The present invention relates to a pulp-dewateπng roll press of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1. One problem with presses of this kind resides in uneven outfeed from the press Many attempts have been made to rectify such outfeed pulsations, although without solving the problem. In this regard, attempts have been made to solve the problem by improving the disintegrating capacity of the pulp dismtegrat- ing screw, although without any great success. Instead, attention has been concentrated on the pulp cake that forms above the roll nip m the space between the rolls and the pulp disintegrating screw.

An obiect of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid problem and to achieve an essentially even outfeed from the press. This object is achieved with an inventive roll press having the features set forth m the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

The invention w ll now be described m more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a known conventional roll press; Figure 2 is a principle view illustrating the formation of a pulp cake in the roll press shown in Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a part end-view of the inventive roll press,- and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a doctor bar and associated support beam included in the inventive press.

The known press shown in Fig 1 includes two rolls 1 and 2 whose mantle surfaces are perforated to allow water pressed from the pulp to pass through. The pulp is darkly colored m the Figure. The pulp is fed in through an inlet 3 and pressed up towards the nip defined between the two rolls 1 and 2, where water is removed from the pulp and the pulp is pressed up

towards a pulp disintegrating screw 4 that extends parallel with the roll axes. The screw disintegrates the pulp and trans¬ ports the same axially from the press. Each roll 1 and 2 is provided with a respective doctor bar 5 and 6 and each bar is provided at the bottom thereof with a respective doctor blade 7 and 8 for scraping respective roll surfaces.

The two rolls 1 and 2, the screw 4 and the two doctor bars 5 and 6 together define above the roll nip a space 9 in which there is formed a pulp cake 10, as best seen from the perspec¬ tive view in Fig. 2. It has been found that the pulp cake makes guiding of the pulp web into the pulp disintegrating screw and subsequent smoothing of the outfeed from the press difficult to achieve .

This problem is solved in accordance with the invention by reducing the volume of the pulp cake 10, ie by reducing volume of the space 9 in which the pulp cake builds up. Thiε is achieved in accordance with the invention by moving one doctor blade, 5, to a new position 5' in the space between the rolls 1 and 2 and the screw 4. This reduction in the volume of the space 9 thus reduces the space in which the pulp can accumu¬ late, thereby resulting in a shorter oscillating period with a smaller volume of pulp with each pulsation. The reduction in volume reduces the resistance in the region of contact between cake and screw, in that the pulp moves faster and stays for a shorter time in the disintegration zone. This facilitates the infeed of pulp to the screw, thereby preventing packing tendencies .

Because the doctor bar 5' is positioned beneath the pulp disintegrating screw and because the whole of said bar is used to reduce the volume of said space, the doctor blade 7 will be located so close to the roll nip as to be able to deal with the pulp web whilst it is still intact. This arrangement enables the other roll 2 to be used to drive the pulp cake up towards the screw 4.

The problem of suspending the doctor bar 5 ' has been solved by using the holders 11 for seals 12 at the roll ends as doctor bar supports. Functions relating to support, adjustment to doctor bar settings, and sealing against the roll are therewith incorporated in one and the same unit . The supportive function of the doctor bar 5 in the earlier known case is now taken over by a support beam 14. A cover plate 15 is provided between the doctor bar 5 ' and the support beam 14 and extends along the periphery of the screw 4. This cover plate thus delimits the pulp receiving space at the screw 4. The doctor bar 5 ' can be adjusted in relation to the roll surface by means of a bottle screw 16 at each end.

Serious fiber-transfer problems are experienced with the doctor bar 5 of the earlier known arrangement, insomuch as the bar lifts away from the roll and allows fibers to pass through.

This problem is eliminated totally by the novel doctor bar 5 ' .

Because there is practically no pulp buffer, no forces occur that force the bar 5' against the roll 1. The main purpose of the "doctor" blade 7 is now to guide and angle-off the pulp web instead of scraping pulp from the surface of the roll as in the known, typical case.

In the earlier case, the pulp is disintegrated by the screw in the same region as the actual transportation. In the case of the novel roll press, the pulp disintegration and pulp transportation functions are mutually separated and the pulp is now disintegrated against the novel doctor bar 5' and then transported out of the press thereby. This means that the pulp web, which remains intact right up to the disintegrating sequence, meets no resistance by already disintegrated pulp pieces transported by the screw. It has also been found that transportation is improved by virtue of the shorter stay time of the pulp in the screw disintegrator.