NZ195105A - Fabricating papermaking machine clothing - Google Patents

Description

Priority Djt-.v-s-): .» ........

CompSsta Spieificazio;'! Fi.'ad: CSass: . .if.Q? PubiSoattoji Dato: ...

F\0; No: r3 FEB 1984- COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "METHOD OF FABRICATING PAPSRMAKBRS MACHINE CLOTHING." We, ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP. - a New York Corporation of 1 Sage Road, Menatids, New York 12201, United States of America do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us , and• the method by which it is to.be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement (followed by 1A) 2-418 : f s 1 METHOD OF FABRICATING PAPERMAKERS MACHINE CLOTHING ! BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I Field of the Invention.

( I The invention relates to paperinakers machine clothing i l ' ■ | and more particularly relates to methods of fabricating such clothing including endless dryer felts and forming fabrics. 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art Prior hereto, papermakers machine clothing such as . dryer felts were fabricated by weaving in sizes to custom fit on particular machines, on which the felt was to be mounted. The inefficiency of this procedure has long been appreciated. Reserve felts had to be maintained as standbys. Long lead times had to be considered to fabricate particular felts. Inventories had to be maintained by both the papermill operator and the felt manufacturer. These inventory requirements were costly in terms of both maintenance and space occupied.

By the method of the present invention, many of the above-described problems of the prior art are removed. Papermachine clothing fabric of a universal size may be pre-fabricated and then assembled together to obtain a final clothing of the desired size rapidly, when it is needed.

-IB" 1 95 1 0 In addition, small pieces of the fabric, previously discarded as waste may be utilized and incorporated in the method of the invention. j, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION j; The invention comprises a method of fabricating || papermakers machine clothing, which comprises; !: providing a plurality of sections of a papermakers ji j; machine clothing fabric, each of said sections having a width • I; li substantially equal to the width of the desired clothing and a j: ■ j; length substantially less than the length of the desired clothing product, the total of the lengths of the plurality !: of sections being substantially equal to the desired length i' !' ' I- of the desired clothing product; I said sections having a seaming means along the !: edges which are parallel to the cross-machine direction of p the fabric; and !; seaming the sections together along the edges having !: the seaming means. i: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS i: h i i; I Fig. 1 is a top view of an embodiment section of paper- j; machine clothing employed in the method of the invention. t ji Fig. 2 is a segmentary plan view of a seam construction which may be used in the method of the invention.

II Fig. 3 is a sectional view along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view-in-perspective of an endless belt assembled by the method of the invention from a plurality of the sections shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION .

For the sake of brevity, the invention will be detailed in a description of the fabrication of an endless dryer felt for use on a papermakers machine. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the method of the invention may be employed to fabricate any papermachine clothing including forming fabrics'.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is seen a top view of a section 5 of dryer felt fabric woven in the conventional manner from a plurality of warp (cross-machine direction) and weft (machine direction) yarns. Along the edges parallel to the cross-machine direction of the fabric, section 5 has a plurality of integrated loops 12 (exaggerated in size in Fig. 1 for the purpose of illustration) which serve as a seaming means for joining the section 5 to a number of like sections.

Fig. 2 is a segmentary plan view of a seam construction which may be used as the seaming means along the two edges of section 5 to join it to another section 5. In the Fig. 2, the numerals 10 and 10' indicate identical seam-halves joined by pintle 14. Each of the halves 10 and 10' contains first, second and third warp systems and a single filling system. In the Figure 2, the first, second and third warp systems of seam-half 10 are respectively indicated by the numerals .16, 18 and 20 and the filling by the numeral 22 while in the seam-half 10' these are respectively indicated by the numerals 24, 26, 28 and 30.

The first and second warp systems in each seam-half provides with the filling of that seam-half, back and face weaves. In the Fig. 2, in seam-half 101 the warp systems 24 and 26 provide with the filling 30, back weave 32 and face weave 34 (see Figure 3) with the face weave overlying the back weave for a portion thereof and with the third warp system 28 binding face and back 34 and 32 together in the zone of overlying.

