Abstract:
A papermaking or other industrial fabric formed from a base fabric and having a seam where a first end of the base fabric is attached to a second end of the base fabric. At least one preformed coil is used to attach the first end of the base fabric to the second end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates primarily to the papermaking arts. Specifically, the present invention relates to seamable fabrics for use on papermaking machines, in addition to other industrial applications. More specifically, the present invention relates to seamable fabrics used as industrial process fabrics in the production of, among other things, wet laid products such as paper, paper board, and sanitary tissue and towel products; in the production of wet laid and dry laid pulp; in processes related to papermaking such as those using sludge filters, and chemiwashers; in the production of tissue and towel products made by through-air drying processes; and in the production of non-wovens produced by hydroentangling (wet process), melt blowing, spunbonding, and air laid needle punching. Such industrial process fabrics include but are not limited to non-woven felts; embossing, conveying, and support fabrics used in processes for producing non-wovens; filtration fabrics and filtration cloths. The term “industrial process fabrics” also includes but is not limited to all other paper machine fabrics (forming, pressing and dryer fabrics) for transporting the pulp slurry through all stages of the papermaking process. In particular, the present invention is related to fabrics of the variety that may be used to mold cellulosic fibrous web into a three-dimensional structure. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     During the papermaking process, a cellulosic fibrous web is formed by depositing a fibrous slurry, that is, an aqueous dispersion of cellulose fibers, onto a moving forming fabric in the forming section of a paper machine. A large amount of water is drained from the slurry through the forming fabric, leaving the cellulosic fibrous web on the surface of the forming fabric. 
     The newly formed cellulosic fibrous web proceeds from the forming section to a press section, which includes a series of press nips. The cellulosic fibrous web passes through the press nips supported by a press fabric, or, as is often the case, between two such press fabrics. In the press nips, the cellulosic fibrous web is subjected to compressive forces which squeeze water therefrom, and which adhere the cellulosic fibers in the web to one another to turn the cellulosic fibrous web into a paper sheet. The water is accepted by the press fabric or fabrics and, ideally, does not return to the paper sheet. 
     The paper sheet finally proceeds to a dryer section, which includes at least one series of rotatable dryer drums or cylinders, which are internally heated by steam. The newly formed paper sheet is directed in a serpentine path sequentially around each in the series of drums by a dryer fabric, which holds the paper sheet closely against the surfaces of the drums. The heated drums reduce the water content of the paper sheet to a desirable level through evaporation. 
     It should be appreciated that the forming, press and dryer fabrics all take the form of endless loops on the paper machine and function in the manner of conveyors. It should further be appreciated that paper manufacture is a continuous process, which proceeds at considerable speeds. That is to say, the fibrous slurry is continuously deposited onto the forming fabric in the forming section, while a newly manufactured paper sheet is continuously wound onto rolls after it exits from the dryer section. 
     Contemporary fabrics are produced in a wide variety of styles designed to meet the requirements of the paper machines on which they are installed for the paper grades being manufactured. Generally, they comprise a woven base fabric which, depending upon the application may include needled batt of fine, non-woven fibrous material. The base fabrics may be woven from monofilament, plied monofilament, multifilament or plied multifilament yarns, and may be single-layered, multi-layered or laminated. The yarns are typically extruded from any one of the synthetic polymeric resins, such as polyamide and polyester resins, used for this purpose by those of ordinary skill in the paper machine clothing arts. 
     The woven base fabrics themselves take many different forms. For example, they may be woven endless, or flat woven and subsequently rendered into endless form with a woven seam. Alternatively, they may be produced by a process commonly known as modified endless weaving, wherein the widthwise ends of the base fabric are provided with seaming loops using the machine-direction (MD) yarns thereof. In this process, the MD yarns weave continuously back-and-forth between the widthwise ends of the fabric, at each end turning back and forming a seaming loop. A base fabric produced in this fashion is placed into endless form during installation on a papermachine, and for this reason is referred to as an on-machine-seamable (OMS®) fabric. To place such a fabric into endless form, the two widthwise ends are brought together, the seaming loops at the two ends are interdigitated with one another, and a seaming pin or pintle is directed through the passage formed by the interdigitated seaming loops. 
