Seamed press felt with partially anchored stuffer yarn packager

A seamed press felt comprising:

• a base fabric having a CD width and an MD length with two opposing MD ends that are joined to form a continuous belt;
• MD oriented yarns form uniform loops at the two opposing MD ends that are interdigitated to define a pintle channel extending the CD width;
• CD oriented yarns connected to the MD oriented yarns;
• loop open spaces located within the loops on each of the two opposing MD ends in a seam region, the loop open spaces being defined between a last one of the CD yarns at each of the two opposing MD ends and the pintle channel;
• a stuffer package located in the loop open spaces on each of the two opposing MD ends, the stuffer package including at least one CD stuffer monofilament yarn having a diameter at least as large as a diameter of the CD oriented yarns, and at least two CD cabled monofilaments, each said CD cabled monofilament including at least 3 monofilament strands;
• a stitch that extends through at least a portion of the stuffer package and a portion of the base fabric at each of the two opposing MD ends, the stitch holds the at least one CD stuffer monofilament yarn and a first subset of the at least two CD cabled monofilaments in place in the loop open spaces and a second subset of the at least two CD cabled monofilaments is free-floating in the loop open spaces;
• and
• a pintle extending through the pintle channel to form a seam.