Claims
- 1. A method for controlling the thickness profile of a web passing through a nip formed between two rolls, one of the rolls including a stationary shaft having an outer surface and a rotatable hollow mantle having an inner surface spaced from the outer surface of the shaft and an outer surface comprising the roll surface, comprising the steps of:
- forming a plurality of separate axially adjacent heat transfer liquid layers within said roll mantle in heat transfer relationship with corresponding axial sections of the inner surface of said roll mantle and spaced from the outer surface of the shaft;
- providing means for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer liquid of each heat transfer liquid layer;
- controlling the temperature of the heat transfer liquid of each heat transfer liquid layer in accordance with a desired thickness profile of the web, such that the diameters of axial regions of the roll mantle corresponding to the axial inner surface sections which are in heat transfer relationship with the heat transfer liquid sections expand or contract by thermal expansion or contraction;
- the extent of expansion or contraction of the diameter of each axial roll mantle region determined by the temperature of the heat transfer liquid section corresponding thereto.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extent of the expansion or contraction of the diameter of each axial roll mantle region determines pressure applied over a corresponding region of the nip formed by the roll.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature controlling step includes controlling the temperature of each heat transfer liquid layer independently of the temperature of other heat transfer liquid layers.
- 4. The method of claim 1, comprising the additional step of
- maintaining the liquid on the inner surface of the mantle, under the effect of centrifugal force.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid functions solely as a heat transfer medium.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said separate liquid layers are formed by disposing partition means for dividing a liquid layer ionto said separate layers on said inner surface of said mantle.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said partition means comprise a plurality of substantially annular partition walls connected to said mantle inner surface at mutually spaced locations and extending substantially entirely therearound.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature controlling step includes separately circulating the heat transfer liquid of each respective layer b withdrawing the heat transfer liquid of the layer from the roll, adjusting the temperature of the heat transfer liquid and passing the heat transfer liquid back to the layer.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said heat transfer liquid of each layer is withdrawn by a stationary catcher situated in that respective section.
- 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the temperature of the heat transfer liquid is adjusted by mixing at least two liquids at different temperatures to obtain a liquid having a desired adjusted temperature.
- 11. The method of claim 1, comprising the additional step of
- forming the layers of heat transfer liquid on the inner surface of the mantle during rotation thereof by effect of centrifugal forces generated during the rotation of the mantle so that the layers of heat transfer liquid have thicknesses, and
- separating adjacent heat transfer liquid layers from each other by partition walls affixed to the inner surface of the roll mantle, each partition wall having a height greater than the thickness of the adjacent layers of heat transfer liquid which it separates.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature controlling step includes directing the liquid into each said section in a direction substantially parallel to direction of rotation of the roll.
- 13. The method of claim 11wherein the temperature controlling step includes separately adjusting the temperature of heat transfer liquid of each of said heat transfer liquid layers by stationary heating means situated in said respective heat transfer liquid layers.
- 14. The method of claim 13 further including the step of maintaining the thickness of the heat transfer liquid layers substantially constant.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the thickness of the heat transfer liquid layers of respective sections is maintained substantially constant by circulating the heat transfer liquid of the layers to an extent substantially not affecting heat transferred by the heat transfer liquid.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the heat transfer liquid of the layers is circulated by introducing heat transfer liquid into at least one layer situated between other layers and collecting heat transfer liquid at axial ends of the roll.
- 17. A roll for use in controlling the thickness profile of a paper web passing through a calendering nip formed by said roll and a counter-roll, comprising
- a cylindrical outer mantle rotatably mounted at its axial ends, said mantle having inner and outer surfaces;
- a stationary shaft situated within said mantle;
- means for forming a layer of heat transfer liquid on said inner surface of said mantle;
- partition means connected to said inner surface of said mantle for dividing said liquid layer into a plurality of separate annular sections in the axial direction of said roll mantle, said sections of heat transfer liquid being in heat transfer relationship with corresponding axial regions of said roll mantle;
- means for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer liquid layer of each of said sections;
- the diameter of each of said axial roll mantle regions being thermally expandable or contractable based upon heat transferred between each heat transfer liquid section and corresponding roll mantle region,
- whereby pressure applied in said nip is adjustable over the axial direction thereof, based upon changes in said roll diameter effected by said temperature controlling means, and
- the thickness profile of the web passing through the nip being thus controlled by the axial pressure profile applied in the nip.
