With Felt Structure Or Felt Composition Patents (Class 162/358.2)
  • Patent number: 7059361
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric having first and second layers of machine direction (MD) yarns interwoven with alternating first and second systems of cross-machine-direction (CD) yarns. The first system is comprised of first and second CD yarns while the second system is comprised of third, fourth, and fifth CD yarns. The first and second CD yarns form a binding pair of yarns which combine to weave each MD yarn in the first layer and cross between the first layer and the second layer. The fourth CD yarn weaves each MD yarn in the first layer. The fifth CD yarn weaves with at least one MD yarn in the second layer. The third CD yarn is positioned between the fourth and fifth CD yarns. The third, fourth, and fifth CD yarns are vertically-stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Rita Hansson
  • Patent number: 7048012
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric, usable in the forming section of a paper machine, having two layers of cross-machine-direction (CD) yarns. Interwoven with the CD yarns is a system of MD yarns. At least some of the MD yarns are grouped into alternating pairs comprising a crossing pair having a first MD yarn and a second MD yarn and a second pair having a third MD yarn and a fourth MD yarn. The first MD yarn and the second MD yarn combine to weave each CD yarn in the first layer and cross between the first layer and the second layer. The left and right warp yarns in the pairs are aligned in such a way that like adjacent yarns from adjacent pairs have MD cell lengths greater than or less than the MD cell lengths from non-like adjacent yarns from adjacent pairs. The third MD yarn is interwoven with the first layer of CD yarns and the fourth MD yarn is interwoven with the second layer of CD yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Chad A. Martin, Scott Quigley
  • Patent number: 7036533
    Abstract: The woven fabric belt device includes a connecting device (7a?; 7b?) located at at least one end of the woven fabric belt (20?, 21?). The connecting device is connectable to another connecting device (7b?; 7a?) of the same belt or of another one through a detachable connecting means (9?). A number of certain longitudinal yarns (2?, 2?) are removed or extend from the fabric (20?) along a section (4?, 4?) assigned to the end of the woven fabric belt. According to the teachings of the invention, the removed or extending sections (4?, 4?) of the longitudinal yarns (2?, 2?) are arranged so as to rest on at least one side of the woven fabric belt (20?, 21?) in a region located in front of the connecting device (7a?; 7b?) so that a support (10?; 10?) for protecting the connecting devices (7a?; 7b?) Is provided when the woven fabric belt travels over a working area (AF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Huyck Austria GES.M.B.
    Inventor: Gerhard Eckhardt
  • Patent number: 7032625
    Abstract: A multi-layer on-machine-seamable press fabric having a single or double layer weave over the seam loops where the warp ends are not normally woven with CD yarns. The CD yarns woven into the layer(s) over the seam loops provide the fabric with substantially similar characteristics—including caliper and water permeability—in the seam area as in the remainder of the fabric. Hence, the press fabric provides a solution to the problem of non-uniformity in the seam area, which often results in sheet marking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Bjorn Rydin
  • Patent number: 7022208
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing and a papermaker's or industrial fabric, which includes the application of a polymeric resin material onto preselected discrete locations on a base substrate in a controlled manner in droplets having an average diameter of 10? (10 microns) to point bond yarns, bond spiral wound strips together or to bond layers of a fabric together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Francis L. Davenport, Charles E. Kramer, Joseph G. O'Connor, Maurice Paquin
  • Patent number: 7007722
    Abstract: A forming fabric having a set of paper side warp yarns, which interlace with both a set of paper side weft yarns and a set of binder wefts and a set of machine side warp yarns which interlace with a set of machine side weft yarns and the set of binder weft yarns, whereby the binder weft yarns are disposed in groups of at least two, and whereby both binder weft yarns of at least one binder group, in total, form fewer knuckles over the paper side warp yarns than the paper side weft yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Voith Paper Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Scott Quigley, Jim Kramer, James Brewster, Stewart Lister Hay
  • Patent number: 7008512
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric, usable in the forming section of a paper machine, has three layers of cross-machine-direction (CD) wefts. The forming layer wefts are grouped into pairs. This twinning of the top-layer wefts results in non-equal spacing in the forming layer. This spacing imparts a desired non-uniformity in the web-supporting surface, thereby reducing the fabric diagonal problem. One of the top-layer wefts in each pair is vertically stacked with the middle and wear side layer wefts. The other top-layer wefts in each pair are unstacked. This alignment increases the drainage properties of the fabric. The middle layer wefts provide extra stability in the CD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: David S. Rougvie, Jeffrey Joseph Collegnon, John LaFond
