Press belt

Abstract

The invention is an endless belt for a machine for the production of a fibrous material web, the belt being formed by a flat woven structure and a connecting region. The flat woven structure has longitudinal threads extending in the MD direction and transverse threads extending in the CMD direction. Every longitudinal thread, has a first thread end section, which protrudes beyond the first end of the woven structure, and a second thread end section, which protrudes beyond the second end of the woven structure. The two ends of the flat woven structure are connected to each other by the connecting region, which is formed by weaving the first and second end sections of the longitudinal threads to the second transverse threads, thereby forming a plurality of pairs of a first and a second thread end section, wherein the two thread end sections are disposed directly adjacent to each other and the two thread end sections form a common overlapping region in that the first and second end sections of the pair are woven with the at least consecutive second transverse threads, and the two end sections of the pair follow the same weaving path in the overlapping region.

1 . An endless belt for a machine for the production of a fibrous material web, the belt having a tensile stress of at least 30 kN/m acting on the belt, the belt comprising:
 a fabric formed by a flat woven structure and a connecting region, the flat woven structure including:
 a plurality of longitudinal threads extending in the machine direction (MD); 
 a plurality of first transverse threads woven with at least a portion of said plurality of longitudinal threads, said first transverse threads extending in a cross machine direction (CMD); and 
 a plurality of second transverse threads, said flat woven structure being delimited in its longitudinal extent by a first end on a longitudinal side of said flat woven structure and a second end on the longitudinal side, each of said longitudinal threads as viewed in its longitudinal extent having:
 a first thread end section protruding beyond said first end of said woven structure on the longitudinal side in the MD; and 
 a second thread end section protruding beyond said second end of said woven structure on the longitudinal side in the MD, said first end and said second end being connected to each other in said connecting region which is formed by weaving said first thread end section and second thread end section of the longitudinal threads with said second transverse threads to thereby form a plurality of pairs of first and second thread end sections, in which the two thread end sections as viewed in the CMD are arranged directly beside each other, and in which the two thread end sections as viewed in the MD form a common overlapping region in which the first thread end section and the second thread end section of the pair are woven with at least 15 consecutive second transverse threads with each thread of the pair following the same weaving path in the overlapping region. 
 
   
   
   
       2 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein in each overlapping region as viewed in the MD direction the first and the second thread end section are terminated by being led to an outer side of the fabric. 
   
   
       3 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the overlapping regions include up to 60 consecutive said second transverse threads. 
   
   
       4 . The endless belt of  claim 3 , wherein the overlapping regions have from 18 to 25 consecutive said second transverse threads. 
   
   
       5 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein each overlapping region has the same number of second transverse threads. 
   
   
       6 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second thread end section of the same longitudinal thread always form a pair. 
   
   
       7 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein said connecting region has a section in which all of said overlapping regions extend in the MD. 
   
   
       8 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the overlapping regions following one another in the CMD as viewed in the MD are offset in relation to one another. 
   
   
       9 . The endless belt of  claim 8 ,wherein the offset of at least some consecutive overlapping regions is from 20 to 60 consecutive second transverse threads. 
   
   
       10 . The endless belt of  claim 9 , wherein the offset of at least some consecutive overlapping regions is from 30 to 40 consecutive second transverse threads. 
   
   
       11 . The endless belt of  claim 8 , wherein a substantial number of consecutive overlapping regions each have the same offset in relation to one another. 
   
   
       12 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the flat woven structure and the connecting region have the same weaving pattern. 
   
   
       13 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric has one of one layer and more than one layer. 
   
   
       14 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the weaving pattern of the flat woven structure is repeated in repeats, said repeat being one of a plain weave and a 5-shaft satin weave. 
   
   
       15 . The endless belt of  claim 14 , wherein the arrangement of the overlapping regions is repeated in repeats, said repeat of the arrangement of the overlapping regions including at least one of more longitudinal threads and more transverse threads than a repeat of the flat woven structure. 
   
   
       16 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal extent of the connecting region as defined by the two overlapping regions which are furthest apart from each other as viewed in the MD is one of between 5 cm and 100 cm, between 10 cm and 70 cm and between 40 cm and 60 cm. 
   
   
       17 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the belt is formed only by the fabric. 
   
   
       18 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the belt is permeable having a permeability between approximately 100 cfm and 1200 cfm. 
   
   
       19 . The endless belt of  claim 18 , wherein said permeability is between 300 cfm and 800 cfm. 
   
   
       20 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the belt is configured for use in an application in which a tensile stress of between 40 and 70 kN/m acts on the belt. 
   
   
       21 . The endless belt of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal threads are warp threads and the transverse threads are weft threads. 
   
   
       22 . A pressing apparatus for a machine for the production of a fibrous material web, comprising:
 an endless belt configured to operate under a tensile stress of at least 30 kN/m;   a roll having a circumferential surface defining an opposing surface, said endless belt extending over a section of said circumferential surface thereby providing an extended press nip, said roll being a suction roll, the fibrous material web being led between the belt and said opposing surface, the belt exerting a pressing force on the fibrous material web on account of its tensile stress, said endless belt being a fabric formed by a flat woven structure and a connecting region, the flat woven structure including:
 a plurality of longitudinal threads extending in the machine direction (MD); 
 a plurality of first transverse threads woven with at least a portion of said plurality of longitudinal threads, said first transverse threads extending in a cross machine direction (CMD); and 
 a plurality of second transverse threads, said flat woven structure being delimited in its longitudinal extent by a first end on a longitudinal side of said flat woven structure and a second end on the longitudinal side, each of said longitudinal threads as viewed in its longitudinal extent having:
 a first thread end section protruding beyond said first end of said woven structure on the longitudinal side in the MD; and 
 a second thread end section protruding beyond said second end of said woven structure on the longitudinal side in the MD, said first end and said second end being connected to each other in said connecting region which is formed by weaving said first thread end section and second thread end section of the longitudinal threads with said second transverse threads to thereby form a plurality of pairs of first and second thread end sections, in which the two thread end sections as viewed in the CMD are arranged directly beside each other, and in which the two thread end sections as viewed in the MD form a common overlapping region in which the first thread end section and the second thread end section of the pair are woven with at least 15 consecutive second transverse threads with each thread of the pair following the same weaving path in the overlapping region. 
 
   
   
   
       23 . The pressing apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the pressing apparatus is configured to process the fibrous material web therethrough sandwiched between a permeable three-dimensionally structured fabric and a permeable smooth belt, said permeable smooth belt being a press felt, said press belt making contact with said structured fabric and said smooth belt making contact with said opposing surface. 
   
   
       24 . The pressing apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the fibrous material web is dewatered in a direction of said opposing surface by way of the pressing force of the belt and by action of at least one fluid flowing in a direction from said press belt toward said opposing surface.