Abstract: An open ended, flat spiral belt is joined at its ends on a roll to form an endless cover. A spiral belt is fitted with a zipper assist in the seam area to facilitate the joining of the spiral belt on the roll. One part of the zipper assist is removably attached to one end of the spiral belt with the other part of the zipper assist being removably attached to the other end of the spiral belt. When the two sections of the zipper assist are zipped together, they pull the two ends of the spiral belt together, allowing for interdigitation of the spiral loops of the spiral belt, which then forms a channel for the introduction of a seam wire. Once the spiral belt is seamed on the roll, the zipper assist is removed and the roll is set in slow motion at about ten revolutions per minute. The entire fabric is subjected to application of heat from a hot air gun to set the spiral belt, now in the form of a spiral shrink sleeve.

Abstract: A dryer felt comprising a plurality of spiral coils disposed in a common plane and arranged in a side-by-side relationship with adjacent coils being intermeshed and joined together in a hinged relationship by a hinge yarn. Stuffers are positioned within selected coils for predetermined distances to provide a fabric having a predetermined permeability profile across the width and along the length of the fabric.

Abstract: An open ended, flat spiral belt is joined at its ends on a roll to form an endless cover. A spiral belt is fitted with a zipper assist in the seam area to facilitate the joining of the spiral belt on the roll. One part of the zipper assist is removably attached to one end of the spiral belt with the other part of the zipper assist being removably attached to the other end of the spiral belt. When the two sections of the zipper assist are zipped together, they pull the two ends of the spiral belt together, allowing for interdigitation of the spiral loops of the spiral belt, which then forms a channel for the introduction of a seam wire. Once the spiral belt is seamed on the roll, the zipper assist is removed and the roll is set in slow motion at about ten revolutions per minute. The entire fabric is subjected to application of heat from a hot air gun to set the spiral belt, now in the form of a spiral shrink sleeve.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric in which a plurality of load control yarns are provided within the interior of the fabric. The load control yarns are not crimped during fabric manufacture, pass through the fabric in the machine direction, and are made from yarns containing Kevlar or similar low stretch, high strength type yarns and protected from abrasion, heat, and hydrolysis.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a dryer fabric belt used in the dryer section of a papermaking machine. The dryer fabric belt is subjected to tension forces in a machine direction by a stretch roll over which the belt travels, and is substantially free from tension forces in the cross-machine direction. The dryer fabric belt includes a plurality of hinge yarns, each extending in the machine direction continuously throughout the length of the dryer fabric. A plurality of spring coils are disposed in a common plane in a side by side relationship. Each of the coils extends in the machine direction. Adjacent coils of the spring coils are intermeshed and held together in intermeshing relationship by at least one of the hinge yarns.

Abstract: A belt structure including a carrier formed from a plurality of intermeshing spiral coils with adjacent coils interconnected by hinge yarns. The spiral coil carrier is plated under tension and heated to cause the spiral coils to extend longitudinally to define spaced upper and lower substantially flat surfaces. A yieldable, porous batt of synthetic fibrous material is needled into and onto one surface of the carrier. As an alternative structure, a yieldable, porous, open cell foam is applied to the spiral coil carrier to fill the interior thereof, and to extend outwardly from one surface to form an outer foam layer. The belts are particularly suitable as pressure and transporting belts in a corrugating machine, but can also be used in wet press and dryer sections of papermaking machines.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric made up of a plurality of impervious nonwoven sheets joined together in a laminated arrangement to define the fabric or belt. Defined throughout the fabric are a series of drainage apertures which are created in the fabric by conventional techniques, such as laser drilling. The size and distribution of the apertures can be varied to provide a given permeability. Small surface apertures are provided to prevent loss of fiber through the fabric. Each of the layers of the papermakers fabric serves a particular purpose. For example, one or more of the layers may be made of an abrasion resistant material. Other layers may be made of materials exhibiting other desirable characteristics such as resistance to heat, acid, flame and static charge, to name a few. Yarns to provide added strength may be placed between the layers or incorporated into one or more of them.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric for use in papermaking and which is made from a plurality of elongated, linked, slotted elements. The elongated elements can be formed by extrusion or by lamination and are linked one to the next either by an integral tongue or through the use of a pintle connecting means which extends from one elongated element to the adjacent element. The desired permeability can be provided by forming apertures in the elongated elements and can be such that the permeability of the fabric varies in the cross machine direction. The permeability of the papermakers fabric can also be adjusted by varying the tension in the fabric in the machine direction. Individual elongated elements can also be configured so that the high-wear areas of the fabrics, for example the edges, have a greater material thickness than the low-wear areas and so that the cross section of the fabric can be varied to compensate for roll crown or other roll irregularities.

