JP2019135100A - Industrial fabric including spirally wound material strips with reinforcing material - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent surface irregularities of an industrial fabric, belt or sleeve.SOLUTION: An industrial fabric, belt or sleeve is produced by spirally winding strips of a polymeric material, such as an industrial strapping material or ribbon material, and joining adjoining sides of a strip material by using ultrasonic welding or laser welding techniques. Then, the fabric, belt or sleeve may be perforated using a suitable technique to make it permeable to air and/or water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Cross-reference of related applications]
This application is based on US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 246,812 filed on September 29, 2009, US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 246,801 filed on September 29, 2009, 2009. Claims priority of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 147,637 filed Jan. 27 and US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 121,998 filed Dec. 12, 2008, This is a continuation-in-part of US Patent Application Publication No. 12 / 635,458 filed on December 10, 2000.

[Incorporation by reference]
All patents, patent applications, documents, references, manufacturer's instructions, instructions, product specifications, and product sheets for any product referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Can be used in the implementation.

  The present invention relates to papermaking technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to paper machine fabrics, i.e., forming fabrics, press fabrics, drying fabrics, and draft drying (TAD) fabrics, which are paper machine machinery fabrics on which paper is produced. Also known as The present invention can also be used as a substrate for a shoe press belt, a transfer belt or a calender belt, and any of these can be used in a papermaking machine. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable in other industrial environments where industrial belts are used to dehydrate materials. Furthermore, the present invention can be used as a belt and / or sleeve used in the production of nonwoven fabrics such as airlaid, meltblown, spunbond, and hydroentangled methods.

  In the papermaking process, a cellulosic fibrous web is formed by depositing a fibrous slurry, ie, an aqueous dispersion of cellulosic fibers, onto a forming fabric that moves through the forming section of the papermaking machine. A large amount of water is drained from the slurry through the forming fabric, leaving a cellulosic fibrous web on the surface of the forming fabric.

  The newly formed cellulosic fibrous web proceeds from the forming section to a press section that includes a series of press nips. The cellulosic fibrous web passes through the press nip, supported by a press fabric or, in many cases, supported between two such press fabrics. In the press nip, the cellulosic fibrous web receives a compressive force, and the compressive force squeezes water therefrom, and the cellulose fibers in the web adhere to each other, and the cellulosic fibrous web becomes a paper sheet. . Water is received by one or more press fabrics and ideally does not return to the paper sheet.

  The paper sheet eventually proceeds to a drying section having at least one series of rotary drying drums or cylinders that are heated inside by steam. The newly formed paper sheet is guided by the drying fabric in a path that sequentially snakes around the series of drums, which holds the paper sheet in close contact with the drum surface. The heated drum reduces the water content of the paper sheet through evaporation to the desired level.

  It should be appreciated that the forming fabric, the press fabric, and the drying fabric all take the form of endless loops and function in a conveyor fashion in a papermaking machine. It should be further evaluated that paper production is a continuous process that proceeds at a significant rate. That is, the fibrous slurry is continuously deposited on the forming fabric in the forming section, while the newly produced paper sheet is continuously wound on the roll after exiting the drying section.

  The majority of formed fabrics, press fabrics, and dry fabrics are woven fabrics in the form of endless loops having a specific length measured circumferentially around the circumference and a specific width measured across the width. It should also be appreciated that at least a woven fabric is included as a component. Because the configuration of paper machines is wide and varied, paper machine fabric manufacturers can place forming fabrics, press fabrics, and drying fabrics at specific locations in the forming, pressing, and drying sections of their customers' paper machines. It is required to be manufactured to the dimensions required to fit. Needless to say, this makes it difficult to streamline the manufacturing process, because each fabric must usually be made to order.

  Furthermore, the surface of the woven fabric inevitably has some irregularities due to the knuckle formed on the surface where the yarn lying in one direction covers the yarn lying in the other direction. It is difficult to produce paper products that are completely free of sheet mark formation.

  The prior art includes several attempts to solve these problems. For example, US Pat. No. 3,323,226 to Beaumont et al. Relates to a synthetic fiber drying belt comprising one or more layers of polyester film. Perforations through the belt are formed by mechanical punching. Beck U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,680 shows a method and apparatus for forming a base fabric composed only of warp yarns that will be used in making a paper machine belt. In essence, the warp yarn is spirally wound around two parallel rolls. Next, a fibrous vat or other nonwoven material is applied to and attached to the helical array of warp yarns to provide a paper machine belt without weft, i.e., a belt without cross-machine direction yarns. .

