This application is related to application number 11 008 488.6, filed Oct. 22, 2011, in the European Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and to which priority is claimed.
The invention relates to a woven papermaker fabric, in particular a forming fabric, having a first woven fabric layer forming a paper side at the outside of the fabric and made of first threads interwoven with one another which form recurring first woven repeats and a paper side plane, and having a second woven fabric layer forming a machine side at the outside of the fabric made of second threads interwoven with one another, which form recurring second woven repeats, the two woven fabric layers forming together an overall woven repeat of the fabric and being connected to one another by binder threads formed by structural second threads belonging to the second woven repeats at binder points, where one binder thread and one first thread bind one first thread running transversely thereto on its paper side, the binder threads forming knuckles at the binder points having peaks on their paper side constituting a peak plane parallel to the paper side plane, and the first threads forming knuckles on the paper side with concave inner bends, the points of which lying nearest to the paper side constituting an inner plane parallel to the paper side plane.
Woven papermaker fabrics are intended to be used in the sections of a paper making machine as a support for the paper web. They are endless woven fabrics or fabrics made endless by means of a seam which circulate in the paper making machine. In the first section of a paper making machine, forming fabrics are used, on the top strand of which a paper pulp is disposed at the start, and the latter is dewatered through the forming fabric such as to form a paper web, wherein the dewatering is supported in particular by suction boxes disposed on the under or inner side of the fabric.
A papermaker fabric must have a fine structure on the paper side in order to support and retain a high percentage of the deposited paper fibers. On the other hand, the machine side of such a fabric must be durable enough to withstand wear and give adequate life, strong enough to resist tensile forces and open enough to provide drainage. Meeting these criteria generally requires that at least two fabric layers are superimposed utilizing threads of different size and/or count per cm and differing weave patterns.
Generally known are three types of papermakers fabrics used for the forming section of a papermaker machine. A first type is constructed of an upper and a lower layer out of transverse threads, the threads of both layers are superposed in pairs. The fabric layers are connected by longitudinal threads mostly interwoven in the upper layer and only a portion of them additionally interwoven in the lower layer, the threads of which are preferably of a larger thickness than the longitudinal threads. Such kind of forming fabrics are commonly called double-layer fabrics.
The second type of fabrics is created from two distinct fabrics, one having the qualities desired for the paper side and the other the qualities desired for the machine side. The two fabrics are stitched or bound together by additional or independent binding yarns, which do not belong to the recurring woven fabric repeats formed by the longitudinal and transverse threads of both layers. This type of papermaker fabric is commonly called a triple-layer fabric.
The third type of papermaker fabric is based on the second type, i.e. has two distinct fabric layers comprising longitudinal and transverse threads interwoven with one another respectively. Unlike the triple-layer fabrics, this type of fabric has no additional or independent binder threads. The connection of the two layers is made of their own threads, i.e. by so-called “structural”, “intrinsic” or “fabric-born” threads. These are threads which are an integral part of the weave pattern of the fabric or its woven fabric repeats. Composite fabrics of these types are commonly called SSB (sheet support binder) fabrics.
The differences between the foregoing three types of fabrics are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,326, columns 1 and 2, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,448, columns 1 through 3 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,953, columns 1 through 3.
Papermaker fabrics of the SSB composite type are known, wherein the connection between the two layers is achieved by a number of structural binding thread pairs, the binding of the one binding thread in one layer is continued by the other binding thread of the binding thread pair, if the one binding thread changes from one layer to the other layer in a symmetrical manner (U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,326, US 2008/0035230 A1, EP 1 605 095 A1 and EP 1 365 066 A1). Also known are embodiments of composite papermaker fabrics, wherein the two layers are connected by structural binder threads belonging to the first woven fabric layer (U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,448; U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,953; EP 2 314 762 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,051, JP 49010281 B, DE 298 07 274 U1 and EP 1 365 066 A1). In the latter document, an embodiment is also disclosed, wherein the two layers are connected by binding threads of the second woven fabric layer forming the machine side layer.
