Provided are woven papermaking fabrics useful in the manufacture of tissue products, particularly through-air dried tissue products. The fabrics generally have a plurality of protuberances disposed on the web contacting surfaces. The protuberances are formed from a plurality warp filaments interwoven with a plurality of shute filaments and have a hollow interior pocket, which is generally bounded by the warp and shute filaments. By providing protuberances with hollow interior pockets the air permeability of the resulting woven papermaking fabric may be improved, and in certain instances may be increased, relative to similar fabrics having protuberances that are non-hollow.

Provided is technology enabling appropriately maintaining or adjusting the thickness of accumulated fiber when accumulating and processing fiber. A sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 has a distributor 60 that distributes a mixture MX containing fiber; a second web former 70 that forms a second web W2; a mesh belt 72 that conveys the second web W2 in a conveyance direction F1; a roller unit 650 that compresses the second web W2; a measurement device 400 that measures the distribution of the thickness of the second web W2 in a second direction intersecting the conveyance direction F1 while the second web W2 is being compressed by the roller unit 650, or after the second web W2 is compressed by the roller unit 650; and a controller 110 that compares a measurement from the measurement device 400 with a set thickness distribution, and controls the thickness distribution of the second web W2.

Provided is technology enabling appropriately maintaining or adjusting the thickness of accumulated fiber when accumulating and processing fiber. A sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 has a distributor 60 that distributes a mixture MX containing fiber; a second web former 70 that forms a second web W2; a mesh belt 72 that conveys the second web W2 in a conveyance direction F1; a roller unit 650 that compresses the second web W2; a measurement device 400 that measures the distribution of the thickness of the second web W2 in a second direction intersecting the conveyance direction F1 while the second web W2 is being compressed by the roller unit 650, or after the second web W2 is compressed by the roller unit 650; and a controller 110 that compares a measurement from the measurement device 400 with a set thickness distribution, and controls the thickness distribution of the second web W2.

A papermaking belt in which changes in surface properties of the resin layer upon use is suppressed, and a method for making the papermaking belt. Provided is a papermaking belt for use in a papermaking machine, including at least one resin layer including a resin, wherein the surface roughness after contacting the surface of the resin layer with a metal plate having a surface roughness equal to or less than 0.10 m at a pressure of 1003 kg/cm.sup.2 for 20 hours in warm water bathing at 705 C. is equal to or higher than 40% relative to the surface roughness of the surface of the resin layer in a wet state before the contact.

A papermaking belt in which changes in surface properties of the resin layer upon use is suppressed, and a method for making the papermaking belt. Provided is a papermaking belt for use in a papermaking machine, including at least one resin layer including a resin, wherein the surface roughness after contacting the surface of the resin layer with a metal plate having a surface roughness equal to or less than 0.10 m at a pressure of 1003 kg/cm.sup.2 for 20 hours in warm water bathing at 705 C. is equal to or higher than 40% relative to the surface roughness of the surface of the resin layer in a wet state before the contact.

Method for producing wet-laid non-woven fabrics, with which an aqueous suspension comprising fibres is laid down on a screen and is dewatered using suction boxes under the screen to form a sheet of non-woven web which is removed from the screen and guided to at least one subsequent treatment unit before the non-woven web can be wound, and transferring of the non-woven web from the screen to the at least one subsequent treatment unit and/or transferring of the non-woven web to interfaces between treatment units on the start of production and/or after an interruption in production, using a web feed, wherein web is fed via a temporarily closed draw of a free draw between the screen and the at least one subsequent treatment unit and/or of a free draw at an interface between treatment units, and the respective temporarily closed draw is produced via air flows, which lift off an end feeding strip as part of the running non-woven web by blowing, adhere same to a transport path device by generating negative pressure and lift up same at the following treatment unit by suction.

Method for producing wet-laid non-woven fabrics, with which an aqueous suspension comprising fibres is laid down on a screen and is dewatered using suction boxes under the screen to form a sheet of non-woven web which is removed from the screen and guided to at least one subsequent treatment unit before the non-woven web can be wound, and transferring of the non-woven web from the screen to the at least one subsequent treatment unit and/or transferring of the non-woven web to interfaces between treatment units on the start of production and/or after an interruption in production, using a web feed, wherein web is fed via a temporarily closed draw of a free draw between the screen and the at least one subsequent treatment unit and/or of a free draw at an interface between treatment units, and the respective temporarily closed draw is produced via air flows, which lift off an end feeding strip as part of the running non-woven web by blowing, adhere same to a transport path device by generating negative pressure and lift up same at the following treatment unit by suction.

Provided are woven papermaking fabrics useful in the manufacture of tissue products, particularly through-air dried tissue products. The fabrics generally have a plurality of protuberances disposed on the web contacting surfaces. The protuberances are formed from a plurality warp filaments interwoven with a plurality of shute filaments and have a hollow interior pocket, which is generally bounded by the warp and shute filaments. By providing protuberances with hollow interior pockets the air permeability of the resulting woven papermaking fabric may be improved, and in certain instances may be increased, relative to similar fabrics having protuberances that are non-hollow.

The disclosure provides tissue webs and products comprising cross-linked cellulosic fibers. In certain embodiments cross-linked cellulosic fibers are selectively disposed in one or more layers of a multi-layered tissue, wherein the tissue layer comprising cross-linked fibers is adjacent to a layer which is substantially free from cross-linked fiber. The cross-linked fibers may include hardwood kraft fibers reacted with a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of DMDHU, DMDHEU, DMU, DHEU, DMEU, and DMeDHEU. Tissue products and webs produced in this manner generally have improved sheet bulk, without losses in strength, compared to similar tissue products produced without cross-linked cellulosic fibers. As such the tissue products of the present invention generally have a basis weight from about 10 to about 50 gsm, a sheet bulk greater from about 8.0 to about 12.0 cc/g and geometric mean tensile from about 730 to about 1,500 g/3.

The disclosure provides tissue webs and products comprising cross-linked cellulosic fibers. In certain embodiments cross-linked cellulosic fibers are selectively disposed in one or more layers of a multi-layered tissue, wherein the tissue layer comprising cross-linked fibers is adjacent to a layer which is substantially free from cross-linked fiber. The cross-linked fibers may include hardwood kraft fibers reacted with a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of DMDHU, DMDHEU, DMU, DHEU, DMEU, and DMeDHEU. Tissue products and webs produced in this manner generally have improved sheet bulk, without losses in strength, compared to similar tissue products produced without cross-linked cellulosic fibers. As such the tissue products of the present invention generally have a basis weight from about 10 to about 50 gsm, a sheet bulk greater from about 8.0 to about 12.0 cc/g and geometric mean tensile from about 730 to about 1,500 g/3.