Abstract: A pressure sensitive device, such as a piezoelectric strip or plurality of piezoelectric crystals, is or are arrayed along the surface of a roll, preferably in a spiral pattern, extending for one revolution of the roll which is nipped with another roll. The nip pressure between the rolls, with or without a paper web passing through the nip, produces a signal by the piezoelectric device indicative of irregularities along the nip. These irregularities, which can be indicative of variations in the web caliper, roll surface, hardness and other parameters of roll or web quality, are then passed to a monitor for continuous read-out of the irregularities or non-uniformities along the face of the roll. Other apparatus, such as a signal conditioner and a signal encoder, can be provided for processing the signals determining the exact axial location along the roll surface of the pressure sensitive device passing through the nip at any given time.

Abstract: A controlled deflection roll including a rotary tubular roll shell carried on a stationary shaft extending through the roll shell, the roll shell supported on the shaft for pressure engagement along a working face with an opposing member to form a pressing operation, the chamber between the shaft and roll shell being pressurized by fluid induced past a seal between the shaft and roll shell on the oncoming side of the pressure chamber such as by a specially shaped seal having a trailing lip and releasing pressure from the pressure chamber to maintain a predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A paper machine press with a web being picked off a forming wire and passed through a first two roll nip sandwiched between upper and lower felts, the web transferred to the lower felt and then to a felt of a second press with the second double felted press being an extended nip type formed between an upper roll and a lower concave shoe with a relieved leading edge and a water impervious belt passing through the nip sliding over the shoe with the belt being guided on an annular stationary guide, the web transferred to the upper felt following the extended nip by a suction shoe within the felt and thereafter the web being transferred to a fifth felt.

Abstract: A mechanism and method for continuously washing wood pulp fibers including a looped traveling foraminous wire, a plurality of stock chambers above the wire arranged sequentially in the direction of wire travel to provide a sequence of baths submerging the wire, pumps beneath each of the baths removing water drained through the wire and pumping the water back into the next upstream bath, means feeding stock into the first bath, and means measuring the level of stock in the first bath and supplying fresh water to the last bath as a function of the level, and pressing the stock between a roll and the looped wire in the last bath and removing the stock from the roll as it is carried upwardly out of the bath.

Abstract: An extended nip press having a press nip formed between a first press roll and a looped traveling belt wrapping a portion of the roll with the belt having a shaped mandrel therein with a concave surface conforming to the roll facing the nip and a concave surface facing away from the nip conforming to a support roll with lubricant between the mandrel and belt and the rolls having a deflection control means with the mandrel being self-positionable during operation of the press.

Abstract: A paper making machine dryer section and a method of operating and controlling the same, wherein the dryer rolls are freely rotatable and are rotatably actuated entirely by a dryer felt drive. In a preferred arrangement, there are two tiers of cooperatively related dryer rolls over which a paper web to be dried is run in a sinuous path successively around the dryer rolls of the tiers. Each of the tiers has a respective dryer felt running over and guiding and holding the web onto the dryer roll peripheral surfaces in the associated tier. The dryer felts run under tension over guide rollers. In each tier at least one of the guide rollers is motor driven for thereby driving the associated dryer felt. While the felt of each tier effects synchronized running of all of the dryer rolls in that tier, synchronization of the motors of the tiers one with the other is effected by speed regulators connected with a frequency reference and speed control.

Abstract: A plurality of electrical driving motors for the rolls in cooperative upper and lower tiers of a paper machine dryer section are coupled with respective dryer rolls in what may be a one-motor-to-one-roll relation, the rolls of each tier being wrapped and synchronized by a dryer felt for that tier. One of the motors of each tier is synchronized with one of the motors of the other tier for synchronizing the running speed of each roll tier with respect to the other roll tier.

Abstract: A linear actuator includes a ram and a piston separated by a column of hydraulic fluid in a housing. Upward movement of the ram in the housing first seals a finite quantity of hydraulic fluid in the housing cavity. Continued upward ram movement then causes the piston, and hydraulic fluid beneath it, to move upwardly into a sealed gas chamber to compress a gas and create a source of potential energy. Release of the force moving the ram upwardly permits the compressed gas above the piston to expel the hydraulic fluid from the chamber against the ram thereby converting the potential energy in the compressed gas into kinetic energy in the ram. The hydraulic fluid bears directly against the ram to provide the working stroke of the impact device without the effect of metal fatigue from direct contact between the piston and ram.

Abstract: A steam heated cylindrical dryer drum for continuously drying a traveling paper web in a papermaking machine wherein steam is supplied to the inner cavity of the drum and the shell of the drum has a plurality of circumferential grooves with axially extending rectangular collectors and tubes projecting tangentially from the collectors of resiliently deflectable material biased outwardly toward the shell of the drum with positioning lugs on the free ends of the tubes resting on the ribs to fix their position in the base of the grooves.

Abstract: A screen apparatus for processing stock flowing into a papermaking headbox which includes a cylindrical housing, a tubular screen mounted longitudinally within the housing, and inlet means for introducing a stock suspension into the housing for flow through the screen. Outlet means are provided for receiving the suspension passing through the tubular screen for delivery to the headbox. The improvement of the present invention provides a helical slot in the housing which discharges stock passing through the screen into the outlet means. Foil means mounted for rotation coaxially with the cylinder are provided which create a pressure pulsation to cause a dispersal of the fibers and aid in the screening operation.

