Patents by Inventor John J. LaFond

John J. LaFond 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: 9453303
    Abstract: A fabric structure used to make textured tissue or towel or nonwovens, the structure being permeable to air and water, comprising a sheet contact surface having a pattern including a series of raised land areas and corresponding depressions adapted to impart a texture to the tissue or towel or nonwoven, and a series of through voids adapted to allow passage of both water and/or air from the fabric surface into and/or through the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, Francis L. Davenport, Pierre Riviere, John J. Lafond, Jonas Karlsson, Jean-Louis Monnerie
  • Patent number: 8801880
    Abstract: The invention relates to ultrasonic gap welding of flat woven fabrics. Specifically, the invention relates to a method of ultrasonic welding the seam termination yarn ends of a fabric using a controlled gap. A mechanical stop may be employed to control the distance or gap between the horn and anvil to a predetermined level based on the depth of welding and amount of weld energy. By adding another degree of control, the ultrasonic gap welding technique of the present invention is able to achieve fabric seams that are stronger than conventional seams, and even those enhanced with gluing, and is conducive to formation of fabric seams by spot welding or along the termination yarn ends of the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: John J LaFond, Jennifer L Bowden, Lynn F Kroll, Joseph Botelho
  • Patent number: 8758569
    Abstract: A fabric structure used to make textured nonwoven products, the structure being permeable to air and water, comprising a web contact surface having a pattern including a series of raised land areas and corresponding depressions adapted to impart a texture to the nonwoven product produced thereon, and a series of through voids adapted to allow passage of both water and/or air from the fabric surface into and/or through the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, Francis L. Davenport, Pierre Riviere, John J. Lafond, Jonas Karlsson, Jean-Louis Monnerie
  • Patent number: 8366878
    Abstract: A structuring layer of a structuring belt for structuring a wet fibrous web in a press section of a tissue papermaking machine for manufacturing high bulk tissue paper, the structuring layer having a web-carrying side with a surface for cooperating with the fibrous web, the surface having depressions distributed over the web-carrying side and forming a three-dimensional structure of the surface. The depressions altogether constitute 20-80% of the surface. Each depression has a dimension l of 0.25-2.5 mm in a first direction in the plane of the top surface area, a dimension b of 0.25-2.0 mm in a second direction in the plane of the top surface area, such directions being at right angles to each other, a mean depth d of 0.05-0.6 mm, and an area a as measured in the plane of the top surface area of 0.063-5.0 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Ingvar Berndt Erik Klerelid, Ola Thomasson, Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P Johnson, John J LaFond
  • Publication number: 20120267063
    Abstract: A structuring layer of a structuring belt for structuring a wet fibrous web in a press section of a tissue papermaking machine for manufacturing high bulk tissue paper, the structuring layer having a web-carrying side with a surface for cooperating with the fibrous web, the surface having depressions distributed over the web-carrying side and forming a three-dimensional structure of the surface. The depressions altogether constitute 20-80% of the surface. Each depression has a dimension l of 0.25-2.5 mm in a first direction in the plane of the top surface area, a dimension b of 0.25-2.0 mm in a second direction in the plane of the top surface area, such directions being at right angles to each other, a mean depth d of 0.05-0.6 mm, and an area a as measured in the plane of the top surface area of 0.063-5.0 mm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Ingvar Berndt Erik KLERELID, Ola Thomasson, Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, John J. LaFond
  • Patent number: 8216427
    Abstract: A structuring layer of a structuring belt for structuring a wet fibrous web in a press section of a tissue papermaking machine for manufacturing high bulk tissue paper, the structuring layer having a web-carrying side with a surface for cooperating with the fibrous web, the surface having depressions distributed over the web-carrying side and forming a three-dimensional structure of the surface. The depressions altogether constitute 20-80% of the surface. Each depression has a dimension l of 0.25-2.5 mm in a first direction in the plane of the top surface area, a dimension b of 0.25-2.0 mm in a second direction in the plane of the top surface area, such directions being at right angles to each other, a mean depth d of 0.05-0.6 mm, and an area a as measured in the plane of the top surface area of 0.063-5.0 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Ingvar Berndt Erik Klerelid, Ola Thomasson, Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, John J. LaFond
  • Patent number: 8202396
    Abstract: A clothing for structuring a wet fibre web (1?) in a press section of a tissue papermaking machine is described which has a three-dimensional woven structure forming elevations (62) and depressions (63), said elevations, like the depressions, are repeated and distributed to form a pattern of polygonal, geometrically similar smallest unitary surfaces (64), each of said unitary surfaces having an area a and covering a plurality of depressions with the mean depth d. According to the invention, the area a and the mean depth d of each unitary surface (64) are adapted in relation to each other in such a way that, calculated by the length unit mm, their ratio is equal to or greater than 30 mm, wherein a is selected within the range of 1.0-3.0 mm2 and d is selected within the range of 0.03-0.09 mm. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a creped tissue paper web by using said structuring clothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Magnus Hultcrantz, Ingvar Klerelid, Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, John J. Lafond
  • Publication number: 20120027997
