Abstract: A papermaking forming fabric includes: a set of top MD yarns; a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer; a set of bottom MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer; and a set of binding yarns that interweaves with and binds together the top and bottom fabric layers. The fabric has a Channel Factor (CF) of greater than 2.0, the CF being defined in Equation (1) as: CF=(PSMW/PSML)×(SOA % PS/SOA % RS)??(1) wherein: PSMW=the CMD width of an interstice between adjacent top MD yarns; PSML=the MD width of an interstice between adjacent top CMD yarns; SOA % PS=surface open area in the top fabric layer; and SOA % RS=surface open area in the bottom fabric layer.

Abstract: A papermaker's fabric includes: a set of top MD yarns; a set of bottom MD yarns; a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer; and a set of stitching yarns that interweave with the top and bottom fabric layers. The top MD yarns and the top CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of repeat units and the bottom MD yarns and the bottom CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of corresponding repeat units. Each of the bottom MD yarns forms a bottom MD float by passing under three or more consecutive bottom CMD yarns.

Abstract: A papermaker's fabric comprises a series of repeat units. Each of the repeat units comprises: a set of top MD yarns; a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer; a set of bottom MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer; and a set of CMD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns to bind the top and bottom fabric layers together. The stitching yarns are arranged in pairs. The top CMD yarns are arranged in an alternating pattern in which first (a) a single top CMD yarn is positioned between adjacent pairs of stitching yarns, then (b) two top CMD yarns are positioned between adjacent pairs of stitching yarns.

Abstract: A papermaker's fabric includes a plurality of repeat units of interwoven yarns, each repeat unit comprising: a set of top MD yarns; a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns; a set of bottom MD yarns; and a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns. In interweaving with the top CMD yarns, some of the top MD yarns include a segment in which the top MD yarn passes below a subset of three consecutive top CMD yarns. Each of the bottom MD yarns forms a knuckle over one of the three top CMD yarns of the subset that a top MD yarn located immediately thereabove passes below. The set of bottom CMD yarns includes at least twice as many yarns as does the set of bottom MD yarns.

Abstract: A triple layer papermaker's fabric includes: a set of top MD yarns; a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer; a set of bottom MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer; and a set of stitching yarn pairs that interweave with the top MD yarns, wherein at least one of the yarns of each stitching yarn pair interweaves with the bottom MD yarns. The top MD yarns and the top CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of repeat units and the bottom MD yarns and the bottom CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of corresponding repeat units. The set of top MD yarns comprises a first number of top MD yarns in each repeat unit, and the set of bottom MD yarns comprises a second number of bottom MD yarns in each repeat unit, and the ratio between the first number and the second number is 2:3.

Abstract: A triple layer papermaker's fabric includes: a set of top MD yarns; a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer; a set of bottom MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer; and a set of stitching yarn pairs that interweave with the top MD yarns, wherein at least one of the yarns of each stitching yarn pair interweaves with the bottom MD yarns. The top MD yarns and the top CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of repeat units and the bottom MD yarns and the bottom CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of corresponding repeat units. The set of top MD yarns comprises a first number of top MD yarns in each repeat unit, and the set of bottom MD yarns comprises a second number of bottom MD yarns in each repeat unit, wherein the second number being greater than the first number. Each bottom MD yarn follows a different interweaving pattern than that followed by each of its two immediate neighboring bottom MD yarns.

Abstract: A papermaker's fabric includes: a set of top machine direction yarns; a set of top cross machine direction yarns interwoven with the top machine direction yarns to form a top fabric layer; a set of bottom machine direction yarns; a set of bottom cross machine direction yarns interwoven with the bottom machine direction yarns to form a bottom fabric layer; and a plurality of stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom fabric layers. The yarns are interwoven as a series of repeat units. In each of the repeat units, each top cross machine direction yarn forms multiple paper side floats, and at least a first of the paper side floats passes over a first number of top machine direction yarns, and at least a second of the paper side floats passes over a second number of top machine direction yarns that differs from the first number by one.

