US1626766A

US1626766A - Method and apparatus for treating fibrous materials

Info

Publication number: US1626766A
Application number: US92676A
Authority: US
Inventors: John D Tompkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-03-06
Filing date: 1926-03-06
Publication date: 1927-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 1944-05-03

Description

J. D. TOMPKINS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS May 3, 1921. 1,626,766

Filed March 6. 1926 Patented May 3, l927.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. TOMPKINS', 0] VALATIE, NEW YORK.

' METHOD AND arranarus ron :rnnnma rmaous MATERIALS.

Application filed March 6, 1926. Serial No. 92,678. a

The object of the invention is to enable wet fibrous material to be rapidly and economically dried, and although capable of other uses the invention has particular application to the drying of a paper web in the condition in which the latter is after being deposited on the forming wire or cylinder.

Other objects of the invention are to efiect the drying of a web of the above nature without necessitating the application of high temperatures or excessive pressures thereto, preferably also in such manner that the fibres may be subjected to a bleaching actlon during the drying process.

The invention also aims to provide a de v vice'which will insure that the paper web follows alon properly with a felt apron which is employed to carry it from the press rolls to thesubsequent section of the machine. j

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the description hereinafter contained, which, taken in conjunction with. the accompanying drawings,

discloses an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and adapted to carry out the.- processes which also constitute a part of such invention; such disclosure, however, is to be considered merely as illustrative of the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic longian apparatus adapted to carry out the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a moditied form of such apparatus. If a web of paper as it comes from the web-forming parts of a paper making machine,'is dried by the squeeze of press rolls in combination with a series of heated driers, the excessive pressure of the press rolls tends to injure the fibres, and the heated surfaces of the drying rolls particularly when the.

machine is run at high speeds, mayrequire a high degree of heat in order to dry the web adequately; thus the fibre tendrils which make up the web may be too highly heated and rendered brittle.

- In accordance with the present invention,

fibrous material of the above nature is dried 'by subjecting the same to an electric curwater, and the air passes through the mate- 1 may-readily be kept below any value whichwould unduly heat the material; furthermore, the air.current preferably is moderately heated, say, from 100 F. to 200 F. to promote the action of moisture liberation, but without involving temperatures which are high enough to injure the fibres in any way.

A web treated in the above manner may be dried sufficiently to enable the same to be run directly through the calenders, without the interposition of press rolls or drying rolls, although it wil be understood that there is nothing to prevent the use of the invention in conjunction with press rolls or drying rolls if desired.

The present embodiment of the invention is illustrated as applied to a paper making machine having a forming wire 1 runnin between upper and lower couch rolls'2 an 3, whereby the fibres are deposited upon the. forming wire 1 to form a web 4 which is carried along through the machine by felt aprons to'calenders 6, and from thence to a suitable winding roller 7 or the like.

In the present instance the paper web is picked up from the forming wire 1 by means of an upper felt a ron 8 which passes around a roller 9 locate in advance of the upper couch roll 2, in such manner that the upperfell. 8 supports the web and separates the vided with additional suitable guiding and sup orting rolls which need not be described in etail. a I

' The electric current is supplied by means of a suitable generator 15, one pole of which is electricallyoonnected to'the web 4, or' one of the felt aprons associated therewith, as by means of a lead 16, branch conductors 17, and resilient contact fingers 18 which wipe against the web4 or one ofits felt aprons. In the present instance four of such contact fingers are illustrated, and circuit back to the generator is completed by means of a lead 19 connected to the other pole of the generator, and also connected by means of branch conductors 20 to suction boxes 5 which are located in proximity to the several contact fingers 18.

The potential of generator 15 need be no higher than is necessary to cause a flow of current across the resistance between contact fingers 18 and the suction boxes respectively adjacent thereto which are connected to branch conductors 20,.such resistance being constituted by the fibres of the web 4, the felts S and 10 and the water carried thereby.

The sections of the web through which the electric current passes as above described, are also subjected to a current of air. In the present instance a current of air is caused to pass through the web 4 and upper felt apron 8 by air blast pipes 21 located at points in the latter which are in the path of the electric current passing through the first contact finger 18 to felt apron 8, and while the web is'still'carried' on the forming wire.

Thus the electric current tends to gasify a certain ercentage of the water carried by web 4 an felt apron 8, and. the air current carries off the same, as well as a certain amount of moisture which the air itself absorbs and takes away. Preferably the air current is augmented by the suction boxes 5.

In a similar manner the web may b repeatedly subjected to the combined ac ion of a current of air and an electric current to dry the same; in the present embodiment of the invention, further suction boxes "5 are positioned beneath the lower felt a ron 10 and air blast pipes 5 are associate therewith, whereby the paper web is successively dried as above mentioned.

In the type of machine illustrated in Fig.

