A clothing for a machine for producing a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard, tissue or cellulose pulp web. The clothing has a basic structure with a top side and a running side as well as a nonwoven support at least on one side. The nonwoven support has a functional zone, which extends over more than 50 μm in the thickness direction of the clothing and which includes a first portion and a second portion of nonwoven fibers. The nonwoven fibers of the first portion are formed of, or include, a polyurethane, especially a thermoplastic polyurethane, while the nonwoven fibers of the second portion are a polymer material not including a polyurethane. The first portion makes up between 10 wt. % and 60 wt. %, of the functional zone. There is also described a method for production and a suitable nonwoven fabric.

A clothing for a machine for producing a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard, tissue or cellulose pulp web. The clothing has a basic structure with a top side and a running side as well as a nonwoven support at least on one side. The nonwoven support has a functional zone, which extends over more than 50 μm in the thickness direction of the clothing and which includes a first portion and a second portion of nonwoven fibers. The nonwoven fibers of the first portion are formed of, or include, a polyurethane, especially a thermoplastic polyurethane, while the nonwoven fibers of the second portion are a polymer material not including a polyurethane. The first portion makes up between 10 wt. % and 60 wt. %, of the functional zone. There is also described a method for production and a suitable nonwoven fabric.

An endless-woven dryer fabric for a papermaking machine includes: a plurality of upper warp yarns; a plurality of lower warp yarns; and a plurality of weft yarns interwoven with the plurality of upper and lower warp yarns in a series of repeat units. Each weft yarn includes upper and lower portions, the upper portions interwoven with the upper warp yarns, and the lower portions interwoven with the lower warp yarns. The upper portion of each weft yarn includes a first seam loop and the lower portion of each weft yarn includes a second seam loop. The first and second seam loops of the weft yarns are interdigitated to form a seam, the seam receiving a pintle so that the fabric forms an endless loop.

A woven fabric has warp threads and weft threads that are interwoven for configuring a textile structure. The woven fabric has a thickness direction as well as a warp direction and a weft direction. The warp threads and/or the weft threads in the thickness direction have a wave-shaped profile. At least some, preferably all, weft threads have a wave-shaped profile in the warp direction, and/or at least some, preferably all, warp threads have a wave-shaped profile in the weft direction. Moreover, a technical textile is formed from such a woven fabric.

A woven fabric has warp threads and weft threads that are interwoven for configuring a textile structure. The woven fabric has a thickness direction as well as a warp direction and a weft direction. The warp threads and/or the weft threads in the thickness direction have a wave-shaped profile. At least some, preferably all, weft threads have a wave-shaped profile in the warp direction, and/or at least some, preferably all, warp threads have a wave-shaped profile in the weft direction. Moreover, a technical textile is formed from such a woven fabric.

A seamed press felt formed from a base fabric having a CD and an MD with opposing MD ends that are joined to form a continuous belt. MD oriented yarns form uniform loops at the opposing MD ends that are interdigitated to define a pintle channel extending across the CD width. CD oriented yarns are connected to the MD oriented yarns, in a woven or non-woven construction. Loop open spaces are located within the loops at the MD ends in a seam region, with the loop open spaces being between the last CD yarn at each MD end and the pintle channel. At least one CD monofilament support yarn is located in the loop open spaces at the MD ends. The at least one CD monofilament support yarn has a diameter that is at least 1.6 times a diameter of the CD oriented yarns.

A seamed press felt formed from a base fabric having a CD and an MD with opposing MD ends that are joined to form a continuous belt. MD oriented yarns form uniform loops at the opposing MD ends that are interdigitated to define a pintle channel extending across the CD width. CD oriented yarns are connected to the MD oriented yarns, in a woven or non-woven construction. Loop open spaces are located within the loops at the MD ends in a seam region, with the loop open spaces being between the last CD yarn at each MD end and the pintle channel. At least one CD monofilament support yarn is located in the loop open spaces at the MD ends. The at least one CD monofilament support yarn has a diameter that is at least 1.6 times a diameter of the CD oriented yarns.

The present invention is directed to forming fabrics. The forming fabrics may include a series of repeat units. Each of the repeat units may include a set of binding warp yarns including a first set of binding warp yarns and a second set of binding warp yarns, wherein a binding warp yarn from the first set is paired with a binding warp yarn from the second set; a set of spring warp yarns, wherein each spring warp yarn is between a first pair of binding warp yarns and a second pair of binding warp yarns; a set of top weft yarns including odd and even top weft yarns, wherein the top weft yarns interweave with the binding warp yarns and the spring warp yarns to form a top fabric layer, wherein the spring warp yarns interweave only with the top weft yarns; a set of bottom weft yarns; and a set of bottom warp yarns, the bottom warp yarns interwoven with the bottom weft yarns to form a bottom fabric layer. The binding warp yarns from the first and second set and the spring warp yarns interweave with the top weft yarns to relatively form a plain weave pattern in defined zones such that (a) the first set of binding warp yarns only pass over even top weft yarns; (b) the second set of binding warp yarns only pass over odd top weft yarns; (c) the first binding warp yarn in the pair is offset from the second binding warp yarn in the pair by at least three top weft yarns to create an overlap in the warp path of the pair of binding warp yarns; and (d) each spring warp yarn passes over even and odd top weft yarns. The binding warp yarns from the first and second set and the bottom warp yarn interweave with the bottom weft yarns.

The present invention is directed to forming fabrics. The forming fabrics may include a series of repeat units. Each of the repeat units may include a set of binding warp yarns including a first set of binding warp yarns and a second set of binding warp yarns, wherein a binding warp yarn from the first set is paired with a binding warp yarn from the second set; a set of spring warp yarns, wherein each spring warp yarn is between a first pair of binding warp yarns and a second pair of binding warp yarns; a set of top weft yarns including odd and even top weft yarns, wherein the top weft yarns interweave with the binding warp yarns and the spring warp yarns to form a top fabric layer, wherein the spring warp yarns interweave only with the top weft yarns; a set of bottom weft yarns; and a set of bottom warp yarns, the bottom warp yarns interwoven with the bottom weft yarns to form a bottom fabric layer. The binding warp yarns from the first and second set and the spring warp yarns interweave with the top weft yarns to relatively form a plain weave pattern in defined zones such that (a) the first set of binding warp yarns only pass over even top weft yarns; (b) the second set of binding warp yarns only pass over odd top weft yarns; (c) the first binding warp yarn in the pair is offset from the second binding warp yarn in the pair by at least three top weft yarns to create an overlap in the warp path of the pair of binding warp yarns; and (d) each spring warp yarn passes over even and odd top weft yarns. The binding warp yarns from the first and second set and the bottom warp yarn interweave with the bottom weft yarns.

In one embodiment, a pintle insertion tool is disclosed. The pintle insertion tool includes a housing, and a drive assembly supported by the housing. The drive assembly includes a controller connected to a power supply and configured to drive at least one motor. The drive assembly includes a first roller and a second roller defining at least a portion of a channel therebetween. The at least one motor is configured to rotate the first roller and the second roller in both a forward direction and a reverse direction. The channel is adapted to receive a pintle lead wire such that the pintle lead wire is driven by the first roller and the second roller through interdigitated seam loops on opposing ends of a textile sheet so that a pintle can be pushed into position to complete a seam.