Abstract: Triple layer papermaker's forming fabrics having a set of top MD yarns that are interwoven exclusively with a set of top CMD yarns to form at least part of a top fabric layer and a set of bottom MD yarns that are interwoven exclusively with a set of bottom CMD yarns to form at least part of a bottom fabric layer are provided. These fabrics further include a set of stitching MD yarn pairs. The stitching MD yarns that comprise each such pair weave in both the top fabric layer and the bottom fabric layer such that at locations where the first yarn in the pair weaves in the top fabric layer the second yarn in the pair drops down into the bottom fabric layer. In embodiments of the present invention, each stitching MD yarn may also be woven so as to form side-by-side machine direction knuckles on the bottom surface of the bottom fabric layer with a bottom MD yarn.

Abstract: A papermaking fabric includes a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including: a set of top machine direction (MD) yarns; a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the top MD yarns; a set of bottom MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the bottom MD yarns; and a set of stitching yarns. The stitching yarns are disposed in pairs, at least one of the yarns of each of the stitching yarn pairs being interwoven with the top CMD yarns and the bottom CMD yarns, wherein when a first stitching yarn of a pair is interweaving with the top CMD yarns, a second stitching yarn of the pair is passing below the top CMD yarns, and when the second stitching yarn of the pair is interweaving with the top CMD yarns, the first stitching yarn of the pair is passing below the top CMD yarns, such that each stitching yarn pair forms a composite top MD yarn.

Abstract: A papermaker's fabric includes a set of top machine direction yarns, a set of top cross machine direction yarns interwoven with the top machine direction yarns to form a top fabric layer, a set of bottom machine direction yarns, a set of bottom cross machine direction yarns interwoven with the bottom machine direction yarns to form a bottom fabric layer. The bottom fabric layer is stitched to the top fabric layer. The top machine direction yarns and the top cross machine direction yarns are interwoven in a series of repeat units and the bottom machine direction yarns and the bottom cross machine direction yarns are interwoven in a series of corresponding repeat units. Each repeat unit has twice the number of bottom machine direction yarns as the number of top machine direction yarns.

Abstract: A papermaking fabric includes a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including: a set of top machine direction (MD) yarns; a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns; a first set of bottom CMD yarns, the first set of bottom CMD yarns arranged in pairs; a second set of bottom CMD yarns, the second set of bottom CMD yarns arranged as single yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the first and second set of bottom MD yarns; and a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching a respective immediately adjacent bottom MD yarn of the second set. Each of the yarns of a pair of the first set of bottom MD yarns interweaves with the bottom CMD yarns in the same pattern.

Abstract: A papermaking fabric includes a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including: a first set of top machine direction (MD) yarns; a second set of top MD yarns; a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the first and second sets of top MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns; and a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching an immediately adjacent respective top MD yarn of the second set. The first and second sets of top MD yarns interweave only with the top CMD yarns.

Abstract: A press felt for a papermaking machine includes: a base fabric comprising a plurality of machine direction (MD) yarns interwoven with a plurality of cross machine direction (CMD) yarns in a predetermined regular weave pattern, the MD yarns being divisible into upper MD yarns, lower MD yarns, and seam loops merging with either end of the upper and lower MD yarns, the seam loops defining the longitudinal ends of the press felt and having upper and lower portions; and a first Dreher CMD yarn interwoven with a CMD yarn of the regular weave pattern located nearest to the seam loops and with the upper portions of the seam loops of at least one end of the press felt in a Dreher weave.

Abstract: A warp-stitched multilayer papermaker's fabric has a set of bottom warp yarns, a set of bottom weft yarns, a set of top weft yarns and a set of warp stitching yarn pairs. The bottom warp yarns are interwoven with the bottom weft yarns. The stitching warp yarns interweave with both the bottom weft yarns and the top weft yarns, and are woven such that at locations where the first of the stitching warp yarns in a pair weaves in the top fabric layer, the second stitching warp yarn in the pair drops below the top fabric layer to interweave with one or more bottom weft yarns to bind the top fabric layer and the bottom fabric layer together. The first stitching warp yarn of the stitching warp yarn pair may weave on a first side of one of the bottom warp yarns while the second stitching warp yarn of each stitching yarn pair may weave on the other side of that bottom warp yarn. Each stitching yarn pair may be substantially stacked above a bottom warp yarn.

