US3103164A

US3103164A - Drum arrangement for a moisture extracting press

Info

Publication number: US3103164A
Application number: US86185A
Authority: US
Inventors: Willmes Josef
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-02-12
Filing date: 1961-01-31
Publication date: 1963-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1980-09-10

Description

J. WILL-MES sept. 1o, 1963 DRUM ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOISTURE EXTRACTING PRESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 3l.' 1961 INVENTOR JOSEF WILLMES www) sept. 1o, 1963 J. wlLLMEs 3,103,164

DRUM ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOISTURE EXTRACTING PRESS Filed Jan. 31. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 so sa 42 454 FIG.9 3&7, V4'

FlG./6 33 39 i INVENTOR JOSEF WILLMES YMM J- WILLMES Sept. 10, 1963 DRUM ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOISTURE EXTRACTING PRESS ,3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 3l, 1961 FIG. u A

33 FIG. IO

FIG. l2

' INVENTOR.

JOSEF wlLLMEs ide-ur United States Patent O 3,163,164 DRUM ARRANGEMENT FR A MUISTURE EXTRACTHNG )PRESS Josef Willmes, Nihelungenstr. 58, Bensheim an der Bergstrasse9 Germany Filed Jan. 31, 196i., Eier. No. 86,185 Claims priority, applicatien Germany Feb. l2, 195@ 17 Claims. (Cl. 10d-167) The presen-t invention relates to presses for extracting moisture from a moisture-containing material, and more particularly to an improved drum arrangement for such presses.

In a type of press with the improvement of which this invention is more specifically concerned, a moisture-containing material is compressed in a drum consisting essentially of a tubular member of circular or angular cross section. A platen member is axially movable in the tubular member and a second platen member may be either fixed or also axially movable. The drum cavity is thus radially contained in the ltubular member and axially defined by the two platen members. At least a portion of the drum Walls is perforated to permit liquid to escape when a moisture-containing material is compressed between the platens when they move toward each other.

It is an important object of the invention to expedite the moisture removal from a material being compressed between lthe platen members of a press of the type described.

Another object is an improvement in the removal of the dry residue remaining in the drum after pressing.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of simply and automatically established drainage channels in the cake of material being compressed in the drum, the cake being divided by the channels into a plurality of layers which are serially arranged in the direction of applied pressure.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of simple and automatically effective means for breaking the extracted cake into small fragments prior to discharge from the press drum, or prior to a secondary pressing.

A further o-bject is the retention in the drum of the dry constituents of the material being compressed and the prevention of the dry constituents being a-dmixed with the extracted liquid.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following `de-` tailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof, and wherein:

FIG. l shows a cylindrical press drum equipped with a preferred embodiment of the invention in side elevational axial section;

FIG. 2 shows the idnum of FIG. 1 in front elevational radial section;

FIG. 3 illustrates la cylindrical -drum substantially similar to that of FIG. 1, but provided with a modified ernbodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4- shows an additional modified embodiment of the invention in a view corresponding to that of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational sectional View of a press drum of square cross section provided with yet another modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the invention as applied to a drum of rectangular cross section fwhich is shown in side-elevational axial section;

FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of the apparatus of FIG. 6;

ICC

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a detail of the devices of FIGS. 1-3and 5-7 on a greatly enlarged scale;

FIG. 9 shows a modification of the det-ail of FIG. 8;

FIG. l0 is a fragmentary axially sectional view of a dmlm equipped with yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the scale of the view being substantially greater than that of FIGS. 1-7;

FIG. Il shows -the device of FIG l0 in plan View -in a radial plane, partly in section, the scale of FIG. 11 being somewhat smaller than that of FIG. y1i);

FIG. 12 is `a somewhat diagrammatic radially sectional view of the drum of FIG. 10 on 1a reduced scale;

FIG. 13 illustrates a modification of a detail of the device of FIG. l() `in perspective view;

FIG. 14 is an elevational view of a locking element of the `device of FIG. 13 in the open condition;

FIG. 15 shows the element of FIG. 14 in the closed condition; and

FIG. 16 illustrates ythe device of FIG. 1t), as modified by the detail of FIG. 13, the view corresponding to that of FIG. 10i.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIG. l, there is seen the drum of a press of the type disclosed in more `detail in the copending application of Oskar Braun, Serial Number 7 68,986, file-d October 22, 1958, now United States Patent No. 2,986,082. The press drum has a fixed platen member or bottom 1 from `which staves 2 extend in an axial direction. The staves are held together by steel hoops 3` which are axially connected by reinforcing bars 4. The staves 2 jointly form a tube, one axial end of which is closed by the fixed platen member 1. The other axial end of the drum cavity is defined by a movable bottom or platen member 5.

