Abstract: A multilayer, woven fabric for use in a papermaking machine includes a self-sustaining top layer including a plurality of top machine direction yarns interwoven with a plurality of top cross-machine-direction yarns and a bottom layer including a plurality of bottom pairs of machine direction yarns interwoven with a plurality of bottom cross-machine-direction yarns. Each of the bottom cross-machine-direction yarns substantially vertically underlies a respective top cross-machine-direction yarn and each of the bottom pairs of machine direction yarns substantially vertically underlies a respective top machine direction yarn, with at least one of the machine direction yarns in at least some of the bottom pairs of machine direction yarns interweaving the bottom cross-machine-direction yarns to each other and to the top cross-machine-direction yarns of the top layer.

Abstract: A multilayer, woven fabric for use in a papermaking machine includes a self-sustaining top layer including a plurality of top machine direction yarns interwoven with a plurality of top cross-machine-direction yarns and a bottom layer including a plurality of bottom pairs of machine direction yarns interwoven with a plurality of bottom cross-machine-direction yarns. Each of the bottom cross-machine-direction yarns substantially vertically underlies a respective top cross-machine-direction yarn and each of the bottom pairs of machine direction yarns substantially vertically underlies a respective top machine direction yarn, with at least one of the machine direction yarns in at least some of the bottom pairs of machine direction yarns interweaving the bottom cross-machine-direction yarns to each other and to the top cross-machine-direction yarns of the top layer.

Abstract: Multilayer woven fabrics include first and second machine direction layers, each machine direction layer including machine direction yarns extending in the machine direction of movement of the fabric through a section of a papermaking machine. One of the machine direction layers includes a plurality of pairs of contiguous machine direction yarns; each pair being spaced apart in the cross-machine-direction of the fabric from an adjacent pair and being in substantially vertically stacked alignment with a single machine direction yarn, or a pair of machine direction yarns in the other machine direction layer.

Abstract: A web forming fabric has a machine direction of intended movement on a web forming machine and a cross-machine direction substantially normal to the machine direction. The fabric includes machine direction yarns disposed generally in the machine direction and transverse yarns disposed generally transversely to the machine direction. The fabric includes first and second substantially linear arrays of systematically distributed areas of high drainage on one side thereof. These linear arrays are oriented at an acute angle to the machine direction and at an acute angle to each other. The boundaries of each of the systematically distributed areas are defined by two pairs of adjacent sides; the adjacent sides of one pair being angled segments of one transversely extending yarn and the adjacent sides of the other pair being angled segments of a second transversely extending yarn contiguous to the one transversely extending yarn.

Abstract: A fabric employed in a web forming apparatus to form a patterned fibrous web includes at least one layer of yarns oriented in first and second directions and being woven to provide a lattice that separates a plurality of systematically distributed woven areas of a predetermined configuration that is defined by the pattern of the continuous lattice and with the systematically distributed woven areas including at least three yarns oriented in each of the first and second directions.

Abstract: A transfer configuration for a paper making machine, the transfer configuration being composed of: 1) a first carrier fabric having a first surface on which a fibrous web is transported to the transfer configuration at a first velocity; 2) a second carrier fabric having a second surface on which the fibrous web is transported away from the transfer configuration at a second velocity that is less than the first velocity; 3) a lengthened transfer zone that begins at a transfer shoe and terminates at a portion of a transfer head and has a machine direction oriented length ranging from about 0.