Patent ID: 7503351

Claim:
A paper machine covering comprising: an upper fabric layer comprising a plurality of upper repeats and an upper fabric layer outer side, said upper fabric layer repeated in said plurality of upper repeats, said upper fabric layer outer side forming a paper side of the covering; a lower fabric layer comprising a lower fabric layer outer side forming a machine side of the covering; and a plurality of tie threads arranged in a plurality of groups and extending in a longitudinal thread direction, said plurality of tie threads connecting said upper fabric layer and said lower fabric layer to each other, said upper fabric layer comprising at least said plurality of tie threads and, woven therewith, a plurality of upper transverse threads extending transverse to said plurality of tie threads, said plurality of tie threads of each of said plurality of groups alternating in a plurality of sections when weaving with said plurality of upper transverse threads in said longitudinal thread direction so as to respectively form a plurality of upper longitudinal thread runs, each of said plurality of longitudinal thread runs repeated over a length of each of said plurality of upper repeats in said longitudinal thread direction, said lower fabric layer comprising at least said plurality of tie threads and, woven therewith, a plurality of lower transverse threads extending transverse to said plurality of tie threads, said plurality of tie threads of each said plurality of groups comprising a plurality of intersections which includes said plurality of tie threads of each said plurality of groups crossing when switching from weaving with said plurality of upper transverse threads to weaving with said plurality of lower transverse threads and vice versa, said plurality of tie threads of at least one of said plurality of groups being woven with said plurality of upper transverse threads and said plurality of lower transverse threads such that at least two consecutive said plurality of intersections are arranged over said length of each of said plurality of upper repeats in said longitudinal thread direction, said upper fabric layer, said lower fabric layer, and said plurality of tie threads together forming a repeating pattern of the paper machine covering, said plurality of tie threads forming only one upper fabric layer tie thread repeat within said repeating pattern.