  • Patent number: 7005043
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing and a papermaker's or industrial fabric, such as a dryer fabric for the dryer section of a paper machine, includes the application of a polymeric resin material onto preselected locations on the backside of a base substrate using a piezojet array which deposits the polymeric resin material in droplets having an average diameter of 10? (10 microns) or more to build up discrete, discontinuous deposits of the polymeric resin material having a height of about 0.5 mm at the preselected locations. The preselected locations may be the knuckles formed by the interweaving of the yarns making up the fabric. The purpose of the deposits is to separate the backside of the dryer fabric from a surface, such as that of a dryer cylinder or turning roll, to enable air trapped between the dryer fabric and the surface to escape in lengthwise and crosswise directions parallel to the surface, instead of being forced through the fabric, possibly causing “drop off”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Mary M. Toney, Maurice Paquin
  • Patent number: 7005041
    Abstract: The invention concerns a paper machine belt (1) having end edges (6, 7) extending transversely to the running direction, and having longitudinal yarns (3) that go as far as the end edges (6, 7), the end edges (6, 7) being connected to one another by way of a coupling device (8; 31; 41) that has complementary coupling elements (9, 10; 32, 33; 42, 43) which are connected to longitudinal yarns (3) and to which are attached coupling members (26; 35, 36; 45, 46) that are connected to one another in hinge-like fashion. The paper machine belt is characterized in that on at least one of the end edges (6, 7), the coupling element(s) (9, 10; 32, 33; 42, 43) is/are connected to the longitudinal yarns (3) via insertion connections. The invention furthermore refers to a method for creating a connection of the end edges (6, 7) of such a paper machine belt (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Heimbach GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Walter Best
  • Patent number: 6998024
    Abstract: Highly textured tissue sheets, particularly suitable for use as bath tissue, are produced by throughdrying and have a low number and/or low amount of pinholes. The low number or amount of pinholes is provided by using a throughdrying fabric having parallel wide ridges with a height suited to the particular tissue sheet being produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Burazin, Cristina Asensio Muilally, Andrew Peter Bakken
  • Patent number: 6998023
    Abstract: Papermachine clothing comprising a woven or non-woven support layer, a non-woven layer comprising ultra-coarse non-continuous fibers orientated close to the intended running directions of the clothing and two further layers of batt each comprising conventional somewhat finer staple fibers predominantly aligned close to the cross-machine direction. The ultra-coarse non-continuous fiber layer may comprise two such layers, one of which is biassed at an angle A to the running direction X of the clothing, the other of which is biased at an opposite angle B to the running direction X to provide a layer whose fibers while being substantially orientated in the machine direction also have a bi-axial construction with a cross-orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Voith Fabrics Heidenheim GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Robert L. Crook
  • Patent number: 6926043
    Abstract: A forming fabric has a paperside warp layer and a machine side warp layer. The fabric comprises at least one set of machine side wefts and at least one set of weft triplets, the weft triplets together forming two continuous weft paths on the paperside. All of the weft triplets interweave with at least some paperside warps and at least some machine side warps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Voith Fabrics GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Scott David Quigley, James Michael Kramer, James Loy Brewster
  • Patent number: 6918998
    Abstract: An on-machine-seamable industrial fabric comprising rings connected by pintles. In one principal embodiment, the rings are oriented in the machine direction and the pintles extend at an angle, connecting the rings. Such configuration improves the strength of the fabric and provides resistance to needling damage. In another principal embodiment, the rings are oriented in the cross-machine direction and the pintles extend in the machine direction, joining the rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Robert A. Hansen
  • Patent number: 6905574
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric, usable in the forming section of a paper machine, has a top layer and a bottom layer of machine-direction (MD) warps and cross-machine direction (CD) wefts and a triplet of CD binder yarns interwoven with the top and bottom fabric layers. The triplet of binder yarns combine to weave a plain pattern in the top layer, thereby reducing sheet marking and providing a high level of web support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Bernard Festor
  • Patent number: 6899142
    Abstract: A fabric belt for a corrugated cardboard gluing machine has a first fabric layer for receiving tensile forces. The first fabric layer is made of warp threads and weft threads. A second fabric layer covers the first fabric layer and is made of warp threads and weft threads. The second fabric layer forms an upper paper side of the fabric belt. The first and second fabric layers are interwoven by binding threads. The fabric belt has drainage channels penetrating the fabric belt at least partially, wherein the drainage channels remove moisture from the second fabric layer and the upper paper side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Mühlen Sohn GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Armin Birzele
