Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a papermakers fabric which provides for usage of high aspect ratio yarns as structured weave components. The fabric comprises a system of flat monofilament machine direction yarns (hereinafter MD yarns) which are woven in a selected weave construction which provides stability to the fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the system of MD yarns comprises upper and lower yarns which are vertically stacked. Preferably, the upper MD yarns define floats on the upper surface of the fabric and each upper MD yarn is paired in a vertically stacked orientation with a lower MD yarn. The lower MD yarns may weave in an inverted image of the upper MD yarns to provide floats on the bottom fabric surface or may weave with a different repeat to provide a different surface on the bottom of the fabric. At least the upper MD yarns are flat monofilament yarns woven contiguous with each other to reduce the permeability of the fabric and to lock in the machine direction alignment of the stacking pairs of MD yarns. In the preferred embodiment, the same type and size yarns are used throughout the machine direction yarn system and both the top and the bottom MD yarns weave contiguously with adjacent top and bottom MD yarns, respectively. The stacked, contiguous woven machine direction system provides stability and permits the MD yarns to have a relatively high aspect ratio, cross-sectional width to height, of greater than 3:1.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim