System for recovering and recycling usable fibers from white water in a papermaking process

• Main Author: MCDONALD JOSEPH P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.09.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: METHODS OF PRODUCING PAPER THEREON; OTHER SEPARATING BY DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL,e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL; PAPER-MAKING; PAPER-MAKING MACHINES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE; SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SEPERATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, ORSIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SORTING; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF THE MATERIALS BEFORE PASSING TO THE PAPER-MAKINGMACHINE

A system for recovering and recirculating usable fibers contained in papermaking white water. The system employs a flexible and pliable screen to which the papermaking white water is applied. The screen is supported in a suspended manner from a frame. The white water is directed onto an inside surface defined by the screen, and the location at which the white water strikes the screen is varied so as to result in bending and flexing of the screen. In this manner, the screen openings are self-cleaned, to prevent the screen from plugging due to material contained in the white water. In one form, the screen is generally frustoconical, and the white water is applied to the inside surface of the screen in a manner which results in rotation of the screen. The usable fibers are directed toward a discharge opening defined by the lower end of the frustoconical screen, and the waste water passes through the screen and is collected in a waste water collection tank. The fibers are collected in a fiber collection tank, and are recirculated into the papermaking process. In another form, the screen is suspended from a frame to form a trough configuration having an open discharge end. The frame is movable in either an axial direction or a transverse direction, to cause movement of the screen and to obtain the desired flexing and bending of the screen to self-clean the screen openings.