Paper machine with single-wire and curved twin-wire formers

Claim 1

In a paper machine, inner and outer endless fabric means and a smooth forming roll around which said inner and outer fabric means are lapped with said inner endless fabric means situated between said outer endless fabric means and said forming roll and forming with said outer endless fabric means a twin-wire former where said inner and outer fabric means are lapped around said forming roll, said outer endless fabric means having an elongated portion situated in advance of the twin-wire former and spaced from said inner endless fabric means while travelling with the latter toward said smooth forming roll to meet said inner endless fabric means at said forming roll to form therewith the initial part of the twin-wire former, headbox means cooperating with said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means which is situated in advance of said twin-wire former for depositing on said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means stock which starts web formation on said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means in the manner of a single-wire former so that the web has partially formed on said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means prior to reaching the twin-wire former where the partially formed web is further compacted between the inner and outer endless fabric means, dewatering means cooperating with said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means for draining water from the web formed on said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means to an extent greater than if said dewatering means were not utilized, whereby the web reaches the twin-wire former in a condition according to which the web has dried to a substantial extent beyond that resulting only from gravitational watering at said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means, with the drainage from the web being continued at the twin-wire former due to centrifugal force outwardly through the outer endless fabric means, whereby the web is gradually dried until reaching the end of the twin-wire former distant from said elongated portion of said outer endless fabric means, said inner and outer endless fabric means again becoming spaced from each other at the latter end of said twin-wire former and said smooth forming roll transferring the web to said inner endless fabric means for travel therewith beyond said twin-wire former due to the normal table roll effect, and pick-up means cooperating with said inner endless fabric means at a portion thereof distant from said smooth forming roll for picking up the web from said inner endless fabric means and directing the web along a path of travel to press and dryer sections of the paper machine, said pick-up means including a pair of rolls and a pick-up felt, said inner endless fabric means being guided around one of said pair of rolls while said pick-up felt is guided around the other of said pair of rolls and pressed thereby toward said inner endless fabric means for engaging the web thereon, said other of said pair of rolls including a suction means for detaching the web from said inner endless fabric means and transferring the web to said pick-up felt for travel therewith beyond said other of said pair of rolls, a pair of press rolls forming part of a press section of the paper machine and defining between themselves a first press nip, said pick-up felt travelling between said pair of press rolls for transporting the web to said first press nip, said pair of press rolls including an upper press roll around which said pick-up felt is guided and the other of said pair of press rolls being a lower press roll and having a recessed surface, the press section including a lower felt engaging said lower press roll and travelling through said first press nip together with the web and said pick-up felt, said upper press roll including a suction means causing the web to travel with said pick-up felt around said upper press roll while said lower felt travels by itself beyond said first press nip, the dryer section of the machine including a Yankee cylinder defining with said upper press roll a second press nip through which the pick-up felt travels for transferring the web in closed conduction up to said second press nip.