Formation of a fabric seam by ultrasonic gap welding of a flat woven fabric

A method of selectively welding areas within a seam area of an industrial fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a woven fabric having terminal yarn ends;
• (b) weaving the terminal yarn ends into the body of the fabric at discrete locations in the seam area, thereby seaming the woven fabric to take an endless form;
• (c) placing the seam area of step (b) between a horn and an anvil;
• (d) adjusting a distance between the horn and the anvil to a predetermined gap;
• and
• (e) welding The terminal yarn ends of step (b) to an adjacent yarn and/or to a yarn that the terminal yarn ends cross over, by applying energy for a predetermined length of time or until a predetermined amount of energy is absorbed by the terminal yarn ends,
• wherein a depth of weld is determined by the predetermined gap between the horn and the anvil.

An industrial fabric comprising:

• a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with a plurality of weft yarns;
• and
• a seam area wherein terminal yarn ends of one or more warp yarns and/or weft yarns are woven into the body of the fabric to place the fabric in an endless form, and wherein the terminal yarn ends in the seam area are welded to an adjacent yarn and/or to a yarn that the terminal yarn ends cross over using ultrasonic gap welding,
• wherein a depth of weld is determined by a predetermined gap between a horn and an anvil.