  Albert US Pat. No. 4,537,658 shows a papermaking fabric made from a plurality of elongated, connected, grooved elements. The elongate elements are connected from one to the next, either by an integral tongue or by the use of pintle connection means extending from one elongate element to an adjacent element. The elongated elements extend in the cross machine direction of the disclosed paper machine fabric and have flat and parallel top and bottom surfaces.

  Albert U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,895 describes a paper machine fabric composed of a plurality of nonwoven sheets laminated together to form a fabric or belt. The nonwoven sheet is perforated by laser drilling. Such a sheet is composed of an unoriented polymer material that, when manufactured with the fineness required for papermaking applications, lacks sufficient dimensional stability to operate as an endless belt on a papermaking machine. Conceivable.

  Tech U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,905 shows a mosaic paper machine fabric and elements for making the fabric. The element is formed to have a male member or a convex member that is combined with a female member or a concave member. A paper machine fabric comprises a plurality of mosaic elements that are connected together to create a mosaic of the desired length and width.

  Romanski US Pat. No. 6,290,818 shows a shoe press belt in which the base fabric is made from an endless tube of stretchable stretchable film.

  Hansen U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,223 shows an industrial belt made by spirally winding a monofilament of a certain shape (non-circular cross section), the monofilament on the side of an adjacent winding They abut against each other and are secured together by suitable means.

  Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,080, discloses a method of layering a CD layer of similar or dissimilar materials on a spirally wound MD base layer of raw materials and combining them together by suitable means. 1 shows a non-woven fabric for a papermaking machine.

  US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0134467 (A1) to Sayers includes a method comprising laminating a series of layers of film material and providing a fabric with perforations by cutting perforations in the laminate. provide.

  Modern paper machine fabrics can range from 5 feet to more than 33 feet wide, from 40 feet to more than 400 feet in length, and from about 100 pounds to more than 3,000 pounds in weight. These fabrics wear and need to be replaced. Replacing the fabric often includes shutting down the machine, removing the worn fabric, preparing to install the fabric, and installing a new fabric. Many fabrics are endless, but many of the fabrics used today are seamable on the machine. The attachment of the fabric includes pulling the body of the fabric over the machine and joining the ends of the fabric to form an endless belt.

  In response to this demand to make fabrics of various lengths and widths faster and more efficiently, fabrics have recently been manufactured using a spiral winding technique, which is the applicant of the present invention. Rexfeld et al., US Pat. No. 5,360,656 (hereinafter “the '656 patent”), the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  The '656 patent shows a fabric comprising a base fabric having one or more layers of staple fiber material sewn therein. The base fabric comprises at least one layer composed of a spirally wound strip of woven fabric, the width of the strip being smaller than the width of the base fabric. The foundation fabric is endless in the longitudinal direction, ie the machine direction. The lengthwise yarns of the spirally wound strip form an angle with the longitudinal direction of the fabric. The strip of woven fabric can be woven without piles on a loom that is narrower than that normally used in the manufacture of papermaking machine fabrics.

  The present invention provides an alternative solution to the problem addressed by these prior art patents / patent applications.

  Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is an industrial fabric or belt for a drying section that includes a forming section, a press section, and draft drying (TAD) of a papermaking machine. The fabrics or belts of the present invention can also be used as belts in other industrial processes such as sheet transfer belts, long nip press (LNP) belts or calender belts, or corrugator belts. The fabric can also be used as part of a textile finishing belt, for example a sanforized belt or a tanned belt. Furthermore, the fabrics of the present invention can be used in other industrial environments where industrial belts are used to dehydrate materials. For example, the fabric may be used in a pulp forming belt or pulp press belt, in a belt used to dewater recycled paper during a deinking process, such as a dewatering belt on a double nip thickener (DNT) deinking machine, or sludge. Can be used in dewatering belts. Inventive fabrics can also be used in belts and / or sleeves used in the production of nonwoven fabrics by processes such as airlaid, spunbond, meltblown, or hydroentangled processes. The belt and / or sleeve is in the form of an endless loop and has an inner surface and an outer surface.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the endless belt is formed from a strip of material that is spirally wound in a manner that abuts adjacently around two rolls. The strips are firmly attached to each other in a suitable manner to form an endless loop with the desired length and width for a particular use. In the case of a sleeve, the strip may be wound around the surface of a single roll or mandrel, which is the approximate diameter size and CD length of the drum on which the sleeve will be used. The strip material used is usually used as an industrial strap material. Strap material, particularly plastic strap material, is usually defined as a relatively thin plastic band that is used to secure or pinch objects together. Surprisingly, it has been discovered that this type of plastic material has suitable properties to become a material strip for forming an inventive belt.

