Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGROU~D O~ ~
In conventional paper making processes, the paper is form-
ed upon high speed endless belts which absorb the moisture to the
............. extent where the sheet of partially formed paper can be separated
from the belt and further processed, The felt belts are then nor-
mally passed over conditioning boxes which extract the moisture
and any contaminants which may be on the belts, thus preparing
the belts for further use immediately,
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tending Felt conditioning boxes usually include an enclosure ex-
. 20 /the full width of the belt, said enclosure being provided with a
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; narrow transverse slot and a source of reduced air pressure. or vacuum is connected to the box thus drawing air downwardly
through the belt passing over the slot and removing the
moisture at the same time. -
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The belt is supported and guided across the slot .
by stainless steel rods, but due to the high speed of the belt
and the relative abrasive quality of the material used in the
manufacture of the belts, the steel rods rapidly become worn
and the sharp edges formed by this wear, initiates severe dama~
ge to the belts which are, of course, relatively expensive.
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SUMMARY OF TEE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention for use in a felt
conditioner box used in the manufacture of paper with the box
being connected to a source of vacuum and having an elongated
air entrance slot extending across one side thereof with the
` conventional felt belt travelling across said slot, the im- : :
provement comprising a guide rod on each side of said slot
for supporting the belt passing thereacross, and guide rod su- -
port means detachably secured to said box on each side of said j,
~0 slot, said guide rod support means including a rod receiving -
pocket formed therein and means extending through said guide. ~:
rod support means to detachably hold said guide rod in said
pocket, said guide rod support means being formed from syn- .~` .
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the~ic plastic, said guide rod comprising a stainless steel
rod and a relatively thin, hard, wear-resistant ceramic coat-
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~ ing bonded to said rod by flame spray coating application.
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Still another object of the invention is to pro-
vide a device of the character herewithin described which i3
simple in construction, economical in manufacture and other-
wise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.
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With the foregoing objects in view, and other
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such objects and advantages as will become apparent to those
sXilled in the art to which this invention relat~s as this
specification proceeds,our invention consists essentially in
the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter
more particularly described, reference being had to the ac-
l companying drawings in which:
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS -
Figure 1 is a cross sectional partially schematic
view of the invent~on situated ~pon a felt conditionir~g box.
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Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of the upper
portion of an alternative conditioning box with the invention -
secured thereto.
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Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view
;~, 5 of one of the holders with the improved support rod in place.
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Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a further ~,
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embodiment of the holders.
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Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional ~
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view showing the advantages accruing from the construction
~' 10 shown in Figure 4.
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Figure 6 is an enlarged end view of a conventional ',
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; rod showing, in exaggerated form, the wear which normally
, takes place.
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In the drawings like characters of reference in- ;
-, 15 dicate corresponding parts in the different figures. ;;~
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DETAILED D~SCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the inventi on in de-
tail, reference character 10 illustrates in oross section, a
conventional conditioning box shown schematically and consisting
5 o~ an enclosure 11, being connected to a souree o~ reduced air
pressure or vacuum, by means of connection 12.
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~xtending across the upper side 13 o~ the box is a
relatively narrow slot 14, it being understood that this slot
extends ~rom one end to the other o~ the box which is the width
o~ the ~elt belt 15 passing thereover and it should also be ap-
preciated that the belt and box may be anywhere ~rom 12 to 30
feet in width, dPpending upon the design of the paper making
machinery being used.
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The belt, which is an endless belt, travels at a fairly
high speed in the direction of arrow 16 and passes over the slot
so that air is drawn downwardly in the direction of arrow 17, ~.
said air passing through the belt immediately over slot 14 so
that any moistura or the like is drawn from the belt which is
then ready ~or ~urther use. :~
Stainless steel rods 18 (see Figure 6) are normally
used to support the belt as it passas over slot 14, but due t-o
the abrasive quality o~ the belt and the high speed, the belt
engages the rod and wears same into a ~lattened configuration
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; as indicated by reference character 19 and the sharp corners
20 formed by this flattened portion damage the underside of the
belt.
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In the present invention, elongated plastic guide xod
supports 21 are provided and are secured to the side 13 of the
box by means of bolts 22 or the like, it being understood that
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there is a support 21 upon either side of the slot 14 as clearly ,-
` shown.
