effective. Specifically, these are the conditions obtained by using the shoe press as a press unit. Nevertheless, this linear pressure is associated with a specific pressure in a very limited press area due to the large surface.

The range of 600 kN to 1200 kN per meter of the width of the support surface of the press shoe, which is counted at right angles to the drive belt's travel path, to allow as much water as possible to be extracted by a single press action. The support surface of the press shoe may be urged, especially with a compression mechanism, to apply the linear pressure contained in.

According to one embodiment, the support surface of the counter press has a shape that complements the shape of the support surface of the press shoe. This allows the pressing action to be optimized for the entire period during which the wet sheet is transported over the entire length of the support surface of the press shoe.

In order to maximize the press length with a good effect of the press and to maximize the press length with a small volume, it is desirable to provide a support surface of the counter press having a convex shape and a support surface of the press shoe having a concave shape. Generally, the shape of the support surface of the press shoe is part of a straight cylinder, the axis of which is perpendicular to the direction in which the support surface of the press shoe and the support surface of the counter press face each other, and in the travel path of the drive belt. Arranged at right angles.

According to another embodiment, the manufacturing apparatus is disposed between the molding cloth and the press unit, and is configured to reliably transport the wet sheet from the molding cloth to the drive belt of the press unit. To be equipped. Although it has already been explained that the press unit in the form of a shoe press can avoid the lack of support of the wet sheet during transfer within the press unit, this transfer unit allows the wet sheet to be transferred from the molded fabric to the shoe press. It is intended to complete this action while avoiding lack of support, thereby reducing the risk of breakage of the wet sheet and lack of peeling at the edges of the molded fabric.

The shoe press may be equipped with a system for injecting a lubricant such as oil, which is configured to form a film with this lubricant between the support surface of the press shoe and the drive belt for efficiency. And for stability reasons, it is possible to avoid or suppress friction between the drive belt and the support surface of the press shoe.

The present specification also proposes a process for producing a sheet based on plant strips, which process is:
With the steps to prepare such manufacturing equipment,
A step of supplying an extract containing fibers based on the plant debris to the supply device of the manufacturing device,
The step of spreading the suspension evenly with the feeder over the entire width of the molded cloth, which is counted at right angles to the running direction of the molded cloth.
With the drainage of the wet sheet, the step of transporting the suspension with a molded cloth and
It has a step of pressing the wet sheet by the shoe press constituting the press unit of the manufacturing apparatus, and in this step, the press unit applies the amount of water contained in the wet sheet to the wet sheet by the shoe press. A wet sheet extracted only by the drive belt and continuously driven by the effect of the traveling movement of the drive belt is interposed between the drive belt and the support surface of the counter press, and the support surface of the press shoe is made of the support surface of the counter press. It receives the pressing action due to the effect of urging the compression mechanism in the direction.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the plant strips are composed of tobacco strips, much like a sheet produced by a manufacturing apparatus becomes a sheet of recycled tobacco.

Alternatively, the plant strips are composed of tea strips so that the sheet produced by the manufacturing apparatus is a sheet of recycled tea.

FIG. 1 shows a press unit in the form of a Yankee, which is an example of a manufacturing apparatus known as a prior art. FIG. 2 shows a press unit of an example of the manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 represents the press shoe and counter press used in FIG. FIG. 4 shows the press shoe and compression mechanism used in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The present invention, as a non-limiting example, will be better understood by the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

With reference to FIGS. 2-4, which are briefly described above, the present invention relates to a mechanical device for producing a sheet based on plant strips. The nature of these plant debris is not limited in itself, but the production equipment may be tobacco debris as for the production of recycled tobacco sheets and the production equipment as tea debris as for the production of recycled tea. preferable. The production of sheet of plant strips is quite different from the production of paper sheets in terms of precautions to be taken regarding the small resistance of plant strips of the same basis weight as paper.

This device for producing sheet based on plant debris includes a headbox type feeder (not shown) containing a suspension incorporating fibers based on these plant debris.

In certain cases of recycled tobacco, fibers, and generally suspensions, usually follow the steps of spraying tobacco waste from the traditional cigarette manufacturing process into water and spinning and washing. The next step, the next step of pressing the waste to extract the extract from the fibrous substrate, the next step of producing the tobacco fiber, and the next step of diluting the tobacco fiber in water at a concentration of about 1%. It is the result of the step.

