US3242587A

US3242587A - Apparatus for concentrating a blanket of dry steam for an extended area on a pulp mat

Info

Publication number: US3242587A
Application number: US416289A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph H Dupasquier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-12-07
Filing date: 1964-12-07
Publication date: 1966-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-29

Description

EAM

March 29, 1966 J. H. DUPASQUIER APPARATUS FOR OONGENTRATING A BLANKET OF DRY ST FOR AN EXTENDED AREA ON A PULP MAT 2 sheetssheet 1 Filed Dec. '7, 1964 INVENTOR. JOSEPH H. DUPASQUIER ATTORNEY March 29, 1966 j QUER 3,242,587

APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING A BLANKET 0F DRY STEAM FOR AN EXTENDED AREA ON A PULP MAT Filed Dec. '7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 4 JOSEPHINF-Y%D'EESQUIER ATTORNEY the mat and steam are pulled between the rolls.

United States Patent Office 3,242,587 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 3,242,587 APPARATUS FOR CON CENTRATING A BLANKET F DRY STEAM FOR AN EXTENDED AREA ON A PULP MAT Joseph H. Dupasquier, 560 E. Clarendon St.,

. Gladstone, Oreg.

Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,289 4 Claims. (Cl. 3460) This invention relates in general to the subjecting of the pulp mat, in the process of manufacturing paper and the like, to the application of heat through the medium of dry steam for the purpose of facilitating the drainage of water from the pulp mat and also for the purpose of raising the temperature of the mat preparatory to its passage through presses and drier rolls.

It is well-known that the heating of the pulp mat in- Creases the rate at which and the extent to which the mat will lose moisture in its travel through the press sections of the paper machine. It is also known that the special application of heat to the mat immediately prior to its passage into the drier section of the machine reduces the likelihood of the mat becoming so sticky as to have tendency to stick to the heated drums as a result of the abrupt considerable change in temperature produced by contact with the drums. Dry heated steam, applied to the pulp Web, is a most satisfactory means for securing such desired heating of the mat for these purposes.

traveling pulp mat at the point where the mat passes between two rolls, that is to say, if the steam moves along on the mat to the ingoing nip between the rolls, the rolls act to draw the steam on through the mat as Thus there is a greater penetration of the steam into and through the mat as a result of the passage of the steam with the mat through the rolls. The increased penetration of the dry steam into the mat increases the heating imparted to the mat by the steam and consequently facilitates the desired drainage of water from the mat.

-Where one of the rolls of the pair, forming the nip into which the steam is drawn with the mat, is a suction roll, such as a suction couch roll, the effectiveness of the steam penetration is even more pronounced.

Means have heretofore been developed for applying dry steam to a pulp mat in advance of the passage of the mat into the nip between a pair of rolls, but with such means it has not been possible to maintain the steam in contact with the mat until the mat actually reaches the nip between the rolls, with the result that the increased effectiveness of having the steam carried along with the mat through the nip is not obtained. On the other hand, the additional spraying of steam onto the mat at the nip has not been found to be either effective or a practical and at best it involves a considerable waste of steam.

Accordingly a special related object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for applying dry steam to a pulp mat which will not only cause a blanket of steam to be maintained in contact with the mat over a considerable area but will also make it possible for such steam blanketed area to be extended actually up to the nip between a pair of rolls through which the mat passes.

Anadditional object is to provide an apparatus for applying such extended steam blanket no the pulp mat or web which will be readily and sufficiently adjustable to meet operating conditions and will not present any particular operation or maintenance problem.