  • Patent number: 6896771
    Abstract: This invention relates to porous paper machine clothing (1, 11, 21) for de-watering a paper web in a paper machine, comprising a filament lay-up made of at least one layer (2, 12, 22) of longitudinal filaments (3, 13, 23) and at least one layer (4, 14, 24) of transverse filaments (5, 6, 7; 15; 25) which cross the longitudinal filaments (3, 13, 23), wherein the longitudinal and transverse filaments (3, 13, 23; 5, 6, 7; 15; 25) are single-component filaments, which is characterised in that the longitudinal and transverse filaments (3, 13, 23; 5, 6, 7; 15; 25) are fused at crossing points (8, 16, 27) to each other and/or to parts (17, 18, 19) joining them as a result of heating to the melting temperature which is restricted to said crossing points (8, 16, 27). The invention further relates to a method of producing porous paper machine clothing such as this.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Heimbach GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Walter Best, Christian Molls
  • Patent number: 6878238
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an endless non-woven tissue making fabric having a three-dimensional texture suitable for use as a fabric for producing three-dimensional fibrous webs. The endless non-woven tissue making fabric comprises a plurality of substantially parallel adjoining sections of non-woven material. Each section of non-woven material has a width substantially less than the width of the non-woven tissue making fabric. Each section of non-woven material may be joined to at least one other adjoining section of non-woven material. The non-woven tissue making fabric has a machine direction, a cross-machine direction, a tissue contacting surface and a tissue machine contacting surface. The tissue contacting surface comprises solid matter at a plurality of heights such that the tissue contacting surface of the non-woven tissue making fabric has an Overall Surface Depth of at least 0.2 mm in regions of solid matter on the tissue contacting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Peter Bakken, Mark Alan Burazin, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay
  • Patent number: 6875315
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an endless non-woven tissue making fabric. The endless non-woven tissue making fabric has a machine direction, cross-machine direction, a tissue machine contacting surface, a tissue contacting surface, a first side edge, and a second side edge. The non-woven tissue making fabric comprises a fabric strip of non-woven material comprising at least one layer of non-woven material. The fabric strip has a first edge, an opposing second edge, a machine direction, and a cross-machine direction. The fabric strip may be spirally wound in a plurality of contiguous turns wherein the first edge in a turn of the fabric strip extends beyond the second edge of an adjacent turn of the fabric strip, thereby forming a spirally continuous seam with adjacent turns of the fabric strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Peter Bakken, Mark Alan Burazin, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay
  • Patent number: 6875314
    Abstract: This invention relates to paper machine clothing, particularly a press felt, comprising a support and comprising filaments which are formed as profiled monofilaments (1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 18, 23, 24, 25) with a profile which differs from a circular cross-section, which is characterised in that profiled monofilaments (1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 18, 23, 24, 25) are present which are helically profiled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Heimbach GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Stefan Korfer, Dieter Telgmann
  • Patent number: 6872283
    Abstract: This invention relates to porous paper machine clothing (1, 11) for dewatering a paper web in a paper machine, comprising a filament lay-up made of at least one layer (2, 12) of longitudinal filaments (3, 13) and at least one layer (4, 14) of transverse filaments (5, 6, 7; 15) which cross the longitudinal filaments (3, 13), wherein the longitudinal and transverse filaments (3, 13; 5, 6, 7; 15) are adhesively bonded to each other via an adhesive at crossing points (8, 16). The invention further relates to a method of producing porous paper machine clothing such as this.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Heimbach GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Walter Best
  • Patent number: 6863777
    Abstract: A web of tissue is formed in a twin wire former, followed by an air press for water removal in the pressing section, passing onto a Yankee dryer. A headbox injects stock between upper and lower dryer fabrics brought together on a breast roll. The fabrics move over vacuum boxes, and the web is heated with steam and passed between an upper pressure box and a lower vacuum box forming an air press which dewaters the web. A sheet transfer pickup vacuum box holds the sheet to the upper fabric as the lower fabric diverges from the upper fabric. A pressure roller transfers the web onto a Yankee dryer. The fabrics are cleaned on vertical runs before returning to the breast roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignees: Metso Paper, Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Roger A. Kanitz, Thomas D. Rogers
