Papermaking Clothing Defining a Width of a Paper Web and Associated System and Method

Abstract

A clothing for supporting a wet paper web for dewatering is provided, comprising a dewatering fabric extending in a machine direction and formed only from a woven material to have a single, substantially consistent, permeability. A pair of laterally-spaced strip portions extend along the dewatering fabric in the machine direction, with each being substantially and consistently impermeable to air and forming a substantially and consistently smooth non-water-retaining surface. The strip portions define a permeable web-carrying portion of the dewatering fabric therebetween, wherein the paper web carried thereby extends over the entire width thereof. The permeable web-carrying portion allows air to flow therethrough, exclusively of the impermeable strip portions, such that the wet paper web carried only by the permeable web-carrying portion is dewatered. The width of the permeable web-carrying portion thereby defines the width of the wet paper web dried thereon. Associated systems and methods are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of determining a width of a paper web, comprising: transporting a wet paper web on a forming wire in a machine direction toward an endless fabric having a permeable web-carrying portion, the wet paper web being formed on the forming wire so as to be wider than the permeable web-carrying portion of the fabric, the fabric being formed only from a woven material so as to have a single, substantially consistent, permeability, the fabric further including opposed lateral edges and a pair of laterally spaced apart strip portions extending along the fabric in the machine direction, each strip portion being substantially and consistently impermeable and having a substantially and consistently smooth surface adapted to not retain water, the impermeable strip portions thereby defining the permeable web-carrying portion of the fabric therebetween; and engaging the wet paper web with the fabric such that only the permeable web-carrying portion of the fabric receives the wet paper web, exclusively of the impermeable strip portions, thereby trimming the wet paper web to the width of the permeable web-carrying portion such that the wet paper web extends over an entire width of the permeable web-carrying portion. 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising directing air toward the fabric, the permeable web-carrying portion thereof being configured to allow the air to flow therethrough, exclusively of the impermeable strip portions, such that the wet paper web carried only by the permeable web-carrying portion is at least one of dried and dewatered, the width of the permeable web-carrying portion between the impermeable strip portions thereby defining a width of the wet paper web being at least one of dried and dewatered on the drying fabric. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising imparting suction through the permeable web-carrying portion of the fabric with a suction device operably engaged with the fabric, such that the wet paper web having the width of the permeable web-carrying portion is received by the fabric from the forming wire. 
     
     
         4 . A method of changing a width of a paper web within a single papermaking machine, comprising: transporting a wet paper web on a forming wire in a machine direction toward a first endless fabric having a first permeable web-carrying portion, the wet paper web being formed on the forming wire so as to be wider than the first permeable web-carrying portion of the first fabric, the first fabric being formed only from a woven material so as to have a single, substantially consistent, permeability, the first fabric further including a pair of laterally spaced apart first strip portions extending along the first fabric in the machine direction, each of the first strip portions being substantially and consistently impermeable and having a substantially and consistently smooth surface adapted to not retain water, the first impermeable strip portions thereby defining the first permeable web-carrying portion of the first fabric, therebetween; engaging the wet paper web transported by the forming wire with the first fabric such that the first permeable web-carrying portion of the first fabric receives the wet paper web and such that the wet paper web extends over an entire width of the first permeable web-carrying portion, exclusively of the first impermeable strip portions, so as to trim the wet paper web to the width of the first permeable web-carrying portion; replacing the first fabric with a second endless fabric formed only from a woven material so as to have a single, substantially consistent, permeability, the second fabric further including a pair of laterally spaced apart second strip portions extending along the second fabric in the machine direction, each of the second strip portions being substantially and consistently impermeable and having a substantially and consistently smooth surface adapted to not retain water, the second impermeable strip portions thereby defining a second permeable web-carrying portion of the second fabric therebetween; and engaging the wet paper web transported by the forming wire with the second fabric such that the second permeable web-carrying portion of the second fabric receives the wet paper web and such that the wet paper web extends over an entire width of the permeable second web-carrying portion, exclusively of the second impermeable strip portions, the second permeable web-carrying portion having a different width than the first permeable web-carrying portion and being narrower than the wet paper web formed on the forming wire, so as to trim the wet paper web to the width of the second permeable web-carrying portion. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  further comprising directing air toward one of the first and second fabrics, the permeable web-carrying portion thereof being configured to allow the air to flow therethrough, exclusively of the corresponding impermeable strip portions, such that the wet paper web carried only by the permeable web-carrying portion of the one of the first and second fabrics is at least one of dried and dewatered, the width of the permeable web-carrying portion between the corresponding impermeable strip portions thereby defining a width of the wet paper web being at least one of dried and dewatered on the one of the first and second fabrics. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 4  further comprising imparting suction through one of the first and second permeable web-carrying portions with a suction device operably engaged with the corresponding fabric, such that the wet paper web having the width of the one of the first and second permeable web-carrying portions is received by the corresponding fabric from the forming wire. 
     
