Method for producing a felt belt

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a felt belt, particularly a press felt for a paper machine, including the steps of producing a longitudinal thread structure by continuous helical winding of at least one longitudinal thread in the direction of the provided width of the felt belt, particularly up to the provided width of the felt belt; placing a transverse reinforcement structure on the longitudinal thread structure and connecting the same to the longitudinal thread structure to form a tube-like composite structure; placing opposing sections of the tube-like structure one atop the other such that the tube-like structure forms a flat structure whose length corresponds to approximately half the circumference of the tube-like structure and which provides seam loops on its opposing longitudinal sides, the loops being formed by the at least one helically wound longitudinal thread; making the flat structure continuous by merging the opposing seam loops and connecting the same to one another; and connecting the sections of the flat structure placed one atop the other to form a base structure.

1 . A method for producing a felt belt for a papermaking machine, the method comprising the following steps:
 producing a longitudinal thread structure by continuously helically winding at least one longitudinal thread in a direction of a width of the felt belt up to an entire width of the felt belt;   placing a transverse reinforcement structure on said longitudinal thread structure and connecting said transverse reinforcement structure and said longitudinal thread structure to form a tube-like composite structure;   placing a first section of said tube-like structure on top of a second opposing section of said tube-like structure to form a flat structure having opposing longitudinal sides and a length equal to approximately one-half of a circumference of said tube-like structure, said flat structure having opposing seam loops on said opposing longitudinal sides, said seam loops being formed by said at least one helically wound longitudinal thread;   making said flat structure continuous by merging and connecting said opposing seam loops; and   connecting at least one first section of said flat structure and at least one second section previously placed one atop the other to form a base structure.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flat structure is one of made continuous and formed into a continuous belt before said step of connecting said at least one first section of said flat structure and said at least one second section of said flat structure. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the step of tensing at least one of a plurality of said flat structures in a longitudinal direction after making said flat structure continuous. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flat structure is one of made continuous and formed into a continuous belt after said connection of said at least one first section of said flat structure and said at least one second section of said flat structure. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising the step of applying a carrier layer after said step of producing said longitudinal thread and before said step of applying said transverse reinforcement structure to said longitudinal thread. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the step of connecting said longitudinal thread structure and said transverse reinforcement structure through said carrier layer. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said carrier layer is at least one of a non-woven fibrous layer and a film layer. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said transverse reinforcement structure is a transverse thread arrangement. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein said transverse thread arrangement is at least one of a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a transverse thread structure and a gauze fabric. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming said transverse reinforcement structure from a plurality of transverse reinforcement modules extending over only a part of a length of said longitudinal thread structure, said transverse reinforcement modules including at least one first transverse reinforcement module and at least one second transverse module abutting said at least one first transverse reinforcement module in a longitudinal direction of the felt belt. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of connecting said longitudinal thread structure to said non-woven fibrous layer by needling. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said longitudinal thread structure is embedded in said non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said non-woven fibrous layer includes hot melt adhesive fibers, said non-woven fibrous layer and said longitudinal thread structure being connected by melting and resolidifying said hot melt adhesive fibers. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of melting and resolidifying said hot melt adhesive fibers to connect said transverse reinforcement structure and said non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of producing said carrier layer by continuously winding a carrier strip extending only over part of said width of the felt belt up to an entire width of the felt belt. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of placing one edge of said carrier strip one of flush with and regionally overlapping an opposing edge of said carrier strip. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein said base structure is placed under said tension and subjected to said heat treatment after connecting said at least one first section of said flat structure and said at least one second section to form a base structure. 
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the step of connecting said merged seam loops with a fixing wire. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the step of needling at least one of a top side and a bottom side of said base structure with at least one non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising the step of incorporating a particulate polymer material into said at least one non-woven fibrous layer on said at least one of said top side and said bottom side of said base structure, said particulate polymer material being attaching to fibers of said at least one non-woven fibrous layer to form a composite structure. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising the step of melting and resolidifying said particulate polymer material after said incorporation into said non-woven fibrous layer to form said porous composite structure and said fibers of said non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein said longitudinal thread structure includes at least one monofilament thread and said transverse reinforcement structure includes a plurality of multifilament threads. 
   