  The definition differences between (plastic) strap material and monofilament are related to size, shape, and application. Both the strap material and the monofilament are made by an extrusion process having the same basic steps of extrusion, uniaxial orientation, and winding. Monofilaments are generally smaller in size than strap materials and are usually round. Monofilaments are used in a wide variety of applications such as industrial fabrics including fishing lines and papermaking machine fabrics. The strap material is generally much larger in size than the monofilament and is basically always wider along the main axis and is therefore a rectangular shape for its intended purpose.

  In extrusion technology, it is well known that plastic strap material is made by an extrusion process. It is also well known that this process involves uniaxial orientation of the extruded material. It is also well known that there are two basic extrusion processes that use uniaxial orientation. One process is to extrude and orient a wide sheet, which is then cut into individual straps. The other step is the extrusion of the individual strap material to be oriented. This second process is very similar to the process of making a monofilament, which is evident from the similar facilities for both processes.

  The advantage over the monofilament of using strapping material is the number of spiral turns required to produce the fabric. Monofilaments are usually considered yarns that do not exceed 5 mm in their maximum axis. The size of uniaxial monofilaments used for papermaking machine fabrics and other uses mentioned above rarely exceeds 1.0 mm at their maximum axis. The strap material used is typically at least 10 mm wide and may exceed 100 mm wide. It is envisaged that strap materials with a maximum width of 1000 mm can also be used. Suppliers of strap materials that can be used include companies such as Signode.

  The present invention provides an improved fabric, belt, or sleeve that functions in place of a conventional belt or sleeve, and the paper or nonwoven product produced thereon has a volume, appearance, texture, water absorption, strength, And imparts desired physical properties such as texture.

  Such as, but not limited to, improved fiber support and removal (no leftover) from prior art woven fabrics, and ease of cleaning as a result of no thread crossing to capture the base fiber Other advantages are provided. If the belt / sleeve has a surface texture, a more effective patterning / texture will be transferred to the paper / nonwoven and this will also result in better physical properties such as volume / water absorption.

  Yet another advantage is thickness against tensile modulus. For example, prior art polyester (PET) films have a tensile modulus of about 3.5 GPa in the long axis (or machine direction or MD). The PET strap (or ribbon) material has a tensile modulus in the range of 10 GPa to 12.5 GPa. In order to achieve the same coefficient for the film, the structure must be 3 to 3.6 times thicker.

  Thus, the present invention, according to one exemplary embodiment, is a fabric, belt, or sleeve formed from these spirally wound ribbons as a single layer or multilayer structure. The fabric, belt or sleeve has a smooth top and bottom surface on a flat surface. The fabric, belt, or sleeve is also textured in some manner using any means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing, or etching. The belt can be impermeable to air and / or water. The belt can also be perforated by any mechanical or thermal (laser) means so that it can be permeable to air and / or water.

  In another exemplary embodiment, the ribbons are formed to have a profile combined with each other. A belt is formed by spirally winding these combined strips and is believed to have greater integrity than simply abutting the parallel and / or orthogonal sides of adjacent ribbon strips. The belt can be impermeable to air and / or water or can be perforated to be permeable.

  The fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention may optionally include a functional coating on one or both surfaces thereof. The functional coating may have a flat and smooth upper surface, or alternatively, any of the means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing, or etching. Use may be textured in some manner. The functional coating can be any of the materials known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, or any other polymeric resin material, or even rubber. May optionally include particles such as nanofillers that can improve the resistance to bending fatigue, crack propagation properties, or wear properties of the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve.

  The fabrics, belts or sleeves of the present invention may also be formed fabrics, press fabrics, dry fabrics, draft drying (TAD) fabrics, shoe press belts or transfer belts or calender belts, air lay processes, melt blow processes, spunbond processes, or water streams. Processing belt, sheet transfer belt, long nip press (LNP) belt or calender belt, corrugator belt, sanforized belt, tanning belt, pulp forming belt or pulp press belt, double nip thickener (DNT) used in the entanglement process It can also be used as a reinforcing base or substrate in a dewatering belt on a deinking machine or a sludge dewatering belt.

