This application is a National Stage Application, filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371, of International Application No. PCT/SE2018/050592, filed Jun. 7, 2018, which international application claims priority to and the benefit of Swedish Application No. 1750798-9, filed Jun. 21, 2017; the contents of both of which as are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
The present invention relates to a paper making machine that comprises at least one water jet cutting device for cutting a fibrous web. The invention also relates to a method of cutting a fibrous web in a paper making machine.
During paper making in a paper making machine, the fibrous web which is running through the machine, and which will become a ready-dried paper web, is often subjected to cutting by water jet cutting devices. The cutting can be made for the purpose of trimming the edges of the fibrous web but also in connection with tail threading when a narrow tail is cut which is passed on to a following section of the paper making machine whereafter the narrow tail is widened until it has achieved full width. An example of a known apparatus for cutting an edge of a moving paper web is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,948. That document describes how a waterjet is utilized to cut off a longitudinal edge of a moving web. An air jet is guided to the cutting spot where cutting dust and coating peeling off the paper and coating dust are conveyed to a channel and into the channel by suction. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,219 discloses a water jet edge trimming station for use in a papermaking machine. According to that patent, the water jet cutting apparatus has a positive air pressure chamber surrounding the nozzle head of the water jet to maintain an air flow over the nozzle head driving effluent backsplash away from the nozzle head. U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,758 discloses a method and equipment for tail threading in the dryer section of a paper machine. A tail is cut by a cutting device which may be a water cutter. A blow nozzle is arranged to provide a blow which turns the edge of the broke web away from the cutting point.
JP 2003027387-A discloses an arrangement in which an edge trimming nozzle with high pressure water is arranged to cut a wet paper web while the wet paper web is on a wire. An air nozzle is adapted to eject a fluid (air) to between the edge trimming nozzle and the wet paper web and the air nozzle is arranged described as being arranged outside in the wire widthwise direction. The air nozzle has an internal air passage and a slit portion extending in the same direction as the air passage. High pressure air is adapted to be supplied to the air passage. According to JP 2003027387-A, ejection of air through the air nozzle can prevent mist that occurs when nozzle-cutting the wet paper web on the wire from adhering to the edge trimming nozzle and a solid component of the mist will not adhere to the edge trimming nozzle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper making machine and a method of cutting in which the reliability of the machine operation is improved.
The inventive paper making machine comprises a forming section in which a fibrous web can be formed, a drying section in which a formed fibrous web can be dried and a reel-up on which a dried fibrous web can be wound into a roll. The paper making machine has a machine direction which is defined as the direction from the forming section toward the reel-up. The paper making machine is arranged to carry a fibrous web in the machine direction along a predetermined path. The paper making machine has at least one water jet cutting device arranged to cut the fibrous web that is moving in the machine direction such that the fibrous web is divided into at least one waste part and a remaining part and the paper making machine is arranged to direct the at least one waste part away from the predetermined path (preferably directed downwards) and to convey the remaining part further in the machine direction along the predetermined path. The paper making machine further comprises a blowing device arranged to blow gas or air in the area of the at least one water jet cutting device. The blowing device is arranged to blow gas or air against the water jet cutting device in a direction toward the remaining part of the fibrous web such that fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting device are blown onto the surface of the remaining part of the fibrous web and follow the remaining part of the fibrous web along the predetermined path. The blowing device has a nozzle with an exit opening (an outlet for the air or gas that is blown from the blowing device) through which the air or gas is ejected in a stream. The nozzle (and its exit opening) is preferably oriented at an angle to the machine direction such that the stream of air or gas that is blown out of the exit opening is directed in its entirety at an angle to the machine direction. According to the invention, the nozzle of the blowing device is designed to a create a circular cylindrical or cone-shaped stream of air or gas toward the water jet cutting device.
Suitably, the paper making machine may have a frame that is arranged to support rolls that extend from a first side of the paper making machine to a second side of the machine in a cross-machine direction that is perpendicular to the machine direction.