Abstract: Triple layer papermaker's forming fabrics having a set of top MD yarns that are interwoven exclusively with a set of top CMD yarns to form at least part of a top fabric layer and a set of bottom MD yarns that are interwoven exclusively with a set of bottom CMD yarns to form at least part of a bottom fabric layer are provided. These fabrics further include a set of stitching MD yarn pairs. The stitching MD yarns that comprise each such pair weave in both the top fabric layer and the bottom fabric layer such that at locations where the first yarn in the pair weaves in the top fabric layer the second yarn in the pair drops down into the bottom fabric layer. In embodiments of the present invention, each stitching MD yarn may also be woven so as to form side-by-side machine direction knuckles on the bottom surface of the bottom fabric layer with a bottom MD yarn.

Abstract: Triple layer papermaker's forming fabrics having a set of top MD yarns that are interwoven exclusively with a set of top CMD yarns to form at least part of a top fabric layer and a set of bottom MD yarns that are interwoven exclusively with a set of bottom CMD yarns to form at least part of a bottom fabric layer are provided. These fabrics further include a set of stitching MD yarn pairs. The stitching MD yarns that comprise each such pair weave in both the top fabric layer and the bottom fabric layer such that at locations where the first yarn in the pair weaves in the top fabric layer the second yarn in the pair drops down into the bottom fabric layer. In embodiments of the present invention, each stitching MD yarn may also be woven so as to form side-by-side machine direction knuckles on the bottom surface of the bottom fabric layer with a bottom MD yarn.

Abstract: A papermaker's fabric includes top MD yarns, top CMD yarns, bottom MD yarns, bottom CMD yarns and stitching yarns. The fabric is formed in a plurality of repeating units, each of the repeating units including a set of top MD yarns, a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer, a set of four or eight bottom MD yarns, a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the set of four or eight bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer and a set of stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom fabric layers. The bottom MD yarns and the bottom CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of repeat units in which each of the bottom MD yarns passes below two nonadjacent bottom CMD yarns to form bottom machine direction knuckles, each bottom machine direction knuckle being separated from one adjacent knuckle formed by that bottom machine direction yarn by two bottom CMD yarns and separated from another adjacent knuckle by four CMD yarns.

Abstract: The bottom machine direction yarns and the bottom cross machine direction yarns of a triple layer fabric are interwoven in a series of repeat units in which the bottom machine direction yarns pass below multiple nonadjacent bottom cross machine direction yarns to form bottom machine direction knuckles, and in which pairs of bottom machine direction yarns separated from one another by one bottom machine direction yarn form bottom machine direction knuckle pairs under a common bottom cross machine direction yarn. Each bottom machine direction knuckle pair forms two imaginary diagonal lines with a nonadjacent bottom machine direction knuckle pair such that each bottom machine direction knuckle pair in the diagonal lines is offset by two cross machine direction yarns and one bottom machine direction yarn.

Abstract: A triple layer forming fabric includes: a set of top machine direction yarns; a set of top cross machine direction yarns; a set of bottom machine direction yarns; a set of bottom cross machine direction yarns; and stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom fabric layers. A pair of first and second stitching yarns is positioned between adjacent pairs of top cross machine direction yarns. The top machine direction yarns, top cross machine direction yarns, and fiber support portions of the stitching yarns interweave to form a plain weave surface. The top machine direction yarns have a first diameter, the bottom machine direction yarns have a second diameter, and the top cross machine direction yarns have a third diameter. The ratio of the first and second diameters is between about 0.75 and 0.95, and the ratio between the first and third diameters is between about 0.8 and 1.1.

Abstract: A multi-layer papermaker's forming fabric has stitching yarns integrated into the papermaking surface. Each of a plurality of repeating units of the fabric comprises: a set of top machine direction yarns; a set of top cross-machine direction yarns interwoven with the top machine direction yarns; a set of bottom machine direction yarns; a set of bottom cross-machine direction yarns interwoven with the bottom machine direction yarns; and pairs of first and second stitching yarns. The stitching yarns pairs are positioned between pairs of top cross-machine direction yarns.