Patent ID: 6159880
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: B32B,D04H,D21F,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of producing a paper-making machine felt, comprising the steps of:providing a base including a plurality of cavities;providing a bat with a plurality of substantially thin fibers on a paper side, said fibers having a plurality of ends and a plurality of end loops each of said ends and said end loops including a free surface area;needling said fibers to said base;plugging at least one of said bat fiber ends and said bat fiber end loops into said cavities of said base; andreducing said free surface areas of at least one of said bat fiber ends and said bat fiber end loops within said cavities by selectively acting from a bottom side of said base to reshape at least one of said bat fiber ends and said bat fiber end loops, said reducing step sequentially following said needling step, said reducing step reshaping said bat fiber ends, said reducing step including the sequential steps of:one of cutting and burning off said bat fiber ends protruding from said bottom side of said base;coating said bottom side of said base with a protective layer; andthermally reducing at least one fiber length within said cavities of said base by applying energy from said bottom side of said base, thereby thermally reshaping at least one fiber.