Press roll with adjustable flexion

Claim 1

A press roll with adjustable flexion for applying pressure in cooperation with a mating roll: the press roll comprising: a longitudinally extending yoke; a hollow shell around the yoke; the shell having first opposite ends; a self-aligning bearing at each first end of said shell for supporting the shell for rotating around the yoke and for holding the shell away from the yoke; the mating roll being adjacent the press roll; both the press roll and the mating roll having parallel rotation axes; both rolls together defining a press nip; the press nip and the roll axes being in a press plane; the mating roll having second opposite ends and being supported at the second opposite ends by respective mating roll bearings; the press roll yoke having third opposite ends; and support cap for each third end of the press roll yoke for supporting the yoke in position; at each third end, the yoke including a supported area which is supported by the respective support cap; each support cap including a collar extending into the interior of the hollow shell from the respective first end at which that support cap is positioned and the respective supported area of the yoke sitting on the respective collar; the longitudinal distance between the center planes of the supported areas of the yoke, which planes are perpendicular to the rotation axes of the rolls, is at most as great as the distance between the mating roll bearings; the distance between the self-aligning bearings of the roll shell is at least approximately the distance between the mating roll bearings.