     Further, the woven base fabrics may be laminated by placing one base fabric within the endless loop formed by another, and by needling a staple fiber batt through both base fabrics or by using resin(s) to join them to one another. One or both woven base fabrics may be of the on-machine-seamable type. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,131 shows an on-machine-seamable papermaker&#39;s fabric that includes flat machine-direction yarns which define the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric. The fabric has two layers of cross-machine-direction yarns, each of which is interwoven with the flat machine direction yarns. Other machine-direction yarns, of round cross section, weave with the cross-machine-direction yarns in the two layers to bind the two layers together. The fabric is seamed into endless form during installation on a paper machine. At one of the two ends of the fabric, seaming loops are formed by the flat machine-direction yarns. The seaming loops are interdigitated with one another when the two ends of the fabric are brought together during installation on the paper machine, defining a passage through which a seaming pin or pintle may be directed to join the two ends to one another. 
     In any event, the woven base fabrics are in the form of endless loops, or are seamable into such forms, having a specific length, measured longitudinally therearound, and a specific width, measured transversely thereacross. Because paper machine configurations vary widely, paper machine clothing manufacturers are required to produce fabrics, and other paper machine clothing, to the dimensions required to fit particular positions in the paper machines of their customers. Needless to say, this requirement makes it difficult to streamline the manufacturing process, as each fabric must typically be made to order. 
     In response to this need to produce fabrics in a variety of lengths and widths more quickly and efficiently, press fabrics have been produced in recent years using a spiral technique disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,656 to Rexfelt et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,656 shows a press fabric comprising a base fabric having one or more layers of staple fiber material needled thereinto. The base fabric comprises at least one layer composed of a spirally wound strip of woven fabric having a width which is smaller than the width of the base fabric. The base fabric is endless in the longitudinal, or machine, direction. Lengthwise threads of the spirally wound strip make an angle with the longitudinal direction of the press fabric. The strip of woven fabric may be flat-woven on a loom which is narrower than those typically used in the production of paper machine clothing. 
     The base fabric comprises a plurality of spirally wound and joined turns of the relatively narrow woven fabric strip. The fabric strip is woven from lengthwise (warp) and crosswise (filling) yarns. Adjacent turns of the spirally wound fabric strip may be abutted against one another, and the helically continuous seam so produced may be closed by sewing, stitching, melting or welding. Alternatively, adjacent longitudinal end portions of adjoining spiral turns may be arranged overlappingly, so long as the ends have a reduced thickness, so as not to give rise to an increased thickness in the area of the overlap. Further, the spacing between lengthwise yarns may be increased at the ends of the strip, so that, when adjoining spiral turns are arranged overlappingly, there may be an unchanged spacing between lengthwise threads in the area of the overlap. 
     In the case of dryer fabrics, in particular, such fabrics were produced by flat weaving and then joined together. Dryer fabrics that are used today are too long and require a seam for installation, since dryer section frames are solid without contilever components and thus prevent the use of endless woven fabrics. Accordingly, the fabrics must be installed with a seam, since they cannot be put on endless. 
     It should be noted that contemporary fabrics also include fabrics with non-woven bases. An example of a non-woven fabric is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,743, which discloses a wet press felt for use on papermaking machines. The wet press felt includes a conventional felt fabric and a multiple of non-woven layers of synthetic textile fibers needled to the felt. Interposed between the layers of synthetic textile fiber are mesh fabrics which support the individual non-woven layers and retard compaction of the overall construction. Such non-woven fabrics may be provided with seams like those of the woven fabrics in order to realize an “endless” non-woven fabric. 
     In addition to the aforenoted modified endless weaving which provides a seamable fabric, there exists other types of seams heretofore utilized, particularly in the case of dryer fabrics. For example, some flat woven dryer fabrics had clipper hook seams as are used in corrugator belts today. However, clipper hooks tend to corrode. More importantly, clipper hooks wear, do not flex well (they tend to bump around fabric support rolls), and the seam tends to mark the paper sheet. 
