Device and method for manipulating a fibrous web

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for manipulating a fibrous web (10). The device comprises at least one blower (21A, 21B) provided with a flow-preventing element (24A, 24B) which is arranged to produce at least one blow (26A, 26B) substantially in the direction of the fibrous web (10), and a friction element (28) against which the fibrous web (10) is arranged to be pressed at least partially from the effect of said blow (26A, 26B) and flow-preventing element (24A, 24B) to apply a friction force resisting the motion of the fibrous web (10) to the fibrous web (10). According to the invention, the blow (26A, 26B) is directed substantially away from the friction element (28) and the friction element (28) comprises a surface profile which is arranged such that, from the effect of said at least one blow (26A, 26B), a continuous vacuum is created on the surface of the fibrous web (10) on the side of the friction element (28). Due to its intensified friction effect, the device according to the invention is applicable especially for board and, by means of it, it is possible to form e.g. an air cutting device in the tail-threading section of a board machine.

Claims

1. A device for cutting a fibrous web in motion along a motion direction, which device comprises a first blower provided with a first flow-preventing element, said first blower made to produce a first blow from one or more first outlet openings, the first blow having a blow direction substantially opposite to the motion direction of the fibrous web, said first flow-preventing element comprises a first flow-preventing plate located at least partially at an angular position in relation to the travel direction of the web, a second blower provided with a second flow-preventing element to produce a second blow from one or more second outlet openings, the second blow having a second blow direction substantially in the direction of the motion direction of the fibrous web, said second flow-preventing element comprises a second flow-preventing plate located at least partially at an angular position in relation to the travel direction of the web, a friction element against which the fibrous web is arranged to be pressed at least partially due to the effect of said blows and flow-preventing elements due to the Coanda effect which causes a force component directed at the fibrous web perpendicular to a plane of the fibrous web to press the web against the friction element to apply a friction force to the fibrous web, the friction force resisting the motion of the fibrous web and decelerating the fibrous web, whereby the first and second blows are adapted to cut the decelerated fibrous web, whereby the friction element is located between the first and the second blower, whereby the blows are directed substantially away from said friction element such that at least a majority of the friction element is located on the backside of a plane defined by the outlet openings and the blow direction of each blow, and the friction element comprises a surface profile which deviates from a planar one and due to the effect of said blows and flow-preventing elements, a continuous underpressure is provided on the surface of the fibrous web on the side of the fibrous web that faces the friction element even when the fibrous web contacts the friction element during said pressing.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the surface profile is arranged such that said first and second blows create a continuous underpressure between the fibrous web and the friction element.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the surface profile comprises several projections against which the fibrous web is arranged to be pressed, whereby an air channel remains between the fibrous web and the surface profile for maintaining said underpressure.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said projections are arranged on the friction element in two dimensions.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the whole friction element is located on the backside of a plane defined by the outlet openings and the blow direction of each blow.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second blowers comprise a common air-supply channel and said friction element is arranged substantially between the common air-supply channel and the fibrous web.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second blowers are arranged to produce blows substantially equal in strength.

8. A method for manipulating a fibrous web in a tail-threading section of a fibrous-web machine, the method comprising conveying the fibrous web in the vicinity of a first blower and a second blower, each of said blowers provided with one or more openings and a flow-preventing element, wherein the flow preventing elements comprise a first flow preventing plate and a second flow preventing plate each located at least partially at an angular position in relation to the travel direction of the web, such that the first and second blows produced by the first and second blowers from said openings create a force component perpendicular to a plane of the fibrous web to the fibrous web, whereby the first blower is arranged to produce the first blow at least mainly opposite to the motion direction of the fibrous web and the second blower the second blow at least mainly in the direction of the motion direction of the fibrous web, and applying a friction force resisting motion of the fibrous web to the fibrous web by a friction element which is located between said first blower and second blower in the motion direction of the fibrous web, whereby the blows of the blowers are directed substantially away from said friction element such that at least a majority of the friction element is located on a backside of a plane defined by the outlet openings and the start direction of each blow, and whereby the blows cause together a continuous underpressure on the surface of the fibrous web facing the friction element at least partially due to the Coanda effect whereby the friction force decelerates the fibrous web and said first and second blows cutting the fibrous web for tail-threading, and using as said friction element an element which has a surface profile deviating from a planar one.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of the basic principle of tail-threading of a fibrous web in a fibrous-web machine utilizing an air cutting device according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 1B shows in more detail an air cutting arrangement of a fibrous web according to an embodiment.

(3) FIGS. 2A and 2B show cross-sectional side views of devices according to the present invention in accordance with two alternative embodiments.

(4) FIGS. 2C-2E show cross sections in the direction of the web plane of various positions of the device according to the invention in relation to the web in accordance with different embodiments.