The free ends of the staves Z are connected by a spidershaped hub member 6 which is freely rotatable on a bearing face 8 of an internally threaded member 7. Rotation of the hub member 6` on the bearing face 3 is facilitated by the inteiposition of a thrust ball bearing `9 which absorbs axial stresses. A threaded spindle 10 which engages tne internal threads of the member 7 is ixedly fastened to the center of the platen member 5.

The fixed platen member 1 is provided with a trunnion 11 which is journaled in a bearing 12 which is an element of the press frame which is not sho-wn in full since it is in itself not a necessary part of this invention. The internal-ly threaded member 7 is secured on the frame against rotation. When the spindle `I() rotates in the member 7, the movable platen member 5 moves axially toward or away from the xed bottoni 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, Athe movable bottom 5 is in the terminal position of its movement outward 'of the drum cavity and away from the fixed bottom I.

Wide ribbons Irl extend between the two platen members l and 5. Their length is approximately equal to the maximum spacing between the two platen members so that they are tensioned in the position of the movable platen member illustrated in FIG. l. As better seen in the radially sectional view of FIG. 2, the ribbons Awhen in the tensioned condition extend mainly in .planes parallel to each other and to the axis of the drum.

, It Iwill be understood that the walls of the drum are provided with relatively small apertures to permit escape of liquid separated from the dry constituents of the material `being compressed between the platen members 1 and 5. In a drum the axial wail of which is composed of staves, these apertures are most conveniently provided by slightly spacing the staves, from each other along the circumference of the drum. The apertures thus formed are too small to be visible on the scale of FIGS. l and 2. The drum is equipped with a door 2 in its cylindrical wall for loading of material to be extracted, and for removal of dry residue.

The ribbons -14 consist preferably of woven or braided fibrous material Iwhich is readily wetted by the liquid constituent of the material that is to be extracted in the press. The libers of the ribbon materials should show capillary positive activity relative to the liquid to be extracted, thatV is, they should enhance the capillary iiow of the liquid along the fibers. In the .most common case of water or an aqueous liquid being separated from a dry residue, virtually all libers that can be woven or combined into non-'woven materials, including natural textile materials such as cotton, wool, or hemp; synthetic organic bers such as those of cellulose esters and ethers, polyamidesvinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride polymers; and inorganic synthetic or natural fibers such as those of glass or metals are suitable ribbon materials.

Additional ribbons 13, wider than the ribbons 14- `are placed along Ithe internal face of the cylindrical drum wall in such a manner that they overlap each other along axial lines. The ribbons 14 arranged in the cavity of the drum shown in FIGS. l and Z provide liow channels for the liquid constituent to be extracted and prevent escape of solid particles from the drum. These channels extend axially of the drum from one bottom to the other. Additional passages are provided by the ribbons 13y along the radially defining cavity walls. rl`l1e ribbons 13 are preferably arranged in such a manner that they make contact with the ribbons 1d either in the tensioned condition of the latter (not shown) or when the movable bottom 5 approaches the lixed bottom 1 whereby the tension in 'the ribbons 14 is relaxed and they are deflected by the materials compressed as will be presently discussed in more detail.

The apparatus described so far operates as follows:

With the drum in the position shown in FIG. 2 and the bottoms 1 and 5 as far removed from each other as the length of the ribbons 14 permits, the door 2' of the drum is opened. The ribbons 1lidirectly underlying the ldoor 2 are at first spread apart or pushed aside to facilitate loading. When the drum is partly filled with the material to be extracted, the top ribbons may be relaxed to resume their normal axial position, and charging'of the drum is completed. The door is then closed.

The closed drum is rot-ated and the movable bottom 5 is gradually advanced in a direction inward of the drum cavity. The ribbons 14 which are embedded in the gradually thickening cake of extracted material assume a meandering shape under the pressure exerted by the contracting cake which is no longer effectively counteracted by axial tension. The loops or folds formed by the ribbons 14 spread transversely of the drum axis as the platen member S advances. In an early phase of the extraction process the cake of material is axially subdivided into iiat axial portions by almost continuous radial sheets of ffibrous tissue constituted by combined elements of the several ribbons.