    Abstract: A fabric structure used to make textured tissue or towel or nonwovens, the structure being permeable to air and water, comprising a sheet contact surface having a pattern including a series of raised land areas and corresponding depressions adapted to impart a texture to the tissue or towel or nonwoven, and a series of through voids adapted to allow passage of both water and/or air from the fabric surface into and/or through the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, Francis L. Davenport, Pierre Riviere, John J. Lafond, Jonas Karlsson, Jean-Louis Monnerie
  • Publication number: 20110272112
    Abstract: A fabric structure used to make textured nonwoven products, the structure being permeable to air and water, comprising a web contact surface having a pattern including a series of raised land areas and corresponding depressions adapted to impart a texture to the nonwoven product produced thereon, and a series of through voids adapted to allow passage of both water and/or air from the fabric surface into and/or through the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, Francis L. Davenport, Pierre Riviere, John J. Lafond, Jonas Karlsson, Jean-Louis Monnerie
  • Publication number: 20110088859
    Abstract: A clothing for structuring a wet fibre web (1?) in a press section of a tissue papermaking machine is described which has a three-dimensional woven structure forming elevations (62) and depressions (63), said elevations, like the depressions, are repeated and distributed to form a pattern of polygonal, geometrically similar smallest unitary surfaces (64), each of said unitary surfaces having an area a and covering a plurality of depressions with the mean depth d. According to the invention, the area a and the mean depth d of each unitary surface (64) are adapted in relation to each other in such a way that, calculated by the length unit mm, their ratio is equal to or greater than 30 mm, wherein a is selected within the range of 1.0-3.0 mm2 and d is selected within the range of 0.03-0.09 mm. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a creped tissue paper web by using said structuring clothing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Magnus Hultcrantz, Ingvar Klerelid, Bo-Christer Aberg, Cary P. Johnson, John J. Lafond
  • Publication number: 20100323148
    Abstract: The invention relates to ultrasonic gap welding of flat woven fabrics. Specifically, the invention relates to a method of ultrasonic welding the seam termination yarn ends of a fabric using a controlled gap. A mechanical stop may be employed to control the distance or gap between the horn and anvil to a predetermined level based on the depth of welding and amount of weld energy. By adding another degree of control, the ultrasonic gap welding technique of the present invention is able to achieve fabric seams that are stronger than conventional seams, and even those enhanced with gluing, and is conducive to formation of fabric seams by spot welding or along the termination yarn ends of the fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: John J. LAFOND, Jennifer L. Bowden, Lynn F. Kroll, Joseph Botelho
  • Patent number: 7794555
    Abstract: The invention relates to ultrasonic gap welding of flat woven fabrics. Specifically, the invention relates to a method of ultrasonic welding the seam termination yarn ends of a fabric using a controlled gap. A mechanical stop may be employed to control the distance or gap between the horn and anvil to a predetermined level based on the depth of welding and amount of weld energy. By adding another degree of control, the ultrasonic gap welding technique of the present invention is able to achieve fabric seams that are stronger than conventional seams, and even those enhanced with gluing, and is conducive to formation of fabric seams by spot welding or along the termination yarn ends of the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: John J. LaFond, Jennifer L. Bowden, Lynn F. Kroll, Joseph Botelho
  • Patent number: 7644738
    Abstract: A through-air-drying (TAD) fabric for producing tissue paper and related products on a papermaking machine comprising a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with a plurality of weft yarns to produce warp and weft knuckles on a paper-side surface of the fabric, preferably to form an L-shaped knuckle pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Lynn F. Kroll, John J. LaFond
  • Publication number: 20090061151
    Abstract: The invention relates to ultrasonic gap welding of flat woven fabrics. Specifically, the invention relates to a method of ultrasonic welding the seam termination yarn ends of a fabric using a controlled gap. A mechanical stop may be employed to control the distance or gap between the horn and anvil to a predetermined level based on the depth of welding and amount of weld energy. By adding another degree of control, the ultrasonic gap welding technique of the present invention is able to achieve fabric seams that are stronger than conventional seams, and even those enhanced with gluing, and is conducive to formation of fabric seams by spot welding or along the termination yarn ends of the fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: John J. LaFond, Jennifer L. Bowden, Lynn F. Kroll, Joseph Botelho
  • Publication number: 20080236699
    Abstract: A through-air-drying (TAD) fabric for producing tissue paper and related products on a papermaking machine comprising a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with a plurality of weft yarns to produce warp and weft knuckles on a paper-side surface of the fabric, preferably to form an L-shaped knuckle pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Lynn F. Kroll, John J. LaFond
  • Patent number: 7300554
    Abstract: A multi-layer tissue forming fabric constructed so that the top forming surface has topographical differences measured as a plane difference between at least two top weft yarns. The plane difference—the difference in height between the two weft yarns—must be greater than zero. Using at least two different diameter, size, or shape weft yarns positioned at the same contour in the forming surface creates this plane difference and defines pocket areas in the forming surface of the tissue forming fabric. The pocket areas act to generate bulk, cross directional tensile, absorbency, and softness in a formed sheet of tissue, napkin, or towel paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: John J. LaFond, Cynthia Rose Mathe, Jeffrey Joseph Collegnon, Bruce Stowe