In the figures of JP 62078294 A, a papermaker fabric is disclosed having a first woven fabric layer provided for the paper side and made of first longitudinal and first transverse threads interwoven with one another and having a second woven fabric layer provided for the machine side made of second longitudinal and second transverse threads interwoven with one another. The two woven fabric layers are connected to one another by binder threads at binder points formed by structural second threads running along and below associated first threads.
Both the binder threads and the associated first threads bind first threads of the first woven fabric layer running transversely thereto at the binder points on their paper side wherein the binder threads and also the first threads form knuckles at the binder points. The knuckles of the binder threads have peaks on their paper side, all of which constitute a peak plane parallel to the paper side. The knuckles of the associated first threads have concave inner bends, the points of which lying nearest to the paper side constitute an inner plane parallel to the paper side. The tension of the first thread extending transversely to the binder threads is such that the inner plane as defined above is nearer to the paper side or at most in the same level as the peak plane so that respectively, the binder threads and the associated first threads are forming superimposed pairs also at the binder points.
It is an object of the invention to design a woven papermaker fabric, in particular for use in the web formation region of the paper making machine such that the web formation on the paper side of the fabric is improved.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the tension of the first threads extending transversely to the binder threads is such that the peak plane is nearer to the paper side than the inner plane thereby causing oscillating lateral deflections of at least one of the first threads running adjacently to the respective binder thread in the region of the binder points. It is therefore the basic idea of the invention to lift the knuckles of the binder threads by exerting an appropriate tension to the first threads extending transversely to the binder threads such that the knuckles of the binder threads push aside at least one of the adjacent first threads at the binder points thereby causing oscillating lateral deflections of these threads. Thereby, the binder threads are exposed to the paper side and impart a significantly higher resistance to drainage flow thus creating a significant improvement in web formation.
There are two general concepts of the invention. In one embodiment, the binder threads are disposed below one first thread extending in the same direction vertically stacked to one another respectively. Preferably those first threads bind the transverse threads side by side with the corresponding binder thread at the binder points forming said lateral deflections in the region of the binder points. In that case, the first threads are pushed aside by direct contact between the binder thread and first thread binding together side by side the first thread running transversely to them at the binder point.
Alternatively thereto, the binder threads and the first threads running in the same direction can be disposed offset to one another, for example by shifting the two fabric layers accordingly, if the number of second and first threads running in the same direction as the binder threads is the same. In another example, the offset can be realized by providing a number of second threads, which is lower than the number of first threads running in the same direction as the binder threads, preferably if the number of these first threads is odd and the number of these second threads is even per woven repeat or vice versa. Preferably, at the binder points, the first threads running in the same direction as the binder threads and adjacently to them on the side opposite to the side where the adjacent first threads running in the direction of the binder threads bind the transverse first threads on their paper side, pass under these transverse first threads forming said lateral deflections in the region of the binder points. Due to the offset, the first thread running in the same direction as the binder thread and adjacently to it is pushed aside having no direct contact with the binder thread, but separated by the first thread running transversely thereto and extending between the binder thread and the adjacent first thread.
The lateral deflections of the first threads should cover a path length ranging from at least 10% to at most 90% of the overall woven repeat length in the running direction of these first threads. Moreover, at least some of the lateral deflections of the first threads is up to 100% of the width of the binder threads in the fabric plane, particularly at least 10% thereof.
As it is known in the state of the art, at least some of the second threads, particularly the binder threads, should have a greater cross-sectional area in particular a greater diameter than the first threads.
However, the basic idea of the invention can also be realized if the cross-sectional area of the first and second threads is equal or reverse.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the binder threads bind just a single first thread extending transversely to the binder threads, and it can be sufficient to bind only one single first thread in every overall woven repeat. However, it is possible that the binder threads bind two or more first threads at one binder point or two or more single first threads in every overall woven repeat.
