The present invention provides tissue webs and products having improved z-directional properties. The improved z-directional properties may be achieved by providing the structure with a unique three-dimensional surface topography, which increases the structure's Exponential Compression Modulus (K) and Caliper Under Load (C.sub.0). By improving both K and C.sub.0, the present inventors have also been able to provide tissue structures with relatively high Compression Energy (E), which enables the structures to be calendered at high loads without significant loss of sheet bulk or degradation of strength.

Multi-ply paper products and methods of making such products includes providing a first furnish including a primary pulp having papermaking fibers with a weight-weighted average fiber length, a coarseness of about sixteen milligrams per one hundred meters or lower, and being at least eighty percent of the papermaking fibers of the first furnish, forming a nascent web having at least two layers, one of the layers being a surface layer of the nascent web and formed from the first furnish, dewatering the nascent web to form a dewatered web, and drying the dewatered web to form a multi-ply paper product. The multi-ply paper product includes a first ply and a second ply arranged such that an inner layer of the first ply is adjacent to an inner layer of the second ply and the inner layer of the first ply is attached to the inner layer of the second ply.

A roll for molding a fibrous sheet. The roll includes a rotatably driven cylindrical shell. The cylindrical shell includes an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a permeable patterned surface on the exterior surface of the shell. The permeable patterned surface has at least one of a plurality of recesses and projections, a plurality of holes extending from the exterior surface to the interior to allow air to be moved through the shell. Each hole has an exterior end and an interior end, and a plurality of grooves. Each groove is fluidly connected to the exterior end of each hole and extends outward from the corresponding hole. The roll also includes a vacuum box on the inside of the cylindrical shell to draw air from the exterior surface of the shell to the interior surface. The vacuum box is stationary with respect to the rotation of the shell.

A multi-ply through air dried structured tissue having a bulk softness of less than 10 TS7 and a lint value of 5.0 or less. Each ply of the tissue has a first exterior layer that includes a wet end temporary wet strength additive in an amount of approximately 0.25 kg/ton and a wet end dry strength additive in an amount of approximately 0.25 kg/ton, an interior layer that includes a first wet end additive comprising an ionic surfactant, and a second wet end additive comprising a non-ionic surfactant, and a second exterior layer.

A roll for molding a fibrous sheet. The roll includes a cylindrical shell and a vacuum box. The cylindrical shell is configured to be rotatably driven and is permeable to allow air to be moved through the cylindrical shell. The cylindrical shell has a permeable patterned surface on an exterior surface of the cylindrical shell. The permeable patterned surface has at least one of a plurality of recesses and a plurality of projections. The density of the at least one of the plurality of recesses and the plurality of projections is greater than about fifty per square inch. The vacuum box is positioned on the inside of the cylindrical shell and is configured to draw air from the exterior surface of the cylindrical shell to an interior surface of the cylindrical shell. The vacuum box is stationary with respect to the rotation of the cylindrical shell.

An absorbent sheet made by a process that includes the steps of forming a nascent web from an aqueous papermaking furnish, and creping the nascent web on a multilayer belt that includes (i) a first layer made from a polymeric material having a plurality of overlapping openings, and (ii) a second layer attached to the first layer, with the nascent web being deposited onto a surface of the first layer. The absorbent sheet includes a plurality of hollow domed regions projecting from a side of the absorbent sheet.

A method of forming a fibrous web on a papermaking machine including the steps of depositing a dilute fiber slurry out of a headbox to a forming area comprising a forming surface made up of a structured fabric, wherein the structured fabric is supported by a breast roll and a forming roll, and the forming area is devoid of any additional fabrics or belts other than the structured fabric, draining the dilute fiber slurry through the structured fabric, and drying the fiber slurry.

Disclosed is a through-air dryer shower assembly disposed within the through-air dryer and enables efficient cleaning of the through-air dryer without having an operator enter the dyer. The shower may comprise an elongated shower conduit having a plurality of nozzles disposed thereon and may be affixed to a baffle disposed within the through-air dryer cylinder. The shower assembly is generally positioned to spray a pressurized stream of wash fluid against the interior surface of the dryer causing debris accumulated within the deck to flow through the structure to the outer surface for discharge.

The invention relates to a method of producing a structured fibrous web of paper suitable for tissue products. The method comprises forming a fibrous web and conveying the formed fibrous web on a water receiving felt (5) to a dewatering nip. An endless steel belt (11) with a smooth steel surface is passed through the nip together with the fibrous web and the water receiving felt (5) wherein the endless steel belt is heated by heaters (HE.sub.U, HE.sub.L). After the dewatering nip, the fibrous web is conveyed by the endless steel belt (11) to an endless textured fabric (12) which is permeable to air and to which the web is transferred from the endless steel belt (11) in a transfer nip. The textured fabric (12) runs at a lower speed than the endless belt (11). After the transfer to the textured fabric (12), the fibrous web is carried by the textured fabric (12) to a drying cylinder (17). The transfer nip is formed by two rolls of which one is a suction roll within the loop of the textured fabric. The transfer nip has a length which is 5 mm-40 mm. The endless steel belt (11) has a width that exceeds the width of the textured fabric (12). The invention also relates to a corresponding machine.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for removing water from a wet fibrous web. During the process of making a fibrous structure, a capillary dewatering apparatus remove water from a wet porous web. In some configurations, a capillary dewatering apparatus may include a capillary porous media. A molding member, such as a papermaking belt comprising an air permeable fabric, may advance the wet fibrous web onto the capillary porous media, wherein the fibrous web is positioned between the capillary porous media and the air-permeable fabric. An energy transfer surface may be positioned in contact with the air-permeable fabric or the outer circumferential surface, wherein the energy transfer surface operates to vibrate the capillary porous media. In turn, the vibration helps to drive water through the capillary porous media, allowing additional water to flow from the fibrous web and through pores in the capillary porous media.