Seaming of spirally wound paper machine clothing
AssigneeAlbany International Corp.
InventorsMichael Glenn Moriarty, Michael A. Royo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims28
A papermaker's fabric comprising a fabric strip woven from lengthwise yarns and crosswise yarns, said fabric strip having a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a first lip along said first lateral edge, a second lip along said second lateral edge, a first gap adjacent to and inward of said first lip, a second gap adjacent to and inward of said second lip, and a body between said first gap and said second gap, said first lip and said second lip each having at least one lengthwise yarn woven with said crosswise yarns, said first gap and said second gap each lacking lengthwise yarns, having fewer crosswise yarns per unit area than said body, and having unbound lengths of said crosswise yarns connecting said first lip and said second lip, respectively, to said body, said first lip being no wider than said second gap and said second lip being no wider than said first gap, said fabric strip being spirally wound in a plurality of contiguous turns, wherein said first lip is disposed in said second gap in an adjacent turn thereof, and wherein said second lip is disposed in said first gap in said adjacent turn, thereby forming a spirally continuous seam separating adjacent turns of said fabric strip from one another, said spirally continuous seam being closed by attaching each turn of said fabric strip to those adjacent thereto without use of a hinge or pintle pin, thereby providing an endless papermaker's fabric having a machine direction, a cross-machine direction, an inner surface and an outer surface.
A method for manufacturing a papermaker's fabric comprising the steps of:
- a) manufacturing a fabric strip woven from lengthwise yarns and crosswise yarns, said fabric strip having a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a first lip along said first lateral edge, a second lip along said second lateral edge, a first gap adjacent to and inward of said first lip, a second gap adjacent to and inward of said second lip, and a body between said first gap and said second gap, said first lip and said second lip each having at least one lengthwise yarn woven with said crosswise yarns, said first gap and said second gap each lacking lengthwise yarns, having fewer crosswise yarns per unit area than said body, and having unbound lengths of said crosswise yarns connecting said first lip and said second lip, respectively, to said body, said first lip being no wider than said second gap and said second lip being no wider than said first gap;
- b) spirally winding said fabric strip in a plurality of turns, wherein said first lip is disposed in said second gap in an adjacent turn thereof, and wherein said second lip is disposed in said first gap in an adjacent turn thereof, thereby forming a spirally continuous seam separating adjacent turns of said fabric strip from one another;
- and
- c) attaching each turn of said fabric strip to that adjacent thereto without use of a hinge or pintle pin, thereby providing an endless papermaker's fabric having a machine direction, a cross-machine direction, an inner surface and an outer surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.