Patent ID: 6398916
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: D21F

Abstract:
An apparatus for making paper, comprising:a twin-fabric forming section including a forming wire and a through-air dryer (TAD) fabric arranged to pass together in face-to-face disposition about a forming roll, and a headbox arranged to deposit a papermaking slurry between the forming wire and TAD fabric so as to form a paper web therebetween; a through-air dryer following the forming section for drying the paper web, the TAD fabric being arranged to carry the paper web through the through-air dryer, the through-air dryer including a porous cylinder about which the TAD fabric passes while supporting the paper web; and a web transfer device disposed between the forming roll and the through-air dryer, the web transfer device comprising a suction device disposed on an opposite side of the TAD fabric from the paper web and operable to exert suction on the paper web through the TAD fabric so as to cause the paper web to be separated from the forming wire and adhere to the TAD fabric; wherein the forming wire, paper web, and TAD fabric follow a substantially straight path between the forming roll and the web transfer device, and wherein the forming roll and the porous cylinder of the through-air dryer are disposed substantially vertically one above the other and said substantially straight path between the forming roll and the web transfer device is generally vertical, whereby a compact arrangement is achieved for the apparatus.