Methods of making paper products using a patterned cylinder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697120-B2
Application number	US-201816023451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A method of making a fibrous sheet including bringing a permeable patterned surface of a patterned cylinder into contact with a nascent web and conveying the nascent web between a transfer surface and the permeable patterned surface over an arc length of the permeable patterned surface. The arc length forms at least a portion of a molding zone. The method also includes applying a vacuum over at least a portion of the arc length. The method further includes transferring the nascent web from the transfer surface to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder in the molding zone. The vacuum is applied during the transferring of the nascent web from the transfer surface to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of making a fibrous sheet, the method comprising:
(a) forming a nascent web from an aqueous solution of papermaking fibers;
(b) applying the nascent web to a transfer surface and moving the nascent web on the transfer surface;
(c) bringing a permeable patterned surface of a patterned cylinder into contact with the nascent web after the nascent web has been applied to the transfer surface, the nascent web having a consistency from about twenty percent solids to about seventy percent solids when the permeable patterned surface is brought into contact with the nascent web, the patterned cylinder including an interior and an exterior, the permeable patterned surface (i) being formed on the exterior of the patterned cylinder, (ii) having at least one of a plurality of recesses and a plurality of protuberances, and (iii) being permeable to air;
(d) conveying the nascent web between the transfer surface and the permeable patterned surface over an arc length of the permeable patterned surface, the arc length forming at least a portion of a molding zone;
(e) applying a vacuum over at least a portion of the arc length, the vacuum being applied in the interior of the patterned cylinder to cause air to flow through the permeable patterned surface into the interior of the patterned cylinder;
(f) transferring the nascent web from the transfer surface to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder in the molding zone, the vacuum being applied during the transferring of the nascent web from the transfer surface to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder, such that papermaking fibers of the nascent web are (i) redistributed on the permeable patterned surface and (ii) shaped by at least one of the plurality of recesses and the plurality of protuberances of the permeable patterned surface in the molding zone to form a molded paper web;
(g) transferring the molded paper web from the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder to a pick-up surface; and
(h) drying the molded paper web in a drying section to form a fibrous sheet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of bringing a permeable patterned surface of a patterned cylinder into contact with the nascent web, the nascent web has a consistency from about twenty percent solids to about thirty-five percent solids.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dewatering the nascent web to form a dewatered web.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the dewatering comprises dewatering the nascent web using at least one of a shoe press, a roll press, vacuum dewatering, a displacement press, and thermal drying.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the dewatering occurs prior to the step of transferring the nascent web to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the dewatered web has a consistency from about thirty percent solids to about sixty percent solids.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the dewatered web has a consistency from about forty percent solids to about fifty-five percent solids.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is from about five inches of mercury to about twenty-five inches of mercury.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conveying step includes pressing the nascent web into the patterned surface of the patterned cylinder.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the nascent web is pressed with a force from about eight pounds per square inch gauge to about thirty-two pounds per square inch gauge.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(i) moving the transfer surface at a transfer surface speed; and
(j) rotating the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder at a cylinder speed, the transfer surface speed being faster than the cylinder speed.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying positive air pressure in the interior of the patterned cylinder to cause air to flow through the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder away from the interior of the patterned cylinder in a radial direction, the positive air pressure being applied to transfer the molded paper web away from the permeable patterned surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the positive air pressure is applied during the transfer of the molded web to the pick-up surface.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a second vacuum at a vacuum zone, the second vacuum being applied to draw the molded web from the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder to the pick-up surface, the molded web being transferred from the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder to the pick-up surface in the vacuum zone.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pick-up surface comprises a fabric or a belt, and the vacuum is applied by a suction roll.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pick-up surface comprises a fabric or a belt.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molded web is transferred to the pick-up surface at a nip formed between the permeable patterned surface and the pick-up surface.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(i) rotating the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder at a cylinder speed; and
(j) moving the pick-up surface at a pick-up surface speed, the cylinder speed being faster than the pick-up surface speed.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the creping ratio between the patterned cylinder and the pick-up surface is from about sixty percent to about one hundred fifteen percent.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying section comprises a Yankee dryer and the drying step includes drying the molded paper web using the Yankee dryer.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying section comprises a through-air dryer and the drying step includes drying the molded paper web using the through-air dryer.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the drying section further comprises a through-air drying fabric, and the pick-up surface is the through-air drying fabric.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cleaning the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder at a free surface of the patterned cylinder.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the cleaning includes directing a cleaning medium through the permeable patterned surface away from the interior of the patterned cylinder in a radial direction of the patterned cylinder.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the cleaning medium includes at least one of air, water, and a cleaning solution.

26. A method of making a fibrous sheet, the method comprising:
(a) forming a nascent web from an aqueous solution of papermaking fibers;
(b) applying the nascent web to a transfer surface and moving the nascent web on the transfer surface;
(c) bringing a patterned surface of a patterned cylinder into contact with the nascent web after the nascent web has been applied to the transfer surface, the nascent web having a consistency from about twenty percent solids to about seventy percent solids when the patterned surface is brought into contact with the nascent web, the patterned surface (i) being formed on the exterior of the patterned cylinder and (ii) having at least one of a plurality of recesses and a plurality of protuberances;
(d) conveying the nascent web between the transfer surface and the patterned surface over an arc length of the patterned surface, the arc length forming

Assignees

• Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Ruthven Paul J
• Harper Frank D
• Robinson Mark L

Classifications

• D21H27/02

  Patterned paper (patterned coatings D21H19/66; embossing B31F1/07; prepared on the paper-making machines D21F11/00) · CPC title

• D21H27/002

  Tissue paper; Absorbent paper (D21H21/22, D21H27/02, D21H27/20 take precedence; toilet paper A47K10/00; absorbent pads for physiological fluids A61L15/16; making on paper-making machines D21F11/00) · CPC title

• D21F11/14

  Making cellulose wadding, filter or blotting paper · CPC title

• D21F11/06 Primary

  of the cylinder type · CPC title

• D21F11/006 Primary

  Making patterned paper · CPC title