The effective surface areas of the cake through which liquid may pass outward is thus not only determined by the perforate rigid walls of the drum but also by the interface of the cake and the ribbons. The liquid can travel in the fibrous capillary active ribbon material axially of the drum, but `also transversely of the drum axis. When the ymovable platen member S has performed only a fraction of its stroke, the ribbons 14 Imake Contact with Ithe ribbons 13 along the cylindrical drum wall and establish a continuous system of channels lwhich discharges liquid through the apertures between the staves 2t. The ribbons 14 accelerate the liquid discharge by substituting a flow path through the relatively permeable ribbon material ltor a flow path through the extracted material which becomes progressively less permeable as the cake is compacted.

When the cake in the drum has been compressed to the desired extent, the movement of the spindle 1t? is reversed `and the movable bottom 5 is made to travel outward of the drum cavity while rotation of the drum continues. The ribbons 1d are thereby straightened and release the portions of the cake which were held between their folds. The cake portions drop to the bottom of the gradually enlarged drum cavity. Since the drum is simultaneously rotated, the cake portions are further comminuted by fthe resulting tumbling action.

The comminuted cake may then be compressed again to yield residually retained liquid. For re-pressing, the direction of rotation of the spindle 1@ is simply reversed. Although the drum is no longer full and the ribbons 1d are not `as effectively embedded in the rnaterial to be extracted as was the case originally, continued rotation of the drum causes the partly extracted material to be distributed between the ribbons in such a manner that the capillary activity of the ribbon material is used to advantage.

After the iinal pressing step, the door 2 is opened and the substantially dry and broken cake is discharged by merely rotating the drum with the door removed or in the vopen position.

rlfhe other embodiments or the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 15 operate in substantially the same man1 ner. They dilier from the apparatus of FIG. 1 in additional features or in modified :details intended to meet specic operating conditions.

. ln the apparatus seen in radial cross section in FIG. 3, a drum of substantially the same type as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is equipped with ribbons 15 arranged in radial planes offset by equal angles about the axis of the drum. This arrangement is somewhat less convenient when filling the drum ywith a material of high viscosity but it provides capillary ow channels of minimum average length for the liquid to be extracted, and is thus preferred for materials high in liquid content and therefore generally of relatively low `Viscosity.

The ribbons are replaced by a large number of closely spaced fibrous ropes 16 in the apparatus of FIG. 3 which is preferred for handling materials of high vis cosity forming strongly lcohering cakes. It is essential that the number of ropes be high enough that the ropes may form a network substantially equal in capilla-ry capacity to the ribbons 14 of FIGS. l, 2, or 3. The spacing of the ropes must be so close that the ropes should touch each other and the ribbons 13 provided `along the cylindrical wall of the drum cavity at an early stage of the pressing operation. The ropes `are particularly effective in breaking up a strong cake. The large number of ropes again aids in subdividing the cake and thus lfacilitates its further comminution.

A preferred arrange-ment of ribbons 19 in a drum 17 of square or otherwise rectangular section is shown in FIG. 5 in a View taken transversely of the drum taxis. The four walls of the drum 117 are made of perforated boards one of which is removable to provide access to the drum cavity. To facilitate charging, the ribbons mainly extend in planes parallel to the drum axis and at right angles to the removable drum wall, thus giving convenient access to the compartments formed bet-Ween the ribbons 19.

When the material in the drum 17 is axially cornpressed by an `arrangement corresponding to the bottoms 1 and S in FIG. l, the ribbons 19 v.are deflected toward planes transverse of the drum axis, thus subdividing the char-ge in the drum not only in a direction transverse of the axis, as provided by the original compartments between the ribbons 19, but also in the direction of the compressive stresses applied. The ribbons extend over the 4full length of the drum, land Ialso from wall to wall in a transverse direction. They thus provide flow paths for the liquid being extracted and accelerate its discharge through the perforations 18 in the walls of the drum 17. It will the appreciated that the drum 17 may be equipped with additional #layers of iibrous material along the walls of the .drum in the manner represented by the ribbons 13 in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.