The design and configuration of the feeder is not itself limiting and one of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to adapt them from known techniques and from the nature of the suspension.

Further, the manufacturing apparatus includes the molded cloth 10 which runs only at the outlet end as shown in FIG. The feeder uniformly spreads the suspension (perpendicular to the travel path) over the width of the molded fabric 10. The cloth 10 is configured to ensure drainage of the suspension during its transport by the molded cloth 10 until a wet sheet designated by "F" is obtained. Similar to the feeder, the portion composed of the molded cloth 10 is not limited in itself and can be of any design as long as it is suitable for the function required in a particular situation in the field of producing sheet based on plant strips. And the composition. Although the properties of such sheets are quite peculiar with respect to the properties of paper sheets, those skilled in the art can nevertheless adapt the molded fabric 10 from known techniques.

Next, the manufacturing apparatus has a press unit 11, which is clearly shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, and which is particularly relevant to the present invention. In the press unit 11, the wet sheet F preformed on the molded cloth 10 receives only the pressing action and not any drying action, in contrast to the prior art solutions using the Yankee. By this pressing action received in the press unit 11, the amount of water contained in the wet sheet F can be extracted, and the dryness of the wet sheet F is increased through the press unit 11 and during its transfer by the press unit 11. The result is brought.

Further, the manufacturing apparatus is arranged between the molding cloth 10 and the press unit 11, and is configured to guarantee the transportation of the wet sheet F from the molding cloth 10 to the drive belt 13 of the press unit 11. 12 is provided, and the details thereof will be described later. The transfer unit 12 on which the pressure is reduced makes it possible for the wet sheet F to resist the influence of gravity between the molded cloth 10 and the press unit 11, and the transfer from the molded cloth 10 to the press unit 11 is performed. The lack of support for the wet sheet F is limited in it, thus limiting the risk of breakage of the wet sheet F or lack of peeling at the edges of the molded fabric 10. Nevertheless, the provision of the transport unit 12 can be optionally chosen depending on the needs and properties of the suspension.

Following the press unit 11, the manufacturing apparatus includes a drying unit 14 in which the wet sheet F coming out of the press unit 11 is subjected to a drying action. Generally, the drying unit 14 has a series of drying rollers 15. The design and configuration of the drying unit 14 is not limited to itself, and those skilled in the art can construct the drying unit from known techniques.

An optional drive transfer device 16 can be provided to guarantee the transfer of the wet sheet F along the path from the press unit 11 to the drying unit 14.

In contrast to the Yankee operation according to the prior art, the press unit 11 extracts the entire amount of water extracted in the press unit 11 only by the effect of the press action, without the drying action.

According to the essential features of the present invention, the press unit 11 is configured by a shoe press for this purpose.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the shoe press is formed in a transverse direction Z approximately perpendicular to the running surface of the press shoe 19 having the support surface 20 and the wet sheet between the press shoe 19 and the counter press 21. It has a counter press 21 having a support surface 22 arranged on the side opposite to the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19. The traveling direction is indicated by reference numeral X to understand the path of the wet sheet F during pressing between the support surfaces 20 and 22, and the lateral direction Y is a direction perpendicular to both the direction X and the direction Z. ..

Here, referring to FIG. 3, the shoe press is interposed between the traveling drive belt 13 and the portion of the wet sheet F traveling in the space between the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 and the support surface 22 of the counter press 21. The surface comprising the running absorbent strip 18 and intended to support at least the wet sheet F is part of the amount of water extracted by the press action between the press shoe 19 and the press drum 24. Includes a fiber array that creates an empty volume configured to inhale.

Instead of or together with the absorption strip 18, the shoe press runs in the space between the support surface of the counter press 21 and the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 and the support surface 22 of the counter press 21. A surface having a running absorbent strip 17 interposed between the portions and intended to support at least the wet sheet F is extracted by the pressing action between the press shoe 19 and the press drum 24. It has a fiber array that creates an empty volume configured to inhale a portion of the amount of water.

According to a particular embodiment, the counter press 21 comprises a support frame 23 that is connected to the ground and supports the press drum 24 in the form of a cylinder, the press drum being rotatably mounted on the support frame and the support surface 22. Is always composed of a portion where the drum 24 is located opposite to the press shoe 19.

