Transfer apparatus from press section to drying section

Claim 1

A transfer apparatus for transferring a web from a press section to a first dryer of a dryer section, said apparatus comprising: a lead-in roll disposed closely adjacent to the press section; a felt having a direction of movement and extending around said lead-in roll and from said lead-in roll to the first dryer such that the web extends in an open draw from the press section to said lead-in roll and is thereafter supported by and beneath said felt towards a dryer nip defined between said felt and the first dryer; vacuum generating means disposed adjacent to said dryer nip such that the web and said felt are disposed between said means and the first dryer, the web being disposed between said felt and the first dryer, said means inducing a partial vacuum adjacent to said nip between said felt and the web so that wrinkling and breakage of the web as the web approaches said nip is inhibited; said vacuum generating means being a blow box which defines a slot that extends in a cross-machine direction across the width of said felt structured so that air flows from within said blow box through said slot in a direction substantially parallel to and opposite to the direction of movement of said felt for inducing said partial vacuum between said felt and the web; said partial vacuum being induced from said nip to a distance upstream relative to said nip within the range 4 to 10 inches; said slot having a first and a second lip, said first lip having a curved configuration such that air within said blow box flows in a direction initially radially towards the first dryer and then curves in a direction to follow said first lip due to the Coanda effect and thereafter follows a direction substantially parallel to and opposite to the direction of movement of said felt so that a partial vacuum is generated between said blow box and said felt which in turn induces said partial vacuum between said felt and the web; and said flow of air in a direction parallel and opposite to the direction of movement of said felt deflecting boundary layer air that follows said felt from said lead-in roll towards said blow box thereby augmenting said partial vacuum induced between said felt and the web in the vicinity of said nip.