FIG. 6 shows another drum arrangement of the invention in side elevational axial section. The drum 17 itself is of square `cross section as showngin FIG. 5. It is equipped with a tixed bottom 20 and a movable bottom 21 which may be moved toward and away from the ixed bottom in any desired manner, for example, by an arrangement Ianalogous to that of FIG. 1. Two'ribbons 22 extend axially between the two drum bottoms or platen lmembers 2li, 21 respectively adjacent two opposite side walls -of the drum 17. A large number of axially spaced transverse ribbons' 23 connects the axial ribbons 22. In the position illustrated, the weight of the transverse ribbons 23 slightly deflects the axial ribbons 22 from a straight axial um which they would assume under the tension exerted by the

platen members

20 and 21, but upon rotation of the drum 17 about its axis this deviation 'will disappear. For charging, the drum 17 of FIG. 6 is rotated through 90 yfrom the position seen A in FIG. 6 so that the several compartments formed between adjacent ones of the ribbons 23 present their open tops for lling.

When the platen Imember 21 is moved toward the fixed platen member 2G, the yaxial ribbons 22 are placed at least in part adjacent the perforations (not shown) in the walls of the ldrum 17 and act as manifolds drawing liquid from the ribbons 23.

Charging and emptying of a press drum may be diicult in the presence of the pliable elongated ribbons or ropes ywith some materials, either because -of the viscosity of the starting material, or because of tackiness of the final cake which tends to yadhere to the iibrous surfaces. The embodiment ofthe invention shown :in FIG. 7 illustrates a device for Aovercoming such difiiculties.

The drum 24 of FIG. 7 is seen in side elevational axial section. It is of square cross section and equipped with one removable side wall. 1t is equipped with a lixed bottom 25 and a movable lbottom 26. The bottoms each have two integral rails projecting toward the other bottom and 4formed with opposite grooves 25', 26' longitudinally' extending in a direction away from the open side of the drum 24. Two carrier plates 27 approximately coextensive with the

bottoms

25, 26 are slidably inserted in the grooves 25', 26 and held in place by the removable side wall (not shown). A system of axial ribbons 23 and transverse ribbons 29 substantially identical with the ribbon system of the embodiment shown in FiG. 6 is fastened to the two carrier plates 27 and thus removable by sliding the plates `out `of the -grooves 25', V26 during the charging land/or during the emptying of 32 iixedly `fastened to the bottom 20 of thedrum 17.

The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 8 permits removal of the ribbon system shown in FIG. 6 by separating the elements of only `four hook-and-

eye fasteners

31, 32, but it is also possible to release the ribbon system from one fastener `only to `facilitate charging of the drum.

It is evident that the fastener arrangement of FIG. 8 can readily be applied to the ribbon arrangements of FIGS. l to 3 iand 5 to make individual ribbons readily removable, and that it can be modied to accommodate the ropes of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 although different iastenin g means for ropes are preferred and will presently be described.

A modification of the hook-and-eye :arrangement of FIG. 8 is shown in FIG. 9. The hook 32 is replaced by a -threaded stud 34 lixedly fastened to and axially projecting from a bottom of the drum (not shown). lt engages an eye 33 on the rod 30 the opening of which is only vslightly larger lthan the diameter of the stud 34. A wing nut 35 on the stud 34 secures the end of the ribbon 22 to the drum somewhat more securely than the open hook-and-eye arrangement yof FIG. 8 at some slight sacriiice in the ease of engagement and disengagement of the ribbons. t

FlG. l() shows a modified arrangement for securing Irope -type pli-able `members to the bottom 36 of ia drum. The axially sectional view of FIG. l() is supplemented by a plan view of a portion of the bottom in FIG. 11, `and by a somewhat diagrammatic radially sectional view of the drum of FIG. 10 on a reduced scale.

The xed bottom 36 of the drum of which only a portion of a perforated side Wall 38 is otherwise shown has a carrier plate fastened thereto by countersunk bolts 37'. The carrier plate consists of four identical and interchangeable segments 37 each of which is spaced from the bottom 36 by a plurality of integral axial projections 39 soas to provide a hollow drainage space 44B between the segments 37 and the fixed bottom 36. This drainage -space is axially :aligned with a circumferential row of relatively -large perforations in the side wall 38.

Openings `41 in the segments 37 provide passages between the -main drum cavity and the drainage space 4G. A rope 42 passes through each opening 41. The ropes rare each composed of several strands of a continuous length of a string, narrow ribbon or the like whichk is slteined to form several flatten-ed loops. The bight portions 43 of the loops pass through the openings `41 and are prevented from slipping tout of the space 40 by a locking rod 44 which extends transversely of the rope axis.

