Patents by Inventor Alan L. Billings

Alan L. Billings has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7691238
    Abstract: A spiral-link fabric for use in a papermaking machine or the like. The spiral-link fabric may include a plurality of spiral coils arranged in a predetermined manner such that adjacent ones of side-by-side spiral coils are interdigitated with each other so as to form a channel and interconnected by a pintle extending through the channel. At least some of the plurality of spiral coils have a coil width of approximately 12 mm or larger, as measured in machine direction of the spiral-link fabric. The ratio of the diameter of the monofilament forming the spiral coils to the coil width may be approximately 0.07 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Alan L. Billings
  • Patent number: 7654296
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a single facer corrugator belt having a base structure. The base structure includes an inside and an outside surface and a machine or running direction and a cross machine direction. The base structure is formed by machine direction yarns and cross machine direction yarns and has grooves formed in a surface of the base structure. Alternatively, the corrugator belt may include includes holes formed in a surface of the base structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Alan L. Billings, Gregory Zilker
  • Patent number: 7591928
    Abstract: A spiral-link fabric comprised of connected sets of “chain mail” intertwined spiral coils. Alternating sets of two right-turn spiral coils and two left-turn spiral coils are repeatedly connected to form the body of the fabric. Within each set, the spiral coil loops are intertwined in a pattern which does not require fastening to connect the coils. The alternating sets are connected by interdigitating respective spiral coil loops and inserting a series of parallel pintles extending through the channels formed by the interdigitated loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Alan L. Billings, Curtis L. Gardner
  • Patent number: 7575659
    Abstract: A spiral-link fabric for use in a papermaking machine or the like. The spiral-link fabric may include a plurality of spiral coils arranged in a predetermined manner such that adjacent ones of side-by-side spiral coils are interdigitated with each other so as to form a channel and interconnected by a pintle extending through the channel. At least some of the plurality of spiral coils have a coil width of approximately 12 mm or larger. The ratio of coil thickness to coil width may be approximately 0.5 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Alan L. Billings
  • Patent number: 7172982
    Abstract: An industrial fabric having improved sheet restraint and wear resistance along with acceptable permeability. The improvement is effected by coating only the high spots of the fabric with silicone material. The coating methods used in this invention may include kiss roll coating, gravure roll coating, rotogravure printing, rotary screen coating, screen-printing and/or flexography. The improvement is also applicable to corrugator fabrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Adam J. Jaglowski, Alan L. Billings
  • Patent number: 6926804
    Abstract: A multi-tier fabric loading harness for installing a fabric onto a papermaking machine. The loading harness has a first portion with a supporting rigid member that attaches to an end of the fabric in the cross-machine direction and a plurality of apertures spaced across its width. The first tier is formed by a rope sequentially laced through the apertures to form self-aligning loops. A second rope is sequentially laced through the loops of the first tier to form self-aligning loops for a second tier. A pull ring gathers the loops of the second tier and is used to pull the fabric onto the papermaking machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Curtis L. Gardner, Alan L. Billings
  • Patent number: 6880583
    Abstract: A papermaking or other industrial fabric formed from a base fabric and having a seam where a first end of the base fabric is attached to a second end of the base fabric. At least one preformed coil is used to attach the first end of the base fabric to the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Alan L. Billings
  • Publication number: 20040127129
    Abstract: A monofilament with longitudinally oriented grooves and fabrics made thereof having reduced air permeability, wherein the reduced permeability is achieved without using additional coatings or stuffer yarns. Bicomponent monofilaments made from these grooved monofilaments using solution or wire coating have improved coating adhesion and may also include a conductive coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Shuiyuan Luo, Alan L. Billings
  • Publication number: 20040126544
    Abstract: An industrial fabric having improved sheet restraint and wear resistance along with acceptable permeability. The improvement is effected by coating only the high spots of the fabric with silicone material. The coating methods used in this invention may include kiss roll coating, gravure roll coating, rotogravure printing, rotary screen coating, screen-printing and/or flexography. The improvement is also applicable to corrugator fabrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Adam J. Jaglowski, Alan L. Billings
  • Publication number: 20040094280
    Abstract: A multi-tier fabric loading harness for installing a fabric onto a papermaking machine. The loading harness has a first portion with a supporting rigid member that attaches to an end of the fabric in the cross-machine direction and a plurality of apertures spaced across its width. The first tier is formed by a rope sequentially laced through the apertures to form self-aligning loops. A second rope is sequentially laced through the loops of the first tier to form self-aligning loops for a second tier. A pull ring gathers the loops of the second tier and is used to pull the fabric onto the papermaking machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventors: Curtis L. Gardner, Alan L. Billings
  • Publication number: 20030221739
    Abstract: A papermaking or other industrial fabric formed from a base fabric and having a seam where a first end of the base fabric is attached to a second end of the base fabric. At least one preformed coil is used to attach the first end of the base fabric to the second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventor: Alan L. Billings
  • Patent number: 6470944
    Abstract: An unlaminated belt for a single-facer section of a corrugated board production line has a single base structure in the form of an endless loop lacking a seam. The base structure is made up of yarns oriented in the machine, or running, and cross-machine directions of the belt. At least one layer of staple fiber material is needled into the outside of the base structure, extends at least partly therethrough, and forms a layer on the outside of the base structure. The base structure, once so needled, is impregnated with a polymeric resin material. The yarns of the base structure, the staple fiber material and the polymeric resin material are all of high-temperature-resistant materials to enable the belt to withstand the conditions under which it must operate on a corrugator machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Alan L. Billings, Bernard Lantiegne