The manner in which these objects are attained and the construction and manner of function of the device of the present invention will be readily understood from the following brief description. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus showing the same in full lines in operating position and in broken lines in withdrawn inoperative position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, taken on the line indicated at 22 in FIG. 1, but drawn to a larger scale, with some portions omitted and some portions broken away and shown in section for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a foreshortened sectional elevation taken on line 33 of FIG. 2 drawn to a still larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line indicated at 44 in FIG. 2 drawn to the same scale as FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus includes an elongated steam chamber designated as a whole by the reference character 10, which steam chamber will be described in somewhat more detail later. This steam chamber has a length equal to, preferably not more than slightly greater than, the width of the pulp mat 11 on which the steam is to be applied. The housing of the steam chamber 10 includes a pair of vertical end walls 12 and 13. A pair of identical parallel horizontal angle iron supporting arms 14 and 15 (FIG. 2) are rigidly mounted on each of these walls 12 and 13 by suitable welding and extended outwardly therefrom, being reinforced by bracing bars 14' and 15 respectively. Stub shafts 16 and 17, secured on the

arms

14 and 15 respectively extend out beyond the ends of the arms and rotatably support grooved

wheels

18 and 19 respectively. The supporting assembly for the apparatus includes a pair of

vertical side plates

20 and 21 each provided with a pair of

curved slots

22 and 23 shaped as shown in FIG. 1, which slots serve as guideways for the supporting

wheels

18 and 19 respectively at each side. The

side plates

20 and 21 in turn are removably and adjustably secured on a pair of suitable side members 24 and 24' respectively (FIGS. 1 and 2) constituting part of the supporting assembly (not shown) for the paper making machine, the

side plates

20 and 21 each having a plurality of outwardly extending

lugs

52 and 53 with reduced threaded ends adapted for being clamped in slots in the members 24 and 24' of the machine supporting assembly.

Each of the

side plates

20 and 21 carries an upwardly extending bracket 25 at the top end and each bracket supports a suitable stub shaft on which an ear 25, extending from the end of an air cylinder 27, is pivotally mounted. The two cylinders 27 are identical and are double-acting air cylinders and the piston in each cylinder carries a piston rod 28. The outer bottom end of each piston rod 28 is pivotally attached to an anchoring plate 29 which in turn is welded to the

arms

14 and 15 and corresponding bracing bars 14' and 15' from the corresponding end of the housing for the steam chamber 10. Thus, as indicated in FIG. 1, the simultaneous operation of the two

cylinders

27, 27, enables the housing for the steam chamber 10 to be moved as permitted by the shape and extent of the pair of

curved slots

22 and 23 in each of the

vertical side plates

20 and 21, and thus enables the steam chamber housing to be moved from the operative position, indicated by the full lines in FIG. 1, to the withdrawn inoperative position indicated by the broken lines in that figure.

The housing for the steam chamber 10 includes, in addition to the two vertical end Walls 12 and 13, an

elongated shell forming the top and side walls, the upper portion of which shell is substantially semi-cylindrical, and the sides of which thence continue downwardly to the bottom of the housing in substantially parallel planes. The bottom or underside of the steam chamber housing (see FIG. 3) is formed into V-shaped ridges 30 and intervening V-shaped valleys 31, extending from one end wall to the other. The two valleys 32 along each side, formed by the junction of the bottom of the housing with the side walls, are located below the level of the other valleys 31 as shown in FIG. 3. Depending upon the size of the steam chamber 10, suitable reinforcements (not shown) are provided for the bottom wall in the housing to insure rigidity for the housing bottom.

The steam chamber is similar to the device described in my United States Patent No. 2,838,982, issued under date of June 17, 1958, and entitled "Apparatus for Applying Dried Steam to a Pulp Mat to Evaporate Water Therefrom, to which reference should be made.

Along each of the V-shaped ridges 30 of the bottom of the steam chamber housing are a plurality of identical equally-spaced orifices 33 through which steam jets are directed downwardly, as indicated in FIG. 3. Drain outlets 34 are provided in each of the end walls 12 and 13 for the. valleys 31, and similar drain outlets 35 are provided for the lower side valleys 32. Suitable taps (two of which are shown at 36 in FIG. 4, but which are omitted from FIG. 2) at these outlets enable the water collected in the

valleys

31 and 32 to be drained oft. Since the orifices through which the steam jets are discharged from the steam chamber are restricted to the ridges 30 the steam jets will be substantially free from drops of water or condensate particles which otherwise would be discharged with the steam.

