WO2025032507A1

WO2025032507A1 - Monitoring system for a fabric operating in a papermaking machine

Info

Publication number: WO2025032507A1
Application number: PCT/IB2024/057620
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matteo MICHELOTTI; Riccardo Michelotti
Original assignee: SA Giuseppe Cristini SpA
Current assignee: SA Giuseppe Cristini SpA
Priority date: 2023-08-10
Filing date: 2024-08-06
Publication date: 2025-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-02-10
Also published as: IT202300017109A1

Abstract

A monitoring system (1) for monitoring the conditions of a fabric (W) circulating in a papermaking machine comprises: a rod (6) provided with a guide (2) extending along a longitudinal axis (A) and configured to be installed in a bridge-like manner on a papermaking machine crosswise to a moving direction of a fabric (W) circulating in the machine; a carriage (3), which is movable along the guide (2); a moving assembly (4) configured to move the carriage (3) along the guide (2); a detecting device (5) fitted, preferably in a removable way, on the carriage (3) and movable together with it in an integral manner along the guide (2) and configured to detect at least one parameter indicative of the conditions of the fabric (W); the moving assembly (4) is operated by an external removable portable motor (27), which is housed in an external portable actuator device (25), hand-carried and hand-handled by an operator, and can selectively be connected to and removed from the moving assembly (4).

Description

"MONITORING SYSTEM FOR A FABRIC OPERATING IN A PAPERMAKING

MACHINE"

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This Patent Appl ication claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 102023000017109 filed on August 10 , 2023 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

Technical Field

The invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of a fabric operating in a papermaking machine .

Background

As it is known, traditional papermaking machines use fabrics , commonly called felts and/or wires , in the form of belts circulating along loop-closed paths and by means of which the paper material being manufactured is transported and processed .

Each section of the machine has , in general , a speci fic type of fabric, felt or wire .

In order to obtain high-quality paper, it is important that the conditions of the fabric are monitored in each section, besides monitoring the conditions of the material transported on it . Indeed, the conditions of the fabric, in particular in terms of water absorption, water transportation and water permeability, af fect the quality of the paper sheet being manuf ctured .

The conditions of the fabrics circulating in papermaking machines are normally monitored by means of detecting devices configured to detect parameters indicative of the conditions of the felt , such as , for example , humidity, permeability, presence of contaminants , etc . .

In particular, movable apparatuses are known, which are manually moved by an operator and, when needed, are taken to a work position ( close to the fabric or in contact with the latter ) to carry out the necessary measurements ; and fixed apparatuses are known as well , which are located in predetermined positions along the path of the fabric .

Since detecting the operating conditions of a fabric along the entire width thereof is particularly useful , a scanning has to be carried out along directions that are transverse to the moving direction of the fabric .

The manual handling of a monitoring apparatus does not allow said measurements to be carried out in a repeatable manner and, especially, ensuring the operators ' safety .

Therefore , a monitoring apparatus is installed on a bridge extending crosswise to the moving direction of the felt ; the apparatus is moved along the bridge by a moving system .

A monitoring system of this type , which is capable of performing scanning operations crosswise to the direction of circulation of the fabric, is disclosed, for example , in W02016009354A1 .

However, systems of this type leave room for improvements , in particular in terms of constructive and operating simplicity, reliability and ef fectiveness .

Summary

The obj ect of the invention is to provide a monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of a fabric operating in a papermaking machine , which does not suf fer from the drawbacks of the prior art , thus leading to signi ficant improvements in terms of constructive and operating simplicity, reliability and ef fectiveness , besides preventing operators from having to transport particularly heavy and large-si zed scanning devices up and down the stairs of the papermaking machine .

Therefore , the invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of a fabric operating in a papermaking machine according to claim 1 .

Additional and preferred features of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims .

The monitoring system of the invention is particularly simple to be manufactured and used, in particular because it uses a particularly light external motor, which, therefore , does not need to be installed on the fixed structure mounted on the papermaking machine and is brought to the papermaking machine and used only when needed .

Furthermore , the external motor can be programmed so as to change the operating mode of the detecting device operated by the motor .

Brief Description of the Drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will be best understood upon perusal of the following description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof , with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein :

- figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of a fabric operating in a papermaking machine according to the invention;

- figure 2 is a perspective view, with parts removed for greater clarity, of a detail of the system of the figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is a perspective view, with parts removed for greater clarity, of a further detail of the system of the figure 1 ;

- figure 4 is a perspective view, with parts removed for greater clarity, of a further detail of the system of the figure 1 ;

- figure 5 is a perspective view of a component of the system of figure 1 , in particular an actuator device . Description of Embodiments

In figure 1 , reference number 1 indicates , as a whole , a monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of a fabric W ( only partially and schematically shown in figure 1 ) circulating in a papermaking machine (which is known and not shown in detail ) .