  While the above embodiments relate to a single layer of a spirally wound ribbon strip, there are advantages to using strips with various geometries that form a belt of two or more layers There is a case. Thus, according to one exemplary embodiment, the belt is formed into a strip such that two or more layers are mechanically combined or attached together by other means known to those skilled in the art. There may be more than one layer that can be used. Again, the structure can be either impermeable to air and / or water or perforated to be permeable.

  Another exemplary embodiment is a multilayer structure formed using the concept of a “weld strip” that is used to further improve belt integrity. The structure may be impermeable to air and / or water or perforated to make it permeable.

  Although the terms fabric and fabric structure are used, fabric, belt, conveyor, sleeve, support member, and fabric structure are used interchangeably to describe the structure of the present invention. Similarly, the terms strap material, ribbon, strip material, and material strip are used interchangeably throughout the description.

  Various novel features that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operational advantages, and the specific objects obtained by its use, preferred but non-limiting embodiments of the present invention have the same Reference is made to the accompanying descriptive matter, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings identified by:

  The terms “comprising” and “comprising” in this disclosure may mean “comprising” and “comprising”, or are commonly referred to as “comprising” or “comprising” in US patent law. Can have the meaning given. The terms “consisting essentially of” or “consisting essentially of”, when used in the claims, have the meaning assigned to them in US Patent Law. Other aspects of the invention are described in or are obvious from the following disclosure (and are within the scope of the invention).

  The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings presented herein illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

1 is a perspective view of a fabric, belt, or sleeve according to one aspect of the invention. FIG. FIG. 2 illustrates a method by which a fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention can be constructed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to produce an inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve. 6 is a bar graph showing the advantages of using uniaxially oriented material (strap / ribbon) versus biaxially oriented material (film) and extruded material (molded part). FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in a method of constructing a fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in a method of constructing a fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in a method of constructing a fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in a method of constructing a fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus that can be used in forming a fabric, belt, or sleeve according to an aspect of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus that can be used in forming a fabric, belt, or sleeve according to an aspect of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus that can be used in forming a fabric, belt, or sleeve according to an aspect of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a fabric, belt, or sleeve according to one aspect of the invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus used in the manufacture of a fabric, belt, or sleeve according to one aspect of the invention.

  Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial fabric, belt, or sleeve 10 of the present invention. The fabric, belt or sleeve 10 has an inner surface 12 and an outer surface 14, and a strip of polymer material 16 such as, for example, an industrial strapping material is spirally wound in a plurality of turns abutting and adjacent to each other. Formed by turning. The strip material 16 is spiraled substantially longitudinally around the length of the fabric 10 based on the spiral manner in which the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is constructed.

  FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method by which a fabric, belt, or sleeve 10 can be manufactured. The apparatus 20 includes a first processing roll 22 and a second processing roll 24, both of which are rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The first processing roll 22 and the second processing roll 24 are parallel to each other and separated by a distance, which is the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 that will be produced on those rolls. The total length when measured in the longitudinal direction is determined. A supply reel (not shown) provided on a side of the first processing roll 22 so as to be rotatable around an axis and displaceable in parallel with the processing rolls 22 and 24 is wound around a reel. For example, the supplied strip material 16 having a width of 10 mm or more is accommodated. The supply reel is first positioned at the left hand end of the first processing roll 12, for example, and then continuously displaced at a predetermined speed to the right side or the other side thereafter.

  In starting the manufacture of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10, the beginning of the strip of polymer strap material 16 is stretched tightly from the first processing roll 22 to the second processing roll 24. Directed to and around the second processing roll 24 and back to the first processing roll 22 to form the first coil of the closed helix 26. To close the first coil of the closing helix 26, the beginning portion of the strip 16 is joined at point 28 to the end of the first coil. As discussed below, adjacent turns of spirally wound strip material 16 are joined together by mechanical means and / or adhesive means.

  Thus, the coil of the continuous closed helix 26 feeds the strip material 16 onto the first processing roll 22, while the first processing roll 22 and the second processing roll 24 are common as indicated by the arrows in FIG. It is manufactured by rotating in the direction of. At the same time, the strip material 16 newly wound on the first processing roll 22 is already in the first processing roll 22 and the first processing roll, for example by mechanical means and / or adhesive means or any other suitable means. Additional coils of the closed helix 26 are produced, continuously joined to the strip material on the two processing rolls 24.

