Process belt and method of forming the same

Abstract

A process belt and method for manufacturing the same are provided. The belt includes at least one elongated resilient coupling filament operatively connected to a first end section of the belt and to a second end section of the belt such that the first end section, the second end section and a body portion of the belt are substantially continuous with one another. The belt is configured to operatively engage a board processing machine configured to process a board stock or other paper product.

1 . A process belt for use in a board processing machine to process a board stock, the belt comprising: 
 a first plurality of elongated resilient filaments oriented in a first direction;    a second plurality of elongated resilient filaments oriented in a second direction transverse to the first direction to form a first end section, a second end section and a body portion extending between the first end section and the second end section;    at least one first looped segment operatively connected to the first end section and configured to form a first coupling filament receiving opening therein;    at least one second looped segment operatively connected to the second end section and configured to form a second coupling filament receiving opening therein; and    at least one elongated resilient coupling filament configured to extend through the first and second coupling filament receiving openings to operatively connect the first end section to the second end section such that the first end section, the second end section and the body portion are substantially continuous with one another and configured to operatively engage the paper processing machine.    
   
   
       2 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of elongated resilient filaments includes at least one elongated resilient filament and the second plurality of elongated resilient filaments includes at least one elongated resilient filament.  
   
   
       3 . The process belt of  claim 2 , wherein each elongated resilient filament includes a hardened material.  
   
   
       4 . The process belt of  claim 3 , wherein each elongated resilient filament includes a coating coated on the hardened material.  
   
   
       5 . The process belt of  claim 4 , wherein the hardened material is carbon steel or stainless steel.  
   
   
       6 . The process belt of  claim 5 , wherein the coating is a low friction and contaminant resistant protective coating.  
   
   
       7 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of elongated resilient filaments is weaved into the second plurality of elongated resilient filaments.  
   
   
       8 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein the board processing machine includes a pressed board machine configured to press a number of layers of board stock together.  
   
   
       9 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein each first looped segment is bonded to the first end section and wherein each second looped segment is bonded to the second end section.  
   
   
       10 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second coupling filament receiving openings extend between the first and second end sections.  
   
   
       11 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first looped segment is woven into the first end section substantially around one of the first and second plurality of elongated resilient filaments and wherein the at least one second looped segment is woven into the second end section substantially around one of the first and second plurality of elongated resilient filaments.  
   
   
       12 . The process belt of  claim 11 , wherein the weaving is performed on a weaving machine.  
   
   
       13 . The process belt of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated resilient coupling filament includes a hardened material.  
   
   
       14 . The process belt of  claim 13 , wherein the hardened material is carbon steel or stainless steel.  
   
   
       15 . The process belt of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one elongated resilient coupling filament includes a coating coated on the hardened metal.  
   
   
       16 . The process belt of  claim 15 , wherein the coating is a low friction and contaminant resistant protective coating.  
   
   
       17 . The process belt of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one first looped segment and the at least one second looped segment each include a flexible material, which is softer than the hardened material of the at least one elongated resilient coupling filament.  
   
   
       18 . The process belt of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one first looped segment and the at least one second looped segment include a soft metal or a plasticized material.  
   
   
       19 . A process belt for use in a board processing machine to process a board stock, the belt comprising: 
 a body portion having a first plurality of elongated resilient filaments oriented in a first direction and a second plurality of elongated resilient filaments oriented in a second direction transverse to the first direction;    the body portion having a first end section and a second end section, the second end section extending in an opposite direction as the first end section;    a seam including a first set of looped segments operatively associated with the first end section and a second set of looped segments operatively associated with the second end section to be substantially aligned with the first set of looped segments in an axial direction; and    at least one elongated resilient coupling filament operatively received through the first and second sets of looped segments in the axial direction.    
   
   
       20 . A method of manufacturing a process belt for use in a board processing machine to process a board stock, the method comprising: 
 forming a body portion of the process belt, the body portion having a first end section and a second end section;    attaching at least one looped segment to the first end section;    attaching at least another looped segment to the second end section;    operatively engaging at least one coupling filament to the at least one looped segment and the at least another looped segment, such that the first end section, the second end section and the body portion are substantially continuous with one another.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the forming includes positioning a first plurality of elongated resilient filaments in a first direction and positioning a second plurality of elongated resilient filaments in a second direction, the second direction being transverse to the first direction.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the attaching includes weaving the at least one looped segment to the first end section and bonding the at least another looped segment to the second end section.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the weaving is manually performed.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the attaching includes bonding the at least one looped segment to the first end section and bonding the at least another looped segment to the second end section.  
   
   
       25 . A process belt for use in a board processing machine to process a board stock, the belt having at least one body portion having a first end section and a second end section, the belt comprising: 
 a plurality of horizontally extending filaments oriented in a substantially horizontal direction;    a plurality of vertically extending filaments oriented in a substantially vertical direction and operatively connected to the plurality of horizontally extending filaments;    a first plurality of looped segments each forming a first coupling filament receiving opening therein to extend away from the first end section, the first plurality of looped segments being operatively connected to at least one of the horizontally extending filaments;    a second plurality of looped segments each forming a second coupling filament receiving opening therein, each second coupling filament receiving opening extending away from the second end section to align with each first coupling filament receiving opening and being operatively connected to at least one of the horizontally extending filaments;    at least one seam including at least one elongated resilient coupling filament extending through the aligned first and second coupling filament receiving openings in a substantially horizontal direction to operatively connect the first end section to the second end section.    
   
   
       26 . The process belt of  claim 25 , wherein the first plurality of looped segments are woven about at least one of the horiztonally extending filaments and wherein the second plurality of looped segments are woven about at least one of the horizontally extending filaments.  
   
   
       27 . The process belt of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of looped segments and the second plurality of looped segments includes a number of looped segments operatively connected to at least one of the horizontally extending filaments and a number of looped segments operatively connected to another of the horizontally extending filaments.  
   
   
       28 . The process belt of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of looped segments and the second plurality of looped segments includes a number of looped segments attached to the horizontally extending filaments to form a ∞ shape.  
   
   
       29 . The process belt of  claim 25 , wherein the first end section and the second end section each include a middle portion and left and right edge portions extending from the middle portion.  
   
   
       30 . The process belt of  claim 29 , wherein the seam operatively connects the left and right edge portions of the first end section to the left and right edge portions of the second end section, wherein the seam operatively connects the middle portion of the first end section to the middle portion of the second end section and wherein the left and right edge portions of the first and second end sections are operatively connected to one another in a different plane than the middle portions of the first and second end sections.  
   
   
       31 . The process belt of  claim 25 , wherein the process belt includes two or more body portions, each first end section of one body portion being operatively connected to each second end section of another body portion by the at least one seam, so that one seam connects the first end section of each body portion to a respective second end section of another body portion to form a continuous belt.