US3785922A - Inclined former - Google Patents

Abstract

A papermaking machine wherein stock is discharged from a stationary headbox for deposit on a web forming wire having a reach adjacent the headbox which is variable and selectively inclined upwardly between a lower rearward breast roll toward an upper forward wire roll with a suction box assembly mounted with respect to and beneath the upwardly inclined reach there being provided a plurality of pairs of selectively employable side pond plate extensions of differing dimensions, each side pond plate extension of a pair being mounted in overlapping relation with a respective side wall of the headbox and in a tight sealed relationship with the suction box assemble and its supported inclined reach of the forming wire for accommodating the headbox to different angular positions for adjustment of the inclined reach of the forming wire.

Description

Jilin H5; M. KELLER 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. MARTIN B. KELLER WW 6 CZZMMW ATTORNEYS.

INCLINED FORMER Filed May 27, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MARTIN B KELLER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,785,922 INCLINED FORMER Martin B. Keller, Hudson Falls, N.Y., assignor to Sandy Hill Corporation, Hudson Falls, N.Y. Filed May 27, 1970, Ser. No. 41,004

Int. Cl. D21f 1/24 U.S. Cl. 162-299 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A papermaking machine wherein stock is discharged from a stationary headbox for deposit on a web forming wire having a reach adjacent the headbox which is variably and selectively inclined upwardly between a lower rearward breast roll toward an upper forward wire roll with a suction box assembly mounted with respect to and beneath the upwardly inclined reach, there being provided a plurality of pairs of selectively employable side pond plate extensions of dilfereing dimensions, each side pond plate extension of a pair being mounted in overlapping relation with a respective side wall of the headbox and in a tight sealed relationship with the suction box assembly and its supported inclined reach of the forming wire for accommodating the headbox to different angular positions of adjustment of the inclined reach of the forming wire.

The invention relates to equipment for the formation of sheet-like webs of fibers incorporating an endless forming wire having an inclinable reach and a cooperant stationary stock flow control mechanism accommodating a large volume of an aqueous suspension of fibers for delivery onto the wire.

The invention accommodates the stationary headbox to any of a series of adjustable positions assumed by an inclined reach of the endless forming wire in its extension between a rearward and lowerbreast roll and a forward and upper Wire roll by means of interchangeable side pond plate extensions serving as extensions to the respective side walls of the headbox. Each side pond plate extension is mounted upon a respective headbox side wall so as to be positionable with respect to the respective side of the inclined reach of the wire, with the selected pair of side pond plate extensions employed at a partciular time of use being according to the particular angle of inclination of the wire for the particular type of machine use envisioned.

The upwardly inclined reach of the wire is the web forming means and travels upwardly at a variable angle during passage through the web forming zone with the suspension of fibers being delivered onto its upper surface. Normal usage of the machine envisions that one or more suspensions will be delivered from a single compartment or a plurality of different compartments of the flow control mechanism to the wire through a slice or discharge orifice or through a plurality of slices, as the case may be. The stock discharged upon the wire drains by means of vacuum or gravity on the under side of the wire so as to leave a layer or layers of fibers upon the upper planar surface of the wire.

The invention represents a compromise between the Fourdrinier and cylinder types of papermaking machine. Herewith, the speed and Web density capabilities of the Fourdrinier machine are achieved in a machine having the compactness of a cylinder machine. The stock is flowed onto the inclined forming wire from above from a headbox, and the draining of the water therefrom is freely through the wire as by free fall or by various arrangements of suction boxes under the inclined reach. The inclined reach of the wire, being adjustable, allows a disposition at different angles of inclination in order to accommodate to greater control of web formation on the one hand and of water drainage on the other hand.

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There are several basic reasons for inclining a reach of the forming wire.

The use of extremely low consistencies of stock is made possible, same being a necessary condition for the formation of webs from synthetic fibers and for the formation of so-called non-woven types of sheets. The inclined forming wire and the cooperant stationary headbox offer a water handling capability which is far in excess of the capability of the conventional Fourdinier machine with the horizontally disposed forming wire or of the well known cylinder machine.

