APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING A WEB OF PAPER FIBERS

摘要

Removing water from a wet paper web (44) includes the steps of (a) passing the web (44) and its supporting felt fabric (124, 170, 171, 200) above and in sliding contact with a surface of a meniscus separator unit (110, 111, 173) having a plurality of spaced cells (50) in contact with the inner surface of the fabric (124, 170, 171, 200); (b) applying a small vacuum to an internal space of each cell (50, 215) to extract water from the web (44) using the tension meniscus of water while preventing air from passing through the web; and (c) permitting atmospheric air only to the inner fabric surface by each cell (50) to replace water removed from the fabric (124, 170, 171, 200) in step (b) thereby enhancing the removal of water from the web (44) and the fabric (124, 170, 171, 200), such air passing along and through the fabric to the internal space of each cell (50). A moving surface is located on the outer surface of the web (44) opposite to the meniscus separator unit (110, 111, 173).