In one embodiment of the inventive paper making machine, the paper making machine comprises a first water jet cutting device which is placed in the forming section adjacent the first side of the frame and arranged to cut a narrow edge strip from the fibrous web and a second water jet cutting device which is placed in the forming section adjacent the second side of the frame and arranged to cut a narrow edge strip from the fibrous web such that, at the edges of the fibrous web, two edge strips are separated from a remaining part of the fibrous web. The remaining part of the fibrous web will then be located between the edge strips and be wider than the two edge strips together. In this embodiment, the paper making machine comprises a blowing device for each of the first and the second water jet cutting device and the blowing devices are arranged to blow gas or air against their respective water jet cutting device in a direction toward the remaining part of the fibrous web. In this way, fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting devices are blown onto the surface of the remaining part of the fibrous web and follow the remaining part of the fibrous web along the predetermined path. In addition, the paper making machine may optionally comprise a through air drying cylinder and a foraminous wire arranged to run in a loop in a path which partially goes over a part of an outer circumference of the through air drying cylinder. The paper making machine may then be designed such that the forming section of the paper making machine comprises a forming fabric and the first and second water jet cutting devices are arranged to act on the fibrous web as the fibrous web travels on the forming fabric. The forming fabric may then be arranged to carry the remaining part of the fibrous web to the foraminous wire after the water jet cutting devices have acted on the fibrous web and the paper making machine may be configured to transfer the remaining part of the fibrous web onto the foraminous fabric and to guide the edge strips away from the predetermined path. At the same time, the paper making machine is so configured that the remaining part of the fibrous web is transferred to the foraminous wire such that the surface of the major portion onto which fiber particles have been blown comes into contact with the foraminous wire.
In another embodiment of the invention, the inventive paper making machine may comprise a moveable water jet cutting device that is capable of moving in the cross-machine direction such that a tail can be cut from the fibrous web for the purpose of threading. In this embodiment, the paper making machine is arranged to convey the tail further in the machine direction along the predetermined path while the rest of the fibrous web is directed away from the predetermined path. A blowing device will then be arranged to blow gas or air against the moveable water jet cutting device in a direction toward the tail such that fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting device are blown onto the surface of the tail and follow the tail along the predetermined path.
The blowing device can take many different forms. However, in preferred embodiments of the invention, the at least one blowing device is an air amplifier. Both for the purpose of edge cutting and tail cutting, the blowing device can be an air amplifier.
The invention also relates to a method of cutting a fibrous web which is running along a predetermined path in a paper making machine in a machine direction. The fibrous web will then be running from a forming section in which the fibrous web is formed toward a reel-up where the fibrous web is wound to a roll after it has been dried. The inventive method comprises cutting the web by means of a water jet cutting device such that the fibrous web is divided into at least one waste part and a remaining part. The waste part is directed away from the predetermined path and the remaining part is conveyed further in the machine direction along the predetermined path. In the inventive method, air or gas is blown in the area of the water jet cutting device. The air or gas that that is blown in the area of the water jet cutting device is blown in a direction toward the remaining part of the fibrous web such that fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting device are blown onto the surface of the remaining part of the fibrous web and follow the remaining part of the fibrous web along the predetermined path. The air or gas is blown toward the water jet cutting device (17, 18, 19) in a stream of air or gas. Preferably, the stream of air or gas is in its entirety directed at an angle to the machine direction (MD). Embodiments are conceivable in which a part of the stream is not directed at an angle to the machine direction but preferably the entire stream or substantially the entire stream is directed at an angle to the machine direction. According to the invention, the stream of air or gas is given a shape which is circular cylindrical or conical and expanding in the direction in which the stream moves.
In preferred embodiments, the position of the blowing device relative to the water jet cutting device and/or the angle at which the nozzle of the blowing device (together with the exit opening of the nozzle) is directed toward the blowing device is/are adjustable
According to one embodiment of the inventive method, a first water jet cutting device which is placed in the forming section adjacent the first side of the frame is used to cut a narrow edge strip from the fibrous web while a second water jet cutting device which is placed in the forming section adjacent the second side of the frame is used to cut a narrow edge strip from the fibrous web such that, at the edges of the fibrous web, two edge strips are separated from a remaining part of the fibrous web. The remaining part is located between the edge strips and is wider than the two edge strips together. Gas or air is blown against each of the first and the second water jet cutting device in a direction toward the remaining part of the fibrous web such that fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting devices are blown onto the surface of the remaining part of the fibrous web and follow the remaining part of the fibrous web along the predetermined path.
The paper making machine may comprise a through air drying cylinder and a foraminous wire is running in a loop along a path which partially goes over a part of an outer circumference of the through air drying cylinder. The forming section of the paper making machine comprises a forming fabric and, according to one embodiment of the inventive method, the first and second water jet cutting devices act on the fibrous web as the fibrous web travels on the forming fabric. The forming fabric then carries the remaining part of the fibrous web to the foraminous wire after the water jet cutting devices have acted on the fibrous web and the remaining part of the fibrous web is transferred onto the foraminous fabric while the edge strips are guided away from the predetermined path and the remaining part of the fibrous web is transferred to the foraminous wire such that the surface of the remaining part onto which fiber particles have been blown comes into contact with the foraminous wire.
