Patent ID: 6899143

Claim:
A papermaker's fabric comprising: a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer of cross-machine direction (CD) wefts; a system of machine-direction (MD) yarns interwoven with the top, middle, and bottom layers of CD wefts; wherein the CD wefts in the top layer are grouped into twinned pairs to produce a non-uniform spacing between wefts in the top layer, and wherein the non-uniform spacing between wefts in the top layer has a spacing ratio between 1:1.5 and 1:20; wherein the CD wefts in the middle layer provide extra stability in the CD; and the CD wefts in the middle layer and bottom layer being vertically stacked; the CD weft pairs in the top layer being vertically offset from the stacked middle and bottom layer CD wefts, thereby reducing the void volume and caliper of the fabric and increasing fabric stability and stiffness.