Steam is delivered into the steam chamber 10 through a pair of

flexible hoses

37 and 38 at the end walls 12 and 13 respectively. It will be noted from FIG. 2 that the discharging ends of these hoses on the end walls 12 and 13 are not in alignment with each other but are located nearer opposite sides. This is done so that the flow of steam into the steam chamber from one end will not meet the flow into the chamber from the other end head on but will move along past the other flow and thus enable the pressurized distribution and circulation of steam to be equalized throughout the entire steam chamher.

A steam-confining shield, indicated as a whole by the reference character 39, extends from the side of the bottom of the steam chamber housing in the direction in which the mat 11 is traveling. In other words, the shield 39 extends from the steam chamber housing along above the mat in the, direction of travel of the mat, and extends towards an ingoing nip between a pair of rolls, such as the nip between the rolls 4%) and 41, shown in FIG. 1, through which the mat 11 passes. The shield 39 comprises a top plate 42 having a plurality, of reinforcing strips 43 (FIG. 2) on the top side, a pair of substantially vertical

lateral flanges

44 and 45, and a terminal flange 46 (shown best in FIG. 3) sloping obliquely forwardlydownwardly.

The shield 39 is connected with the housing for the steam chamber 10 by suitable hinge elements 4'7 attached to the reinforcing strips 43 on the shield and to reinforcing strips 48 extending part way around the outside of the housing for the steam chamber 10. Suspension rods 49 for the outer or terminal side of the shield 39 have their lower ends attached to cars 50 on the shield and their upper ends adjustably held in bosses 51 secured to the reinforcing strips 48 on the steam chamber housing.

The vertical lateral flanges 4'4 and 45 of the shield 39 extend below the top plate 42 of the shield, and may also extend above the top plate 42 as shown for adding increased reinforcement. When the entire apparatus is in operating position as indicated in FIG. 1, the bottom edges of the

lateral flanges

44 and 45 and the bottom edges of the end walls 12 and 13 of the steam chamber housing preferably are made to lie in the same plane, such plane being substantially parallel to that portion of the pulp mat 11 subjected to the desired blanket of steam. Preferably the spacing of this plane of the bottom edges of the

lateral flanges

44 and 45 and end walls 12 and 13 above the top face of the pulp mat should be from one-quarter of an inch to one-half of an inch, and in such case the amount of steam lost by passing out over the side edges of the traveling mat will be relatively small. The adjustable mounting lugs 52 and 53 (FIGS. 1 and 2) by which the

side plates

20 and 21 are supported on the main machine frame members 24 and 24', contribute in enabling the spacing of the housing forthe steam chamber 10, and therewith the spacing of the shield 39, above the traveling mat to be adjusted as desired.

As previously mentioned, the terminal flange 46 of the shield 39 extends obliquely with respect to the top plate 42 instead of being perpendicular thereto. The angularity of this flange preferably, as illustrated in FIG. 3, is such that at no point along the outer face of the flange will the spacing between the flange and the adjacent surface of the upper roll of the pair of rolls forming the nip be excessive. While it would be possible to have this flange 46 curved to conform even more closely to the adjacent surface of the upper roll, the straight flange extending obliquely in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 has been found to be amply satisfactory since the rapid travel of the surface of the upper roll and of the mat into the nip prevents any appreciable amount of steam from beneath the shield 39 passing upwardly between the flange 46 and the roll surface in the opposite direction. Also preferably the bottom edge of this terminal flange 46 extends in the same plane with the bottom edges of-the

lateral flanges

44 and 45, and, as previously mentioned, thus ordinarily in the same plane with the bottom edges of the end walls 12 and 13 of the steam chamber housing, although the position of the shield and its flanges with respect to the steam chamber housing may be adjusted slightly by adjustment of the suspension rods 49.

As apparent from FIG. 3, the space beneath the underside of the steam chamber housing forms an enclosed area on the traveling mat 11, into which area the dry steam under pressure is delivered from the orifices 33 in the bottom of the steam chamber. As a result in this enclosed area, designated as A in FIG. 3, a blanket of steam is maintained in contact with the mat and causes heating of the mat at that area and penetration of some of the steam into the surface of the mat. However, the continued delivery of steam from the steam chamber into this enclosed area A forces steam to escape from this enclosed area and the main avenue of escape of the excessive steam will be along the path followed by the traveling web below the side of the steam chamber housing and thus into the second enclosed area, designated as B in FIG. 3, within the shield 39. The constant passage of steam into this second enclosed area B results in the blanket of steam being maintained in contact with the mat throughout this added area.

