Patent ID: 6733634
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: D21F,D21G

Abstract:
A vacuum apparatus in a papermaking machine, the papermaking machine providing at least a first and a second carrier fabric, said first and second carrier fabrics each having a machine direction and a cross direction perpendicular to the machine direction, in combination a running web adapted for travel in the machine direction, the running web having a width in the cross direction bounded by a first edge and a second edge, the apparatus comprising:(a) a primary head positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with the running web, (b) a primary vacuum box joined to said primary head, the primary vacuum box having on its interior a first region of reduced air pressure, the primary vacuum box extending in the cross direction and adapted for a suction force to said primary head for application to the running web in transferring the running web from the first carrier fabric to the second carrier fabric, (c) a first auxiliary head positioned downstream from the primary head, said first auxiliary head being positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with at least the first edge of the running web, the first auxiliary head also extending over only a portion of the web in the cross direction, and (d) an auxiliary vacuum box joined to said first auxiliary head, the auxiliary vacuum box having an auxiliary region of reduced air pressure, the auxiliary vacuum box extending in the cross direction and adapted for applying reduced air pressure to said first auxiliary head for application to at least the first edge of the running web.