The straight rods 44 may be replaced to advantage by elongated open rings 45 of the type shown' in perspective view in FIG. 13. The ring has an openslot 46 wide enough to permit passage of an individual strand of string or ribbon which composes the rope 42, but too narrow to permit the simultaneous passage of more than one strand. Alternatively, there may be employed a ring 47 of the type shown in FIGS. 14 Iand 15 which originally has two free ends 47 which extend in spaced parallel planes and thus provide a wide slot for engaging lthe bight `portions 43 of a rope 42. When the rope is in place, the

rfre'e ends 47 are bent from the position seen in FlG. 14 and in broken lines in FlG. l5 into a common plane as indicated in fully :dnawn lines in FIG. l5, thus substantially closing the gap. The use of the rings 45 in the drum of FIG. 10` is illustrated in FIG. 16.

rlhe :dimensions of the

rings

45 or 47 `are selected in such a manner that the rings with `a rope 42 thereon may be passed through an opening 41 in the longitudinal direction, but cannot pass through the opening when transversely aligned. Such ian arrangement makes insertion of individual ropes 42 into the segments 37 very easy.

Itis preferred to combine several ropes 42 into a bundle by rings 49 arranged at least at two longitudinally spaced points of the bundle. The members of the bundle occupy minimum space and offer minimum interference to loading or unloading of the drum when the ropes 42 are tensioned. Yet, they spread and their 4individual members assume independent meandering shapes substantially without hindrance by the rings 49 to provide a network of drainage channels in the cake. A preferred pattern of `bundles is diagrrammatically indicated in FlG. 12 in ywhich each circle indicates an opening 41 and a rope 42 passing through the opening, and the lines connecting adjacent circles `are indicative -of the connection of the corresponding ropes 42 by a ring 49 to form a bundle.

FIG. 112 also shows a peripheral row of individual ropes 42 which extend along the cylindrical side wall 3S anuales to perform the functions of the ribbons 13 in the embodiment of FG. 13.

When the drum of FIGS. l0 to l2 is to be loaded, the movable bottom which will be understood to be simil-arly provided with segments 37 as `the fixed bottom 36, is positioned away from the fixed bottom 36 to tension the bundles of ropes 42. The :door (not shown) in the side wall 3S is opened and the ropes 42 adjacent the door opening are pushed laside to facilitate entry of the material to be extracted. lf the nature of the material so requires, the ropes 42 'adjacent the door opening may yalso be equipped with hook-and-eye type fasteners as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 so that they may be temporarily removed rand reinstalled when loading is completed.

'lt may also be rconvenient to remove lan entire segment 37 from each Idrum bottom by releasing the respective screws 37 together with the ropes 42 which extend between the segments, and to reinstall the segments when the drum Vis at least partly loaded. The division of the carrier plate into Ifour `segments as show-n in FIG. 12 is not critical, and the plate may be -divided -in :any other manner as specific operating conditions may warrant. lt is preferred though that individual segments be identical to make them interchangeable, or that at least a majority of the segments be interchangeable. If an imperforate door is employed, the peripheral row of ropes 42 may be interrupted in the area adjacent the door since it would not serve its principal purpose of facilitating radial discharge of liquid, and the omission of ropes adjacent the door opening will -facilitate loading.

When the drum is filled and the movable bottom moves i toward the fixed bottom, or when two movable bottoms provided move toward each other, the axial shortening of the cake of material in the drum causes the ropes to assume individual meandering shapes in which the ropes intersect and form a system of communicating channels for the iiow of the liquid being extracted, while simultaneously subdividing the cake into axially divided sections substantially in the same manner as the ribbons 14 of the press sho-wn in FIG. 1. The relatively hard individual strands of the ropes maintain continuous flow channels for the liquid which lead to and terminate in the drainage space 46v so that a major portion of the `liquid extracted leaves the drum through the large perforations ofthe side wall 38.

When pressing is completed, the bottoms of the drum j are moved Iaway lfrom each other and the straightening ropes 42 break the cake formed into smaller particles in the manner described above in more detail.

The drum arrangements illustrated and described may be modified in many Ways as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 'If so desired, the bottoms may be perforated in the same manner as shown for the side walls in FIGS. and 10. `In that event, ribbons 13 or ropes corresponding to the peripheral row of ropes in FIG. 12 are preferably arranged along the bottom faces aswell.

