Papermakers fabrics

Claim 2

A flat-woven papermakers fabric including a base weave structure comprised of cross-machine direction weft yarns and machine direction warp yarns and having integrally formed warp loops formed in a selected number of machine direction warp yarns and including additional cross-machine direction weft yarns at one face thereof and at least in the region of the ends of said fabric which are adapted to form a seam thereat, the said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns lying or extending outwardly of the plane of said seam at said face and floating at said face in relation to the base weave structure thereof by being periodically attached at selected locations to the base weave structure by a selected number of said warp yarns.

Claim 3

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are provided throughout the full longitudinal extent of the fabric in the machine direction.

Claim 4

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns float at the face of the fabric over at least three repeats of the base weave structure in the cross-machine direction.

Claim 5

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter, or equivalent, of the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns does not exceed that of the cross-machine direction weft yarns of the base weave structure.

Claim 6

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are provided in equal numbers relative to the cross-machine direction weft yarns of the base weave structure.

Claim 7

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are provided on the basis of at least one additional weft yarn for each two cross-machine direction yarns of the base weave structure.

Claim 8

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are provided at a location directly adjacent to the ends of said fabric.

Claim 9

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns define a plane spaced outwardly of the fabric in relation to the plane of the adjacent surface of the base weave.

Claim 10

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base weave structure includes a roller side and the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are located on the roller side of the base weave structure.

Claim 11

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base weave structure includes a paper side and the additional cross-machine direction yarns are located on the paper side of the base weave structure.

Claim 12

A papermakers dryer fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are spun yarns.

Claim 13

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are provided at each face of the base weave structure.

Claim 14

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base weave comprises a semi-duplex fabric weave structure.

Claim 15

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 13, wherein the base weave structure comprises a 3 and 1 twill structure.

Claim 16

A papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional cross-machine direction weft yarns comprise synthetic yarns.

Claim 17

A flat-woven papermakers fabric having a paper side and comprising a semi-duplex base weave structure of machine direction warp yarns and cross-machine weft yarns, having additional cross-machine direction weft yarns at the paper side thereof, the said additional weft yarns being provided on the basis of one such yarn for each cross-machine direction weft yarn and floating at the surface of the paper side over three repeats of the base weave structure to define a plane spaced outwardly of the fabric in relation to the plane of the said surface of said base weave structure.

Claim 18

A flat-woven papermakers fabric having a paper side and comprising a semi-duplex base weave structure of machine direction warp yarns and cross-machine weft yarns, having additional cross-machine direction weft yarns at the paper side thereof, the said additional weft yarns being provided on the basis of one such yarn for each cross-machine direction weft yarn and floating at the surface of the paper side over three repeats of the base weave structure to define a plane spaced outwardly of the fabric in relation to the plane of the said surface of said base weave structure.

Claim 19

A flat-woven papermakers fabric having a base weave structure comprised of cross-machine direction weft yarns and interweaving machine direction warp yarns, and including additional cross-machine direction weft yarns on one face thereof, said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns being in floating relationship with said base weave structure, said floating relationship being a configuration whereby each additional cross-machine direction weft yarn is held in position by selectively different ones of said machine direction warp yarns at correspondingly different locations spaced in the cross-machine direction of said base weave structure.

Claim 20

A flat-woven papermakers fabric having a base weave structure comprised of cross-machine direction weft yarns and interweaving machine direction warp yarns, and including additional cross-machine direction weft yarns on one face thereof, said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns being in floating relationship with said base weave structure, said floating relationship being a configuration whereby each additional cross-machine direction weft yarn is held in position by selectively different ones of said machine direction warp yarns at correspondingly different locations spaced in the cross-machine direction of said base weave structure.

Claim 21

The flat-woven papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 17 wherein said base weave structure is comprised of at least two layers of cross-machine direction weft yarns interwoven with machine direction warp yarns.

Claim 22

The flat-woven papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 17 wherein one face of said base weave structure has a paper forming surface and wherein said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns are located on an opposite face relative to said one face, said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns defining a support surface at said opposite face which is at least coplanar and preferably lies outwardly thereof.

Claim 23

The flat-woven papermakers fabric as claimed in claim 19 wherein said base weave structure includes two layers of cross-machine direction weft yarns.

Claim 24

A flat-woven papermakers fabric comprising at least one layer of cross-machine direction weft yarns interwoven with machine direction warp yarns to provide a base weave structure, there being outwardly extending loops at the fabric ends formed from selected machine direction warp yarns of said base weave structure, and a plurality of additional cross-machine direction weft yarns at least on one face of said base weave structure, said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns defining a support surface at said one face which is outwardly thereof, the individual ones of said plurality of additional cross-machine weft yarns floating in relation to the base weave structure and being held in position thereon, the ratio of the total number of machine direction warp yarns across which a given additional cross-machine direction weft yarn extends to the number of points at which said given cross-machine direction weft yarn is held in position on the base weave structure being not less than 4:1.

Claim 25

A flat-woven papermakers fabric comprising at least one layer of cross-machine direction weft yarns interwoven with machine direction warp yarns to provide a base weave structure, there being outwardly extending loops at the fabric ends formed from selected machine direction warp yarns of said base weave structure, and a plurality of additional cross-machine direction weft yarns at least on one face of said base weave structure, said additional cross-machine direction weft yarns defining a support surface at said one face which is outwardly thereof, the individual ones of said plurality of additional cross-machine weft yarns floating in relation to the base weave structure and being held in position thereon, the ratio of the total number of machine direction warp yarns across which a given additional cross-machine direction weft yarn extends to the number of points at which said given cross-machine direction weft yarn is held in position on the base weave structure being not less than 4:1.