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The upper side 13 of the felt conditioning box 10 may ~
10 be either planax as shown in Figure 1, or cruved as shown in ;
Figure 2 and the preferred construction of the holder is shown
in Figure 3 in which the base portion 23 of the holder is pro-
vided with an arcuately curved under surface 24 having a curva-
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ture similar to the curvature of the side 14 of the box illus- ;
15 trated in Figure 2. If, however, the holders are to be used on ~ ;
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a box with a planar side 13 as shown in Figures 1 and 4, then
~- the plastic holder can be provided with a flat base thus making ~ -
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~ the underside planar so that it can be secured to the planar
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, side 13 as shown in Figures 1 or 4.
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`' 20 An upstanding portion 25 is provided upon the base por-
tion 23 and the front side 26 of this planar portion is semi
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" cylindrically curved and blends into the upper side of the base
portion 23 thus forming a semi-cylindrical pocket within which
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the guide rod 18A of the present invention may rest,
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This guide rod or the like 18A is manufactured from
stainless steel and is cylindrical in cross sectional and is cover-
ed with a ceramic coating 27 which is applied by conventional means
: thus providing a relatively friction free extremely hard surface
to the guide rod, However, the term "rod" includes both cylind-
rical and square cross sectioned members as, for example, shown on
the left hand side of Figure 5. ~ .-
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The guide rod 18A is normally held within the pocket by -;
means of a plurality of bolts 28 extending through the upstanding ~
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~ port!ion 25 and screw threadably engaging apertures 29 formed
: through the rod 18A diametrically, This means that when the cer- .
amic coating 27 does wear, the rod can be moved to present an un-
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i worn ceramic surface to the belt 15 being guided thereby.
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The upper curved portion 29 of the guide rod 18A extends :-
~ slightly above the plane of the upper surface 30 of the upstanding
`~i portion 25 so that the felt belt 15 is supported upon the two rods, .
'I 20 one upon either side of the slot 14 as clearly shown in Figure 1
; and Figure 2O !,,'
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250
The preferred formation of the upper portion 25 isshown in Figures 4 and 5, and this upstanding portion is indi-
cated by reference character 25A. ,~
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. However, the upstanding portion 25A is provided with
the semi-cylindrical pocket inset within the upstanding portion :
'- and the base portion, thus dividing the upstanding portion into
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an outer side 30 and a slot bounding side 31 as clearly shown ~ :
. in Figure 4. The gude rods 18A are held within the pockets
~: formed in the holders with the upper surfaces 29 extending '~
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10 slightly above the plane of the upper surface 30A of the up- .
standing portions. -
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This means that the bounding sides 31 of the slot 14
. are relatively narrow thus concentrating the suction upon the ~-
,, portion of the belt passing thereabove. ..
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This suction tends to draw down the portion 15A of the
belt passing across the slot 14 as shown in Figure 5 and this
~` wears the relatively soft plastic to the curve illustrated by j ~,
reference character 32 in Figure 5 thus forming a smooth tran- : :
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sitional curve from the upper surface 29 of the guide rods to
the inner corners 33 of the bounding portion 31. This maintains
a relatively narrow gap of the slot 14 and assists in maintain-
ing good suction through the portion 15A of the belt passing
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thereacross. Once ayain the rods 18A shown in Figures 4 and 5 can
be reversed when the upper surface portions 29 wear,
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Reference should be made to Figure 5 in which a square
cross sectioned rod 18B is illustrated formed from stainless steel
tubing or the like and covered with a ceramic coating similar to
the coating 27, This is secured within a right angulated pocket
` by bolts 28A and may also be reversed or turned end for end as
hereinbefore described with reference to the cylindrical rods 18A. ~ -
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In the drawings, the rod 18 is shown with a construction
which permits it to be reversed end to end in order that a new
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working surface is presented. However, it should be appreciated
il that other holes could be provided or other fastening means used,
, which will permit a plurality of working surfaces to be used when
l wear takes place.
1 15 Since various modifications can be made in my invention
`l as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different em-
I bodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims
I without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that
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r,'~ 20 interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
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