  • Patent number: 6863776
    Abstract: Press section and process for dewatering a fibrous material web that includes a plurality of rolls arranged to form at least three nips and at least one endlessly circulating dewatering belt associated with each nip. Each at least one endlessly circulating dewatering belt is structured and arranged to guide the fibrous material web through its respective nip and to receive water squeezed out of the fibrous material web in the respective nip. The plurality of rolls include at least one press roll having a smooth surface arranged to contact a surface of the fibrous material web and an endlessly circulating, smooth transfer belt is structured and arranged to contact a surface of the fibrous material web opposite the surface contacting the smooth surface of the at least one press roll and to support the fibrous material web through at least one of the at least three nips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Voith Paper Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Begemann, Ingolf Cedra, Thomas Augscheller, Georg Kleiser
  • Patent number: 6835284
    Abstract: A one-and-a-half layer monofilament fabric for use as a low-caliper seamed press fabric on a papermaking machine. The fabric is endless woven with seaming loops formed by adjacent unstacked MD wefts. The seaming loops are oriented perpendicular to the plane of the base fabric for easier connection and seaming. When the fabric is placed under load, the loops collapse back to produce a seam area having the same low caliper as the base fabric. Further, this unstacked fabric structure produces a larger web cake than other fabrics having a similar caliper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Glenn Kornett
  • Patent number: 6827821
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Voith Fabrics Heidenheim GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: James Loy Brewster, John M. Thomas, Jeffrey Bruce Herman, Stewart Lister Hay
  • Publication number: 20040238143
    Abstract: To provide a sleeve for a press roll and a sleeve mounted press roll, wherein a cylindrical sleeve (1) to be used by externally mounting on a press roll (2) comprises a cylindrical main layer (11) composed with a composite material, where a fiber reinforcing material is bound with a matrix resin, the first cover layer (12) is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the main layer (11), and the second cover layer (13) is formed on an inner circumference surface of said main layer (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: ATSUSHI KITAMURA
    Inventors: Atsushi Kitamura, Yasuo Asakura
  • Publication number: 20040221914
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric, usable in the forming section of a paper machine, having a top layer and a bottom layer of cross-machine direction (CD) wefts. The top (forming) layer and bottom (wear side) layer are woven together to form a multi-layer fabric. CD packing yarns are inserted between adjacent wear side weft yarns. The packing yarns reduce the void volume on the wear side of the cloth without significantly disrupting the air permeability or increasing the caliper of the fabric. The placement of the packing yarns also adds to the CD stability and seam strength of the fabric and reduces the lateral movement of the wear side weft yarns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: Chad Aaron Martin
  • Publication number: 20040219346
    Abstract: A method of producing an endless belt includes the steps of: securing axial fibers relative to a mandrel, the axial fibers being spaced apart from one another at desired intervals and extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the mandrel; applying a polymeric base layer to the mandrel in a thickness sufficient to embed the axial fibers; wrapping circumferential fibers onto the polymeric base layer with sufficient tension to partially embed the circumferential fibers in the polymeric base layer; applying a polymeric top stock layer over the polymeric base layer and circumferential fibers; and curing the base layer and the top stock layer. This method can improve productivity and performance of endless belts, particularly if the wrapping and latter applying steps closely follow the first applying step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Eric Gustafson, Matthew Vosika, Michael P. Madden
  • Patent number: 6811849
    Abstract: The invention relates to a textile web, especially a textile-covered web for a paper-making machine, which, viewed from a transverse direction, is provided with several web sections (6, 7, 8, 19, 20, 27, 28) that extend parallel to one another in a lengthwise direction and are aligned adjacent to one another, with their lateral edges (9, 10, 11, 12, 21, 22, 29, 30) being attached to one another via fasteners (15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 33, 34). This textile web is characterized in that the adjacent lateral edges (10, 11, 21, 22, 29, 30) follow a meandering course with alternating projections (13, 23, 31) and recesses (14, 24, 32), and the web sections (6, 7, 8, 19, 20, 27, 28) are interlocked with one another via these projections (13, 23, 31) and recesses (14, 24, 32), and in that the fasteners (15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 33, 34) connect the projections (13, 23, 31) to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Thomas Josef Heimbach Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung & Co.
