Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
  • D21F—PAPER-MAKING MACHINES; METHODS OF PRODUCING PAPER THEREON
  • D21F9/00—Complete machines for making continuous webs of paper
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
  • D04H1/72—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged
  • D04H1/732—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged by fluid current, e.g. air-lay
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
  • D04H1/72—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged
  • D04H1/736—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged characterised by the apparatus for arranging fibres
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
  • D21F—PAPER-MAKING MACHINES; METHODS OF PRODUCING PAPER THEREON
  • D21F1/00—Wet end of machines for making continuous webs of paper
  • D21F1/48—Suction apparatus
  • D21F1/52—Suction boxes without rolls

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for dry-forming a web of fibers, of the type comprising: a fiber distribution head; a forming wire movable under said head; a suction box located on the opposite side of said forming wire to said head and connected to a suction system.
• the invention relates to a novel form of suction box for a device of this type.
• the invention relates to a method for dry-forming a web of fibers.
• the invention relates to a suction box for a device for dry-forming webs of fibers.
• airlaid web production envisages suspending the fibers in an air flow and depositing them on a forming mesh or wire, beneath which a suction is generated so as to convey the fibers supplied from a forming head located above.
• the fibers are distributed in the air flow using various techniques.
• a first category of devices envisages the use of a forming head with a screen in the form of a bottom meshwork through which the fibers drawn by a stream of air pass.
• a forming mesh moves below the meshwork screen which closes the forming head at the bottom and the fibers are deposited thereon so as to form the web.
• Propellers rotating about a vertical axis, i.e. perpendicular to the forming mesh and to the screen, are arranged above the bottom closing screen of the forming head. The fibers are drawn by an air stream through the closing screen of the head and deposited on the forming mesh.
• Examples of devices formed in this manner are described in GB-1499687, GB-1559274, US-A-3581706, US-A-4014635, US-A-4157724, US-A-4276248, US-A- 4285647, US-4335066, US-A-4351793, US-A-4482308, US-A-4494278, US- A-4627953, US-A-5527171 , US-A-5471 12, WO-A-9105100, WO-A-9522656, WO-A-9610663, WO-A-9954537 and EP-B-616056.
• a second type of device for distributing the fibers in the air flow which is sucked through the forming wire envisages the use of one or more holed ducts with an axis parallel to the forming mesh.
• the fibers drawn by the air flow emerge from the holes in the ducts and are deposited on the underlying forming mesh which advances in the feeding direction.
• a forming head of this type is described.
• a pair of pipes with parallel axes is arranged above the forming mesh. The pipes have holed walls through which the fibers, conveyed by an air flow inside the said pipes, emerge.
• rotating shafts having an axis parallel to the axis of the pipes and equipped with radial tips, are arranged.
• the latter also have the function of breaking up any lumps of fibers which form in the conveying air flow.
• Devices based essentially on the same principle are described in US-A-4352649, WO-A-8701403 and EP- B-188454. In these devices the forming head is devoid of the bottom closing screen, and the flow of air and suspended fibers is confined inside the holed- wall ducts, the holed wall having the function of the closing screen of the heads of the first type mentioned above.
• US-A-6233787 describes a device for dry-forming a web of fibers in which a head which receives an air flow with the suspended fibers is arranged above the forming wire.
• the head has underneath a series of rotating shafts or rollers with axes parallel to each other and to the forming mesh, extending transversely with respect to the direction of feeding of the forming mesh.
• the shafts or rollers have radial tips or stems extending such as to close substantially the bottom opening of the head, forming a kind of pervious wall which allows the passage of the fibers drawn by the air stream sucked from below the forming mesh.
• a head for forming an airlaid web which is particularly efficient in terms of uniformity of distribution of the fibers is described in the co-pending international patent application number PCT/IT02/00657, filed on 15 October 2002, in the name of the present proprietors.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a device for the production of a web of fibers, using the so-called airlaid dry technique, which allows particular advantages to be obtained in terms of uniformity of thickness and distribution of the fibers by means of a particularly advantageous form of the suction box.
• a device comprising: a fiber distribution head; a forming wire movable underneath said head in a feeding direction; a suction box located on the opposite side of said forming wire to said head and connected to a suction system.
• the suction box is divided transversely with respect to the feeding direction of the forming wire into at least two longitudinal sections, extending in the feeding direction.
• control members are envisaged for controlling suction in each of said longitudinal sections in an independent manner with respect to the other longitudinal sections. In this way it is possible to have a degree of suction, i.e.