Also, the stock flow velocity during the entire formation can be elfectively controlled, a feature which is impossible to realize on the horizontal Fourdrinier or the cylinder types of machine.

Too, the space requirement is drastically reduced in comparison to the horizontal Fourdrinier machine. Because of the increased capacity for handling large volumes of water, the web formation takes place over a distance of 24-36 inches as opposed to 1215 feet on a horizontal wire.

By using different angular positions of the forming wire, different sheet characteristics are obtainable with respect to fiber orientation. The length-to-across fiber ratio can be variously changed with the different angular positions. The proportion of vertical fibers in the sheet can also be varied, resulting in differing bulk factors or volumes of the sheets for-med therewith. Too, the forming length can be changed by changing the degree of inclination, all thereby affecting sheet compactness.

Great flexibility is thus olfered in that the degree of angularity of the inclined reach of the Wire may be varied within a considerable range to accommodate to dilferent papermaking situations and the headbox can be accordingly organized by way of modification thereof as to adjust to those various positions of angularity, all without altering the positioning of, or the modus operandi of, the headbox.

By the invention, there is provided a machine unique in the industry because of its small size, high speed of operation, great versatility and accuracy of control with regard to the products it makes and high efficiency of operation, all of which result from its unique structure.

In my earlier Pat. No. 3,384,537, means was taught for producing a web or non-woven sheet-like structure of diversified fiber content, same being formed through one type of aqueous dispersion of fibers delivered at one stage as a base layer, and, while such base layer remains in a suificiently fluid condition, depositing thereupon, through a second stage, another dispersion of fibers, which may be of the same or different type, in manner such that the fibers of the secondary layer are bonded to the fibers of the base layer so as to form a coherent web. And if desired, with such coherent web being newly-formed upon the wire, there may be deposited thereonto, at still another stage, another uniform dispersion of fibers, which may be of a type the same as or different from the types used in the cases of the base and/or secondary layers, and again in manner such that wet fiber intermingling is assured.

Pressure may be controlled within the approach passage by way of adjustments of a pond regulator with reference to its proximity to the inclined wire. The closer the pond regulator to the forming surface, the narrower the discharge, and accordingly, the greater the fiow velocity applied in the forming area for any given gallonage or quantity of flow. Such greater forming velocity induces a greater degree of drainage in the available forming area on the wire so that more dilute stocks may be used and heavier webs may be produced. The formation of a web having improved profile is thus made possible, due to the fact that the web is formed from a pond, with formation being controllable by drainage rate on the wire rather than by control of fiber concentration in the slurry.

In this invention, the headbox design may be such that it comprises a single stock distributing device or a plurality of stock distributing devices.

The principal feature of the present invention, which distinguishes it from the prior art is that it allows compensation for the selectivity of adjustment of the angle of inclination of the wire. Because of the problem presented by the fact that the headbox is a stationary component of the machine, it will be appreciated that the spacing between the headbox and the inclined reach of the wire varies, as wire inclination is variably achieved. Obviously, means must be provided in the nature of what are here described as head box side pond plate extensions on opposite sides of the machine to insure a sealed closure of the headbox with respect to the forming wire, i.e. the space, on each side of the machine, between the lower surfaces of the headbox side walls and the tops of the suction boxes and the sides of the wire, extending generally forwardly from the breast roll at the lower extremity of the inclined reach toward the wire roll at the upper extremity of the inclined reach, such space being different dimensionally with each different position of inclination of the Wire supporting assembly.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view, in side elevation, of the tending side of an exemplary machine which may be utilized to carry out the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1.

There is shown, in simplified version, the wet end of the web forming machine, and having certain elements and instrumentalities which are old and Well-known and accordingly not shown in any great detail.

The machine is supported upwardly of a flooring by means of a side frame on each of the tending and driving sides of the machine, which side frames are stationarily mounted, adjacent their opposite ends, on pedestals 12.

On the upper face of the inboard end of each side frame 10, a bearing block 14 is mounted for pivotally supporting, at 16, the inboard end of an inclinable side or table rail 18, which side rail may mount at its rearward extremity a suitable bearing block 20 for the journalling of a breast roll 22 extending transversely of the machine between the pair of bearing blocks.

