Patent ID: 9315940
Filing Date: 2016-04-19
CPC Classification: D21F

Claim Text:
1. A seamed press felt comprising a base fabric material having an MD length and CD width including at least MD oriented yarns and arranged in two superimposed layers joined by the MD oriented yarns at CD oriented fold regions at each of two opposing ends thereof, the MD oriented yarns forming uniform loops at the fold regions to define a channel extending the CD width of the press felt, a generally planar yarn assembly including an array of mutually parallel and regularly spaced polymeric yarns, each bonded to an elastic carrier material that is extensible by at least 1% of a relaxed length thereof, the generally planar yarn assembly being located interior to the two superimposed layers of base fabric and is oriented such that the yarns of the array are oriented in the CD of the press felt, a high surface contact area material is bonded to the elastic carrier material at at least both exterior MD edges thereof that form the MD ends of the yarn assembly that are located adjacent to the loops formed of the MD oriented yarns at the fold regions and extend in the CD width direction, each of the MD ends is oriented parallel to the loops of the MD oriented yarns and is anchored in a fixed position adjacent to the loops at each of the fold regions, and a pintle extending through the channel defined by intermeshing the loops from the two opposing ends to form a seam.