    Inventor: Walter Best
  • Publication number: 20040200594
    Abstract: Papermaking felt containing a hydrophilic urethane resin that can maintain functions such as water drainage, wet-paper smoothness, and wet-paper transportability by imparting a hydrophilic property to the papermaking felt thereby preventing the deposition and accumulation of adhesive contaminants without impairing the compression recoverability of the felt thus sustaining its antifouling capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: Ichikawa Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ouchi, Kazumasa Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6797121
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a press felt, a press felt and a base fabric. The press felt comprises a base fabric with a batt fiber layer attached on at least the surface facing a paper web. The base fabric is a laminate comprising at least two separate layers. For the base fabric, one or more base fabric modules are provided, which are assembled with a butt seam into a closed loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Tamfelt Oyj ABP
    Inventors: Kari Hyvönen, Heikki Rehakka, Tauno Virtanen
  • Publication number: 20040180596
    Abstract: An anti-rewet fabric is used for carrying a fiber web through an air press. The ant-rewet fabric includes at least one air distribution fabric layer, one air distribution fabric layer being configured for contacting the fiber web, and a perforated film layer and/or a spectra membrane, at least the perforated film layer being made of a polymeric or polyester film. At least the perforated film layer has a first film side and a second film side, the first film side being one of laminated and attached to the one air distribution fabric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventor: David A. Beck
  • Publication number: 20040173274
    Abstract: A press felt for papermaking comprises a base body, a fibrous assembly, and a three-dimensional knitted fabric within the interior of the felt. The base body and the knitted fabric may be in contact, or, for improved adhesion between the base body and the knitted fabric, a fibrous assembly may be disposed between the base body and the knitted fabric. Excellent compression recoverability and sustainability may be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Akira Onikubo, Hiroyuki Oda, Yasuhiko Kobayashi, Masufumi Shimodaira
  • Patent number: 6776878
    Abstract: An on-machine-seamable laminated multiaxial press fabric has a first base fabric and a second base fabric laminated to one another by needled staple fiber batt material. The first base fabric is a multiaxial fabric produced by spirally winding a fabric strip, flattening the endless loop produced by the spiral winding, and removing crosswise yarns at the ends of the flattened endless loop to form seaming loops. The second base fabric is an on-machine-seamable base fabric, which may also be mutiaxial. The press fabric is joined into endless form by interdigitating the seaming loops at the two ends of both base fabrics with one another to form a single passage through which a pintle is passed to join the press fabric into endless form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Steven S. Yook
  • Patent number: 6773553
    Abstract: A method of making a press felt, a press felt and a base fabric. The base fabric comprises a surface component on the surface facing the paper web to be dried and a base component below the surface component. The transverse jointing edges of the base component are provided with seam loops, by means of which the base component can be connected into a closed loop. At the first jointing edge of the base fabric the surface component extends for a predetermined distance longer than the base component and forms a seam flap that protects the seam area of the base component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Tamfelt Oyj Abp
    Inventors: Kari Hyvönen, Heikki Rehakka, Tauno Virtanen
  • Publication number: 20040149342
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric includes top MD yarns, top CMD yarns, bottom MD yarns, bottom CMD yarns and stitching yarns. The fabric is formed in a plurality of repeating units, each of the repeating units including a set of top MD yarns, a set of top CMD yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer, a set of four or eight bottom MD yarns, a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the set of four or eight bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer and a set of stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom fabric layers. The bottom MD yarns and the bottom CMD yarns are interwoven in a series of repeat units in which each of the bottom MD yarns passes below two nonadjacent bottom CMD yarns to form bottom machine direction knuckles, each bottom machine direction knuckle being separated from one adjacent knuckle formed by that bottom machine direction yarn by two bottom CMD yarns and separated from another adjacent knuckle by four CMD yarns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventor: Brian Troughton
  • Patent number: 6770172
    Abstract: A method of making a press felt, and a press felt. The press felt comprises a continuous base fabric in the lateral direction, and at least one batt fiber layer. The closed-loop base fabric is made of longitudinal and transverse yarns. The properties of the press felt, such as permeance, are arranged to be different in edge portions of the press felt from the midportion of the felt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Tamfelt Oyj Abp
    Inventors: Bo Rökman, Kari Hyvönen, Tauno Virtanen
  • Publication number: 20040144515