The seam-half 10 is similarly constructed with warp systems 16 and 18 providing with filling 22 back and face weaves 36 and 38 (refer to Figure 3) overlying for a portion and the third warp system 20 binding these together in the zone of overlying to provide a double layer. In each seam-half the zone where the face and the back weave overly is a double layer zone and the face and the back weave are maintained in position in this zone by the third warp system. The filling system during weaving is formed over an edge cord, not shown, to provide the stepped configuration with protruding loops along the double layer edge where the filling system is folded. The loops so formed are vertical to the plane of the seam-half or web through which the pintle can be inserted. This provides a means to mesh opposing loops, and provides a positive lock upon joining pin insertion to make the fabric endless. During weaving, of the seam-half heat can be applied to heat set the filling loops as they are formed over the edge cord.

The loom used to weave the seam-halves 10, 10' is a conventional narrow fabric webbing loom as known in the narrow fabric industry. The edge cord diameter can be varied to vary the loop diameter if desired. A chemical treatment can be applied, if desired, to the filling yarn before, during or after weaving in order to lend stiffness and physical integrity to the loops 12.

The attachment of the seam-half to a fabric like section 5 of the seam-half such as a papermaker dryer felt is accomplished by butting the fabric ends of section 5 to the stepped area of the seam-half and sewing the single layer area . to the fabric ends of the section 5.

Although a single seaming means has been described herein for brevity, it will be appreciated that a plurality of sections 5 can be joined together by any conventional and known seaming means to provide a wide variety of seam constructions. In a preferred embodiment, seam loops are woven directly in the fabric sections 5 while the section 5 is on the loom. The technique is well known in the art; see for example U. S. Patent 3,815,645. 195 105 Figure 3 is a sectional view along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 and shows further details of the joinder of two sections 5 by the seaming means including loops 12 and pintle 14.

By joining a plurality of sections 5 together as described above, an endless dryer felt 40 may be fabricated as shown in Figure 4.

The following example sets forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor for making and using the invention but is not to be considered limiting. 400 foot rolls of a dryer felt are woven in a 5 foot width on a Texo loom. Seam loops are woven into the edges parallel to the cross-machine direction of the fabric. foot lengths are cut from the 400 foot roll and 20 of the 5 foot wide pieces are seamed together side by side to form an endless dryer felt having a width of 20 feet and a continuous length of 100 feet (20 X 5'). The endless dryer felt may be installed and used on a conventional papermakers machine.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the papermachine clothing employed in the method of the invention is to be heat-set before or after complete or partial assembly by seaming and that shrinkage may occur, thereby altering the "dimensions of the final product. Those skilled in the art will also know how to compensate for the loss of dimension by starting with appropriately oversized section 5 which upon heat-setting will obtain the desired dimensions.

The nature of the fabric weaves and materials employed in the method of the invention are not critical and one can employ as the sections 5 any conventional fabric weaves of-any conventional fabric materials and one can employ any conventional papermakers machine clothing fabrics including forming fabrics and dryer felt fabrics.

Claims (9)

'V- CLAIM (3;

1. A method of fabricating papermakers machine clothing, which comprises; providing a plurality of sections of .a papermakers machine clothing fabric, each of said sections having a width substantially equal to the width of the desired clothing and a length substantially less than the length of the desired clothing product, the total of the lengths of the plurality of sections being substantially equal to the desired length of the desired.clothing product; said sections having a seaming means along the edges which are parallel to the cross-machine direction of the sheet fabric; and seaming the sections together along the edges having the seaming means.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said clothing fabric is a dryer felt. 1 95 1 05

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said clothing fabric is a forming fabric.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein seaming provides an endless belt.

5. An endless papermakers machine clothing, which comprises; a plurality of sections of papermakers machine clothing fabric having seaming means along the edges which are parallel to the cross-machine of the fabric, seamed together.

6. The clothing of claim 5 wherein the fabric is a dryer felt.

7. The clothing of claim 5 wherein the fabric is a forming fabric.

8. A method of fabricating papermakers machine clothing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. -An endless papermakers machine clothing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. v T ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP. ' SQSEPmni By Their Attorneys HENRY" HUGHES LIMITED & ' By