• variable from section to section with the consequent possibility of optimizing the distribution profile of the fibers in the transverse direction within the end product. For example, it is possible to compensate for a greater or less flow of fibers from the head situated above by increasing or decreasing the suction in the various sections of the box such that the finished product has the same density of fibers or a same thickness or a same basis weight along the whole cross section.
• each of said longitudinal sections into which the suction box is transversely divided may all be connected to a single suction duct, with the arrangement, in between, of shutter valves or gates, i.e. for reducing the suction cross section, in order to modify the suction conditions inside each section of the box.
• each of said longitudinal sections into which the suction box is transversely divided is connected to its own independent suction duct.
• a corresponding fan may be associated with each of these ducts.
• control - i.e. feedback - loop by providing a series of sensors which are arranged downstream of the suction box and the head of the forming device and which detect the parameter(s) to be controlled, for example the thickness or the basis weight of the web.
• the parameter(s) to be controlled for example the thickness or the basis weight of the web.
• the various suction ducts are connected to the respective longitudinal section of the suction box at the end of the suction box which is downstream with respect to the feeding direction of the forming wire.
• optimum operation of the suction box is obtained since the sucked-in air flow has a velocity having a component parallel to the feeding direction of the forming wire.
• the suction box is divided into longitudinal sections by longitudinal dividing walls which extend from the bottom of the box up to a height less than the plane of lie of the forming wire. In this way the risk of the web of fibers having a discontinuity opposite each dividing wall is avoided.
• the distance between the plane of lie of the wire and the dividing wall is moreover sufficiently small to be able to have different suction conditions in the various longitudinal sections of the suction box.
• the suction box is further divided into at least two transverse zones arranged one next to the other in the feeding direction of the wire, by means of dividing walls which are transverse (i.e. substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction of the forming wire) and which extend from a zone close to the plane of lie of the forming wire toward the bottom of the suction box, remaining separate from the bottom itself.
• an adjustable shutter member is associated with each of said transverse zones, in order to regulate the flow of air sucked into each of said zones. It is thus possible to increase the efficiency of the entire device.
• the shutter means or members are formed by valves arranged on the suction ducts or independent fans could be envisaged for each transverse zone.
• An automatic regulating system is, however, not necessary in this case since manual adjustment of the suction conditions in each section or transverse zone of the box at the start of production is sufficient.
• the flow-reducing members associated with the transverse zones into which the suction box is divided each comprise a wall oscillating about a transverse oscillating axis and divided into a number of portions corresponding to the number of longitudinal sections into which the suction box is divided.
• Adjustment may be obtained by means of a lever which is associated with each oscillating wall, with locking means for fixing the wall in the desired position.
• the suction box may have a plurality of transverse profiled parts on which the forming wire rests. These profiled parts may advantageously be interchangeable so that they can be replaced in the event of wear. They may be arranged approximately in correspondence of the transverse dividing walls which divide the box into transverse zones.
• an auxiliary suction box is arranged downstream of the suction box, with respect to the feeding direction of the forming wire.
• the main suction box extends, in the feeding direction of the forming wire, over a length corresponding to the dimension in this direction of the head of the device
• the auxiliary suction box extends beyond the zone acted on by the head of the device and has mainly the function of retaining the web of fibers formed on the forming wire until the web enters into a following station of the production line.
• the latter may consist of a station for consolidating the fibers or a new fiber distribution device, for forming a second layer of fibers on the web.
• the auxiliary suction box may also be divided transversely into longitudinal sections, in a similar manner to that already envisaged for the main suction box.
• Each of these sections which may be defined by a respective suction mouth, may have associated with it a suction regulating member for regulating the suction in an independent manner for the various mouths and therefore for the various longitudinal sections into which this auxiliary box is divided.
• the invention envisages a method for dry-forming a web of fibers, comprising the steps of:
• the invention also relates to a suction box for a device for dry-forming a web of fibers, comprising a forming wire advancing in a machine direction, characterized in that it is divided up transversely with respect to the machine direction into at least two longitudinal sections, extending in the machine direction; and in that control members are envisaged for controlling the suction in each of said longitudinal sections in an independent manner with respect to the other longitudinal sections.
• FIG. 1 shows a side view of the device
• FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section, along ll-ll of Figure 3, through the main suction box and the auxiliary suction box;
• FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the suction box with the forming wire partly removed
• - Fi gure 4 shows a front view along IV-IV of Figure 2
• - F gure 5 shows a cross section along V-V of Figure 2;
• FIG. 7 shows a section along VII-VII in Figure 6;
• FIG. 8 shows a section along VIII-VIII in Figure 4.
