Granted Patent B2

US 7,219,701 · App. 11/235,760 · Granted May 22, 2007

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. A papermaking fabric, comprising a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including:

a set of top machine direction (MD) yarns;

a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns;

a first set of bottom MD yarns, the first set of bottom MD yarns arranged in pairs;

a second set of bottom MD yarns, the second set of bottom MD yarns arranged as single yarns;

a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the first and second sets of bottom MD yarns; and

a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching a respective immediately adjacent bottom MD yarn of the second set;

wherein each of the yarns of a pair of the first set of bottom MD yarns interweaves with the bottom CMD yarns in the same pattern.

2. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 1 , wherein the yarns of the first set of bottom MD yarns form knuckles below individual bottom CMD yarns.

3. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 2 , wherein the yarns of the first set of bottom MD yarns pass over between 2 and 4 bottom CMD yarns between the knuckles formed under bottom CMD yarns.

4. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 1 , wherein the yarns of the second set of bottom MD yarns form knuckles below individual bottom CMD yarns.

5. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 4 , wherein the yarns of the first set of bottom MD yarns form knuckles below the individual bottom CMD yarns.

6. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 4 , wherein the yarns of the second set pass over between 2 and 4 bottom CMD yarns between the knuckles formed under bottom CMD yarns.

7. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 4 , wherein each stitching yarn forms a knuckle under a bottom CMD yarn.

8. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 7 , wherein each stitching yarn knuckle is formed under the bottom CMD yarn under which the immediately adjacent bottom CMD yarn of the second set forms a knuckle.

9. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 1 , wherein the top MD yarns, the stitching yarns, and the top CMD yarns interweave to form a plain weave papermaking surface.

10. A papermaking fabric, comprising a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including:

a set of top machine direction (MD) yarns;

a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns;

a first set of bottom MD yarns, the first set of bottom MD yarns arranged in pairs;

a second set of bottom MD yarns, the second set of bottom MD yarns arranged as single yarns;

a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the first and second sets of bottom MD yarns; and

a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching a respective immediately adjacent bottom MD yarn of the second set;

wherein each of the yarns of a pair of the first set of bottom MD yarns interweaves with the bottom CMD yarns in the same pattern; and

wherein each pair of bottom MD yarns of the first set is positioned beneath a top MD yarn.

11. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 10 , wherein the yarns of the first set of bottom MD yarns form knuckles below individual bottom CMD yarns.

12. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 11 , wherein the yarns of the first set of bottom MD yarns pass over between 2 and 4 bottom CMD yarns between the knuckles formed under bottom CMD yarns.

13. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 10 , wherein the yarns of the second set of bottom MD yarns forms knuckles below individual bottom CMD yarns.

14. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 13 , wherein the yarns of the first set of bottom MD yarns form knuckles below the individual bottom CMD yarns.

15. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 13 , wherein the yarns of the second set pass over between 2 and 4 bottom CMD yarns between the knuckles formed under bottom CMD yarns.

16. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 13 , wherein each stitching yarn forms a knuckle under a bottom CMD yarn.

17. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 16 , wherein each stitching yarn knuckle is formed under the bottom CMD yarn under which the immediately adjacent bottom CMD yarn of the second set forms a knuckle.

18. The papermaking fabric defined in claim 10 , wherein the top MD yarns, the stitching yarns, and the top CMD yarns interweave to form a plain weave papermaking surface.

19. A papermaking fabric, comprising a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including:

a set of top machine direction (MD) yarns;

a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns;

a first set of bottom MD yarns, each of the yeams of the first set having a flattened cross-section;

a second set of bottom MD yarns, the second set of bottom MD yarns arranged as single yarns;

a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the first and second sets of bottom MD yarns; and

a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching a respective immediately adjacent bottom MD yarn of the second set.

20. A method of making paper, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a papermaking fabric, the fabric comprising:

a set of top machine direction (MD) yarns;

a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the set of top MD yarns;

a first set of bottom MD yarns, the first set of bottom MD yarns arranged in pairs;

a second set of bottom MD yarns, the second set of bottom MD yarns arranged as single yarns;

a set of bottom CMD yarns interwoven with the first and second sets of bottom MD yarns; and

a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching a respective immediately adjacent bottom MD yarn of the second set;

wherein each of the yarns of a pair of the first set of bottom MD yarns interweaves with the bottom CMD yarns in the same pattern;

(b) depositing paper stock on the papermaking fabric; and

(c) removing moisture from the papermaking stock.

21. The method defined in claim 20 , wherein each pair of bottom MD yarns of the first set is positioned beneath a top MD yarn.

Assignments (17)