Inventors:
William J. Lawrence - Green Bay WI
Patrick W. Halferty - Green Bay WI
Assignee:
James River-Dixie/Northern, Inc. - Greenwich CT
International Classification:
D04H 164
Abstract:
Improved air laid papermaking is disclosed in which the fine particles which pass through the forming wire are, after collection by a baghouse separator, delivered back to the papermaking machine for incorporation in the web being formed by the machine. A plurality of individual separator units within the baghouse are sequentially discharged so that a substantially constant feedback of fines to the papermaking machine is obtained. The fines are fed back to a selected one of the distributors of the papermaking machine to be distributed to the surface of the web being formed at a position downstream of the position at which fibers are initially laid on the wire, thereby trapping the fines on the surface of the previously laid mat of fibers such that very little of the fines pass through the forming wire at this position. Damper valves connected to the hoppers of the individual separator units are controlled to automatically open in sequence to discharge the collected fines to conduits which are arranged in a manifold configuration leading back to a single collection conduit on which constant suction draw is provided by a transport fan. The output of the transport fan is directed to the selected distributor, which also receives the fiber and air from the main defibrator so that the fines are mixed with longer fibers before being supplied to the forming wire.