• Figure 1 shows in its entirety a device for dry-forming (using the so-called airlaid technique) a web of fibers, for example cellulose fibers.
• the device denoted overall by 1 , comprises an upper part or head, denoted overall by 3, and a bottom part 5 which comprises among other things, as the main element, a suction box 7.
• the forming wire 9 defines a closed path, of which only a portion delimited by two drive rollers 13 and 15, is shown in Figure 1.
• the direction of feeding of the wire along this path is indicated by the arrow f9.
• the arrow f9 also defines the so-called machine direction, i.e. the direction along which the material being formed advances.
• the configuration of the forming head 3 may be of any nature and advantageously may be formed as described in the international patent application PCT/IT02/000657 in the name of the present proprietors. It must however be understood that other configurations of the head are possible since the advantages that the suction head according to the present invention has may be used with equivalent results as regards the increase in the quality of the product and the productivity also in combination with forming heads of the traditional type.
• the characteristics of the suction box may be combined with heads formed in accordance with various techniques, such that the specific structure of the head 3 is not of relevance in the description of the present invention and consequently will not be illustrated here.
• the head 3 rests on the structure of the underlying part at four support points 4 (see in particular Figures 1 and 3), the height of which may be adjusted by means of motorized jacks 6.
• the suction box 7 has a bottom which is at least partly inclined from the top downward in the feeding direction of the forming wire 9.
• the suction box 7 is connected to three suction ducts indicated by 17, 19 and 21.
• the three suction ducts are connected to three corresponding fans, each equipped with its own motor, shown only schematically in Figure 4 and designated here as 23, 25 and 27.
• the three motors of the fans 23, 25 and 27 are connected to a central control unit which is schematically indicated by 29, in turn connected to a sensor or to a series of sensors schematically indicated by 31 and arranged downstream of the head 3 of the device 1 along the path of the forming wire 9, for detecting the thickness or basis weight of the web 11 leaving the device.
• This arrangement allows the device to be controlled in a manner which will be described below.
• a linear array or matrix of sensors may be envisaged for detecting the progression of the transverse profile (i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the forming wire 9) of one or more parameters, such as the basis weight, the thickness, the density or another parameter, of the web 11 formed by the device 1.
• Each of the three suction ducts 17, 19, 21 is connected to a respective longitudinal section into which the suction box 7 is divided by longitudinal dividing walls 33.
• these dividing walls extend from the bottom of the suction box 7 up to a height which does not reach the plane of lie of the forming wire 9.
• three longitudinal sections, arranged alongside each other in the transverse direction, i.e. perpendicular to the feeding direction of the forming wire 9, are created inside the suction box 7.
• the number of longitudinal sections into which the suction box 7 is divided may also be different from three. For example, it is possible to envisage four, five or more longitudinal sections. It is also possible to envisage a division into only two longitudinal sections.
• the complexity of the suction box is increased, but on the other hand the possibility of modulating the suction conditions in the transverse direction - and therefore of obtaining with greater precision the desired transverse profile, i.e. the desired progression, in the transverse direction, of the controlled parameter, for example the thickness, the basis weight or the density of the web formed - are also increased.
• the thickness or basis weight sensors 31 it is possible to detect the transverse profile, i.e. the progression, in the transverse direction, of the parameter detected (thickness, basis weight or other parameter of the web 11 being formed) and transmit the values detected to the central control unit 29. These values may be compared with preset values of said parameter which may also be modified by the operator. On the basis of an error signal generated from this comparison, it is possible to modify the suction conditions of the fans 23, 25 and 27. In this way it is possible to keep the thickness or the basis weight substantially constant in the transverse direction of the web 11.
• a web which has a transverse profile with a thickness or basis weight or density which is variable as required, for example a greater thickness or a greater basis weight in one of its longitudinal sections and a smaller thickness or smaller basis weight in a different longitudinal section.
• transverse profiled parts 41 In the region of the suction box 7 the forming wire 9 is supported by a plurality of transverse profiled parts 41 shown in detail in the cross sections according to Figures 9 and 10. Each profiled part 41 is supported at its ends by respective blocks 43 screwed by means of screws 45 to the support frame of the suction box 7, two longitudinal beams of which are indicated by 47.
• transverse walls 51 are provided in correspondence of four of the profiled parts 41 , said walls dividing the suction box 7 into five transverse zones which are arranged in succession in the longitudinal moving direction of the forming wire 9.
• the four transverse walls 51 are supported by cross-pieces 53 also fastened to the blocks 43.
