Press roll with bending control device

Claim 1

A press roll having bending control apparatus comprising a substantially cylindrical roll shell having an outer surface for receiving pressing forces and an inner surface; a supporting shaft extending through and rotatable with said shell; means outside of said shell for rotatably supporting said shaft; a plurality of supporting devices longitudinally arranged on said shaft for exerting outward forces on said shell relative to said shaft in opposition to said pressing forces; a source of fluid under pressure; means in said shaft defining a plurality of ducts for supplying fluid under pressure from said source to said supporting devices, each of said supporting devices comprising an elastically compressible and flexible annular member radially movable relative to said shell and said shaft, means on said shaft for limiting the radial outward movement of said annular member to a position in which the maximum outward expansion of said member relative to the axis of said shaft is a position in which the distance between the axis of said shaft and the outer surface of said member is substantially equal to the inner radius of said shell, means on said shaft for limiting axial movement of said annular member, said member, said means for limiting outward movement and said means for limiting axial movement forming a continuous annular chamber around said shaft connected to receive fluid from one of said ducts, and sealing means for preventing outflow of fluid from said chamber, whereby said fluid under pressure exerts forces through said annular members on the inner surface of said shell such that the orientation of the resultant forces produced by each of said supporting devices remains unchanged as said shell rotates.