US3562106A

US3562106A - Apparatus for maintaining the slice opening in a papermaking headbox

Info

Publication number: US3562106A
Application number: US7355A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph A Beck; Thomas G Mckie; Donal J Wolf
Original assignee: Beloit Corp
Current assignee: Beloit Corp
Priority date: 1970-02-02
Filing date: 1970-02-02
Publication date: 1971-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-09

Abstract

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR SLICE LIP FOR PRESSURE HEAD BOX FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINE IN WHICH THE SLICE LIP HAS A TIP EXTENDING ACROSS THE BREAST ROLL AND FOURDRINIER WIRE ON THE ROLL. A BEAM IS SUPPORTED ON STATIONARY SUPPORTS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE HEAD BOX TO EXTEND ACROSS THE BREAST ROLL IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BREAST ROLL AND FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE TO THE BREAST ROLL. SUSPENSION LINKS SUSPEND THE SLICE LIP FROM THE BEAM. THE SUPPORT FOR THE BEAM COMPRISES ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT LEGS TO WHICH THE BEAM IS CONNECTED, THE SUPPORT LEGS HAVING AT THE BOTTOM ENDS ARCUATE SHAPED END MEMBERS WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY AND ROCKABLE ON BEARING BLOCKS WHICH ARE IN TURN SUPPORTED BY SECURED BLOCK SUPPORTS. THE ARCUATE SHAPED END MEMBERS OF THE SUPPORT LEGS ARE SUP-

PORTED ON THE BEARING BLOCKS COINCIDENT WITH THE POINT OF INTERSECTION OF EXTENDED RADIAL LINES EXTENDING FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE BREAST ROLL THROUGH THE TIP OF THE SLICE LIP. THE POSITION OF THE SLICE LIP MAY THUS BE ADJUSTED WITH RESPECT TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE BREAST ROLL ALONG THIS RADIAL LINE TO MAINTAIN THE TIP OF THE SLICE LIP IN THE SAME FIXED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BREAST ROLL, REGARDLESS OF UPWARD DEFLECTION OF THE SLICE LIP BY THE UPWARD FORCES OF THE STOCK OF THE LIP.

Description

Feb. 9, 1971 R. A. BECK ETAL 3,562,106

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING HEADBOX Original Filed Dec. 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 9, 1971 R. A. BECK ETAL 3,562,!

I APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING HEADBOX Original Filed Dec. 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 9, 1971 BECK ETAL 3,562,106

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING I-IEADBOX' Original Filed Dec. 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,562,106 APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING HEADBOX Ralph A. Beck, Thomas G. McKie, and Donal J. Wolf, Beloit, Wis, assignors to Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Continuation of application Ser. No. 601,987, Dec. 15, 1966. This application Feb. 2, 1970, Ser. No. 7,355 Int. Cl. D21f 1/02 U.S. Cl. 162-317 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adjustable support for slice lip for pressure head box for papermaking machine in which the slice lip has a tip extending across the breast roll and Fourdrinier wire on the roll. A beam is supported on stationary supports independently of the head box to extend across the breast roll in vertically spaced relation with respect to the breast roll and for vertical adjustment relative to the breast roll. Suspension links suspend the slice lip from the beam. The support for the beam comprises adjustable support legs to which the beam is connected, the support legs having at the bottom ends arcuate shaped end members which are supported by and rockable on bearing blocks which are in turn supported by secured block supports. The arcuate shaped end members of the support legs are supported on the bearing blocks coincident with the point of intersection of extended radial lines extending from the axis of rotation of the breast roll through the tip of the slice lip. The position of the slice lip may thus be adjusted with respect to the periphery of the breast roll along this radial line to maintain the tip of the slice lip in the same fixed relation with respect to the breast roll, regardless of upward deflection of the slice lip by the upward forces of the stock of the lip.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 601,987, filed Dec. 15, 1966, now abandoned.

In high speed papermaking machines employing a pressure head box and particulary such machines as are used to produce tissue, in order to produce suflicient flow of stock to uniformly produce the paper at high speeds, the pressure inside the head box is necessarily high. With such high pressures, the pressure developed on the slice lip as the stock passes beneath it, creates an upward force on the lip and within the head box with the result that the head box and slice body tend to be distorted or deflected and clearance between the slice lip and wire may vary, reducing or increasing the slice opening. The upward forces on the slice lip may even tend to deflect the slice lip into the Fourdrinier wire.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of the present invention to remedy the foregoing deficiencies in papermaking machines by providing a new and improved form of mounting and adjustment means for the slice lip of a papermaking machine in which uniform clearance between the tip of the slice lip and the Fourdrinier wire is maintained regardless of deflection of the head box and lifting pressures on the slice lip.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of slice lip and adjusting and support means therefor, arranged with a view toward supporting the tip of the slice lip for adjustment radially of the axis of rotation of the breast roll of a papermaking machine and maintaining a fixed gap between the tip of the slice lip and the breast roll.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of head box and slice lip for high speed papermaking machinery arranged with a view toward 3 ,562,106 Patented Feb. 9, 1971 ice preventing variations in the slice opening by upward lifting pressures on the headbox front wall and slice lip.