=lt will usually be most convenient to 4arrange the pliable fibrous members, such as the ribbons and ropes illustrated in such a manner that Ithey will extend between the bottoms along straight lines parallel tothe drum axis when in tension. Other arrangements however may be chosen without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. When two segments 37 on one drum bottom are interchanged without Ia corresponding change on lthe other drum bottom, the ropes 42 shown in FIG. l() will still extend along straight lines between the two drum bottoms, but the lines will no longer be parallel. Such a configuration of the ropes may be found convenient when charging relatively viscous material to the drum Where temporary removal of ropes or groups of ropes is not desirable. The modified configuration of the ropes near the door opening may provide easier access to the drum cavity at some'sacrice in channelling efliciency during pressing.

The carrier plates may be provided with additional openings for passage of liquid therethrough, or some of the passages 41 seen in FIG. 10 may not be used for holding ropes 42 so as to provide free communication between an area of the drum cavity adjacent Athe carrier vplate and the drainage space 4t). A similar purpose may be served by covering the drum bottoms with aco-arse screen in a manner well known in itself to provide a relatively wide open channel from the face of the bottom toward the perforations in the side wall.

While a specific type of press and its operation have been described, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any specific press. It is equally applicable to vertically or horizontally operating presses, and the manner in which the platen members are moved toward and away from each other has no bearing on the operation of the invention. It is also not limited -to the continuously rotating drum described for the purpose of the disclosure. Loading and unloading of the drum may be achieved otherwise than by gravity, and the opening or openings for admitting the material to be extracted,

and for separately withdrawing the solid and liquid con` stituents of the material may be disposed at will.

These and other modifications are fully contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed.

What -l claim is:

1. In a press .drumv arrangement, in combination, a tubular member having an axis and radially defining a cavity about said axis; two platen members in said tubular member, said platen members transversely extending of said axis and axially defining said cavity, at least one of said members being formed with apertures therethrough communicating with said cavity, and one of said platen members being axially movable toward and away rom the other platen member between two terminal positions; and a plurality of pliable elongated flat ribbons of fibrous capillary active material each having two end portions respectively secured to said platen members said material being permeable to liquid and said pliable fiat ribbons extending between said platen members along substantially straight lines when said one platen member is in one of said terminal positions thereof away from the other platen member.

2. `In an arrangement as set forth in claim l, said tubular member and said platen members constituting the wall of said cavity, at least a portion of said wall being covered with a layer of yfibrous capillary material permeable to liquid, said layer being in contact with at least including a plurality of partly overlapping ribbon shaped elements.

5. `In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, said ribbons defining respective axially extending parallel planes when said one pla-ten member is in said one terminal position thereof.

6. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, said ribbons defining respective axially and radially extending planes converging toward said axis when said one platen member is in said one terminal position thereof. v

7. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, a plurality of elongated foldable members each having two ends secured to respective ones of said ribbons and extending between said ends transversely of said axis. Y

8. In an arrangement as set forth in claim l, said tubular member being of rectangular cross section so as to define four walls of said cavity, two of said pliable'ribbons extending along t-wo of said walls, opposite each other, the remainder of said ribbons extending between said two ribbons in a direction substantially parallel to the other two walls of said cavity 'when said one platen member is in said one terminal position thereof.

9. In a press drum arrangement, :in combination, a tubular member having an axis `and radially defining a `cavity about said axis: two platen members in said Vtubular member, said platen members transversely extending of Said axis and axially defining said cavity, at least one of said members being formed with apertures therethrough communicating with said cavity, land one of said platen members being axially movable toward and away from the other platen member between two terminal positions; a fastening member releasably secured to one of said platen members; [and a plurality of pliable elongated members of fibrous capillary active material each having two end portions respectively secured to said fastening member and to the other one of said platen members, said material being permeable to liquid, and said pliable members extending between said platen members along substantially straight lines when said one platen member is in one of said terminal positions thereof away from the other platen member.