The curvature of the concave support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 corresponds to the diameter of the convex support surface 22 of the counter press 21 (within the thickness of the absorption strips 17 and 18) and of the press drum 24 used. Corresponds to the diameter. Therefore, the two support surfaces 20, 22 have complementary shapes to ensure continuous pressing in direction Z along the wet sheet F being conveyed in direction X.

More specifically, the shape of the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 is part of a hollow straight cylinder whose axis is arranged along the direction Y.

Further, the shoe press has a compression mechanism 25 that urges the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 toward the support surface 22 of the counter press 21. The compression mechanism 25 includes a plurality of hydraulic cylinders staggered along a support beam 26 oriented in a direction Y fixed to the frame 23 by the spacer system 27. Therefore, this solution has the advantage of looping mechanical forces and the forces are not transmitted through the ground.

The compression mechanism 25 includes the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 in the range of 600 kN to 1200 kN per meter of the width of the support surface of the press shoe 19 counting along its width, in other words, along the direction Y. The support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 is urged to exert a linear pressure.

As described above, the shoe press is a closed-loop drive that is partially arranged between the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 and the support surface 22 of the counter press 21 and is driven by the drive mechanism 28 in a traveling motion. Includes belt 13. The closed loop separated by the drive belt 13, also known as the "sleeve", is closed around the beam 26, the compression mechanism 25, and the drive mechanism 28, as shown in FIG. In the space between the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 and the support surface 22 of the counter press 21, the traveling direction of the drive belt 13 corresponds to the traveling direction of the seat F indicated by the direction X in FIG.

The length L (FIG. 4) of the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 counted along the traveling path of the drive belt 13 is larger than 250 mm and further larger than 300 mm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the wet sheet F, which is continuously driven by the effect of the traveling motion of the drive belt 13, is interposed between the drive belt 13 and the support surface 22 of the counter press 21, and is provided by the compression mechanism 25. Due to the effect of the urging force of the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 in the direction of the support surface 22 of the counter press 21, the shoe 19 is pressed against the counter press 21.

Preferably, the shoe press comprises a system 29 that injects, for example, a lubricant 30 such as oil so as to form an oil film between the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 and the drive belt 13. The frictional force between the 13 and the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19 can be avoided or limited.

The aforementioned manufacturing equipment can be found in all kinds of techniques for manufacturing sheets based on plant strips, regardless of the nature of the plant strips. In general, the plant strip may be a cigarette strip derived from the original product of a cigarette or tea strip.

The use of the manufacturing equipment described above can accommodate the implementation of the following processes.

The process of making sheets based on plant debris
Steps to prepare the manufacturing equipment mentioned above,
A step of supplying a suspension containing fibers based on the plant debris to the supply device of the manufacturing device,
A step of evenly distributing the suspension by the feeder over the entire width of the molded cloth 10 counted at right angles to the traveling direction of the molded cloth 10.
A step of transporting the suspension by the molding cloth 10 with the drainage until the wet sheet F is obtained.
And the step of pressing the wet sheet by the shoe press constituting the press unit 11 of the manufacturing apparatus can be included, in which the press unit 11 is wet only by the effect of the pressing action applied to the wet sheet F by the shoe press. The wet sheet F, which extracts the amount of water contained in the sheet F and is continuously driven by the effect of the traveling movement of the drive belt 13, is interposed between the drive belt 13 and the support surface 22 of the counter press 21. The compression mechanism 25 in the direction of the support surface 22 of the counter press 21 receives a pressing action due to the effect of the urging force of the support surface 20 of the press shoe 19.

Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments already expressed and described, but conversely includes all modifications thereof.

Claims (13)

