Patent ID: 7407564

Claim:
A stratified press fabric for the press section of a paper machine, said press fabric comprising: a base support structure, said base support structure being in the form of an endless loop and having an outer side and an inner side; a first staple fiber batt material attached to said outer side of said base support structure, said first staple fiber batt material comprising a plurality of first staple fibers; a fine fabric, said fine fabric covering said first staple fiber batt material on said outer side of said base support structure, wherein said fine fabric is a fabric selected from the group consisting of woven, fabrics formed of nonwoven arrays of MD or CD oriented yarns, knitted and braided fabrics; and a second staple fiber batt material attached to said fine fabric, said second staple fiber batt material comprising a plurality of second staple fibers, said second staple fibers being finer than said first staple fibers, wherein said fine fabric has openings less than 0.50 mm in size that substantially prevents the migration of needled first staple fibers and said second staple fibers therethrough and substantially prevents the intermingling of said first staple fibers and said second staple fibers.