Apparatus with an impermeable transfer belt in a papermaking machine, and associated methods

An apparatus for transferring a wet tissue paper web from a press nip defined between two press members in a press section to a drying section of a papermaking machine, and for structuring the web, comprising:

• an impermeable transfer belt arranged in a loop such that the transfer belt passes through the press nip and the wet paper web passes through the press nip enclosed between a press felt and the transfer belt, said transfer belt having a surface in contact with the wet paper, and
• a permeable final fabric in form of a structuring fabric for transfer of the web onto a drying cylinder of said drying section, the structuring fabric having a structured surface and being arranged in a loop within which a suction transfer device is disposed, said suction transfer device having a suction zone in which suction is exerted through the structuring fabric, wherein:
• the surface of the transfer belt that contacts the wet paper web has a non-uniform distribution of microscopic-scale depressions, and
• the suction zone includes a transfer point spaced a distance D from the press nip in a machine direction along which the transfer belt runs, the transfer belt being arranged to bring the paper web into contact with the structuring fabric in the suction zone for a length L in the machine direction, such that suction is exerted on the paper web to transfer the paper web from the transfer belt onto the structuring fabric at the transfer point.