Patent ID: 7811417

Claim:
A system for affecting moisture content of a sheet of paper during manufacturing by acting on a press felt that contacts a wet sheet of paper during manufacturing, the system comprising: a first continuously circulating press felt, which has opposed major surfaces including a first inner surface and a first outer surface, such that a wet sheet of paper is in contact with a first portion of the first outer surface of the first continuously circulating press felt; a moisture measuring device to determine the moisture content of a first section of a sheet of paper exiting a press section and to create a moisture profile along a cross direction of the first section of the sheet of paper which is located downstream from the first portion of the first outer surface of the first continuously circulating press felt that is in contact with the moving wet sheet of paper; a first water-spraying device to selectively spray water on first selected zones on the first continuously circulating press felt, wherein the first selected zones are located along across direction in a part of the first continuously circulating press felt that is not in contact with the wet sheet of paper; and a controller that receives data from the moisture measuring device and controls the first water-spraying device such that one or more selected zones on the first continuously circulating press felt is sprayed with water the amount of water sprayed being based on the moisture profile along the cross direction of the first section of the sheet of paper so that, as the wet sheet of paper comes into contact with the first portion of the first outer surface of the first continuously circulating press felt, water is absorbed from the wet sheet of paper along the cross direction in amounts that depend on the moisture content of the one or more selected zones on the first continuously circulating press felt so that a sheet of paper exhibiting cross direction moisture uniformity is formed.