(5) FIG. 2F shows a cross-sectional side view of the position of a device according to an embodiment in relation to the web and an angle of a flow-preventing plate in relation to a blow start direction.

(6) FIGS. 3A-3D show orthogonal cross-sectional views of alternative implementations of a friction element.

(7) FIGS. 4A-4C show cross-sectional side views of further implementations of the device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) FIG. 1A shows the basic principle of the tail-threading of a paper or board machine according to a possible implementation utilizing the present invention. A fibrous web 10 is supplied onto a roll 12 from which it falls into a broke-handling device 16, such as a pulper. The web releases from the roll 12 at the latest when hitting a doctor knife 15. A tail 10A has been separated from the web by cutting before the release of the web from the roll. An air cutting device 14 according to an embodiment of the invention is located on the front side of the tail 10A close to the falling web.

(9) FIG. 1A also shows the situation after cutting when a tail 10B has been cut by the air cutting device 14 and brought to a rope nip 18 or some other apparatus controllably receiving the tail 10B for guiding it to further processing. Bringing the tail 10A having been cut in the vicinity of the air cutting device 14 to a receiving apparatus can be implemented by a method known as such in the field which were briefly described above and will not be depicted here in more detail. One such an apparatus is known e.g. from patent specification FI123973B.

(10) FIG. 1B shows an arrangement corresponding to that of FIG. 1A in which, however, the travel of a web 10A, due to the device 14 being in operation, has started to decelerate in the area of the device 14 and thus started to bulge above that towards the further-processing apparatus 18. Hence, FIG. 1B shows an intermediate situation between the positions of the webs 10A and 10B of FIG. 1A.

(11) In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the device is located below the plane of the doctor knife, but it can also be located on its plane or even above it. In more detail, the horizontal centre line of the device in such an arrangement is on the level of the lowest plane of the doctor knife or even on the level of its topmost plane (doctoring plane) or above it.

(12) Next, an air cutting device according to an embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2A. Generally, the device comprises two blowers 21A, 21B i.e. it is arranged to produce two blows 26A, 26B, that is, a cut-off blow 26A and a holding-down blow 26B, of which one, in this case the blow 26B, is directed substantially in the travel direction of the tail 10 and the other, the blow 26A, substantially opposite to the travel direction of the tail 10.

(13) In more detail, the device illustrated in FIG. 2A comprises a frame 22 which forms an air chamber 23. On the opposite sides of the chamber, for each are arranged one or advantageously several air openings 25A, 25B i.e. nozzles such that, when pressurizing the chamber 23, air jets i.e. cut-off and holding-down blows 26A, 26B, respectively, are formed from the air openings 25A, 25B. Compressed air can be produced e.g. by a compressor (not shown in the figures). Advantageously, the start directions of the air jets 26A, 26B are substantially in the direction of the web 10 and opposite or mainly opposite to each other. An angle between the start directions of the jets can be e.g. 90 . . . 200 degrees, typically 180 degrees. On each side, the air openings 25A, 26B can comprise e.g. a bank of openings in the direction of the web, perpendicular in relation to the plane of FIG. 2A, or equivalently one or more narrow slot-like openings.

(14) Furthermore, the device is provided with flow-preventing plates 24A, 24B which are arranged on the opposite sides of the frame 22, in the vicinity of the air openings 25A, 25B, respectively. The plates 24A, 24B prevent the air jets 26A, 26B from receiving make-up air from an undesired direction and cause suction which pulls the fibrous web 10 towards the plates 24A, 24B and against the device. In this example, the plates 24A, 24B extend away from the air openings 25A, 25B at least partially obliquely in relation to the plane of the fibrous web, whereby they cause the so-called Coanda effect i.e. the curving of air jets 26A, 26B away from the fibrous web. The plates 24A, 24B can be straight or, as shown in FIG. 2A, curved. They can also be angular (straight in bits). The start direction of the plates can be in the direction of the blow or inclined e.g. for 0 . . . 45 degrees in relation to the start direction of the blow.

(15) When the tail 10 is brought to the position shown in FIG. 2A, its travel decelerates or it even stops from the effect of two simultaneous and opposite blows, in this case from the effect of the blows 26A, 26B directed at opposite directions, when their strengths are appropriate. The substantial deceleration of the tail 10 leads to its intensive vibration in the flow of the blows, the breaking of fibers and further to the cutting of the whole tail 10. In the case of the present invention, this process occurs in a smaller area in the travel direction of the web compared with previous solutions and thus also extremely quickly and accurately, like described in more detail below.