• the transverse dividing walls 51 have a downward extension which is relatively limited and extend over an intermediate height, remaining with their bottom edge at a considerable distance from the bottom of the suction box 7. This is so in order to avoid obstruction of the suction through the suction ducts 17, 19, 21.
• each wall 59 is formed by three portions aligned along the axis 57. These portions arranged next to each other define slits in the walls 59 at the points corresponding to the longitudinal dividing walls 33 which divide the suction box 7 into the three longitudinal sections.
• the suction cross section between two consecutive transverse walls 51 - or between one of the said transverse walls and the external transverse wall of the suction box 7 - may be varied.
• the area located underneath the forming wire 9 and corresponding to the suction box 7 is divided into five transverse zones in each of which the suction may be reduced to a greater or lesser degree compared to the other adjacent transverse zones.
• the oscillating movement of the walls 59 is controlled by means of levers 61 , each of which may be fixed in a predetermined angular position independent of the angular positions in which the remaining levers 61 are fixed. This allows manual adjustment of the flow reduction of each of the transverse zones into which the suction box is divided. Manual adjustment of the flow reduction is sufficient for the purposes for which this adjustment is intended.
• the division of the suction box 7 into transverse zones has solely the purpose of modulating the suction from the zone further upstream to the zone further downstream of the suction box along the feeding direction of the forming wire 9, in order to compensate for the greater drop in pressure which occurs through the assembly formed by the wire and by the layer of fibers being produced thereon.
• the transverse zone of the suction box 7 further downstream, where there is maximum thickness of the fibers, will be completely open, i.e. the corresponding wall 59 will be normally in the vertical position.
• the remaining walls of the transverse zones situated in each case further upstream will be gradually more and more closed, i.e. more inclined with respect to the vertical.
• the wall 59 hinged in the vicinity of the rear external wall of the suction box will be the wall which is normally in the most closed position.
• the configuration of the blocks 43 for supporting the profiled parts 41 and for locking the axes 57, as well as of the cross-pieces 53 supporting the walls 59 and the transverse walls 51 is such that replacement of the worn profiled parts 41 may be performed without disassembling the walls 51 and the walls 59. It is in fact sufficient to unscrew the screws 45 which lock the corresponding block 43 onto one of the two sides of the suction box and extract the block itself so as to allow removal of the worn profiled part 41 and its replacement with a new profiled part which will be locked in position by means of reinsertion of the block 43.
• inserts 44 are also fastened onto the longitudinal beams 47.
• the inserts 44 and the blocks 43 form respective continuous longitudinal surfaces on the two sides of the suction box 7 onto which a steel plate 67 is fixed, on which plate the forming wire 9 rests and slides with its longitudinal edges.
• An auxiliary suction box which is denoted overall by 81 , is arranged downstream of the suction box 7, in the feeding direction of the forming wire 9.
• auxiliary suction box 81 On the downstream side, with respect to the direction of feeding of the forming wire 9, in the auxiliary suction box 81 three suction mouths 83 emerge, arranged next to each other in the transverse direction, i.e. perpendicularly with respect to the direction of feeding of the forming wire 9.
• the interior of the auxiliary suction box 81 is not divided into longitudinal sections by dividing walls, as envisaged - vice versa - for the main suction box 7.
• the presence of three suction mouths arranged alongside each other allows (by varying the suction conditions in each of the said mouths) to have suction conditions which are variable in the transverse direction of the chamber.
• the three suction mouths 83 are connected to a single suction duct 85 by means of three shutter valves or gates, schematically indicated by 87 (see in particular Figures 3 and 4).
• the valves 87 may be adjusted manually or automatically.
• the forming wire 9 is supported by profiled parts 41 in a similar manner to that envisaged in the main suction box 7.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
• Paper (AREA)
• Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
• Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
• Separation Of Gases By Adsorption (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32750440

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (8)

Citations (3)

• 2003
  • 2003-01-22 EP EP03708470A patent/EP1585858B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-22 ES ES03708470T patent/ES2397695T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-22 WO PCT/IT2003/000020 patent/WO2004065688A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2003-01-22 JP JP2004567089A patent/JP2006513334A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-01-22 CN CN038258463A patent/CN1735731B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-01-22 DK DK03708470.4T patent/DK1585858T3/da active
  • 2003-01-22 AU AU2003213354A patent/AU2003213354A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-01-22 BR BRPI0318022-0A patent/BR0318022B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2006
  • 2006-07-28 HK HK06108410.9A patent/HK1088050A1/xx not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (3)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events