For instance , the fabric W is used in a pressing section of the papermaking machine and the system 1 is located in a position upstream of one of the presses of the pressing station . However, the system 1 according to the invention can also be installed in other sections , for example in drying sections and/or in forming sections , of the papermaking machine .

The system 1 comprises : a guide 2 configured to be installed in a bridge-like manner (hence , defining a bridgeshaped structure ) on a papermaking machine crosswise to a moving direction of a fabric W circulating in the machine ; a carriage 3 , which is movable along the guide 2 ; a moving assembly 4 configured to move the carriage 3 along the guide 2 ; a sel f-moving detecting device 5 fitted, in a preferably removable manner, on the carriage 3 and movable together with it in an integral manner along the guide 2 and configured to detect at least one parameter indicative of the conditions of the fabric W .

The guide 2 , the carriage 3 , the moving assembly 4 and the detecting device 5 are , for example (but not necessarily) , similar to the ones disclosed in W02016009354A1 , which describes further detail s of the indicated components .

The guide 2 basically comprises an internally hollow rod 6 , for example substantially having the shape o f a prism, extending along a straight axis A between opposite longitudinal ends 7 , 8 and having an inner longitudinal seat 9 .

The guide 2 and the rod 6 are located, in use , along a path of the fabric W in the papermaking machine , crosswise to a moving direction of the felt W ( indicated by the arrow in figure 1 ) and, preferably, with the axis A substantially hori zontal .

For example , the rod 6 can be connected, by means of known fixing manes ( for instance , screws ) , to a pair of pillars (not shown) arranged paral lel to one another on the sides of the fabric W so as to define a bridge-like structure .

With reference also to figures 2 and 3 , the moving assembly 4 is , for example ( as described more in detail in WO2016009354A1 ) , a cable moving assembly comprising a driving pulley 11 and a return pul ley 12 , which are arranged in the seat 9 close to respective ends 7 , 8 of the rod 6 and can rotate around respective rotation axes parallel to one another and orthogonal to the axis A; and a pulling cable 13 ( or another flexible motion transmission member ) mounted on the pulleys 11 , 12 in a loop-like manner .

The pulleys 11 , 12 are provided with respective grooves obtained on respective radially outer peripheral edges of the pulleys 11 , 12 and configured to accommodate the cable

13 ( or any other flexible motion transmission member ) .

The carriage 3 is , as described for example in W02016009354A1 , coupled to the cable 13 in an integral manner . In particular, the carriage 3 comprises a main body

14 accommodated in the seat 9 and coupled to the cable 13 by means of a coupling member ( known and not shown in detail ) so that it can slide within the seat 9 along the axis A, for example thanks to rotary wheels resting against one or more walls of the seat 9 ; and a coupling bracket 15 , which protrudes from the body 14 out of the seat 9 and is provided with a releasable attachment device 16 cooperating with the detecting device 5 to couple the detecting device 5 to the carriage 3 .

The detecting device 5 is provided with one or more detectors configured to detect respective parameters indicative of the conditions of the fabric W, such as , for example , humidity, permeability, temperature , etcetera . For instance , a first detector comprises at least a microwave sensor and a second detector comprises at least a water dispensing noz zle and a flow measurer associated with the noz zle .

The detecting device 5 further comprises a control unit connected to the detectors to process signals coming from them; the control unit can be mounted on the detecting device 5 or be located in a remote position and communicate with the detectors of the detecting device 5 through cables or through wireless communication systems .

The driving pulley 11 is connected to a transmission assembly 20 accommodated in the seat 9 to transmit a rotation motion to the driving pulley 11 , which pulls the cable 13 ( or another flexible motion transmission member ) along; the return pulley 12 rotates idle , dragged by the cable 13 .

With reference also to figure 4 , the transmis sion assembly 20 comprises a rotary engagement member 21 , for example capable o f rotating around a rotation axis parallel to the axis A, located at the end 7 of the rod 6 and provided with a head 22 that can be accessed from outside the rod 6 .

In particular, the head 22 is housed in a recess 23 , which is obtained in an end wall 24 of the rod 6 and faces outwards from the rod 6 , and the head 22 axially proj ects into the recess 23 .

Unlike W02016009354A1 , according to the invention, the driving pulley 11 is not operated by a motor that is also mounted inside the seat 7 , but by an external actuator device 25 cooperating with the engagement member 21 to operate , through the transmission assembly 20 , the driving pulley 11 .