(16) To intensify the deceleration, stopping and thus also cutting of the web, a friction element 28 has been arranged according to the present invention on the side of the web of the frame 22 in FIG. 2A, in more detail in an area between the blow openings 25A, 25B, against which friction element the web 10 is pressed. The friction element 28 advantageously extends close to the outlet openings and lifts the tail 10 loose from the frame 22 of the chamber 23. The air jets 26A, 26B tend to get make-up air from all possible directions. One direction has been blocked in the arrangement by the flow-preventing plates 24A, 24B. Hence in the present arrangement, make-up air is extracted from a pocket zone formed by the tail 10, the flow-preventing plates 24A, 24B and the walls 22 of the chamber 23 and the friction element 28. By lifting the tail 10 at least partially loose of the chamber 22 by the friction element 28 and by arranging the friction element 28 substantially air permeable in the direction of the plane of the tail 10, the air jets 26A, 26B tend to get make-up air particularly between the tail 10 and the chamber 22. These make-up air flows are illustrated in FIG. 2A by arrows 27A, 27B. Then, at the front of the tail 10 is formed an intensive vacuum which presses the tail strongly against the friction element 28.

(17) As seen in FIG. 2A, the friction element 28 is located totally at the back of the blows 26A, 26B i.e. the blows 26A, 26B are directed away from it. The desired vacuum effect is provided by the make-up air flows 27A, 27B created from the combined effect of the profile of the friction element 28, the blows 26A, 26B and the flow-preventing plates 24A, 24B.

(18) According to an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A, the friction element 28 comprises a base plate and projections 29A, 29B extending from the base plate which first come into contact with the tail 10. A wall of the chamber 22 can also operate as the base plate. The projections 29A, 29B are arranged at a distance from each other such that air channels are formed between them (on a plane perpendicular to the one of the figure). Thus, the air jets 26A, 26B cause a continuous vacuum between the friction element and the web, which presses the tail 10 towards the friction element 28 and particularly its projections 29A, 29B more and more intensely. The increasing friction starts to decelerate the run of the tail 10. Finally, the force of the air jets 26A, 26B cuts the tail. If the air jets 26A, 26B are intensive enough, the friction force between the tail 10 and the friction element 28 is sufficient to stop the tail 10.

(19) In the case of the friction element 28 provided with projections, the tail 10 tends to bulge according to FIG. 2A between the projections towards the friction element, which further intensifies the friction effect.

(20) An advantageous way to form the friction element 28 is to manufacture holes directly on the wall of the nozzle chamber 22 or on a separate plate at a distance from each other and to fasten in the holes retainer screws the heads of which form the projections 29A, 29B. Such durable retainer screws are commonly available.

(21) The distance between the projections 29A, 29B can be quite freely arranged. It can be e.g. 5-50 mm from one edge of the projection to that of the other. The height of the projections is advantageously 1-10 mm, typically 1-5 mm.

(22) The vacuum is formed particularly high the tail 10 being wide in relation to the cross-sectional area of the pocket zone (the area between the web, the flow-preventing plate and the chamber) supplying make-up air. With typical tail widths, e.g. 10-40 cm, the vacuum and friction provided with the locations and dimensions of projections described above as examples and the flows of the air jets 26A, 26B provided by conventional techniques are sufficient to enable the cutting of the board solely by the force of the air jets. As the thickness of the board and simultaneously the rigidity of the tail 10 increase, the complete stopping of the tail 10 is advantageous because a short cutting time is then ensured. The increase in the rigidity of the tail 10 increases the force by which the tail is pressed against the friction element and thus also the friction force.

(23) In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the air openings 25A, 25B on both sides are arranged into connection with the same air chamber 23, which ensures equal jet pressure on both sides. FIG. 2B shows an alternative embodiment in which air openings 35A, 35B are arranged into connection with separate chambers 33A, 33B, respectively. Then, the jet pressure of the air jets 36B, 36A being in the forward and reverse direction with the travel direction of the web, respectively, can be adjusted independent from each other, which can be advantageous in the precise adjustment of the cutting process. The friction element is arranged on the sides of the chambers 33A, 33B on the web side such that it comes in contact with the web and forms a vacuumizing air pocket from the effect of the air jets 36A, 36B. Of its other parts, the arrangement corresponds with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2A.

(24) In the illustrated examples, the chamber 23 (33A, 33B) together with the air openings 25A, 25B (35A, 35B) and the flow-preventing plates 24A, 24B (34A, 34B) form the blowers 21A, 21B (31A, 31B). The production of compressed air and its connection to the chamber 23 (33A, 33B) are not described here in more detail.

(25) The distance of the upper and lower air openings 25A, 25B from each other and thus the dimension of the friction element in the direction defined by the air openings 25A, 25B is advantageously as small as possible, still such that the sufficient vacuumized air pocket and friction effect are provided. Typically, the distance is 2-10 cm.

