The present invention broadly relates to the positioning of rolls or rollers in a calender roll stack and, more specifically pertains to a new and improved construction of support means for supporting calender rolls or rollers for treating substantially web-shaped materials.
Generally speaking, the support means of the present invention comprise walls which surround a roll stand of the calender and are slidably arranged at guideways or guide tracks provided at the roll stand.
Constructions of such support or carriage components known to the art comprise walls which have edges extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of the guideways or guide tracks. There is thus defined in this direction of the guideways or guide tracks a predetermined support length of the support or carriage components. This support length is adapted or matched to the diameter of the associated roll or roller to be supported by the support or carriage component and is normally shorter than the respective roll diameter. Such a support or carriage component can also support a roll or roller having a diameter which is smaller than the support length of the related support or carriage component. However, if the neighboring or adjacent roll or roller does not possess a sufficiently large diameter, two such rolls or rollers cannot be displaced relative to each other into a working or operational position, because the mutually facing or confronting edges of the neighboring or adjacent support or carriage components come to bear upon each other, while the associated neighboring or adjacent rolls or rollers are still apart. On the other hand, it is often the case that the possible or constructible support length of the support or carriage components is too short, so that a canting can occur while moving the support or carriage components along the guideways or guide tracks. Such canting can seriously impair the desired low-friction sliding guidance of the support or carriage components at the roll stand.