     Some fabrics are seamed on a diagonal in a manner as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,415 which has been found satisfactory for certain applications. 
     Seams can also be sewn on which involves a webbing sewn onto both cross-machine direction (“CD”) ends of the dryer fabric. The webbing contains loops which are meshed together to form the seam. The webbing, since it is out of plane and thicker than the fabric body, also tends to bump around fabric support rolls, marks the sheet, and has zero permeability, which further exacerbates the sheet marking problem. Since it is sewn on, the stitching is between the web and the fabric body. Once the stitching fails, the web will pull off, resulting in a “seam failure”. 
     Some fabrics have the aforesaid pin seams, however, with or without a spiral insert. These dominate the market today. All these seams require MD yarns to be woven back into the structure body by hand or machine assisted. CD yarns must be raveled out. Yarn materials, counts and sizes, weaves dictate the seam properties and the seam properties (uniformity, strength) dictate yarn counts within a certain weave. These seams are expensive to make, since they are labor intensive. The strength and seam durability are dictated by material properties too, especially loop strength. “Brittle” materials which have poor loop strength but may have other good properties are not dryer fabric candidates because of this. To compensate for low seam loop strength one may have to compromise on the fabric structure itself. An example of a seam having a spiral insert can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,422. 
     Early metal forming fabrics which were flat woven and shipped open ended, were installed on the machine with the metal wire ends joined together by brazing or fusing the yarns by heat. This “butt seam” had some slight end overlap and the seam only lasted for a short period of time. There was no sewing, stitching, or adding in a synthetic spiral. 
     Another example of a butt seam can be found in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,656. This seam is between adjacent strips of fabric and includes stitching. The seams, however, are not load bearing and are merely there to hold the strips together so that the “base” structures formed by these joined together strips can be handled through the manufacturing process. 
     Obviously, there are other ways to provide seamable fabrics for use in papermaking and other industrial applications, with the foregoing being set forth merely as examples. However, as with anything, there is always a desire to improve on or provide an alternative to what has been done previously. Seamable fabrics are no exception. In this regard, heretofore providing a seam on a fabric has been relatively time consuming and labor intensive. If these are aspects that can be improved upon, this would obviously be a desirable result. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide for a seamable papermaker&#39;s or industrial fabric wherein the seam is readily incorporated into the fabric. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide for such a fabric which allows the seam to be implemented in a cost-effective manner. 
     A yet further object of the present invention is to provide for such a seam which may be utilized on a variety of fabrics with different construction. 
     These and other objects and advantages are provided by the present invention. In this regard, the invention is directed towards providing a seam on a fabric, particularly a papermaker&#39;s or industrial fabric, which may be relatively easy to implement. It involves the use of preform loops or coils which are respectively attached to each end of the fabric to be joined in the cross-machine direction. The coils are sewn onto the end using a yarn or thread, which is sewn or looped around all or some of the respective bases of the loops of the coil and then sewn back onto the body of the fabric. Each coil base is preferably affixed with at least one, or preferably more, yarn or thread. 
     The stitching pattern can be zig-zag, chain, or lock pattern and may involve stitching lengths that vary to the extent in which they extend into the base fabric. Also, the angle of the stitch may vary along with the number of stitches attaching the base of the loops of each coil. The stitching may be further reinforced by stitching along the end of the fabric in the cross-machine direction and may comprise several rows thereof. The ends of the base fabric may also be further pre- and/or post-treated by compaction, pre-squeezing and sealing to stabilize the ends. Ultrasonic melting or fusing, pressing with or without heat, and chemical bonding such as adding a glue or resin may also be used. Note, however, that it is important to keep the seam area at least near to the air permeability of the fabric body. Also, such pre- and/or post-treatment can be used, not only to stabilize the ends, but also to reinforce and provide a smooth surface in the stitched area. 