The breast roll is thus seen to be traversible through an are projected from pivot 16 as it assumes various positions of adjustment according to the angularization or inclination of inclinable side rail 18.

On the upper face of each side frame 10, distantly and outboard of bearing block 14, a suitable mechanical jacking mechanism 26 is pivotally mounted at 27, with its free end being pivotally engaged at 28 with the respective side rail 18 for purposes of raising or lowering the outboard end of the side rail and hence controlling the angularization thereof between a lower position of say 10 from the horizontal plane to an upper position of say 50 from the horizontal plane.

Side rail 18 mounts at its forward extremity a bracket bearing block 30 for the journalling of a wire roll 32 which extends transversely of the machine between the pair of bearing blocks. Wire roll 32 is thus seen to be traversible through an are projected from pivot 16 as it assumes various positions of adjustment according to the inclination of side rail 18 as determined by jacking mechanism'26.

A suction box subassembly 40 is stationarily mounted between and relative to opposite side rails 18 by any suitable mounting means so as to define an upper wire supporting surface spaced upwardly of the side rails. Being so mounted, the suction box subassembly is inclinable unitarily with the side rails.

An endless forming wire 50 is entrained around breast roll 22 and wire roll 32 and additionally around a couch roll 52, journalled in a bearing block 54 supported by a pedestal 56 at the delivery end of the machine, with the upper or working run of the wire moving in the direction of arrow a, and with the return run of the Wire being guided over a first return roll 58, a guide roll 60, an adjustable stretch roll 62, an adjustable guide roll 64, and an adjustable take-up roll 66, all operative in known manner. Wire change is easily provided for by the usual release adjustments provided for in the various rolls.

The elevating of each side rail 18 is controlled by the operation of its respective jacking mechanism 26 which operates in unison with its corresponding member on the opposite side of the machine whereby the side rails are adjusted unisonly to the desired degree of inclination rela-' tive to the horizontal and hence to position the inclined reach of wire 50 between breast roll 22 and wire roll 32 at any desired angle along which it will travel over the suction boxes and suction roll disposed therebelow.

The compartments of the suction box subassembly dump into the save-all pan in which a liquid level of desired height may be maintained. Any vacuum within any compartments being thereby connected to an enclosed compartment, it eflfects a pull on the white Water through the wire as well as an upward pull on the white water in the save-all pan so as thereby to seal such vacuum compartment.

Stationarily supported upwardly of the floor by suitable pedestals is a headbox generally indicated by 82 constituted by transversely-spaced vertically-disposed side Walls 84, interconnected by a vertically-disposed rearward end wall 86 and by an inclined bottom wall 90 having its forward extremity terminating adjacent breast roll 22, all to define a pond therewithin cooperant with the uppermost forming surface of the upwardly-inclined reach of forming wire 50.

An inlet means 92 is provided transversely of the width of the headbox for delivering via a single conduit or via a multiplicity of spaced apart conduits into the lower end of a throat 94 of the headbox a slurry of fibers from a source of suppl (not shown).

A rectifying roll 96 may be provided in the throat of the headbox and an adjustable dam 98 may be provided for the control of excess overflow and recirculation through a recirculation conduit 100 fitted through rearward end wall 86.

Disposed within headbox 82 may be a first pond regulator 100 constituted by transversely-spaced verticallydisposed side Walls interconnected by vertically-disposed spaced forward and rearward end walls extending therebetween and acting cooperantly with the adjacent portion of the uppermost forming surface of the upwardly-inclined reach of wire 50 and the adjacent of the headbox walls to define the bounding walls of a first pond 102 within the headbox and a first slice 104 defined by bottom wall of the first pond regulator and bottom wall of the headbox.

Also disposed within headbox 82 may be a second pond regulator forwardly of first pond regulator 100 and similarly constituted to define a second pond 112 and a second slice 114.