In another embodiment of the inventive method, a water jet cutting device that is moveable in the cross-machine direction is used to cut a tail from the fibrous web for the purpose of threading. The tail will then be conveyed further in the machine direction along the predetermined path while the rest of the fibrous web forms a waste part that is directed away from the predetermined path. Gas or air will then be blown against the moveable water jet cutting device in a direction toward the tail such that fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting device are blown onto the surface of the tail and follow the tail along the predetermined path.
c is similar to
With reference to
In the paper making machine 1 illustrated in
In the embodiment shown in
It should be understood that, in
With reference to
A technical problem will now be explained with reference to
It has been proposed in JP 2003027387-A that an air nozzle can be used to eject air such that an air layer is formed below the edge trimming nozzle to prevent mist from adhering to the edge trimming nozzle. The inventor of the present invention has found that, while such an arrangement may remove some fibrous particles from the area of the trimming nozzle, a substantial portion of the mist which is laden with fibrous particles will not be affected by the air layer. In particular, the area where the mist is generated will not be affected. Moreover, the air layer in the area between the edge trimming nozzle and the web will (at best) have only a limited effect in the area of the edge trimming nozzle itself. As a consequence, fibrous particles can still accumulate into lumps on the trimming nozzle. The lumps can then fall down on the web and cause the problems explained above.
According to the invention, the above indicated problem is solved in a way that will now be explained with reference to
As can be seen in
As can be seen in
With reference to
From what has been explained above, it can thus be understood that, in preferred embodiments, the angle α, β at which the nozzle of the blowing device 20, 21, 22 (and its exit opening 41) points to the water jet cutting device may be varied, preferably in both a horizontal plane and a vertical plane. Thereby, also the direction of the stream 47 of air or gas toward the water jet cutting device 17, 1819 can be varied to optimize the dust-preventing effect of the blowing device 20, 21, 22 according to varying operating conditions. Embodiments are conceivable in which only the angle in the horizontal plane or the angle in the vertical plane is adjustable, but it is preferred that they are both adjustable. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the position of the blowing device 20, 21 (and thereby also the position of the exit opening 41) can be varied by moving the blowing device horizontally in the cross-machine direction CD and/or the machine direction MD as indicated by arrows V and M (see
The invention can be applied at only one edge of the fibrous web W but in preferred embodiments, the invention is used on both edges of the fibrous web when the invention is applied in connection with edge trimming. An advantageous embodiment will now be explained with reference to
As explained with reference to
With reference to
The invention is not necessarily intended only for edge trimming but can also be applied in connection with tail threading. With further reference to
A possible example of a threading sequence will now be explained with reference to
The tail threading procedure has been described above with reference to a case where the tail 29 is caused to wind directly on the core shaft 32 but the same procedure can be used to thread the tail 29 to an already existing roll 12 which has not yet been wound to its full diameter.
The water jet cutting device 19 that has been explained with reference to
Different kinds of blowing devices 20, 21, 22 can be used. However, in preferred embodiments of the invention, at least one of the blowing devices is an air amplifier and preferably all the blowing devices used are air amplifiers. The function of an air amplifier is shown schematically with reference to
The shape of the stream 47 of air or gas is preferably conical and expanding in the direction away from the exit opening 41 but a stream 47 which has a circular cylindrical shape can also be used and the nozzle 48 may thus be designed also to create a stream 47 which is circular cylindrical or substantially circular cylindrical.
In many practical applications, the volume flow of air or gas from one blowing device 20, 21, 22 may be in the range of 17 m3/h-90 m3/h in order to achieve a good effect.
Since the invention makes use of an air stream that is either circular cylindrical or conical and expanding, both the water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19, the part of the web W where cutting takes place and the area between the water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19 and the fibrous web will be covered by the stream 47 of air or gas. This results in an effective removal of fibrous particles that could otherwise form lumps on the water jet cutting device or other parts of the machine.
It will now be understood that the invention can be described also in terms of a method of cutting a fibrous web W by means of at least one water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19 and blow gas or air toward the water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19 in a direction toward a part 24, 29 of the fibrous web W that remains after edge trimming or tail cutting such that fiber particles that have been released by the cutting action of the water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19 are blown onto the surface of the remaining part 24, 29 of the fibrous web W and follow the remaining part 24, 29 fibrous web W along the predetermined path P.
Thanks to the invention, the problem that lumps of fiber particles fall on the web and cause difficulties in the paper making process can be eliminated or at least significantly reduced. This improves the reliability of the machine operation.