    Abstract: Nip press belt (9) of a wet press (1) or a calender with elongated nip, in particular for a paper, cardboard or tissue machine, with a flexible carrier layer (9a) that is impermeable to liquids and is made of soft rubber having a hardness in the range between 20 and 50 P+J and an integrated textile reinforcement (9b), and with a covering layer (9c) that is fixedly connected to the carrier layer or formed together therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventor: Franz Danzler
  • Patent number: 6752890
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a press fabric for a paper machine includes the attachment of a strip of top laminate layer material to a base fabric using a heat-activated adhesive film. The top laminate layer material may be a woven fabric, a nonwoven mesh, or a thermoplastic sheet material, and, in any case, has the heat-activated adhesive film bonded to one of its two sides. The strip of top laminate layer material and heat-activated adhesive film together form a multi-component strip, which is spiralled onto the outer surface of the base fabric, with the side of the strip of top laminate layer material having the heat-activated adhesive film against the outer surface, in a closed helix, and bonded thereto with heat and pressure. The portions of the multi-component strip overhanging the lateral edges of the base fabric are then trimmed, and a staple fiber batt is needled into and through the top laminate layer formed by the multi-component strip to firmly attach it to the base fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Maurice R. Paquin
  • Publication number: 20040112561
    Abstract: A shoe press belt capable of preventing occurrence and growth of cracks is provided. The shoe press belt is used for a paper-making press apparatus including a press roll (1), a belt (2), and a pressure shoe (3) for pressing a material web (5). The shoe press belt includes a reinforcing layer (6), a first elastic material layer (7), and a second elastic material layer (8). A number of grooves are formed at an exterior peripheral surface region of the first elastic material layer (7). A bottom of the groove (9a) at an axial end region (S3) of the belt corresponding to at least one of an end-proximate region (S2) in an axial direction of the pressure shoe (3) and an end-proximate region (S1) in an axial direction of the press roll (1) is protruding toward the reinforcing layer (6) relative to a bottom of a groove (9b) at a region other than the end region (S3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Atsuo Watanabe, Takahisa Hikida, Atsushi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20040104005
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Inventors: James Loy Brewster, John M. Thomas, Jeffrey Bruce Herman, Stewart Lister Hay
  • Patent number: 6743339
    Abstract: Use of an essentially impermeable transfer belt (16) for a soft tissue paper machine for conducting a soft tissue web (1) through a shoe press nip in the press section of the paper machine, and from the shoe press nip to a Yankee cylinder (5) in the dryer section of the paper machine in a closed draw. The Yankee cylinder forms, together with a transfer means (17), a transfer nip for transferring the soft tissue web from the transfer belt to the Yankee cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Albany Nordiskafilt AB
    Inventors: Göran Nilsson, Bo-Christer Åberg
  • Publication number: 20040094282
    Abstract: Nip press belt of a wet press or a calender with elongated nip, in particular for a paper, cardboard or tissue machine, with a flexible elastomer layer that is impermeable to liquids and with a textile reinforcing layer, wherein the elastomer layer comprises soft rubber with a hardness in the range between 5 and 100 P+J.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventor: Franz Danzler
  • Publication number: 20040094281
    Abstract: A stratified press fabric for the press section of a paper machine includes a base fabric in the form of an endless loop. A first staple fiber batt material is attached to the outer side of the base fabric by needling. A fine fabric covers the first staple fiber batt material, and a second staple fiber batt material is attached to the fine fabric by needling. The fibers making up the second staple fiber material are finer, that is, of smaller diameter or denier, than the fibers making up the first staple fiber material. The fine fabric prevents the coarser fibers of the first staple fiber batt material from being needled therethrough to mix with the finer fibers of the second fiber batt material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventor: Robert A. Hansen
  • Patent number: 6723208
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric is manufactured by spirally winding a laminated structure in a plurality of turns. The laminated structure has a bottom layer and a top layer, both of which are strips having a common width. The bottom layer and the top layer are laminated to one another in a transversely offset manner, so that an unlaminated portion of the bottom layer is along one lateral edge of the laminated structure and an unlaminated portion of the top layer is along the other lateral edge. When the laminated structure is spirally wound, the unlaminated portion of the top layer in one turn overlies the unlaminated portion of the bottom layer in an adjacent turn. These are joined to one another to form the papermaker's fabric from the spirally wound structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Robert A Hansen
  • Publication number: 20040069432