     It has been found that the present invention reduces substantially the amount of time necessary to attach a seam to a fabric whilst providing for an effective seam. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Thus by the present invention, its objects and advantages will be realized, the description of which should be taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a seamed fabric; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of the two ends of the fabric prior to their being joined to one another; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the seam, incorporating the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4   a  is an enlarged plan view of the seam illustrating stitching patterns, incorporating the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4   b  is a detail view of one possible zig-zag stitching pattern as employed in a fabric end, incorporating the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5   a  shows a representative modified zig-zag stitching pattern which may be used to attach the coils, incorporating the teachings of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5   b  shows a representative zig-zag stitching pattern which may be used to attach the coils, incorporating the teachings of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now specifically to the figures,  FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of the seamed papermaker&#39;s or industrial fabric  10 . The fabric  10  takes the form of an endless loop once its two ends  12 ,  14  have been joined to one another at seam  16 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of the two ends  12 ,  14  of the fabric  10  prior to their attachment to one another. Widthwise across the ends of each of two ends  12 ,  14  are a plurality of loops  18 . To attach the two ends  12 ,  14  to one another, they are brought together, in so doing alternating and intermeshing, or interdigitating, the seaming loops  18  at each end with one another. The interdigitated seaming loops  18  define a passage through which a pin, or pintle, a yarn-like strand or member, may be directed to secure the ends  12 ,  14  to one another by way of the “pin seam” so formed. 
     In the present invention, the seaming loops  18  are replaced by preformed loops or coils  20  which are attached to the ends  12 ,  14  of the fabric as will be discussed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , respective coils  20  are sewn onto the ends  12 ,  14  of the base fabric  10  with thread  24 . The base fabric may be a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric. The coils  20  can be made of any material suitable for the purpose (e.g. polyester, polyamide, polyethelyne, Ryton, PEEK, metal, etc.). The coils do not need to be the same material. That is, the coil secured to fabric end  12  may be made from a material that is different from the material making up the coil secured to fabric end  14 . In any event, after the coils  20  are affixed, the ends  12 ,  14  are brought together and the coils  20  intermeshed or interdigitated with each other so as to define a passage. A pin or pintle  22  is then inserted into the passage securing ends  12 ,  14  to each other. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the fabric ends  12  and  14  are even so that when they are butted together the fabric appears as endless weave fabric without any discontinuities at the seam or along its widthwise edges. The MD yarns of the respective edges do not have to match perfectly, although such matching is preferred. 
     The manner of affixing the coils  20  to ends  12 ,  14  will now be discussed. Initially, it may be desirable to stabilize the fabric at ends  12 ,  14 . Depending upon the composition of the fabric, it may be desirable to compact or squeeze some portion of ends  12 ,  14  for the full width of the fabric to reduce the overall thickness of the fabric so that some, preferably most, if not all the stitching lies within the plane of the main fabric body thickness. This may involve treating this end area by ultrasonic melting, pressing with or without heat, or chemically bonding the MD and CD yams that make up the fabric ends  12 ,  14 . Once this is done, the coils  20  are attached. In another embodiment, this preprocessing of the fabric ends may preferably be done after the coils are attached. In either case this involves sewing or stitching the respective coils  20  to each end  12 ,  14 . A yarn or thread  24  is used which may be made of any material suitable for the purpose (e.g. industrial polyester, nylon, Nomex, Kevlar (aramids), Spectran (HMPE), Vectran (LCP) and TENARA and other polymers). The size of the thread  24  will depend upon the application and strength requirements. For example, #69 industrial polyester thread has superior strength to that of #45 (such as those manufactured by American and Efird, Inc and Saunders Thread Co. in what is commonly referred to as the TEX system of designation, the higher number indicates a larger diameter). Higher diameter thread may also be desirable. The yarns or thread used should be of a diameter of less than or equal to the diameter of the machine direction (MD) or cross-machine direction (CD) yarns at the ends  12 ,  14 . This diameter can be of the yarn as new, as used, or after a compaction or pressing step as heretofore mentioned. 
     The pattern of the stitching used may take on various forms such as zig-zag, chain, or lock stitch patterns. As shown in  FIG. 4   a , the stitch illustrated is a zig-zag  26  or modified zig-zag  28  as will be discussed with regard to  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b . The stitch spacing may be one or more (multiple catch) per base of the loops of the coil, i.e. double, triple or more. 