Also disposed within headbox 82 may be a third pond regulator forwardly of the first and second pond regulators and similarl constituted to define with the sleiolond pond regulator a third pond 122 and a third slice The assembly responsible and necessary for the adjustment of the wire slope and accordingly the forming area between breast roll 22 and wire roll 32 comprises the side or table rails 18 which support all of the machine elements (breast roll 22, suction box subassembly 40, suction roll 68, and wire roll 32) inside of the forming wire, the wire being raised or lowered by jacking mechanism 26 around pivot 16 on bearing block 14.

Suction box subassembly 40, constituting the main drainage control unit, maybe compartmented into as many compartments as practical to comprise, in essence, a plurality of suction boxes arranged in echelon and each being individually and selectively maintained in a free fallor gravitational state (conceivably all of the boxes could be free fall units) or under a state of controlled vacuum (conceivably all of the boxes could be vacuum boxes) or under a state of throttle by means of a rotating butterfly or sliding valve wherein the water may be choked so as to hold it back from gushing through the wire and thereby to diminishits flow for-purposes of achieving a deferred drainage (throttled boxes would normally be employed before any free fall or vacuum boxes in point of echeloning).

Various combinations of arrangements of boxes of these various types maybe employed according to the particular results in formed paper which are desired.

Immediately below suction box subassembly 40, a save-all pan 78 is disposed, into which any free water draining from the wire may be discharged, wherefrom it may be delivered to'the driving side and passed through suitable ducting for reuse.

The bottom edges of side walls 84 of the headbox may be disposed immediately above and adjacent the upwardly inclined reach of wire 50, same being in close running proximity to the forward end of the bottom wall of the headbox, which forward end is forwardly-facing and laterally-extending across the wire width in manner to constitute an apron related to the breast roll and wire so as to define the lower wall of first slice 104.

The means for accommodating stationary headbox 82 of any of a series of adjustable positions assumed by the inclined reach of forming wire 50 extending between rearward and lower breast roll 22 and forward and upper wire roll 32 is in the form of interchangeable pairs of side pond plate extensions 130 which serve as extensions to the respective side walls of the headbox, there being a right hand extension for the tending side and a left hand extension for the driving side in the case of each pair.

The bottom edges 134 of side walls 84 of the headbox are fixed, the headbox being stationary, so that as each side rail 18 is pivoted on pivotal connection 16 on respective side frame as jacking mechanism 26 causes the side rail and its supported suction box subassembly and the reach of the endless wire between breast roll 22 and wire roll 32 to incline in greater or lesser degree, the space between the headbox and the side rails is varied dimensionally.

For example, with the side rails being lowered from the inclined position shown in FIG. 1, the space between the headbox and the side rails will be seen to be enlarged wherefore a new pair of side pond plate extensions 130 of greater dimensions will be required to insure enclosure of the headbox with respect to the side rails.

Suppose that it is anticipated that, in a given machine, the inclined reach will be inclined at six different positions of angularization during six different papermaking situations, say inclined at 10, and

Accordingly, six sets of pairs of side pond plate extensions would be provided with the machine, one pair being used for each specific situation. There may be provided with each machine as many pairs of side pond plate extensions as anticipated positions of inclination to be used with the machine.

In modifying the headbox to a given situation, the pair of side pond plate extensions on the headbox are removed and a new pair of appropriate dimensions are substituted therefor.

Thereby, each side pond plate extension of each pair thereof is selectively mounted upon the respective headbox side wall so as to be positionable with respect to the corners of the suction boxes and the inclined reach of the wire, thereby to close off whatever space is generated between the headbox and the suction boxes and the in- 6 clined reach of the wire as the wire inclining mechanism is elevated or lowered to position. the inclined wire at the desired degree of inclination.

Each side pond plate extension is preferentially recessed to provide a shoulder 132 which may be brought into snug tight fitting relationship with bottom edge 134 of a side wall 84 of headbox 82.

Aligned openings may be provided in the side pond plate extension and the headbox side wall for suitable bolting 136 whereby the components may be securely interengaged.

The side pond plate extension is suitably dimensioned so as to be spaced slightly upwardly of the top planar surface of the cover of suction box subassembly 40 and outboard of any opening 140 through the cover as well as outboard of the adjacent outer edge of wire 50.