A still further object of the invention is to improve upon the head boxes and slice lips of papermaking machinery, by transversely pivoting the slice lip to extend from the headbox front wall over the breast roll and the Fourdrinier wire trained thereabout, and by supporting the slice lip on a transverse beam supported for adjustable movement radially of the axis of rotation of the breast roll and tiltable about an axis extending transversely through the tip of the slice lip, to retain a uniform slice opening regardless of upward pressure of the stock on the underside of the slice lip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved form of papermaking machine and head box therefor, in which the tip of the slice lip is adjustable with respect to the periphery of the breast roll and Fourdrinier wire trained thereabout along a line extending radially of the axis of rotation of the breast roll and intersecting the tip of the slice lip, and in which the support for the slice lip is tiltable about a transverse axis extending through the tip of the slice lip, to maintain clearance between the tip of the slice lip and the periphery of the breast roll constant under all pressure conditions on the underside of the slice lip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of adjusting and support means for the upper slice lip of the head box of a papermachine, in which a transverse beam extends across the breast roll in vertically spaced relation with respect thereto, inwhich the support for the beam is on rings coaxial with the axis of the breast roll and on rockable shoes intersecting an axis through the tip of the slice lip, to retain the tip of the slice lip for adjustment radially of the axis of rotation of the breast roll.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

'FIG. 1 is a side view of the head box and breast roll of a papermaking machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, with certain parts of the head box broken away and certain parts of the bearing support for the breast roll shown in vertical section;

FIG. 2 is a partial fragmentary detail front view of one end portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts removed in order to show the mounting for the slice beam and the mounting of the slice lip on the slice beam;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation, showing certain details of the beam support structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a partial fragmentary view in side elevation of the head box and slice lip shown in FIG. 1 with certain parts removed and certain other parts shown in vertical section.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, we have shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a fragment of the forming end portion of a papermaking machine including a head box 11, a breast roll 12 at the discharge end of the head box and having a Fourdrinier wire 13 trained thereabout and leading therefrom. The breast roll 12, Fourdrinier wire 13 and head box 11 may be of conventional forms and are no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The head box 11 is shown as having a bottom wall 15, extending transversely across the breast roll between

pond sidewalls

16, 16 of the head box and having a fixed lower slice apron 17 extending thereacross and recessed therein to form a continuation of the floor or bottom wall extending substantially tangentially of the periphery of the breast roll 12.

The head box 11 has an inclined front wall 19 which has a reinforcing beam structure 25 extending forwardly therefrom. The beam structure 25 has a transversely pivoted bottom surface from a generally horizontal continuation of the inclined front wall 19, and defining a roof 20 of an adjustable throat opening for the stock. The roof 20 is disposed above the bottom wall 15 and apron 17 and terminates into the undersurface of an adjustable slice lip 21, transversely pivoted to the forward end portion of said roof and extending thereacross. The slice lip 21 has a slice tip 23 having a predetermined spacing with respect to the periphery of the breast roll 12 and Fourdrinier wire 13 trained thereabout. The slice tip 23 is radially adjustable with respect to the periphery of the breast roll and Fourdrinier wire, and cooperates therewith to define a slice opening 24 controlling the flow and distribution of the stock in the head box onto the Fourdrinier wire 13.

The roof 20 extends across the bottom of the front wall 19 and is pivoted to a rear end portion 25a (of the beam structure 25) thereof for movement about a fixed pivotal axis on a knuckle pin 26. Said knuckle pin is partially recessed in the rear end portion 25a of the beam structure 25 and the rear end portion 25a is pivotally retained to said front wall 19 to form a fixed pivot for the roof 20, by a socket member 28.

A knuckle pin 29 is partially recessed in the rear end portion of the slice lip 21 and extends thereabove. The knuckle pin 29 is also partially recessed in the forward end portion of the roof 20 and is pivotally retained to said roof by a socket member 30, extending across the top of the roof 20 and forwardly therefrom.

The roof 20 is adjustably moved about the axis of the knuckle pin 26 by suitable jack means, which may be in the form of at least one conventional screw jack 32. The screw jack 32 is mounted on the top of a beam 33 mounted on the inside of the pond sidewalls 16 and extending across the top of the beam structure 25 and spacing said pond sides apart. A suspension rod 36 depends from the screw jack 32 and has a clevis 37 at its lower end pivotally connected to a connector 39 on a transverse pivot pin 40.

