Abstract: A base fabric for press felts and a press felt incorporating that base fabric which includes an assembly of three or more separately woven fabric layers. Each of the woven fabric layers making up the base fabric assembly is a single or multilayer fabric, and they may be of the same or different weave patterns. The three or more fabric layers are assembled, one above the other and needled together with at least one batt layer on the papermaking surface of the felt. Preferably, the yarns on the top surface of the top fabric will, by virtue of the weave of the fabric, have long floats in the machine and/or cross machine direction to provide good paper web support. The bottom and intermediate fabric layers may also have long cross machine direction floats on their top surfaces to support the fabric or fabrics above.

Abstract: An improved papermakers' press felt and a method to make such an improved press felt, for use in papermaking, cellulose and similar machines, including a base fabric assembly joined without seaming. In one embodiment, the ends of the base fabric are joined to create an endless fabric by a needling operation that also entangles the batt into the base fabric. The ends to be joined to the flat-woven base fabric are preferably cut on a diagonal. To produce this fabric, a flat-woven base fabric is cut to the proper dimensions for a press felt and rolled into two continuous loops, one inside the other, to form the base fabric assembly. Alternatively, two flat-woven base fabrics of the appropriate size for a press felt are used. Each fabric is rolled once to form a loop and the two loops are assembled, one within the other, to form the base fabric assembly.