Nonwoven Seam for an Industrial Fabric

Abstract

A seam area, and a method of making a seam for an industrial fabric, provide for first and second fold lines oriented in the CD of the fabric. Each fold line comprises a set of land areas configured to define a set of holes, and the land areas of each set are constructed and arranged such that when the fabric is folded along the fold lines and the fold lines are aligned with each other, each folded land area of each set is offset from the folded land areas of the other set, and aligned with and receivable by an opposing hole of the other set to form a channel to receive a fastening means. The seams provide the benefits of simple, accurate and economical construction, strength, consistency with adjacent fabric surfaces, and thus reduced marking of sheets carried by the fabrics.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A seam area for a fibrous industrial fabric, the fabric having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, the seam area comprising a first and second fold line each oriented in the cross-machine direction wherein
 (a) the first fold line comprises a first set of land areas configured to define a first set of holes;   (b) the second fold line comprises a second set of land areas configured to define a second set of holes;   (c) the land areas of each set are constructed and arranged such that when the fabric is folded along the fold lines and the fold lines are aligned with each other, each folded land area of each set is
 (i) offset from the folded land areas of the other set and 
 (ii) aligned with and receivable by an opposing hole of the other set to form a channel to receive a fastening element. 
   
     
     
         27 . A seam area for a fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 26 , wherein the fabric is an endless construction fabric and the first and second fold lines are equidistant from each other in the machine direction. 
     
     
         28 . A seam area for fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 26 , wherein the fabric is selected from flat woven and flat nonwoven and the first and second fold lines are proximate each end of the fabric. 
     
     
         29 . A seam according to  claim 26 , wherein the fastening element is a pintle. 
     
     
         30 . A seam area according to  claim 26 , wherein the fastening element comprises a seaming coil. 
     
     
         31 . A seam area according to  claim 26 , wherein the configuration of the holes is selected from substantially rectangular, substantially square, substantially circular and substantially elliptical. 
     
     
         32 . A seam area according to  claim 26 , wherein each of the holes has a width in the cross-machine direction along the respective fold line at least equal to a width in the cross-machine direction along the respective fold line of its opposing land. 
     
     
         33 . A seam area according to  claim 26 , wherein the holes are created by a method selected from punching, cutting, melting, ultrasonics and microwaving. 
     
     
         34 . A seam area according to  claim 26 , wherein the edges of the holes are heat sealed. 
     
     
         35 . A fibrous industrial fabric including a seam area according to  claim 26 . 
     
     
         36 . A fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 26 , wherein the fabric is formed by a method selected from endless weaving, flat woven, flat nonwoven, a combination of flat woven and flat nonwoven, and spiral winding. 
     
     
         37 . A fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 26 , wherein the fabric is a papermaker's fabric. 
     
     
         38 . A fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 35 , wherein the fabric is a press felt. 
     
     
         39 . A fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 37 , wherein the fabric is a filtration fabric. 
     
     
         40 . A fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 35 , further comprising at least one nonwoven component. 
     
     
         41 . A fibrous industrial fabric according to  claim 35 , which does not include any woven component. 
     
     
         42 . A method of making a seam in an industrial fabric having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a first set of holes each centered along a first fold line oriented in the cross-machine direction in the fabric, each of the holes being spaced apart from an adjacent one of the holes by a land area of a first set;   (b) forming a second set of holes each centered along a second fold line oriented in the cross-machine direction in the fabric, each of the holes of the second set being spaced apart from adjacent one of the holes by a land area, wherein the configuration of the second set of holes along the second fold line corresponds to the land areas of the first set, and the configuration of the first set of holes along the first fold line corresponds to the land areas of the second set;   (c) folding the fabric at the first fold line;   (d) folding the fabric at the second fold line;   (e) intermeshing the first set of holes with the second set of land areas and the second set of holes with the first set of land areas to form a channel across the fabric in the cross-machine direction; and   (f) inserting a fastening element in the channel.   
     
     
         43 . The Method according to  claim 42 , wherein the fabric is an endless construction fabric and the first and second fold lines are equidistant from each other in the machine direction. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the fabric is selected from flat woven, flat nonwoven and a combination thereof and the first and second fold lines are proximate each end of the fabric. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the fastening element is a pintle. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the fastening element comprises a seaming coil. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the holes are formed with a configuration selected from substantially rectangular, substantially square, substantially circular and substantially elliptical. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein each of the holes is formed with a width in the cross-machine direction along the respective fold line at least equal to a width in the cross-machine direction along the respective fold line of an opposing one of the lands. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the holes are formed by a method selected from punching, cutting, melting, ultrasonics and microwaving. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein steps (a) and (b) further include heat sealing the edges of the holes. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein step (c) forms a first upper and lower fabric layer adjacent the first fold line, and step (d) forms a second upper and lower fabric layer adjacent the second fold line, and after step (d) forms a second upper and lower fabric layer adjacent the second fold line, and after step (d), the method further includes step (d.1) comprising stitching the first upper and lower fabric layers together proximate the first fold line, and stitching the second upper and lower fabric layers together proximate the second fold line.