The connector 39 extends above the socket member and is shown in FIG. 4 as being a part of an abutment bracket 41 having an abutment plate 42 extending across the top surface thereof. Abutment plates 42 and abutment brackets 41 may be attached to the beam structure 25 and are abutted by air diaphragms 43 extending beneath abutment plates 44. The front wall 19 and reinforcing beam structure 25 may be fixed, and the jacks 32 are supported on the fixed beam 33 tying the pond sidewalls 16 together. The air diaphragms 43 may thus be loaded to exert a downward force on the roof 20 and suspension rods 36. The air diaphragms 43 will thus take up any slack in the screw jacks 32. Thus, as the low velocity stock flow exerts an upward pressure on the roof 20, the air diaphragms 43 will push the roof down with a slightly greater force than the upward pressure exerted by stock flow and thereby avoid variations in the area of the throat defined by the roof 20, which otherwise may be caused by slack in the screw jacks.

The air diaphragms 43 thus maintain the suspension rods 36 under tension and eliminate all backlash in the system and in addition counterbalance upward pressure on the roof. In addition the fixed pivot supporting the roof on the front wall 19, in cooperation with the jacks 32 and air diaphragms 43, permits indexing of the roof with respect to the surface of the wire and holds the spac ing between the roof and the apron 17 constant, regardless of movement of the head box.

A cross beam 27 is supported above the breast roll 12 to extend thereacross and forms an adjustable support for the slice lip 21. The beam 27 is of a generally box-like 4 form and forms an adjustable suspension means for the slice lip 21 on adjustment studs 101 threaded at their upper ends in plates 103 abutting the bottom of the beam 27, and threaded at their lower ends in collars 104 extending upwardly of the top surface of the slice lip 21. The adjustment studs 101 are provided to correct for crossdeflection of the beam or slice lip, to provide a true slice lip and uniform slice opening.

The cross beam 27 is supported at its opposite ends on rockable arcuate shaped end members 106, rockingly supported on bearing :blocks 107, mounted on the top surfaces of wedge blocks 109. The support for each end of the beam is the same so the support for one end only need herein be shown and described in detail. The arcuate shaped end members 106 are partially recessed within the bottom of and secured to a support leg 110 slidably guided in an end of the cross beam 27 and extending thereabove. The support leg 110 abuts the bottom of and forms a support for a plate 111 having at least one jack 112 mounted thereon and extending thereabove. As shown in FIG. 1 two pairs of jacks 112 are provided, a pair of jacks supporting each end of the beam 27. The jacks 112 are connected to be operated together, although two jacks need not necessarily be used, and the jacks may be replaced by shims if desired. The jacks 112 may be conventional screw jacks operated :by a common hand wheel 113. Said jacks have vertically movable adjustment rods 115, shown as being threaded in the top surface of a reduced end portion 116 of the cross beam 27. The jacks 112, therefore, may adjustably move the cross beam 27 along the support legs 110, and thereby adjust the spacing of the slice tip 23 with respect to the periphery of the breast roll 12.

The wedge block 109 is mounted on a wedge block support 117 having an arcuate base extending beyond opposite sides of said support and conforming to and mounted on a non-rotatable bearing housing 120, for the bearings (not shown) for the breast roll 12.

The wedge block support 117 is mounted on the bearing housing 120 with its centerline extending radially of the axis of rotation of the breast roll through the tip 23 of the slice lip 21. The wedge block support is then secured in this position, as :by machine screws 121.

The arcuate shaped end members 106 has an arcuate engaging surface rockingly engaging the bearing block 107, along a point of contact coincident with the transverse axis extending through the slice tip 23, to accommodate upward deflection of the slice lip about the point of contact of the arcuate shaped end members 106 with the :block 107. The block 107 may be a hardened block spaced from the wedge block 109 to align the top surface of said wedge block with the slice tip 23 by shims 123. The shims 123 cooperate with the wedge block 109 to establish firm contact between the arcuate shaped end member and the hardened bearing block 107 and to adjust the spacing of the slice tip 23 with respect to the surface of the breast roll 12. The wedge block 109 may be adjustably moved along the top surface of the support 117 to bring its top surface generally parallel to the line of travel of the wire 13, and may be held in located position on the top surface of the Wedge block support as by dowels (not shown) or any other suitable locating means. The bearing blocks 107 in turn may be held in position by machine screws 124 (FIG. 3).

The cross beam 27 is also suspended from spaced sus pension rods 128 depending from screw jacks 129, like the screw jacks 32 and shown in FIG. 4 as mounted on a stationary slice beam structure 127 connecting the pond sidewalls 16 together. The screw jacks 129 are operable to vertically raise the beam 27 and lift the slice lip 21, during wire changes.

