Patent ID: 6143135
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: D21F

Abstract:
An air press for dewatering a wet web traveling in a machine direction, comprising:support fabrics adapted to sandwich the wet web therebetween and transport the wet web through the air press;a first dewatering device comprising a pair of cross-machine direction sealing members including sealing blades;a second dewatering device comprising a cross-machine direction sealing member formed of a deformable material, the first and second dewatering devices moveable relative to one another and adapted to assume an operating position in which the first and second dewatering devices are operatively associated with one another and at least one sealing blade impinges upon the support fabrics and is opposed on the other side of the support fabrics by the sealing member formed of deformable material; andwherein one of the first and second dewatering devices comprises an air plenum operatively connected to a source of pressurized fluid and the other comprises a collection device operatively connected to a vacuum source.