Patent ID: 7340998

Claim:
A multi-nip calender for calendering a fiber web, the calender comprising: a first set of rolls attached to a first frame, the first set of rolls having a first roll, a last roll, and a first intermediate roll between the first roll and the last roll, a second intermediate roll between the first intermediate roll and the last roll, and a third intermediate roll between the second intermediate roll and the last roll; wherein the first, the second, and the third intermediate rolls lack internal devices for loading or moving the rolls, and wherein the second intermediate roll being rotatable about an axis which is fixed with respect to the frame, and the first and third intermediate rolls are mounted for vertical motion on the frame; wherein the first roll and the last roll are polymer-coated rolls each having a casing which is movable with respect to a portion fixed to the first frame, and each having internal loading devices with which the casing is movable toward the second intermediate roll; and a plurality of roll nips is defined between the rolls of the first set of rolls, such that the rolls from the first roll to the last roll alternate between polymer-coated rolls and metal rolls, and the roll nips in the set of rolls are closed by moving the casing of the first roll with its internal loading devices in a first direction parallel to a plane extending through the set of rolls toward the second intermediate roll, and the roll nips in the set of rolls are closed by moving the casing of the last roll with its internal loading devices in a second direction opposite the first direction and parallel to the plane extending through the set of rolls, towards the second intermediate roll.