Abstract: A multi-axial seamed base fabric is provided that is formed from a spirally wound fabric strip having a width less than an overall width of the fabric that is joined together along neighboring adjacent edges of the strip to form a fabric tube. The fabric strip includes a plurality of generally linearly extending vertically stacked pairs of machine direction (MD) warp yarns interwoven with cross-machine direction (CMD) weft yarns in a repeat pattern which maintains the vertically stacked alignment of the paired MD warp yarns. The fabric tube includes an upper layer and a lower layer formed from the spirally wound fabric strip that are adjacent to one another in the base fabric.

Abstract: A method of making a seam for an endless woven multilayer papermakers fabric such as a press felt base fabric, comprises selecting a repeating weave pattern so as to provide during weaving a body portion woven as a double layer, and a shed change for the warp yarns adjacent to the warp yarns of the body portion to provide a first and second seaming portion. In each seaming portion the warp yarns are separated into an upper group and a lower group such that the weft yarn interweaves separately with each group to form a distinct upper and lower layer. A forming wire is provided at the vertically aligned lateral edges of the fabric, and the weft yarn in sequence interweaves with the upper group of warp yarns to provide the upper layer, forms a seaming loop about the forming wire and interweaves with the lower group of warp yarns to provide the lower layer. The method and a fabric made by the method provide improved uniformity of the seaming loops and reduced sheet marking in the seam area.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine is provided. The press felt includes a base fabric layer and at least one layer of a staple fiber batt material connected thereto. The press felt has a paper side surface (PS) which when in operation is in contact with a paper web conveyed thereon and a machine side surface (MS) which contacts various press section components. The base fabric layer includes a regenerated cellulosic component in either or both the MD and CD yarns. Regenerated cellulosic fibers may also be provided in the batt and/or scrims located in the batt to improve dewatering when compared to similarly constructed felts which lack this regenerated cellulosic material.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine is provided. The press felt includes a base fabric layer and at least one layer of a staple fiber batt material connected thereto. The staple fiber batt material is includes between 20% to 100% by weight of a regenerated cellulosic staple fiber material, such as rayon, and from 80% to 0% by weight of a polymeric staple fiber, such as nylon. A scrim including regenerated cellulosic material can also be incorporated into the press felt construction, either between two layers of batt material, or between a batt layer and the base fabric. The regenerated cellulosic staple fibers of the batt and/or scrim having a dtex from at least about 1.1 to about 44, and are preferably non-fibrillatable. As a further option, at least a portion of the base fabric includes a regenerated celluliosic material.

Abstract: A multi-axial seamed base fabric is provided that is formed from a spirally wound fabric strip having a width less than an overall width of the fabric that is joined together along neighboring adjacent edges of the strip to form a fabric tube. The fabric strip includes a plurality of generally linearly extending vertically stacked pairs of machine direction (MD) warp yarns interwoven with cross-machine direction (CMD) weft yarns in a repeat pattern which maintains the vertically stacked alignment of the paired MD warp yarns. The fabric tube includes an upper layer and a lower layer formed from the spirally wound fabric strip that are adjacent to one another in the base fabric.

Abstract: A multilayered papermakers' forming fabric comprises at least one set of machine direction (MD) warp yarns, at least a first set of cross-machine direction (CD) machine side layer weft yarns; and paper side layer weft yarns woven in a repeating pattern with at least some of the MD warp yarns. At least some of the paper side layer weft yarns comprise an array of bulk enhancing weft yarns each having a vertical dimension which exceeds a corresponding vertical dimension of each of the remaining paper side layer weft yarns in a ratio of at least 1.25:1. Selected weft yarns can have different float lengths in the paper side surface. The fabrics of the invention impart increased bulk for products such as towel or tissue without loss of other required characteristics.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine. The felt is comprised of at least one base fabric to which at least one batt layer is attached by needling or another suitable method. A woven or nonwoven fibrous scrim may be included between the base fabric and the at least one layer of batt material, or between any two or more layers. At least one of the base fabric, the at least one layer of batt material, or the fabric scrim is comprised of polymeric fibers which are blended with fibers whose modulus of elasticity is substantially less than the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric fibers. Press felts manufactured in accordance with the teachings of the invention provide a retarded elastic spring-back in the vertical (or Z) direction of the felt following the mid-nip point in the press section. This retarded elastic spring-back advances the post nip separation position of the felt and the paper web towards the mid-nip point, thus reducing rewetting of the paper sheet.