A sealing lip 142 in the form of an elongated strip of yieldable material, such as rubber or the like, is secured to the outboard side of the side pond plate extension as by bolting 144 to define a lowermost edge portion 146 extending downwardly below the lower edge thereof a distance sufficient to provide a lowermost surface which will seat on top planar surface 138 of the cover of the suction box subassembly.

The seal insures a perfectly tight seal between the headbox and the sides of the forming wire without the undesirable effect of the seal material being subject to abrasion by the forming wire and concomitantly without the undesirable effect of the forming wire suffering abrasion from the seal material, while simultaneously eliminating the undesirable effects of fiber bundles accumulating in the area between the forming wire and the seal with consequent freedom from the avalanche effects as such bundles periodically break loose so as to have damaging effects on the formed web.

This is achieved by the stationary seal on the stationary suction box cover and separating the forming area width from the seal area so as not to have drainage and stock thickening effects in the seal area.

Having described only a typical form of the invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details or precise form herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a papermaking machine including an inclined web forming assembly having a longitudinally spaced breast roll and wire roll and an endless driven forming wire looped over the breast roll and wire roll and a support structure supporting the breast roll at a first elevation and the wire roll at a variable elevation higher than the first elevation of the breast roll disposing a portion of the upper run of the wire at an angle of incline upwardly from the breast roll toward the wire roll and a stationary headbox having side and end walls for containing pulp therein under a head and a slice discharge for discharging pulp from the slice under the pressure of the head onto the inclined run of the forming wire and transverse thereto, the improvement in a means for accommodating to the adjustment of the support structure relative to the headbox and comprising a plurality of pairs of selectively employable headbox side wall plate extensions of differing dimensions, each plate extension of a pair being mounted in over-lapping relation with a respective side wall of the headbox and in a tight sealed relationship with the support structure and its supported inclined run of the wire for accommodating the headbox to different angular positions of adjustment of the inclined run of the wire.

2. In a web forming machine having a short endless forming wire entrained over a breast and wire and couch rolls with a portion of the travel of the wire in an upwardly inclined direction from and between the breast and wire rolls and with means for elevating and lowering the wire roll with reference to the breast roll for varying the angle of inclination of the forming wire and a stationary flow box for maintaining a pond of diluted fiber and for supplying the diluted fiber to the rforming wire during the upward travel of the forming wire, the improvement in means for accommodating the headbox to any of a series of adjustable positions assumed by the inclined portion of the forming wire in its extension comprising interchangeable side pond plate extensions mounted as extensions to the respective side walls of the headbox, each side pond plate extension being mounted upon a respective headbox side wall so as to be positionable with respect to the respective side of the inclined reach of the wire, with the selected pair of side pond plate extensions employed at a particular time of use according to the particular angle of inclination of the forming wire, and sealing means mounted on each side pond plate extension for tightly sealing the space between the headbox and forming wire without the seal being abraded by the forming wire or the forming wire being abraded by the seal.

3. In a web forming machine including an endless Fourdrinier wire having an upwardly-inclined run and a stationary headbox including a plurality of stock compartments each having an inlet end for receiving a stream of a liquid slurry containing fibrous elements from a supply source and an outlet end for discharging the liquid slurry upon the wire and individual means for supplying a stream of a liquid slurry to each compartment with the wire being disposed below the headbox and the upwardlyinclined run being disposed in confronting relationship with the plurality of theoutlet ends of the headbox and with means for variably adjusting the angular position of the inclined run of the wire with'respect to the headbox, the improvement comprising: means ifOI accommodating the dimensions of the headbox to the diflerent attitudes of inclination assumed by the forming wire in the form of pairs of selectively employable side pond plate extensions of differing dimensions being mounted in seriatim in relationship to the headbox and the run of the wire, each extension of a pair thereof being in seritatim mounted to a side wall of the headbox for enclosing the gap between the side wall of the headbox and the upwardly-inclined run of the wire according to the dimensions of the gap as determined by the degree of inclination of the wire. 1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1968 Keller '1 623 x 8/1931 Hinkson 162- 346 X US. Cl. X.R.

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