Fabric seams

Abstract

A fabric seam n a fabric for use as papermachine clothing, the seam being formed by interdigitated loops ( 14 ) at each of the fabrics ends ( 10, 12 ) and interconnection thereof with a pintle wire ( 20 ) in order to make the fabric endless. The seam having at least one low melt stuffer yarn ( 24 ) in gap ( 22 ) adjacent the pintle, which stuffer yarn has been heat set. The seam may also comprise a batt layer needled to the seam region, which batt layer has been needled before heat setting of the low melt stuffer yarn. The low melt stuffer improves the homogeneity of the seam region.

1 . A method of manufacturing a fabric seam in a fabric for use as papermachine clothing, the fabric having loops at each of the fabrics transverse ends adapted for interconnection by means of a pintle to make said fabric endless, comprising the steps of bringing the said ends into end to end disposition in order to interdigitate the loops, inserting a pintle in the interdigitated loops, heat setting to fix base yarns and the loops of the fabric in place, inserting at least one stuffer yarn, at least a part of which comprises a low melt component, into selected void areas in the loops adjacent said pintle, adhering at least one batt layer to the seam by needling, and further heat setting to at least partially melt said stuffer yarn such that it deforms to substantially take on the shape of said void areas at the pintle joint, to bind fibres of the batt needled into the void areas and to bind adjacent yarns of the fabric.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said low melt stuffer yarn is selected to have a melting point which is less than that of the fabric.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the fabric is woven and the loops formed by the back weaving of free warp yarns, or the loops are separate seaming spirals which are bound into the fabric by a holding yarn.  
     
     
         4 . A fabric seam in a fabric for use as papermachine clothing, which fabric has loops at each of the fabrics transverse ends which have been interdigitated and connected by a pintle to form a seam and to thereby make the fabric endless, the seam further comprising at least one stuffer yarn within selected void areas in the loops adjacent said pintle, at least a part of which stuffer yarn comprises a low melt component which has been deformed by melting after heat setting of the seam to substantially take on the shape of said selected void areas.  
     
     
         5 . A fabric seam in a fabric as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the melting point of the low melt component is less than that of the fabric.  
     
     
         6 . A fabric seam as claimed in  claim 4  or  5 , wherein the low melt component constitutes at least 5% of said stuffer yarn.  
     
     
         7 . A fabric seam as claimed in any one of  claims 4  to  6 , wherein at least one stuffer yarn is a bi-component yarn and the low melt component is the sheath of said bi-component yarn.  
     
     
         8 . A fabric seam as claimed in any one of  claims 4  to  7 , wherein at least one stuffer yarn is a multi-filament yarn.  
     
     
         9 . A fabric seam as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein at least some of the multi-filaments comprises said low-melt component.  
     
     
         10 . A fabric seam as claimed in  claim 8  or  9 , wherein at least one multi-filament is a bi-component filament and the low melt component is the sheath thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A fabric seam as claimed in any one of  claims 4  to  10 , wherein at least one stuffer yarn is a spun yarn.  
     
     
         12 . A fabric seam as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the spun yarn comprises bi-component staple fibres and the low melt component is the sheath of said bi-component staple fibres.  
     
     
         13 . A fabric seam as claimed in  claim 11  or  12 , wherein the spun yarn comprises staple fibres at least some of which are said low melt component.  
     
     
         14 . A fabric seam as claimed in  claim 4  or  5 , wherein the low melt component constitutes substantially 100% of said stuffer yarn.  
     
     
         15 . A fabric seam in a fabric as claimed in  claims 4  to  14 , wherein the fabric in which the seam is formed comprises at least one batt needled to the fabric, at least some of the fibres of the needled batt being bound by the at least one stuffer yarn.  
     
     
         16 . A fabric seam in a fabric as claimed in any one of  claims 4  to  15 , wherein the stuffer yarn has a denier of 1600.  
     
     
         17 . A fabric seam in a fabric as claimed in any one of  claims 4  to  16 , wherein the melting point of the low melt component is up to 140° C.  
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a fabric seam in a fabric for use in papermachine clothing substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.  
     
     
         19 . A fabric seam in a fabric for use as papermachine clothing constructed and adapted to operate substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.