Abstract: A woven industrial fabric, including a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with a plurality of weft yarns. At least a portion of one of the plurality of warp and the plurality of weft yarns includes yarn assemblies. Each yarn assembly is comprised of at least a first and a second yarn. The yarns are structured and arranged in the woven fabric so as to be in generally continuous, contiguous contact with each other substantially throughout the fabric.

Abstract: A multilayer through-air dryer (TAD) fabric architecture having a single warp yarn system with a maximum warp fill and a weft yarn system comprised of two sets of weft yarns selected to set the warp yarn height above the weft yarns without embedment into the fabric plane, the warp and weft yarns interlacing to form diagonal apertures within the fabric to produce a high fabric air permeability for providing increased paper sheet bulk without compromising paper machine running parameters. A method of using the TAD fabric of the present invention for forming a paper sheet having increased bulk and a predetermined embossed pattern. Also, a method for manufacturing a TAD fabric to provide increased bulk and a predetermined embossed pattern of the paper sheet.

Abstract: A forming fabric having a paper side layer and a machine side layer comprises a first set of paper side layer wefts, a second set of machine side layer wefts and a single set of warp yarn triplets. In the fabric weave pattern, each member of each triplet set of warp yarns interweaves with the paper side weft yarns to occupy in sequence segments of an unbroken warp path in the paper side surface, and each triplet in each set of warp yarns interlaces alone with at least one single machine side layer weft yarn. Each segment in the unbroken warp path is separated by at least one paper side layer weft yarn. The machine side layer interlacing points are regularly spaced. After heat setting, the fabrics typically have an air permeability typically from about 7,500 to about 10,500 m3/m2/hr. Paper products made using these fabrics have enhanced printability.

Abstract: A papermaking fabric is treated by applying a nanoparticle type coating to improve their resistance to contamination by foreign matter in the papermaking system. The coating is applied during fabric manufacture and cured during heat setting. Alternatively, the coating applied or renewed by utilizing an existing shower or locating a spray boom or other suitable coating application device in the dryer section to apply the coating to the fabric in a controlled, uniform manner. Prior to application of the coating, the fabric is first thoroughly cleaned such as by showering or spraying, and then dried. Following controlled application of the coating, any excess material is removed by a suitable means, such as by vacuum, and the remaining coating on the fabric is then cured, either by utilizing the ambient heat of the dryer section or by a portable bank of heaters. In this manner, the fabric does not have to be removed from the machine in order to apply or renew the contaminant resistant coating.

Abstract: A fabric support element for a papermaking machine has improved fluid drainage means, comprising openings which can include flow-through vents. The element can comprise an impingement shoe for a forming section of a papermaking machine. The openings can be defined by a plurality of laminar segments, at least some of which define a paper side surface of the element, and which segments can be spaced apart by additional laminar segments or other spacing means. Laminar segments for use in the element, a method of constructing the element, and a papermaking machine, or a forming section thereof, including the element are also provided.

Abstract: A double layer forming fabric for a paper making machine is woven to an overall repeating pattern, which comprises in combination paper side layer weft yarns, machine side layer weft yarns, and warp yarns. The paper side layer weft yarns interweave with the warp yarns in a first repeating weave pattern, the machine side layer weft yarns interlace with the warp yarns in a second repeating weave pattern, and the fabric is woven in an overall repeating pattern requiring 3N sheds, in which N is an integer and is at least 2. For each warp yarn, the first repeating weave pattern includes interweaving locations comprising a first and a second interweaving point, each of the interweaving points being separated by an internal warp float of at least two paper side layer weft yarns.