    Abstract: An anti-rewet press fabric for paper and board machines includes a barrier layer such that during compression in the press nip, the water is forced through the barrier layer, but is prevented from flowing back to the paper web during expansion. The barrier layer comprises a continuous material possessing, for example square, rectangular, tetrahedral, circular or oblong conical inclusions with a smaller opening on the bottom than on the top of the structure. Each of these “funnels” effectively constitutes a one-way valve and creates a vacuum to prevent re-absorption of water by the paper sheet. Under pressure, the structure of the barrier layer allows water to flow into the cones and out of the smaller opening in the bottom. Upon expansion, the smaller opening in the bottom of the structure restricts backward water flow and creates a vacuum on the other side. The vacuum increases water retention in the press fabric and prevents rewetting of the paper sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventor: Robert A. Hansen
  • Publication number: 20040065427
    Abstract: In a shoe press belt of a papermaking machine, the part of the paper web-facing layer in which water-holding grooves are formed is composed of a surface sublayer, having a relatively low hardness, and an underlying layer having a relatively high hardness. The higher hardness of the underlying layer prevents cracks from forming where the cross-sectional shape of the grooves tends to change as the belt is compressed. The lower hardness of the surface sublayer prevents the formation of cracks as a result of forces acting on the belt in the direction opposite to the machine direction at the nip location in a papermaking machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Applicant: Ichikawa Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 6716318
    Abstract: A papermaking press felt having excellent rewetting suppression without impaired water-squeezing capability, comprises a base body, batt layers, and a rewetting prevention layer, integrated with one another by needle punching. The rewetting prevention layer has three dimensional passages comprising a verge opening, a wet paper web side opening and a roll side opening. The wet paper web side opening is larger than the roll side opening. Under nip pressure, water from the wet paper web moves into the roll surface side of the felt, passing through the passages in the rewetting prevention layer. Although a rewetting phenomenon tends to occur when the press felt is released from the nip pressure, movement of water through the passages back to the wet paper web side of the felt is suppressed since the roll side openings are narrower than the wet paper web side opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Ichikawa Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6702927
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric is made by spirally winding a woven fabric strip. The fabric strip has first and second lateral edges, along which are a first and second lip, respectively. Each lip has at least one lengthwise yarn woven with crosswise yarns. Adjacent to and inward of the first and second lips on the fabric strip are a first and second gap, respectively, which lack lengthwise yarns but whose crosswise yarns join the lips to the body of the fabric strip. When spirally winding the fabric strip, the first lip is disposed within the second gap, and the second lip is disposed within the first gap, of adjacent turns to form a spirally continuous seam which is closed by attaching adjacent turns to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Glenn Moriarty, Michael A. Royo
  • Patent number: 6699366
    Abstract: A press fabric for the press section of a paper machine has a base fabric which includes a nonwoven mesh fabric. The base fabric, or a layer thereof, is assembled in integral form using a strip or strips of the nonwoven mesh fabric. The assembly may be effected by spirally winding the nonwoven mesh fabric in a plurality of non-overlapping turns, by abutting each turn of the nonwoven mesh fabric against that previously wound, and by joining each turn of the nonwoven mesh fabric to that previously wound to form an endless loop. Alternatively, a plurality of endless loops of equivalent length are formed from separate strips of nonwoven mesh fabric, and arranged in a side-by-side abutting relationship. The endless loops are then joined, one to the next, to provide a base fabric, or component thereof, in the form of an endless loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Paquin, James G. Donovan
  • Patent number: 6699362
    Abstract: Fine paper is manufactured in a paper machine by feeding stock into a headbox (100) from a short circulation the stock volume of which has been minimized, water is removed from the paper web (W) most advantageously in a gap former (250), in the press section (300) water is pressed out of the paper web (W) in an extended nip press (360), in the dryer section (400) impingement drying (450) is employed for the drying of the paper web (W), the paper web (W) is pre-calendered in a calender (900) employing low nip loads, both surfaces of the paper web (W) are precoated at the same time, after precoating (500) the paper web (W) is dried by means of contact-free drying (660), the paper web (W) is coated in an on-line coating station/stations (700, 800), after which the paper web (W) is at least partly dried in a drying section/sections (750, 850) by means of contact-free drying of the paper web (W), and the paper web (W) is calendered in an on-line calender (900) while the linear load in each nip is regulated separat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
    Inventor: Pentti Rautiainen