10. In a press drum arrangement, in combination, a tubular member having an axis and radially defining a cavity about said axis; two platen members in said tubular member, said platen members transversely extending of said axis and axially defining said cavity, at least one of said members being formed with apertures therethrough communicating with said cavity, and one of said platen members being axially movable toward and away from the other platen member between two terminal positions; `a plurality of pliable elongated members of fibrous capillary active material each having two end portions respectively secured to said platen members, said material being permeable to liquid and said pliable members extending between said platen members along substantially straight lines when said `one platen member is in one of said terminal positions thereof away from the other platen member; and a plurality of hook-and-eye -fastening means, each of said yfastening means having two releasably engageable elements, one of said elements being mounted on one of said end portions of a pliable member, and the other element being mounted on One of said platen members and engageable with said one element for securing said end portion to said platen member.

l1. 'In a press drum arrangement, in combination, a tubular member having an axis land radially defining a cavity about said axis; two platen members in said tubular member, said platen members transversely extending of said axis and axially defining said cavity, at least one of said members being formed with apentures therethrough communicating with said cavity, and one of said platen members being axially movable toward and away from the other platen member between two terminal positions; a plurality of pliable elongated ropes of fibrous capillary active material each having two end portions respectively secured to said platen members, said material being permeable to said liquid and said ropes extending between said platen members along substantially straight lines when said one platen member is in one of said terminal positions thereof away from the other platen member; and means for securing a plurality of longitudinally spaced portions of one of said ropes to corresponding portions of another rope, whereby said ropes are combined into a bundle.

12. In a press drum arrangement, in combination, a tubular member having an axis and radially defining a cavity about said axis; two platen members in said tubular member, said platen members transversely extending of said axis and axially defining said cavity, at least one of said members being formed with apertures therethrough communicating with said cavity, and one of said platen members being axially movable toward and away from the other platen member between two terminal positions; a plurality of pliable elongated ropes of fibrous capillary active material each having two end portions respectively secured to said platen members, said material being permeable to said liquid and said ropes extending between said platen members along substantially straight lines when said one platen member is in one of said terminal positions thereof away from the other platen member; at least one of said ropes containing a continuous length of materialfolded to form a plurality of parallel strands, two of said strands being joined by an integral bight portion.

13. IIn an arrangement as set forth in claim 12, a fastening member on one of said platen members, said fastening member being formed with an opening, said bight portion passing through said opening and forming a loop adjacent said fastening member, and a locking member passing through said loop and abutting against said fastening member when said strands -are longitudinally tensioned.

14. iIn a press drum arrangement, in combination, a tubtular member having an axis and radially defining a cavity about said axis; two platen members in said tubular member, said platen members transversely extending of said axis and axially defining said cavity, at least one of said members being formed with apertures` therethrough communicating with said cavity, and one of said platen members being axially movable toward and away from the other platen member between two terminal positions; a plurality of pliable elongated members of ibrous capillary active material each having two end portions respectively secured to said platen members, said material being permeable to liquid and said pliable members extending between said platen members along substantially straight lines `when said one platen member is in one of said terminal positions thereof away from the other platen member; a plurality of fastening plates releasably mounted on a face of one of said platen members in said cavity, said fastening plates jointly being substantially coextensive with said face; and fastening means on said plates for securing said pliable members to said plates.

y15. In au arrangement as set forth in claim 14, said fastening plates being of substantially identical shape.

16. `In an arrangement as set forth in claim 14, at least one of said fastening plates being formed with perforations and having a plurality of axial projections abutting against the corresponding platen member, whereby a hollow space is formed between said fastening plate and said platen member, said perforations communicating with said cavity and said hollow space.

17. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 14, said fastening means including a plurality of fastening members arranged in ra peripheral row about said axis adjacent said tubular member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 826,603 Peter July 24, 1906 942,301 Wiselogel Dec. 7, 1909 2,845,857 Robertson etal Aug. 5, 1958 2,986,082 Braun May 30, 19611 FOREIGN PATENTS 481,248 Italy May 26, 1953 490,151 IItaly Feb. `6, 1954 548,102 France Oct. 11, 1922 1,082,792 France Jan. 3, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES Willmes: German application 1,080,857, Apr. 28, 1960, KL 58b 10.

Claims

1. IN A PRESS DRUM ARRANGEMENT, IN COMBINATION, A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING AN AXIS AND RADIALLY DEFINING A CAVITY ABOUT SAID AXIS; TWO PLATEN MEMBERS IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID PLATEN MEMBERS TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING OF SAID AXIS AND AXIALLY DEFINING SAID CAVITY, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING FORMED WITH APERTURES THERETHROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITY, AND ONE OF SAID PLATEN MEMBERS BEING AXIALLY MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER PLATEN MEMBER BETWEEN TWO TERMINAL POSITIONS; AND A PLURALITY OF PLIABLE ELONGATED FLAT RIBBONS OF FIBROUS CAPILLARY ACTIVE MATERIAL EACH HAVING TWO END