1 the paper web is then carried by the felt aprons 8 and 10 through upper and lower plain press rolls 22 and 23. It will be understood that the drying of" the web by. the combined action of the air currents and electric currents above described, will materially reduce the amount of'water necessary to be extracted by the squeeze of the pressrolls, thereby avoiding the necessity of excessive mechanical pressure which might injure the paper web, and gall it at the press rolls.

As shown, the upper felt apron 8 then carries the paper web along to a drier roll 23, said felt apron passing around a roller 24 which rests on the said drier roll 23 to press the web into engagement therewith. The lower felt a ron 10 also follows along with the upper elt apron for a short distance beyond the press rolls and passes around a blow roll 25, from within which a blast of air is directed on to the paper web 4 to insure that thelatter will be carried along-by and in contact with the upper felt apron 8. Thus the upper felt apron continuously carries along the paper web from the forming wire untll the web is deposited upon the drier roll 23, or the first roll of the drier section of the machine.

During the extraction of water from the the agency of suction boxes 5, which are disposed underneath the forming wire, is aided I y gravity, being in a downward direction, and, furthermore, the removal of water in the above manner does not necessitate the bending of the paper web in such a way as to injure the bond between the'newly deposited fibres, but it willbe noted that the web travels along in a substantially flat condition which does not destroy the bond. The suction boxes are also relatively inexpensive and require onlv a small amount of power, as compared to other devices such as suction rollers, which latter would also require the bending of the paper web to make the suction effective.

Although the invention has been described as utilized for the treatment of a paper web,

it will be understood that it is also applicable to thetreatment of other fibrous sheet materials, such as textile or woven materials. Figure 2 illustrates an appartus adapted for the treatment of fabrics in accordance with the invention. As shown in 'this figure a sheet of wet fabric 5 passes between an upper conveying apron-8 carried by rolls 30 and 31 and a lower apron 1O carried by rolls 32 and 33, such fabric being subjected to the combined action of an air-blast, preferably moderately heated, from air-blast pipes 24 and suction boxes 34 cooperating 'with such air-blast pipes, as well as tothe action of'an electric current supplied from one ole of the generator 15 through a lead 19, ranch conductors 20* to wipers 35, and

by a lead 16 from the other pole of the generator, which is connected by suitable branch conductors 17 to suitable metallic parts such as the suction boxes 34, for completing the circuit from wipers 35 through the fabric sheet and back to the generator.

After having been bleached and dried in the above manner the fabric may then be passed over a suitable hot drum 36 and rewound upon a roll 37 y I This application contains certain subject matter disclosed in my prior application Serial Number 646,054, filed June 18, 1923, re-

newed March 2nd, 1926, entitled Method invention have been and' ap aratus for drying fibrous materials. Wln e certain specific embodlments of the described, it will be obvious that many chan es may be made therein without departin from its spirit as defined in the appende claims.

3 current of. air passing through said web.

3. The process of treating a paper web which. comprlses supporting. and advancing the same by a felt apron and subjecting the moving felt apron and paper web to the com- 'bined action of an electric current and an air' current.

'4. The method of treating a paper web' which comprises. drying the same by successive applications of an electric current and an air current. j

5. An apparatus for treating fibrous materials, which comprises means for advancing a web of such material along a path,

means for conducting an electric current across such path, together with means for producing. acurrent of air across said path adjacent the point ofv travel of said electric current thereacro'ss.

6. A paper making machine comprising a felt apron adapted to. carry along a wet fibre web, electrically conducting members disand means posed 'o-n op osite sides of said web adapted to caguse an-e ectric current topass across the felt apron and he web carried thereby, and

means for-producing a current of air'passing throughthe felt apron and web adjacent said conductingmembers.

making machine. comprising a a felt apron adapted to confor-conducting an electric current fibrous material to said felt apron and web adjacent said suction device.

8. A paper making machine comprising a suction device, a felt apron adapted to con-. tact with a paper web adjacent said device, means for conducting an electric current to said felt apron and web device, and means for projecting air under pressure through said felt apron toward said suction device.

9. A paper mak'mg machine comprising upper and lower felt aprons adapted to advance a paper web therebeiweema suction roll in contact with one of said felt aprons, and means for conducting an electric current through said felt a rons adjacent said roll.

- 10. A paper ma upper and lower felt aprons adapted to ad- 'th'rough said felt aprons adjacent said device, and means for projecting air under pressure through both of said felt aprons toward said suction device. j

-11. The process of drying and bleaching which-comprises subjecting the same tothe combined action of an electric current and a current of. air passing through said material.

12. The process of treating a paper web adjacent said suction ing machine comprising Vance a paper web therebetween, a suction which comprises subjecting the same to the combined action of an electric current anda current of an passing through said web while the web s carriedupon the forming wire.

13. The process oftreating a paper web U which comprises subjecting the sa'meto the combined action of an electric current and a current of an passing throu h said- .web

while the paper web is carried between the forming wire and a felt apron. V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I. have hereunto set-my hand this 24th. day of February, 1926.

JonuDiroMPKrNs.