Abstract: A steam heated dryer drum for use in a papermaking machine with the drum including a cylindrical rotary hollow drum shell and a structure for removing condensate from the steam from the shell including a conduit leading from inside to outside the shell and an improved structure for receiving the condensate with a siphon tip having a hollow chamber within and an opening facing the inner surface of the dryer shell and closely spaced thereto and a flange at the lead end of the siphon tip with an inclined ram surface and a wall across the center of the chamber in engagement with the inner surface of the shell.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high speed application of sizing compositions in which there is a pair of oppositely rotating rolls forming a coating nip therebetween through which a paper web to be sized is directed. Sizing composition is delivered to the nip in sufficient quantity to form a pond of sizing composition above the nip. The invention is particularly concerned with reducing the effects of translational energy which is transmitted into the pond from the rolls by providing at least one flexible baffle member which extends into the pond on opposite sides of the paper web into proximity with the nip. The baffle member should be sufficiently long to absorb translational energy which would otherwise be absorbed by the pond of sizing material.

Abstract: An extended nip press for removing water from a traveling web in a paper machine including a press roll wth an elongate shoe having a concave surface facing the roll and forming an extended nip therebetween with an endless belt trained over the shoe for passing through the nip and first and second belts passing through the nip with the belt supported by a plurality of guide rolls or by an annular shell having continuous smooth outer surface extending from the outgoing side of the nip back to the oncoming side of the nip with a beam within the shell and a uniform fluid support for the shoe supported on the beam.

Abstract: The method and mechanism for removing water from a traveling paper web including carrying the web through a first nip and then immediately on the offrunning side of the nip blanketing the web surface with steam and carrying the web up along a suction roll holding the steam onto the surface of the web and causing it to permeate the web without air getting onto the web surface following the nip.

Abstract: A hydraulic impact device in which a hammer member having a piston portion is reciprocally disposed in a cylinder, a reciprocating sleeve valve is disposed within the cylinder and surrounds the hammer member. The sleeve valve has a first peripheral seal with an upper portion of the cylinder and a second peripheral seal with the lower portion of the cylinder so that an annular cavity is formed between the first and the second peripheral seals. The bottom portion of the sleeve valve forms a single seal with the upper portion of the piston section. A pressure relief valve is situated between the inlet to said annular cavity and an annular cavity below the piston portion to insure that the pressure in said annular cavity is greater than the pressure in the cavity below the piston portion and the sleeve valve thus effecting a sealing force between the sleeve valve and the upper face of the piston portion. An energy storage means is provided for receiving energy from said ram member during its upward stroke.

Abstract: A paper winder assembly of the type in which a rider roll is positioned to bear against a roll on which the traveling paper web is being wound. The rider roll position is controlled by hydraulically actuated lifting means which vary the pressure at which the rider roll bears against the paper roll. In accordance with the present invention, there is included a pressure modulating valve which converts air pressure signals to hydraulic signals which operate the hydraulically actuated lifting means. The valve includes a pair of flexible diaphragms therein with means to introduce air under pressure on opposite sides of the two diaphragms depending upon whether the rider roll is to be raised or lowered. The valve has a spool actuator therein which is movable in response to the movement of either of the diaphragms. A spring means biases the spool downward and establishes fluid communication between an inlet port and an outlet port for transmitting hydraulic fluid to the hydraulically actuated lifting means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a multi-ply web of paper wherein a first layer is carried on the underside of a traveling felt to a bonding station located over the top of a forming cylinder on which a second layer is formed with a water bead in the nip between the layers and a laser or other device for generating a beam of energy at one end of the nip directing the energy along the water bead parallel to the nip and a receiver at the other end to detect the laser beam with means operated by the receiver for controlling the size of the water bead.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of forming a continuous fibrous paper web by depositing the stock onto a forming run of a fourdrinier wire while dewatering the stock and collecting water beneath the wire and depositing the stock onto the wire from a spray or flooded area through a distribution wire extending parallel and in closely spaced relation to the forming run of the fourdrinier wire with the distribution wire aiding in the distribution of the stock and random orientation of the fibers and giving the stock a velocity essentially the same as the forming wire to encourage and maintain the random orientation of the fibers as droplets of the stock are deposited on the fourdrinier wire.

Abstract: A press mechanism for removing liquid from a traveling fibrous web such as a web of paper received from the fourdrinier section of a paper machine including a backing roll and a looped traveling belt forming a press nip with the roll with a plurality of shaped shoes extending the length of the roll and pressing the belt toward the nip with said shoes having a concave curved surface facing the belt and being pivotally supported so that a wedge of lubricating fluid builds up between each of the shoes and the belt to lubricate the shoes and to press the belt toward the nip. Means are provided for individually controlling the force with which the shoes are pressed toward the belt.

Abstract: An extended nip press for removing water from a traveling web in a paper machine including a press roll with an elongate shoe having a concave surface facing the roll and forming an extended nip therebetween with an endless belt trained over the shoe for passing through the nip and first and second belts passing through the nip with the belt supported by a plurality of guide rolls or by an annular shell having continuous smooth outer surface extending from the outgoing side of the nip back to the oncoming side of the nip with a beam within the shell and a uniform fluid support for the shoe supported on the beam.