The continued passage of the steam from enclosed area A into the second enclosed area B forces excess steam from the second area B to find a further subsequent major avenue of escape, and, again under the influence of the traveling web, this final discharge of steam from the apparatus occurs mainly under the terminal flange 46 of the shield 39. However, since the escaping steam from the second area B at this point is in such close proximity to the nip between the

rolls

40 and 41, the steam is caused to be drawn along into the ingoing nip with the mat, with the result that the penetration of the steam into the mat and heating of the mat by the steam will be increased still more.

When the entire apparatus is to be employed in the optimum working position as indicated in FIG. 1', and

thus with the terminal edge of the shield 39 extending into close proximity with the ingoing nip between the

rolls

40 and 41, special means is required for enabling the entire apparatus to be moved quickly and easily away from the mat and rolls at the conclusion of the machine operating cycle. The manner in which the housing for the steam chamber is supported through the medium of the slotted mounting

plates

20 and 21 enables the steam chamber housing, and with it the special shield 39, to be moved into a withdrawn inoperative position quickly and easily by the double-acting

cylinders

27, 27, as previously described,

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for concentrating an extended blanket of steam on a pulp mat, a steam chamber housing located above the pulp mat and of the proper length to extend transversely across said mat, said housing having a main bottom wall and top, side and end walls, the bottoms of said side and end walls terminating in a plane below said main bottom wall and forming an enclosed area beneath said housing, means for delivering steam under pressure into said housing, said main bottom wall having steam jet orifices discharging downwardly from said main bottom wall, a shield extending from one side of said housing in the direction of travel of the mat and normally substantially parallel to said mat, said shield extending entirely across said mat, means connecting the adjoining edge of said shield with said housing, means supporting the opposite terminal edge of said shield from said housing, and means for positioning said housing and therewith said shield in desired location over said mat, whereby when a blanket of steam is maintained on said mat beneath said housing the steam blanket will be extended over the area beneath said shield.

2. An apparatus for concentrating an extended blanket of steam on a pulp mat including a steam chamber housing located above the pulp mat and of the proper length to extend transversely across said mat, said housing having a main bottom wall and top, side and end walls, the bottoms of said side and end walls terminating in a plane below said main bottom wall and forming an enclosed rectangular area beneath said housing, means for delivering steam under pressure into said housing comprising a pair of steam delivery tubes connected to the ends of said housing respectively in staggered relationship, said main bottom wall of said housing formed into ridges and valleys extending transversely across over said mat, said ridges having steam jet orifices discharging downwardly from said main bottom wall, a shield extending from one side of said housing in the direction of travel of said mat and normally substantially parallel to said mat, said shield extending entirely across said mat, supporting elements on said housing for said shield, and means for adjustably positioning said housing and therewith said shield in desired location over said mat, said last mentioned means including a pair of vertical support plates mounted near opposite sides of said mat respectively extending above said mat, a pair of wheels supported on each end of said housing, each of said support plates having a pair of guideways for said wheels respectively, and means for moving said housing and wheels in said guideways.

3. An apparatus for concentrating an extended blanket of steam on a pulp mat, including a steam chamber housing located above the pulp mat and of the proper length to extend transversely across said mat, said housing having a main bottom wall and top, side and end walls terminating in a plane below said main bottom wall and forming an enclosed rectangular area beneath said housing, means for delivering steam under pressure into said housing, said main bottom wall of said housing having steam jet orifices discharging downwardly from said bottom wall into said rectangular area, a shield extending from one side of said housing in the direction of travel of said mat and extending entirely across said mat, said shield having a top plate normally substantially parallel to said mat, a pair of lateral flanges on said top plate extending down near the lateral edges of said mat respectively and together with said top plate forming a secondary enclosed area on said mat adjoining the enclosed area beneath said housing, a terminal flange on said top plate extending transversely over said mat and extending obliquely downwardly and forwardly in the direction of travel of said mat, means connecting the adjoining edge of said shield with said housing, suspension means supporting the opposite terminal edge of said shield from said housing and so arranged as to maintain said shield suspended along over said mat when said housing and shield are in normal operating position, and means for poistioning said housing and therewith said shield in desired location over said mat.