In a further embodiment of the invention, all the second threads extending in one direction are woven as binder threads. This does not exclude embodiments, wherein not all the second threads are woven as binder threads, for example only each second or third structural thread.
In further embodiments the first threads extending in the same direction as the binder threads and/or transversely to the latter are present in a number of threads which is at least as great as the number of threads of the second threads extending in the same direction as the latter, in particular the ratio of the numbers of threads of these first and second threads is 4:3, 3:2, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4. Nevertheless, other ratios are possible.
In a preferred embodiment, the first threads are interwoven with one another in a plain weave. This suggestion does not exclude weaves other than a plain weave.
In a further embodiment, the binder threads extend in the provided running direction of the woven papermaker fabric, in particular woven as warp threads. The basic idea of the invention can also be realized by binder threads extending transversely to the provided running direction.
According to the invention it is suggested that the woven papermaker fabric is woven to at least eight harnesses, in particular to the maximum of 100 harnesses.
Suitable materials for the threads are all of the synthetics which are generally used with woven papermaker fabrics, and in particular forming fabrics. It is advantageous that the threads extending in the provided running direction of the woven papermaker fabric are made of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyethylenenaphtha-late (PEN) or of mixtures or copolymers of these materials. The threads extending transversely to the provided running direction should be made of PET, polyamide (PA) or mixtures or copolymers of these materials or blends of these materials with polyurethane (PU).
As regards the cross-sectional shape of the threads, all known cross-sectional shapes are possible, in particular round, oval, or rectangular cross-sections or those with different profiles. Moreover, threads are provided which are twisted or braided from at least two monofilaments or multifilaments. Finally, threads can be used which are provided with a coating, in particular made of urethane or acrylic, or using nanoparticles.
In the drawings the invention is illustrated by means of exemplary embodiments. These show as follows:
The second woven fabric layer 33 is composed of transverse second threads marked with odd numbers 1 to 23. These second threads 1, 3, 5 . . . 23 are interwoven with longitudinal second threads 46 to 57 the course of which is shown in the right half of
As recognizable from the right half of
As shown in
In the direction transverse to the provided running direction of the papermaker fabric 31, each longitudinal first thread 34 to 45 is extending above a longitudinal second thread 46 to 57 respectively forming pairs (34 and 46, 35 and 47, etc.) consisting of one longitudinal second thread 46 to 57 forming a binder thread and one longitudinal first thread 34 to 45.
At each binder point, one longitudinal second thread 46 to 57 binds a transverse first thread 2, 4, 6 . . . 24 on the paper side together side by side with one longitudinal first thread 34 to 45. Referring to
The number of the longitudinal first threads 85 to 96 is equal to the number of the longitudinal second threads 98 to 109. However, contrary to the embodiment shown in
At each binder point, one longitudinal second thread 98 to 109 binds a transverse first thread 84 on the paper side together and side by side with a longitudinal first thread 85 to 96. In
Contrary to the embodiment of the papermaking fabric 31 disclosed in
The knuckle 110 of the longitudinal second thread 105 forms a peak 112 lying nearest to a paper side plane 113 constituted by the outer peaks of the longitudinal first threads 85 to 96. Each longitudinal second thread 98 to 109 has such a peak 112 at the binder points, and all these peaks 112 form a peak plane, which is in this embodiment identical with the paper side plane 113.
Another plane is formed by the paper side knuckles of the longitudinal first threads 85 to 96, namely by points of their concave inner bends lying nearest to the paper side and constituting an inner plane 114.
The present invention has been described herein in terms of one or more preferred embodiments. However, it should be understood that numerous modifications and variations to these embodiments would be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. Therefore, it is intended that any such modifications and variations comprise a part of this invention, provided they come within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
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Examination Report, mailed Oct. 15, 2013, and English translation for corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 223089/12. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130098497 A1 | Apr 2013 | US |