Apparatus for making formed fibrous webs

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING FORMED FIBROUS WEBS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO ROTATABLE CYLINDERS HAVING FORAMINOUS SURFACES, FIRST AND SECOND CONTINUOUS FORAMINOUS BANDS WHICH CONVERGE TO PROVIDE AN ENTRANCE NIP FOR THE RECEPTION OF STOCK, SAID FORAMINOUS BANDS BEING ARRANGED TO TRAVEL AROUND PART OF THE PERIPHERY OF ONE OF SAID CYLINDERS TO PROVIDE A FIRST ZONE IN WHICH WATER IS EXPRESSED OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID ONE CYLINDER AND INWARDLY TO BE STORED IN SAID ONE CYLINDER, AND SAID FORAMINOUS BANDS BEING ARRANGED TO TRAVEL TOGETHER FROM ONE OF SAID CYLINDERS TO THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS AND AROUND PART OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS, MEANS IN THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS FOR APPLYING AN AIRFLOW AT A LOW PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACTING OUTWARDLY OF THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS BEING INSUFFICIENT TO SEPARATE THE BANDS FROM THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS OR TO DAMAGE THE WEB, SAID MEANS APPLYING AN AIRFLOW ESTABLISHING A SECOND ZONE AND SAID FORAMINOUS BANDS BEING ARRANGED TO GUIDE THE WEB TO A THIRD ZONE, SAID THIRD ZONE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING AN AIR FLOW ACTING INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO A CYLINDER HAVING A FORAMINOUS SURFACE, THE AIR FLOW IN SAID THIRD ZONE BEING AT A HIGH PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL FOR THE EXTRACTION OF ADDITIONAL MOISTURE FROM THE WEB, MEANS FOR COLLECTING WATER EXPRESSED OUTWARDLY IN THE FIRST AND SECOND ZONES AND MEANS EXTERIOR TO THE FIRST CYLINDER AND PERIPHERALLY DISPLACED FROM THE FIRST ZONE IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST CYLINDER FOR RECEIVING FROM THE FIRST CYLINDER WATER EXPRESSED INWARDLY INTO THE FIRST CYLINDER IN THE FIRST ZONE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING FORMED FIBROUS WEBS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO ROTATABLE CYLINDERS HAVING FORAMINOUS SURFACES, FIRST AND SECOND CONTINUOUS FORAMINOUS BANDS WHICH CONVERGE TO PROVIDE AN ENTRANCE NIP FOR THE RECEPTION OF STOCK, SAID FORAMINOUS BANDS BEING ARRANGED TO TRAVEL AROUND PART OF THE PERIPHERY OF ONE OF SAID CYLINDERS TO PROVIDE A FIRST ZONE IN WHICH WATER IS EXPRESSED OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID ONE CYLINDER AND INWARDLY TO BE STORED IN SAID ONE CYLINDER, AND SAID FORAMINOUS BANDS BEING ARRANGED TO TRAVEL TOGETHER FROM ONE OF SAID CYLINDERS TO THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS AND AROUND PART OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS, MEANS IN THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS FOR APPLYING AN AIRFLOW AT A LOW PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACTING OUTWARDLY OF THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS BEING INSUFFICIENT TO SEPARATE THE BANDS FROM THE SECOND OF SAID CYLINDERS OR TO DAMAGE THE WEB, SAID MEANS APPLYING AN AIRFLOW ESTABLISHING A SECOND ZONE AND SAID FORAMINOUS BANDS BEING ARRANGED TO GUIDE THE WEB TO A THIRD ZONE, SAID THIRD ZONE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING AN AIR FLOW ACTING INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO A CYLINDER HAVING A FORAMINOUS SURFACE, THE AIR FLOW IN SAID THIRD ZONE BEING AT A HIGH PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL FOR THE EXTRACTION OF ADDITIONAL MOISTURE FROM THE WEB, MEANS FOR COLLECTING WATER EXPRESSED OUTWARDLY IN THE FIRST AND SECOND ZONES AND MEANS EXTERIOR TO THE FIRST CYLINDER AND PERIPHERALLY DISPLACED FROM THE FIRST ZONE IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST CYLINDER FOR RECEIVING FROM THE FIRST CYLINDER WATER EXPRESSED INWARDLY INTO THE FIRST CYLINDER IN THE FIRST ZONE.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF MAKING A FORMED WEB COMPRISING THE STEPS INTRODUCING A STREAM OF PULP INTO THE ENTRANCE NIP PROVIDED BETWEEN TWO CONVERGING ENDLESS BANDS, COMPRESSING THE PULP BETWEEN SAID BANDS IN A FIRST ZONE TO EXPRESS WATER THROUGH THE SURFACES OF BOTH BANDS, COLLECTING WATER EXPRESSED IN ONE DIRECTION IN A RECEPTACLE

Claim 4

A METHOD OF MAKING A FORMED WEB COMPRISING THE STEPS INTRODUCING A STREAM OF PULP INTO THE ENTRANCE NIP PROVIDED BETWEEN TWO CONVERGING ENDLESS BANDS, COMPRESSING THE PULP BETWEEN SAID BANDS IN A FIRST ZONE TO EXPRESS WATER THROUGH THE SURFACES OF BOTH BANDS, COLLECTING WATER EXPRESSED IN ONE DIRECTION IN A RECEPTACLE