It should be understood that embodiments of the inventive machine and the inventive method are conceivable in which the invention is used only in connection with edge trimming or only in connection with tail threading. However, in preferred embodiments, the inventive idea of using blowing devices against the water jet cutting devices are used both for edge trimming and tail threading.
While the embodiments disclosed show water jet cutting only in the forming section, it should be understood that the invention may also be used in other parts of the machine. However, it is believed that the most advantageous way of using the invention is precisely in the forming section.
Although an embodiment has been shown that includes both a through-air drying unit 45 and a Yankee drying cylinder 8, embodiments with only through-air drying are conceivable as well as embodiments with a Yankee drying cylinder 8 but no through-air drying unit. The paper making machine may optionally also include a press, for example a shoe press and a shoe press can be used in any machine making use of the invention and in different combinations of fabrics (felts, wires, transfer belts with a smooth or textured surface etc). Moreover, the invention can also be applied to other paper making machines than tissue machines. It should be understood that the invention is applicable to any tissue making process in which water jet cutting devices are used and the invention can be used with any combination of machine clothing/fabrics (e.g. press felts, transfer belts, metal belts and wires).
It should be understood that all figures are schematic/symbolic and only intended to show the general principles underlying the invention and that the figures are not to be understood as realistic manufacturing drawings.
It should also be understood that, when the invention is used for tail threading, this does not have to be because of a web break, it could also be in connection with start-up of the machine.
If the invention is used for a tissue paper making machine, the width of the machine in the cross-machine direction CD (as defined by the width of the Yankee drying cylinder) may typically be in the range of 3 m-6.5 m but other machine widths are also conceivable. For example, machine width may be 7 m or 8 m. For a tissue machine using the invention, the machine speed may be in the range of 1200 m/min-2200 m/min. For example, the machine speed may be 1700 m/min or 1900 m/min but other values for machine speed are also conceivable. Generally speaking, there is a tendency to increased machine speeds and it is conceivable that the invention may one day be applied to machines running at speeds of 2400 m/min or even higher. Likewise, the machine could very well be running at speeds lower than 1200 m/min.
The cutting action performed by the water jet cutting devices 17, 18, 19 may advantageously be performed in the forming section 2 where the fibrous web is supported by the forming fabric 4 which can be a wire with a woven plastic mesh or a woven wire mesh such as a bronze or stainless-steel mesh but the forming fabric 4 may also be a felt. When cutting is performed in the forming section 2, the fibrous web W is still very wet, and it is therefore weak and a supporting fabric is usually necessary. A support for a wet fibrous web may also be formed by a polymer belt (for example a rubber belt) which may be solid or permeable. The cutting of the fibrous web W may also be performed in an open draw, i.e. without any support for the fibrous web. If the fibrous web W is cut (for edge trimming or threading) in an open draw, this should preferably not be done before the fibrous web W has reached a relatively high dryness such that the fibrous web W has the necessary strength for cutting without support. If the fibrous web W is cut in an open draw, the dryness should preferably be at least 90%.
In
By using a blowing device with an nozzle that is designed to a create a circular cylindrical or cone-shaped stream 47 of air or gas toward the water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19 and by sending a circular cylindrical or cone-shaped stream 47 of air or gas toward the water jet cutting, it is possible to effectively prevent the build-up of lumps of fiber material on the water jet cutting device(s) and other parts of the paper making machine from which such lumps may fall on the fibrous web and case problems. Instead of using a thin layer of air, the invention makes use of a stream 47 of air that is circular cylindrical or conical and expanding and which acts on both the water jet cutting device 17, 18, 19, the fibrous web W and the area between the water jet cutting device and the fibrous web. The stream of air can thus engulf an entire area that encompasses not only a part of the space between the nozzle of the water jet cutting device and the fibrous web but also the part of the fibrous web where the water jet cuts and also the water jet cutting device itself or at least parts of it. The stream of air covers a volume in which both the water jet cutting device (or parts of it), the area where the water jet cutting device acts on the fibrous web and the space between the nozzle of the water jet cutting device and the fibrous web
While the invention has been described above with reference to a paper making machine and a method, it should be understood that these categories (machine and method) only reflect different aspects of one and the same invention. The inventive method may thus comprise such steps that would be the inevitable result of using the inventive machine (or embodiments thereof). In the same way, the inventive machine may comprise means for performing steps that have been disclosed as being part of the inventive method.
The invention may also be defined in terms of a method of rebuilding or upgrading/improving an already existing machine that has water jet cutting devices by adding/mounting blowing devices that are designed and mounted in accordance with the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1750798-9 | Jun 2017 | SE | national |
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PCT/SE2018/050592 | 6/7/2018 | WO |
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WO2018/236264 | 12/27/2018 | WO | A |
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