   
       23 . A method for producing a felt belt for a papermaking machine, the method comprising the following steps:
 producing a longitudinal thread structure by continuously helically winding at least one longitudinal thread in a direction of a width of the felt belt up to an entire width of the felt belt;   placing a transverse reinforcement structure on said longitudinal thread structure and connecting said transverse reinforcement structure and said longitudinal thread structure to form a tube-like composite structure;   placing a first section of said tube-like structure on top of a second opposing section of said tube-like structure to form a flat structure having opposing longitudinal sides and a length equal to approximately one-half of a circumference of said tube-like structure, said flat structure providing opposing seam loops on said opposing longitudinal sides, said seam loops being formed by said at least one helically wound longitudinal thread;   forming a continuous belt by arranging a plurality of flat structures, said plurality of flat structures being connected with seam loops; and   connecting at least one first section of said flat structure and at least one second section previously placed one atop the other to form a base structure including a plurality of said tube-like structures.   
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said flat structure is one of made continuous and formed into a continuous belt before said step of connecting said at least one first section of said flat structure and said at least one second section of said flat structure. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising the step of tensing at least one of a plurality of said flat structures in a longitudinal direction after making said flat structure continuous. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said flat structure is one of made continuous and formed into a continuous belt after said connection of said at least one first section of said flat structure and said at least one second section of said flat structure. 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , further comprising the step of applying a carrier layer after said step of producing said longitudinal thread and before said step of applying said transverse reinforcement structure to said longitudinal thread. 
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising the step of connecting said longitudinal thread structure and said transverse reinforcement structure through said carrier layer. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein said carrier layer is at least one of a non-woven fibrous layer and a film layer. 
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said transverse reinforcement structure is a transverse thread arrangement. 
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein said transverse thread arrangement is at least one of a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a transverse thread structure and a gauze fabric. 
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising the step of forming said transverse reinforcement structure from a plurality of transverse reinforcement modules extending over only a part of a length of said longitudinal thread structure, said transverse reinforcement modules including at least one first transverse reinforcement module and at least one second transverse module abutting said at least one first transverse reinforcement module in a longitudinal direction of the felt belt. 
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 32 , further comprising the step of connecting said longitudinal thread structure to said non-woven fibrous layer by needling. 
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein said longitudinal thread structure is embedded in said non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein said non-woven fibrous layer includes hot melt adhesive fibers, said non-woven fibrous layer and said longitudinal thread structure being connected by melting and resolidifying said hot melt adhesive fibers. 
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising the steps of melting and resolidifying said hot melt adhesive fibers to connect said transverse reinforcement structure and said non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising the step of producing said carrier layer by continuously winding a carrier strip extending only over part of said width of the felt belt up to an entire width of the felt belt. 
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising the step of placing one edge of said carrier strip one of flush with and regionally overlapping an opposing edge of said carrier strip. 
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein said base structure is placed under said tension and subjected to said heat treatment after connecting said at least one first section of said flat structure and said at least one second section to form a base structure. 
   
   
       40 . The method according to  claim 39 , further comprising the step of connecting said merged seam loops with a fixing wire. 
   
   
       41 . The method according to  claim 40 , further comprising the step of needling at least one of a top side and a bottom side of said base structure with at least one non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising the step of incorporating a particulate polymer material into said at least one non-woven fibrous layer on said at least one of said top side and said bottom side of said base structure, said particulate polymer material being attaching to fibers of said at least one non-woven fibrous layer to form a composite structure. 
   
   
       43 . The method according to  claim 42 , further comprising the step of melting and resolidifying said particulate polymer material after said incorporation into said non-woven fibrous layer to form said porous composite structure and said fibers of said non-woven fibrous layer. 
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein said longitudinal thread structure includes at least one monofilament thread and said transverse reinforcement structure includes a plurality of multifilament threads.