(26) FIG. 2C shows an air cutting device 14A positioned at a right angle in relation to the travel direction of the web 10. FIG. 2D shows an air cutting device 14B positioned at an angle diverted on the plane of the web 10 in relation to the travel direction of the web 10. The angle can be 0 . . . 45 degrees. FIG. 2E shows an air cutting device 14C the upper and lower sections of which are positioned both independent from each other (e.g. implemented by a structure similar to the one in FIG. 2B) at an angle diverted on the plane of the web 10 in relation to the travel direction of the web 10. The angle can also in this embodiment be 0 . . . 45 degrees The diversion of the device or its section on the plane of the web is advantageous e.g. if, after cutting, the tail is wished to be guided aside from its original machine-directional line.

(27) Furthermore, FIG. 2F shows an arrangement in which an air cutting device 14D has been diverted from the plane of the web (the original income plane of the web) out for an angle . The angle can also be 0 . . . 45 degrees. Such an arrangement is advantageous e.g. when it is desired to guide the tail strongly after the cutting by means of an upper blow.

(28) The angular positions in accordance with FIGS. 2C-2F can be freely combined to provide a desired effect without diverging from the idea according to the invention in which the blows are arranged at least mainly in the travel direction of the fibrous web to obtain a desired manipulation effect.

(29) It is sufficient that, in a two-blower arrangement, one of the blows sucks the web fast to the friction element and thus increases kinetic friction between it and the web. The other blow can have been arranged e.g. only for cutting. In a typical arrangement however, both blows take part at least at some stage of the cutting process for both increasing the friction effect and the cutting.

(30) A profile of the friction element providing a desired effect can be formed in many ways and some ways have been illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D as examples. The arrangement shown in FIG. 3A corresponds with the arrangements shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Here, projections 42A are arranged on a base plate, which can also be a wall of the chamber, in two rows at a distance from each other. FIG. 3B shows an equivalent arrangement in which projections 42B are arranged in three rows onto a base plate 40B. FIG. 3C shows an alternative arrangement in which projections 42C comprise elongated elements in the travel direction of the web, whereby several elongated vacuumized air pockets are formed in zones defined by the web, a base plate 40C and the projections 42C.

(31) FIG. 3D shows an arrangement different from the previous ones in which openings 42D instead of projections have been formed on a base plate 40D. When such a plate is arranged in accordance with FIG. 4C by means of suitable separator elements 99A, 99B at a distance from the wall of an air chamber 93 of a blower 91 as a friction element 98, a vacuumized air pocket is formed between this and the chamber similar to the previous embodiments. Via the openings 42D, the web tends to be sucked against the base plate 40C and further through the openings, whereby friction force increases.

(32) In all of the above arrangement examples, the general form of the friction element is a plane in the direction of the web the detailed profile of which still differs from the planar i.e. even profile. It is possible to combine the above-described arrangements or to construct other arrangements with equivalent effects.

(33) FIG. 4A shows a one-sided blower device for manipulating a fibrous web 50 but still being according to the invention. Its structure corresponds to that of the device shown in FIG. 2A but it comprises only one blower 51, i.e. air openings 55 and a flow-preventing plate 54, only on one side of a chamber 53 to provide one air jet 56. In this case also, the blower 51 and a friction element 58 provide a desired vacuum effect increasing friction in the range of the friction element 58. Such a device is suitable for e.g. the guiding, deceleration or tightening of board webs.

(34) FIG. 4B shows a further variation in which a blower 61 comprises a blowing chamber 62 which is still smaller than a friction element 68 of its dimension in the direction of the web. Here, the friction element 68 is a plate having three rows of projections. An air jet 66 is directed from air openings 65 obliquely in relation to the vertical direction but substantially in the direction of a web 60 to guide, decelerate or tighten it.

(35) As it is evident from the above description, the present invention can be implemented in many different ways only some of which have been depicted here. The device according to the invention can be fitted as part of various tail-conveyance, tail-cutting and/or tail-threading apparatus units, whereby e.g. the strengths of blows can be adjusted and the flow-preventing plates and friction elements shaped according to the requirements of each apparatus.

(36) According to an embodiment, the present manipulating device forms one uniform device unit i.e. its different parts are connected to each other such that the device is easily transferable and positionable at a desired point as one unit.

(37) The width of the device (the dimension in the direction of the web width) is typically arranged to correspond the web to be manipulated or it is slightly larger than that. The width can be e.g. 5 cm-10 m, in the case of the tail typically 5-40 cm.

(38) The production device or devices of air pressure, such as compressors, connectable to the device and their control units are available prior art for those in the field and they are not discussed here in more detail.

(39) Even though the invention and its embodiments were above described mainly in connection with tail cutting, they can also be used in other stages of the tail-threading process for manipulating the tail or for manipulating other webs, even full-width webs, in the tail-threading section or other sections of the fibrous-web machine.