     The depth of the stitch in the fabric may also vary. Also, it may be desired to have a preliminary stitch to generally affix or align the coil  20  on ends  12 ,  14  and once aligned, implement a main stitching. 
     Also, once the stitching is completed, one or more rows of additional stitching parallel to ends  12 ,  14  or in the cross-machine direction (CD) and across the attachment stitching attaching the coil, might be used to reinforce the coil attachment. As much stitching that is required should be within the plane of the fabric thickness. There are multiple variations of what may be done. 
     As aforesaid, once the stitching is completed, the ends  12 ,  14  may be treated to otherwise stabilize the ends  12 ,  14  and reinforce and smooth the stitching thereon. 
       FIG. 4   b  shows in detail one possible zig-zag stitching pattern as employed in a fabric end according to the invention. In the figure, only one fabric end is illustrated, and it could be either of end  12  and end  14 . As can be seen from the figure, thread  24  catches coil  20  at catching points  30 . 
     Turning now generally to  FIG. 5   a , there is shown a stitch pattern, which is in the form of the modified zig-zag  28 . The bases of the coil provide the catching points  30  for the thread  24 . As can be seen in  FIG. 5   a , there are multiple catches of coil  20  at catching points  30 . The thread  24  distance into the ends  12 ,  14  may vary from that terminating at point  32  to point  34  to point  36 . The stitch may be a single stitch from point  32  to the catch point  30  looping around the base of coil  20  then to point  34 , back to catch point  30  looping the base of coil  20  again and then continuing to point  36 . This pattern could continue until the entire coil  20  is attached to ends  12 ,  14 . The distance to points  32 ,  34 , and  36  will depend upon the fabric structure (weave pattern, yarn sizes, yarn counts) of the fabric and the entire attachment system employed. 
     In addition, one or more rows of stitching  38  (zig-zag or otherwise) in the cross-machine direction, parallel to the ends  12 ,  14  and over thread  24  may be provided to further reinforce thread  24 . 
     Turning now generally to  FIG. 5   b , there is shown a stitch pattern, which is in the form of the zig-zag  26 . As was the case with the modified zig-zag  28  of  FIG. 5   a , the bases of the coil provide the catching points  30  for the thread  24 . However, in the illustrated zig-zag  26  of  FIG. 5   b , there is only one catch of coil  20  at each catching point  30 . The thread  24  distance into the ends  12 ,  14  is determined according to terminating points  32  and the distance may be the same for each terminating point or it may vary from terminating point to terminating point. Generally, the stitch is a single stitch from a terminating point  32  to the catch point  30  looping around the base of coil  20  and then to the next terminating point  32 . This pattern could continue until the entire coil  20  is attached to ends  12 ,  14 . The distance to points  32  will depend upon the fabric structure (weave pattern, yarn sizes, yarn counts) of the fabric and the entire attachment system employed. 
     A feature of the stitch pattern of  FIG. 5   b  is that each base of the coil is caught once for each zig-zag or direction change. Another feature is that the thread  24  may stitch or interlock more than once for each zig-zag, at points  39  and again at points  40 . 
     In addition, one or more rows of stitching  38  (zig-zag or otherwise) in the cross-machine direction, parallel to the ends  12 ,  14  and over thread  24  may be provided to further reinforce thread  24 . 
     It should be noted that, in any case, the final overall seam geometry need not be a line running perpendicular to the direction of the MD yarns (as shown, for example, in FIG.  1 ). The overall seam geometry may take on many alternative shapes. For instance, the seam may run in a direction that is diagonal to the MD yams, in a “V” pattern, “inverted V” pattern or saw tooth pattern. 
     It should be further noted that a primary advantage of the present invention is that the structure of the papermaking or industrial fabric (e.g. yarns, yarn counts, yam dimensions and weaver) is no longer restricted by the needs of the seam. That is, since there is no “fold back” and reweaving of MD yarns to form a pin seam, or to pin-in a coil, one can melt/cut “indents” into the fabric body, allowing the coils to nest into the fabric body, and then stitch the coils in place. 
     Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed and described in detail herein, its scope should not be limited thereby; rather its scope should be determined by that of the appended claims.