4. An apparatus for concentrating an extended blanket of steam on a pulp mat comprising a steam chamber housing located above the pulp mat and of the proper length to extend transversely across said mat, said housing having a main bottom wall and top, side and end walls, the bottom of said housing and end walls terminating in a plane below said main bottom wall and forming an enclosed rectangularly-shaped area beneath said housing, means for delivering steam under pressure into each end of said housing comprising a pair of steam delivery tubes connected to the ends of said housing respectively in staggered relationship, said main bottom wall of said housing formed into ridges and valleys extending from one end of said housing to the other, said ridges having steam jet orifices discharging downwardly from said main bottom wall into said rectangular area, a shield extending from one side of said housing in the direction of travel of said mat and extending entirely across said mat, said shield having a top plate normally substantially parallel to said mat, a pair of lateral flanges on said top plate extending down near the lateral edges of said mat respectively and together with said top plate forming a second enclosed rectangular area above said mat adjoining the enclosed area beneath said housing, a terminal flange on said top plate extending transversely over said mat and extending obliquely downwardly and forwardly in the direction of travel of said mat, hinge means connecting the adjoining edge of said shield with said housing, adjustable suspension means supporting the opposite terminal edge of said shield from said housing so arranged as to maintain said shield suspended over said mat substantially parallel to said mat when said housing and said shield are in normal operating position, and means for adjustably positioning said housing and therewith said shield in desired location over said mat, said last mentioned means including a pair of vertical sup port plates mounted near opposite sides of said mat respectively extending above said mat, a pair of wheels supported on each end of said housing, each of said support plates having a pair of guideways for said Wheels respectively, and means for moving said housing and wheels in said guideways, whereby said shield will cooperate with said steam chamber housing in maintaining a blanket of steam on an extended area over said mat, and whereby, with the proper positioning of the apparatus, said shield can be caused to extend into close proximity with the nip between a pair of rolls for said mat and cause steam beyond said extended blanket to be drawn into the nip with said mat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,366,484 1/1945 Bradner 341 14 X 2,804,693 9/1957 Brodie 34-122 2,861,354 11/1958 Hultgreen 34-160 2,919,495 1/1960 Underbay 34-114 3,097,994 7/ 1963 Dickens 34-160 3,176,411 4/1965 Jepson 34-160 WlLLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING AN EXTENDED BLANKET OF STEAM ON A PULP MAT, A STEAM CHAMBER HOUSING LOCATED ABOVE THE PULP MAT AND OF THE PROPER LENGTH TO EXTEND TRANSERSELY ACROSS SAID MAT, SAID HOUSING HAVING A MAIN BOTTOM WALL AND TOP, SIDE AND END WALLS, THE BOTTOMS OF SAID SIDE AND END WALLS TERMINATING IN A PLANE BELOW SAID MAIN BOTTOM WALL AND FORMING AN ENCLOSED AREA BENEATH SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR DELIVERING STEAM UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID HOUSING, SAID MAIN BOTTOM WALL HAVING STEAM JET ORIFICES DISCHARGING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID MAIN BOTTOM WALL, A SHIELD EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID HOUSING IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE MAT AN NORMALLY SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID MAT, SAID SHIELD EXTENDING ENTIRELY ACROSS SAID MAT, MEANS CONNECTING THE ADJOINTING EDGE OF SAID SHIELD WITH SAID HOUSING, MEANS SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE TERMINAL EDGE OF SAID SHIELD FROM SAID HOUSING, AND MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID HOUSING AND THEREWITH SAID SHIELD IN DESIRED LOCATION OVER SAID MAT, WHEREBY WHEN A BLANKET OF STEAM IS MAINTAINED ON SAID MAT BENEATH SAID HOUSING THE STEAM BLANKET WILL BE EXTENDED OVER THE AREA BENEATH SAID SHIELD.