Abstract: A process, and an apparatus, for improving sheet properties in a twin fabric paper making machine forming section whereby pressure pulse generation in the stock can be controlled. The pressure pulses are controlled by mounting a vacuum assisted skimmer blade (15) supported by an adjustable resilient support means (18) so that its height can be altered, and so that it can respond to transient changes in the stock layer thickness. The resilient and adjustable support means (18) itself is supported by a vacuum drainage box (10), which serves to capture at least the major proportion of the fluid skimmed of by the skimmer blade (15). This apparatus the position of the skimmer blade (15) to be altered in two ways without stopping the paper making machine. The skimmer blade (15) can be located either so that it is out of contact with the forming fabric (3), or so that it can be in contact with the forming fabric.

Abstract: An adjustable resilient blade support for use in the forming section of a papermaking machine. The blade support is adjustable, both to allow the attached blade to be moved from a position where it is out of contact to a position where it is pressed into contact with the adjacent forming fabric, and to permit adjustment of the blade orientation relative to the surface of the forming fabric. The blade support is also resilient, and thus allows the blade to respond to transient localized changes in the path of the forming fabric with which it is in contact. The adjustable resilient blade support of this invention is thus of use in an open surface forming section, and also is of use in forming sections in which two forming fabrics are used.

Abstract: A shower device for a papermaking machine is provided which includes a longitudinally extending hollow member having an inlet end adapted for connection to a pressurized water source. A slot extends longitudinally along at least a portion of the hollow member. The slot includes opposing edges and a strip of material is slideably engageable with the hollow member so that the hollow member is substantially sealed along the edges of the slot when the strip is installed. The strip of material includes a plurality of spaced apart shower nozzles. This allows a plurality of shower nozzles on a papermaking machine to be quickly and easily replaced by slidably removing the nozzle strip from the slot and slidably inserting a replacement strip of nozzles into the slot.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine. The felt is comprised of at least one base fabric to which at least one batt layer is attached by needling or another suitable method. A woven or nonwoven fibrous scrim may be included between the base fabric and the at least one layer of batt material, or between any two or more layers. At least one of the base fabric, the at least one layer of batt material, or the fabric scrim is comprised of polymeric fibers which are blended with fibers whose modulus of elasticity is substantially less than the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric fibers. Press felts manufactured in accordance with the teachings of the invention provide a retarded elastic spring-back in the vertical (or Z) direction of the felt following the mid-nip point in the press section. This retarded elastic spring-back advances the post nip separation position of the felt and the paper web towards the mid-nip point, thus reducing rewetting of the paper sheet.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine is provided. The press felt includes a base fabric layer and at least one layer of a staple fiber batt material connected thereto. The staple fiber batt material is includes between 20% to 100% by weight of a regenerated cellulosic staple fiber material, such as rayon, and from 80% to 0% by weight of a polymeric staple fiber, such as nylon. A scrim including regenerated cellulosic material can also be incorporated into the press felt construction, either between two layers of batt material, or between a batt layer and the base fabric. The regenerated cellulosic staple fibers of the batt and/or scrim having a dtex from at least about 1.1 to about 44, and are preferably non-fibrillatable. As a further option, at least a portion of the base fabric includes a regenerated celluliosic material.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine is provided. The press felt includes a base fabric layer and at least one layer of a staple fiber batt material connected thereto. The press felt has a paper side surface (PS) which when in operation is in contact with a paper web conveyed thereon and a machine side surface (MS) which contacts various press section components. At least one scrim that includes a regenerated cellulosic fiber having a dtex from at least about 1.1 to about 44 is located between two batt layers or one batt layer and the base fabric. Felts including the scrim of regenerated cellulosic fibers provide improved dewatering when compared to similarly constructed felts which lack this regenerated cellulosic fiber batt material.

Abstract: A press felt for use in the press section of a papermaking machine is provided. The press felt includes a base fabric layer and at least one layer of a staple fiber batt material connected thereto. The press felt has a paper side surface (PS) which when in operation is in contact with a paper web conveyed thereon and a machine side surface (MS) which contacts various press section components. The base fabric layer includes a regenerated cellulosic component in either or both the MD and CD yarns. Regenerated cellulosic fibers may also be provided in the batt and/or scrims located in the batt to improve dewatering when compared to similarly constructed felts which lack this regenerated cellulosic material.