A manufacturing device for manufacturing sheets based on plant fragments such as recycled tobacco or recycled tea.
A headbox-type feeder containing a suspension containing fibers based on the plant debris,
Molded cloth (10), on which the feeder counts at right angles to the traveling direction of the molded cloth (10) and evenly distributes the suspension over the width of the molded cloth (10). And a running molded cloth configured by the molded cloth (10) to ensure its drainage during transport of the suspension until a wet sheet (F) is obtained.
A press unit (11) in which a wet sheet (f) preformed on the molded cloth (10) is pressed so as to extract an amount of water contained in the wet sheet (F).
A drying unit (14) in which the wet sheet (F) coming out of the press unit (11) is subjected to a drying action is provided.
In the manufacturing apparatus, the press unit (11) extracts the above amount of water only by the effect of the pressing action, and as a component,
Press shoe (19) with support surface (20),
A counter press (21) having a support surface (22) arranged on the side opposite to the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19),
A compression mechanism (25) that biases the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) toward the support surface (22) of the counter press (21).
A part is arranged between the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) and the support surface (22) of the counter press (21), and is configured as a closed loop driven by a drive mechanism (28) to travel. The driven belt (13) and the wet sheet (F) continuously driven by the effect of the traveling movement of the drive belt (13) are supported by the drive belt (13) and the counter press (21) (22). The pressing action due to the effect of the urging force of the supporting surface (20) of the press shoe (19) in the direction of the supporting surface (22) of the counter press (21) by the compression mechanism (25). Press unit (11) configured to receive
A manufacturing apparatus characterized by being composed of a shoe press having a. In claim 1,
A manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the length (L) of the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) counted along the traveling path of the drive belt (13) is larger than 250 mm. In claim 1 or 2,
The support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) ranges from 600 to 1200 kN per meter of the width of the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19), which counts at right angles to the travel path of the drive belt (13). A manufacturing apparatus characterized in that a compression mechanism (25) urges a support surface (20) of a press shoe (19) to exert a contained pressure. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
A manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the support surface (22) of the counter press (21) has a shape that complements the shape of the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19). In any one of claims 1 to 4,
A manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the support surface (22) of the counter press (21) has a convex shape, and the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) has a concave shape. In any one of claims 1 to 5,
The shape of the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) is such that the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) and the support surface (22) of the counter press (21) face each other, and the drive belt ( A manufacturing apparatus characterized in that it is a part of a straight cylinder having an axis oriented in a direction perpendicular to the traveling path of 13). In any one of claims 1 to 6,
Arranged between the molded cloth (10) and the press unit (11), it is configured to ensure the transfer of the wet sheet (F) from the molded cloth (10) to the drive belt (13) of the press unit (11). A manufacturing apparatus comprising the suction transport unit (12). In any one of claims 1 to 7,
A wet sheet (F) in which the shoe press runs in the space between the support surface (22) of the counter press (21), the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19), and the counter press (219 support surface (22)). ), So that at least a surface intended to support the wet sheet (F) absorbs a portion of the amount of extracted water, with a running absorption strip (17). A manufacturing apparatus comprising a fiber array that creates an empty volume composed of. In any one of claims 1 to 8,
Of the wet sheet (F) on which the shoe press travels in the space between the traveling drive belt (13) and the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) and the support surface (22) of the counter press (21). A surface comprising a running absorbent strip (18), which is interposed between the portions and is intended to support at least the wet sheet (F), is configured to absorb a portion of the amount of extracted water. A manufacturing device comprising a fiber array that creates an empty volume. In any one of claims 1 to 9,
A system (29) for the shoe press to inject the lubricant (30) that forms a film of the lubricant (30) between the support surface (20) of the press shoe (19) and the drive belt (13). A manufacturing device characterized by being provided. A method of producing sheets based on plant debris,
The step of preparing the manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and
A step of supplying a suspension containing fibers based on the plant debris to the supply device of the manufacturing device,
A step of evenly distributing the suspension by the feeder over the entire width of the molded cloth (10), which is counted at right angles to the traveling direction of the molded cloth (10).
A step of transporting the suspension by the molded cloth (10) with the drainage until a wet sheet (F) is obtained.
A step of pressing the wet sheet (F) by a shoe press constituting the press unit (11) of the manufacturing apparatus is provided, and in this step, the press unit (11) is added to the wet sheet (F) by the shoe press. The wet sheet (F), which extracts the amount of water contained in the wet sheet (F) only by the effect of the pressing action and is continuously driven by the effect of the traveling movement of the drive belt (13), is the drive belt (13). ) And the support surface (22) of the counter press (21), and the support surface (19) of the press shoe (19) by the compression mechanism (25) in the direction of the support surface (22) of the counter press (21). 20) A manufacturing method characterized in that it receives a pressing action due to the effect of the urging force. 11.
A manufacturing method characterized in that a plant fragment is composed of tobacco strips and the sheet produced by the manufacturing apparatus is a recycled tobacco sheet. 11.
A manufacturing method characterized in that the plant strips are composed of tea strips and the sheet manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus is a recycled tea sheet.

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