Endless belt changing apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365976-B2
Application number	US-201414429653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Nov 5, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and an apparatus useful to installing and removing endless belts in a conveyor system and more preferably continuous fabrics, belts, felts and webs used in the papermaking process. According to the present invention a pair of guide rolls to move a first continuous fabric from a first fabric position to a second fabric position and a second fabric from the second fabric position to the first fabric position, passing the fabrics over one another as the position of the fabrics are exchanged. The movement of the first and second fabrics may be done at the same time so as to further enhance the efficiency of changing fabrics.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for replacing a first endless belt on a machine with a second endless belt, the first endless belt supported by a drive roll, a support roll and a guide roll, the apparatus comprising:
a. a first drive roll adapted for driving a second endless belt,
b. a first guide roll adapted for guiding a second endless belt and aligned out of plane with the machine guide roll, the first guide roll rotating about a first axis and movable about a second axis transverse to the first axis;
c. a drive means for effecting the movement of the first guide roll; and
d. a support roll for supporting a second endless belt.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first tension roll for supporting and tensioning the first endless belt.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the machine drive roll and the first drive roll are mechanically coupled such that when the machine roll is driven the first drive roll is also driven.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second endless belt mounted on the first drive roll, first guide roll and support roll and wherein the first guide roll is moveable from a first position to a second position such that the end of the first guide roll is displaced a distance (U) causing a force (F) to be applied to the second endless belt and the second endless belt to be moved along the first guide roller in its longitudinal axis (Y) a distance Y 2 .

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first guide roll is end pivoted, center pivoted or an offset-pivot roll and drive means comprise a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder for moving the first guide roll between a first and a second position.

6. A method of installing an endless belt on a machine comprising the steps of providing a machine having a first and a second machine rotatable roll; providing an apparatus comprising an endless belt supported by a drive roll, a guide roll and a support roll; rotating the fabric in a first direction; angling the guide roll to apply a first force to the fabric along a first axis, whereby the endless belt is moved from the drive and support rolls to the first and the second machine rolls.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first machine roll is a drive roll driven by a first drive means.

8. The method claim 7 further comprising coupling the drive roll to the machine roll and driving the drive roll by the machine drive means.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the apparatus further comprises a drive means for driving the drive roll thereby rotating the endless belt.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the machine is a tissue making machine and the first machine roll is a through-air dryer and the second roll is a tension roll; and further where the endless belt is a through-air drying fabric.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second machine rotatable rolls are continuously rotating during installation of the endless belt.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein angling the guide roll consists of moving the guide roll from a first position to a second position such that the end of the guide roll is displaced a distance (U) causing a force (F) to be applied to the endless belt.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the guide roll is an end pivoted, center pivoted or an offset-pivot roll and the guide roll further comprises a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder for angling the guide roll.

14. A method of changing a fabric comprising the steps of:
a. providing a first fabric and a second fabric in a spaced apart relation to one another;
b. rotating the first and the second fabric in the same direction;
c. applying a first force to the first fabric along a first axis; and
d. applying a second force to the second fabric along a second axis, wherein the first and second axis are different.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first force is applied by a first guide roll, which is pivotable about a first axis that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the first fabric and the second force is applied by a second guide roll, which is pivotable about a second axis that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the second fabric.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first guide roll is moved from a first position to a second position such that the end of the first guide roll is displaced a distance (U) causing a force (F) to be applied to the second endless belt and the second endless belt to be moved along the first guide roller in its longitudinal axis (Y) a distance Y 2 .

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the first fabric has a width (W 1 ) and the second fabric has a width (W 2 ) and the first and second guide rolls each have a length (L 1 and L 2 ) that is greater than the sum of W 1 and W 2 .

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and second forces are applied simultaneously.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and second forces are applied at different times.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the first fabric has a longitudinal axis that is in a first position (P 1 ) and the second fabric has a longitudinal axis that is in a first position (P 2 ) whereby applying the first and second forces to the first and second fabrics causes the first fabric to move from P 1 to P 2 and the second fabric to move from P 2 to P 1 .

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Hada Frank Stephen
• Krautkramer Robert Eugene
• Hassman Mark John
• Seymour Robert James

Classifications

• B65H2301/44324

  Rollers · CPC title

• B65H2555/12

  hydraulic · CPC title

• D21F7/001

  Wire-changing arrangements · CPC title

• B65H20/02

  by friction roller · CPC title

• D21F7/086 Primary

  Substantially impermeable for transferring fibrous webs · CPC title