     
         7 . A method of forming a papermaking clothing adapted to support a wet paper web for drying or dewatering, from an endless fabric formed only from a woven material so as to have a single, substantially consistent, permeability, the fabric defining a machine direction and having opposed lateral edges, said method comprising: applying a self-leveling filler substance to the fabric at laterally spaced apart positions so as to form a pair of laterally spaced apart strip portions extending along the fabric in the machine direction; and allowing the self-leveling filler substance to set such that each strip portion becomes substantially and consistently impermeable to air and forms a substantially and consistently smooth surface adapted to not retain water, whereby the strip portions define a web-carrying portion of the fabric therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein applying the self-leveling filler substance further comprises applying the self-leveling filler substance to the fabric as a liquid such that the self-leveling filler substance solidifies following application. 
     
     
         9 . A method of forming a papermaking clothing adapted to support a wet paper web for drying or dewatering, from an endless fabric formed only from a woven material so as to have a single, substantially consistent, permeability, the fabric defining a machine direction and having opposed lateral edges, said method comprising: applying heat to the fabric at laterally spaced apart positions, the heat being configured to cause the fabric at the laterally spaced apart positions to attain a material flow temperature; and applying a pressure to the fabric at the laterally spaced apart positions, substantially simultaneously with heating the fabric thereat to the material flow temperature, so as to form a pair of laterally spaced apart strip portions extending along the fabric in the machine direction, each strip portion being substantially and consistently impermeable to air and forming a substantially and consistently smooth surface adapted to not retain water, whereby the strip portions define a web-carrying portion of the fabric therebetween. 
     
     
         10 . A composite fabric for through air drying comprising: a fabric body fabricated from a first material and having a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the first side portion is fabricated from a second material. 
     
     
         11 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the second side portion is fabricated using a third material. 
     
     
         12 . The composite fabric of  claim 11 , wherein the second material and the third material are the same material. 
     
     
         13 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the first side portion is woven on the same loom as the fabric body. 
     
     
         14 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the first side portion has the same pattern as the fabric body. 
     
     
         15 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the first side portion has the same processing as the fabric body. 
     
     
         16 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , further comprising a coating. 
     
     
         17 . The composite fabric of  claim 16 , wherein the coating, when compared to the composite fabric, has at least one of enhanced release properties, enhanced wear properties and enhanced thermal stability. 
     
     
         18 . The composite fabric, of  claim 10 , wherein the second material is at least one of polyphenylenesulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), high temperature and hydrolysis resistant polymers, blends using PPS, blends using PEEK, alloys of PPS alloys of PEEK, and high temperature nylon. 
     
     
         19 . The composite fabric of  claim 18 , wherein the high temperature nylon is at least one of a variant of nylon and an aromatic nylon. 
     
     
         20 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the first material is at least one of polyester and polyp (PET). 
     
     
         21 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the diameter of the second material is substantially the same as the diameter of the first material. 
     
     
         22 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the first side portion has a plane in the same plane as the fabric body. 
     
     
         23 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the fabric body and the first side portion have substantially the same CFM throughput. 
     
     
         24 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the fabric body and the first side portion have different CFM throughput. 
     
     
         25 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the first side portion has a width of approximately 10-50 cm in a weft direction. 
     
     
         26 . The composite fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the second side portion has a width of approximately 10-50 cm in a weft direction.