Patent ID: 7727361

Claim:
A fabric for use in a paper making machine, said fabric comprising: a plurality of helically wound coil members arranged side by side with respect to each other in an intermeshing manner, adjacent intermeshing said coil members forming a plurality of connecting channels; a plurality of hinge members, each said hinge member introduced into and extending along each of said connecting channels for interconnecting adjacent said coil members; a stuffer channel formed within each said coil member, said stuffer channel extending along and between two said connecting channels associated with a respective said coil member; at least one stuffer member at least partially extending within said stuffer channel, said stuffer member, said coil members, and said hinge members forming a space therebetween within the fabric; and a stuffer material provided at least in regions of the fabric for filling at least in part said space, said stuffer material applied only to a machine side of the fabric, said stuffer material being substantially uniformly distributed over the fabric and thereby causing the fabric to be uniformly permeable relative to an overall machine side surface of the fabric.