Abstract: Foraminous members useful in making paper webs. The foraminous member of this invention has a macroscopically monoplanar, patterned, continuous network surface which serves to define within the member a plurality of discrete, isolated, deflection conduits. A foraminous woven element, such as a screen, is thoroughly coated with liquid photosensitive resin to a controlled depth above the upper surface of the woven element. A mask or a negative having opaque and transparent regions which define the pattern is brought into contact with the surface of the liquid photosensitive resin and the resin is exposed to light of an activating wavelength through the mask. The resin exposed to the activating light is hardened (cured). Uncured resin is removed from the composite leaving behind the woven element with the solid network formed by the cured resin.

Abstract: An extensible multi-ply tissue paper product having high tensile energy absorption (TEA); high liquid absorbency; and, preferably, high tensile strength efficiency. The product comprises plies which are preferably embossed and discontinuously adhered together. The product has high tensile energy absorption by virtue of having substantial extensibility in the machine direction which, preferably, results from its constituent plies having substantial MD extensibility induced by having undergone wet and/or dry foreshortening during their manufacture. The product has synergistically high liquid absorbency by virtue of at least two plies of the product having sufficiently different stress/strain properties that one ply will sufficiently constrain unadhered portions of the other ply from being elongated in the plane of the paper when wetted that such unadhered portions of the constrained ply will pucker in the Z-direction as its foreshortening-induced internal stresses are relieved.

Abstract: Papermachine clothing, for instance, a loop of imprinting fabric, is disclosed which is so woven that a top-surface-plane thereof is defined by coplanar crossovers of filaments of at least two sets of filaments (i.e., warp and shute filaments) and so that sub-top-surface crossovers are distributed in a predetermined pattern throughout the clothing. Specific weaves are disclosed wherein the top-surface crossovers act corporately to define a top surface comprising a bilaterally staggered array of wicker-basket-like cavities which cavities each span at least one sub-top-surface crossover. Such clothing is particularly useful for making soft, absorbent paper of relatively low density, and relatively isotropic stretch properties when creped.

Abstract: An improved process to produce a novel tissue which becomes ply-separable during the papermaking process. In a first embodiment of the invention a two-layered stratified web is formed, having a first layer comprised of a relatively low consistency slurry of long papermaking fibers and a second layer comprised of a high consistency slurry of relatively short papermaking fibers. In a second embodiment of the invention, a stratified web having three layers is formed, comprised of well-bonded layers separated by an interior barrier layer. These improved tissue products need not be creped from a creping roll with a doctor blade in order to exhibit ply-separability, and they may be creped in a single step to form a finished product which is creped all the way through.

Abstract: Wet-laid paper having, when creped, improved bulk, softness, and flexibility; a relatively large cross-machine-direction to machine-direction stretch ratio; and improved burst to total tensile strength ratio. The paper is characterized by an array of uncompressed zones which are in staggered relation in both the machine direction and the cross-machine direction; and by having each uncompressed zone defined by a picket-like discontinuous lineament of compacted fibrous material. The invention also includes a process for making the paper through the use of an imprinting fabric which is configured to precipitate the requisite compacting of the picket-like lineaments prior to final drying and creping of the paper.