Abstract: A dryer felt comprising a plurality of spiral coils disposed in a common plane and arranged in a side-by-side relationship with adjacent coils being intermeshed and joined together in a hinged relationship by a hinge yarn. During manufacture, the fabric is subjected to a heat treatment under controlled tension to cause the spiral coils, which are normally circular, or elliptical in cross-section to assume the shape of the hinge yarns which are typically of rectangular, elliptical, D-shape, dog bone or two or more circular cross section yarns with the long side of the stuffer yarn lying in the plane of the fabric. In this way, the air voids within the fabric are substantially filled by the hinge yarns to reduce permeability, while the flattened spiral coils provide smooth paper-receiving and machine roll contacting surfaces on the resultant dryer felt.

Abstract: An in-line pintle seam for use with a pintle to join adjacent ends of a papermakers belt or the like and a method for producing such a seam. Basically, the seam comprises a spiral and a stuffer pick which are held in place by sewing the face ends of the papermakers belt around the spiral and stuffer pick and then between the center and back layers of the fabric in the case of a three-layer fabric. Once this part of the seaming is completed, the back ends are brought around the spiral and stuffer pick and sewn between the face and center layers of the fabric in much the same way as the face ends. Thus, the spiral and stuffer pick are held to the edge of the fabric by all of the warp yarns. In the case of a two-layer fabric, the ends are sewn back into the fabric between the face and back layers and are pulled through the fabric so that they appear on the back surface of the fabric.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric formed from a plurality of elongated, generally cylindrical pintles which are positioned in spaced relationship relative to each other and with their axes substantially parallel to define the width of the fabric. A plurality of link members interconnect the several pintles to define the length of the fabric. Each link interconnects two pintles and the configuration of the link can be varied to facilitate the manufacture thereof, to facilitate construction of the fabric, and to facilitate repair of a damaged fabric while the same is on the papermaking machine. Additionally, the permeability of the fabric can be varied by changing the thickness of the links used to form the fabric. Moreover, the links can be made of injection molded plastic for reduced cost.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric having surface floats on both the paper surface and the non-paper contacting surface for improved sheet contact area and improved abrasion resistance. The fabric also includes a plurality of stuffer pick receiving sheds defined by warp yarns used to weave the fabric. Each of these sheds may receive a stuffer pick, the construction of which will be determined by the permeability required in the finished fabric, while the warp and weft yarns used to define the fabric remain unchanged. The warp ends of the fabric terminate in a pin seam made up of a number of enlarged seam loops which are created when a select number of warp yarns are symmetrically rewoven into the fabric.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric woven in accordance with a preselected weave pattern. The fabric has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a center plane interposed between the top and bottom surfaces. The fabric is woven using high melting point or high degradation temperature synthetic warp yarns and similarly high melting point or high degradation temperature synthetic top and bottom weft yarns. The weft yarns in the center plane are lower melting point synthetic yarns. During heat stabilization, the fabric is exposed to sufficient heat to cause the low melting point stuffer yarns to melt and flow, and to reform in such a way that they fill to a desired extent the voids in the weave pattern where they have been inserted, thus, reducing permeability. The flow of the molten synthetic stuffer pick around and between the unmelted warp and weft yarns bonds the whole structure together, thereby improving fabric stability. Finally, because the melted stuffer pick acts as a monofilament yarn, the fabric tends to run cleaner.

Abstract: A papermakers fabric having surface floats on both the paper surface and the non-paper contacting surface for improved sheet contact area and improved abrasion resistance. The fabric also includes a plurality of stuffer pick receiving sheds defined by warp yarns of non-circular cross section used to weave the fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the warp yarns are of generally rectangular cross section with rounded corners. Each of these sheds may receive a stuffer pick, the construction of which will be determined by the permeability required in the finished fabric, while the warp and weft yarns used to define the fabric remain unchanged. The warp ends of the fabric terminate in a pin seam made up of a number of enlarged seam loops which are created when a select number of the warp yarns of non-circular cross section are symmetrically rewoven into the fabric.