Air springs 125 are interposed between the top surface of the slice support beam 27 and the undersides of brackets 126 extending outwardly of the pond sidewalls 16. The air springs 125 are of a conventional form and are mounted between the top side of the beam 27 and the underside of the brackets 126 in a conventional manner, so need not herein be shown or described further.

The beam 27 and slice lip 21 are thus adjustably supported on the breast roll independently of the head box, as in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive. This maintains the tip 23 of the slice lip 21 in fixed spaced relation with respect to the periphery of the breast roll 12 and the Fourdrinier wire 13 passing thereabout, and so supports the slice lip that upward pressures on the slice body and slice lip, or displacement of the head box will have no effect on the clearance between the tip 23 and the periphery of the breast roll 12.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a novel and improved form of head box and adjustable mounting for the slice lip at the discharge end of the head box has been provided in which the slice opening between the tip of the slice lip and breast roll is maintained constant regardless of the high pressure forces within the head box tending to deflect the head box or lift the slice lip.

It may further be seen that with the adjustable support for the slice lip shown and described herein, the support for the slice lip is supported on and adjustable about the axis of the breast roll 12 and is supported for limited angular movement about a transverse axis intersecting the tip of the slice lip. Adjustment of the tip of the slice lip, therefore, will always be on a radial line extending through the axis of rotation of the breast roll, assuring that a fixed gap be maintained between the tip of the slice lip and the surface of the breast roll 12 and the Fourdrinier wire 13 trained thereabout, which will be unaffected by vertical pressures on the front wall and slice lip, or distortion of the head box.

While we have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

For example, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is equally applicable to papermaking machines wherein the combination of breast roll and wire loop is substituted by an independent forming roll, such as a cylinder mold or suction roll.

What we claim is:

1. A papermaking machine comprising a breast roll, a Fourdrinier wire trained about said breast roll, a headbox having a front wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, a beam structure pivotally connected to said front wall which forms an adjustable throat opening with said bottom wall for stock flowing onto the said Fourdrinier wire from said headbox, a slice lip pivotally connected to said beam structure, said slice lip extending substantially tangentially of said breast roll, said slice lip having a tip extending transversely across said breast roll and spaced a predetermined distance from said breast roll, a cross beam extending above said breast roll, means suspending said slice lip from said cross beam and means supporting said cross beam at its ends including a support leg having an arcuately shaped end member pivotally and rockingly engaging a bearing block mounted on a block support means, said rocking occurring about an axis defined by the tip of said slice lip, said axis extending transversely of said breast roll such that said tip is maintained at said predetermined distance when pivoted about said axis in response to upward deflection of said slice lip due to lifting pressures on said slice lip resulting from stock flowing between said lip and said bottom wall onto said Fourdrinier wire.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the means susadjust the distance between said slice tip and said breast roll.

4. A papermaking machine comprising: a moving foraminous surface; a means including a slice for directing a flow of stock onto said foraminous surface, said slice comprising a roof pivotally connected to said means and a slice lip pivotally connected to said roof and extending therefrom adjacent said foraminous surface, said slice lip including a slice tip spaced a predetermined distance from said foraminous surface; and means for supporting said slice tip at said predetermined distance upon pivotal movement of said roof and slice lip due to pressures effected by the flow of stock passing between said slice lip and said foraminous surface, including a support leg having an arcuate-shaped end, means connecting said support leg to said slice lip immediately adjacent said slice tip, and stationary bearing means including a bearing surface rockingly supporting said arcuateshaped end of said support leg, the rocking occurring about an axis defined by the tip of the slice lip. 5. A papermaking machine according to claim 4, comprising a roll mounted for rotation, said foraminous surface carried by said roll, another stationary bearing means and another support leg for rocking contact therewith, the corresponding bearing means and support legs disposed adjacent opposite ends of said roll, and said other support leg also connected by said connecting means to said slice lip adjacent said slice tip. 6. A papermaking machine according to claim 4, comprising a stationary slice beam,

a cross beam slidingly coupled to said support legs and pivotally connected to said slice beam, and a plurality of adjustable studs connecting said cross beam to said slice lip adjacent said slice tip. 7. A papermaking machine according to claim 6, wherein said slice beam is positioned above said foraminous surface and said cross beam, and said slice lip is suspended from said cross beam with said slice tip directed toward said foraminous surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,372 2/1933 Hyde 162347X 2,162,097 6/1939 Metcalf 162347X 3,034,578 5/1962 Notbohm 162--347 3,321,360 5/1967 Holt 162347X S. LEON BASHORE, Primary Examiner R. H. TUSHIN, Assistant Examiner Us. 01. X.R. 162-214, 347