Fabric with three vertically stacked wefts with twinned forming wefts
AssigneeAlbany International Corp.
InventorsDavid S. Rougvie, Jeffrey Joseph Collegnon, John LaFond
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims16
A papermaker's fabric comprising:
- a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer of cross-machine direction (CD) wefts;
- a system of machine-direction (MD) yarns interwoven with the top, middle, and bottom layers of CD wefts;
- wherein the CD wefts in the top layer are grouped into twinned pairs to produce a non-uniform spacing between wefts in the top layer;
- wherein the CD wefts in the middle layer provide extra stability in the CD;
- and
- one of the CD wefts in each top-layer pair being vertically stacked with the CD wefts in the middle layer and bottom layer;
- the other CD weft in each top-layer pair vertically offset from the stacked middle and bottom layer CD wefts, thereby increasing drainage of the fabric.
A papermaker's fabric comprising:
- a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer of cross-machine direction (CD) wefts;
- a system of machine-direction (MD) yarnsinterwoven with the top, middle, and bottom layers of CD wefts;
- wherein the CD wefts in the top layer are grouped into twinned pairs to produce a non-uniform spacing between wefts in the top layer, and wherein the non-uniform spacing between wefts in the top layer has a spacing ratio between 1:1.5 and 1:20;
- wherein the CD wefts in the middle layer provide extra stability in the CD;
- and
- one of the CD wefts in each top-layer pair being vertically stacked with the CD wefts in the middle layer and bottom layer;
- the other CD weft in each top-layer pair vertically offset from the stacked middle and bottom layer CD wefts, thereby increasing drainage of the fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.