With reference also to figure 5 , the actuator device 25 is a portable device , namely capable of being hand-carried and hand-handled by an operator, and comprises a casing 26 , which houses a motor 27 .

For example , the casing 26 is basically shaped like a pistol and comprises a handle 28 , which is shaped so that it can be held in the hand of an operator, and an end portion 29 , which houses the motor 27 and is substantially perpendicular to the handle 28 .

The end portion 29 has a free end 30 , from which a tool 31 proj ects out , which is connected to the motor 27 , in particular to a drive shaft of the motor 27 , and defines a power take-of f .

The tool 31 has a shape that is such that it can be coupled, in an angularly integral manner, to the head 22 of the engagement member 21 so that the tool 31 , which is operated by the motor 27 , causes the rotation of the engagement member 21 .

The motor 27 is , for example , an electric motor powered by a battery 32 included in the actuator device 25 and/or by a power supply cable that can be connected to an external socket . The motor 27 can also be a pneumatic or compressed air motor or a motor of any other known kind . The actuator device 25 preferably comprises a programmable control unit 33 ( for example , an electronic board) , for instance housed in the casing 26 ; one or more control programs for controlling the motor 27 can be uploaded into the control unit 33 so as to control the operation of the motor 27 and, as a consequence , the movement of the carriage 3 and, hence , of the detecting device 5 .

In other terms , the motor 27 operates according to predetermined programs uploaded into the control unit 33 .

In use , when the conditions of the fabric W have to be detected, the operator manually places the actuator device 25 at the end 7 of the rod 6 and inserts the tool 31 into the recess 23 so that the tool 31 engages the head 22 of the engagement member 21 .

By operating the motor 27 , for example by pressing an operating button 34 located on the handle 28 , the motor 27 rotates the engagement member 21 , which, through the transmission assembly 20 , moves the carriage 3 with the detecting device 5 .

The operator optionally selects , through the button 34 or another control , the operating program to be executed among the ones stored in the control unit 33 .

Finally, the system disclosed herein can evidently be subj ected to changes and variants , without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection of the appended claims .

Claims

1. A monitoring system (1) for monitoring the conditions of a fabric (W) circulating in a papermaking machine, comprising: a rod (6) provided with a guide (2) extending along a longitudinal axis (A) ; a carriage (3) movable along the guide (2) ; a moving assembly (4) configured to move the carriage (3) along the guide (2) ; a detecting device (5) , fitted on, preferably in a removable way, on the carriage (3) and movable integral with the carriage (3) along the guide (2) and configured to detect at least one parameter indicative of the conditions of the fabric (W) ; characterized in that the moving assembly (4) is driven by an external removable portable motor (27) which is housed in an external portable actuation device (25) , hand-carried and handhandled by an operator, and is selectively connectable to and removable from the moving assembly (4) .

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the motor (27) is selectively connectable to an engagement member (21) connected to the moving assembly (4) to transmit a motion to the engagement member (21) and accordingly move, through the moving assembly (4) , the carriage (3) ; and separable from the engagement member (21) .

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the actuation device (25) comprises a casing (26) , substantially pistol-shaped and comprising a handle (28) , conformed to be taken in hand by an operator, and an end portion (29) , that houses the motor (27) .

4. The system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the actuation device (25) has a free end (30) from which a tool (31) , connected to the motor (27) , projects; the tool (31) having a shape that engages angularly integral with a head (22) of the engagement member (21) so that the tool (31) , driven by the motor (27) , pulls the engagement member (21) into rotation.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the engagement member (21) projects from an end (7) of the rod (6) and is provided with said head (22) which is accessible from the outside of the rod (6) and shaped so as to be engaged angularly integral by the tool (31) of the actuation device (25) .

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the head (22) is housed in a recess (23) formed in an end wall (24) of the rod (6) and facing outward from the rod (6) , and the head (22) protrudes axially in the recess (23) .

7. The system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor (27) is an electric motor, powered by a battery (32) included in the actuation device (25) and/or via a power cable connectable to an external socket, or a pneumatic or compressed air motor, or a motor of another type .

8. The system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the moving assembly (4) is a cable moving assembly comprising a driving pulley (11) and a return pulley (12) , arranged at respective opposite longitudinal ends (7, 8) of the guide (2) ; and a pulling cable (13) loop-mounted on the pulleys (11, 12) and attached integral to the carriage (3) .

9. The system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuation device (25) comprises a programmable control unit (33) that includes one or more control programs of the motor (27) so as to control the operation of the motor (27) and accordingly the movement of the carriage (3) and, therefore, of the detecting device