- 18. The combination of claim 17, wherein said partition means extend substantially entirely around said inner surface of said roll mantle.
- 19. The combination of claim 17, wherein said temperature controlling means constitute means for controlling temperature of the heat transfer liquid layer of each section independently from any other section.
- 20. The combination of claim 17 wherein said annular sections are of substantially equal axial dimension.
- 21. The combination of claim 17, additionally comprising
- means for maintaining the liquid on said inner surface of said mantle under effect of centrifugal force.
- 22. The combination of claim 17, wherein the diameter of each of said axial roll mantle region is adjustable solely by the heat transferred.
- 23. The combination of claim 17, wherein said forming means constitute means for forming said heat transfer liquid layer under the effect of centrifugal force generated during rotation of said mantle.
- 24. The combination of claim 23, wherein said temperature controlling means comprise a nozzle in each said section for introducing the liquid into respective section, each said nozzle oriented to direct the liquid into said respective section substantially parallel to the direction of rotation of the roll.
- 25. The combination of claim 17 wherein said partition means include a plurality of substantially annular partition walls connected to said mantle inner surface at mutually spaced locations.
- 26. The combination of claim 25, wherein there is a gap between an inner end of each said partition wall and an outer surface of said stationary shaft.
- 27. The combination of claim 25, wherein each said partition wall extends substantially entirely around said mantle inner surface.
- 28. The combination of claim 17 wherein said means for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer liquid layer of each of said sections includes stationary liquid heating means situated in respective sections.
- 29. The combination of claim 28 wherein said stationary liquid heating means comprise electric resistor elements fixed to said stationary inner shaft coupled to an external source of electricity.
- 30. The combination of claim 28 wherein said stationary liquid heating means comprise a heat exchange fluid conduit fixed to said stationary inner shaft coupled to a source of circulating heat exchange fluid.
- 31. The combination of claim 28 further including means for introducing small quantities of circulating heat transfer liquid into at least one annular section situated between other sections, heat transfer liquid collecting means situated at axial ends of the roll and means for withdrawing the small quantities of the circulated heat transfer liquid collected at said collecting means.
- 32. The combination of claim 17 wherein said means for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer liquid layer of each of said sections include respective means provided at each of said sections for withdrawing heat transfer liquid from the heat transfer layer of said respective sections, means for adjusting the temperature of the withdrawn heat transfer liquid, and respective nozzle means provided at each of said sections for introducing the adjusted temperature heat transfer liquid into the heat transfer liquid layer of said respective sections.
- 33. The combination of claim 32 wherein said means for adjusting the temperature of the withdrawn heat transfer liquid include control system means for mixing at least two liquids at different temperatures to obtain a liquid having a desired adjusted temperature.
- 34. The combination of claim 32 wherein for each respective section said nozzle means include a nozzle situated at a substantially axially central location of the respective section, and said liquid withdrawing means include at least one stationary catcher situated at said respective section, and liquid conduit means fluidly coupled to said catcher for passing heat transfer liquid to the outside of said roll.
- 35. The combination of claim 34, wherein a pair of stationary catchers are situated at said respective sections, each catcher being situated on a respective side of said nozzle.
- 36. The combination of claim 34 wherein said liquid conduit means include discharge pipe means situated within a space provided within said stationary inner shaft.
- 37. The combination of claim 36 wherein a suction pump is connected to said discharge pipe means.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 718,099, filed Apr. 1, 1985, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2102913 |
Feb 1983 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
718099 |
Apr 1985 |
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