  This process is continued until the closed helix 26 has the desired width as measured axially along the first processing roll 22 or the second processing roll 24. At that point, the strip material 16 that has not yet been wound on the first processing roll 22 and the second processing roll 24 is cut, and the closed spiral 26 produced therefrom is the first processing roll 22 and the first processing roll 22. Removed from the two treatment rolls 24, the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 of the present invention is provided.

  Although a two-roll device is described herein, the strip may be wound around the surface of a single roll or mandrel to form the fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention. May be apparent to those skilled in the art. An appropriately sized roll or mandrel may be selected based on the desired dimensions of the fabric, belt, or sleeve to be manufactured.

  The present method for manufacturing a fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is very versatile and can be adapted to the manufacture of fabrics or belts of various longitudinal and transverse dimensions for paper machines and / or industries. It is. That is, the manufacturer no longer needs to produce a woven fabric of the appropriate length and width for a given papermaking machine by practicing the present invention. Rather, the manufacturer separates the first processing roll 22 and the second processing roll 24 at an appropriate distance and closes a spiral 26 to determine the appropriate length of the appropriate fabric, belt, or sleeve 10. It is only necessary to wind the strip material 16 onto the first processing roll 22 and the second processing roll 24 until the desired width is reached.

  Furthermore, because the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is manufactured by spirally winding a strip of polymer strap material 16 and not a woven fabric, the outer surface 12 of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is smooth and continuous. And no knuckle that prevents the surface of the woven fabric from being completely smooth. However, the fabrics, belts, or sleeves of the present invention improve the topography and volume of the paper or nonwoven product produced thereon. Other advantages of the support member of the present invention include easier removal of the sheet or web, improved contamination resistance, and reduced fiber strandedness. Yet another advantage is that this support member circumvents the limitations and needs of conventional looms because the penetrating cavities can be placed at any desired location or in any desired pattern. The fabric, belt, or sleeve has a texture produced on one or both surfaces using any means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing, or etching. May be. Alternatively, the fabric, belt, or sleeve may be smooth on one or both surfaces.

  3A to 3I are cross-sectional views from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention. Each embodiment includes an upper surface and a lower surface that may be flat (planar) and parallel to each other or may have a certain contour intended to suit a particular application. Turning to FIG. 3A, according to one embodiment of the invention, the material strip 16 comprises an upper surface 15, a lower surface 17, a first planar side surface 18, and a second planar side surface 19. . The upper surface 15 and the lower surface 17 may be flat (planar) and parallel to each other, and the first planar side surface 18 and the second planar side surface 19 of the strip material 16 wound in a spiral shape. Each first planar side surface 18 may be inclined in a parallel direction so as to be in close contact with the second planar side surface 19 of the immediately preceding winding. Each of the windings of the strip material 16 is joined to its adjacent winding by joining their respective first planar side surfaces 18 and second planar side surfaces 19 together, for example with an adhesive. May be heat activated, room temperature cure (RTC) or hot melt adhesive, or any other suitable means.

  In FIG. 3B, the material strip 16 may have a cross-sectional structure that allows a mechanical combination to join adjacent strip members 16 in a spirally formed fabric, belt, or sleeve. Adjacent strips 16 can be the same or different sizes and / or outlines, but each has a locked position, as shown in FIG. 3B. Other examples of mechanical mating structures are shown in FIGS. 3C-3G, where cross sections of individual strip members 16 are illustrated. In each case, one side of the strip material 16 may be designed to mate or connect with the other side of the adjacent strip material 16. For example, referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3G, the strip material 16 may have an upper surface 42, a lower surface 44, a tongue 46 on one side, and a groove 48 on the other side. The tongue 46 has a dimension corresponding to the dimension of the groove 48 so that the tongue 46 in each of the spirally wound turns of the strip 16 fits into the groove 48 of the immediately preceding winding. You can do it. Each of the windings of the strip material 16 is joined to its adjacent winding by securing the tongue 46 in the groove 48. The upper surface 42 and the lower surface 44 may be flat (planar) and parallel to each other, or may not be planar and parallel depending on the application, or their width as shown in FIG. 3F. It may even be rounded convex or concave in the direction. Similarly, each side of the strip may be formed in a convex or concave cylindrical shape having the same radius of curvature. FIG. 3H shows another embodiment of the present invention.

  In addition to having opposite hemispheres or extruded strips with the above profile, various other shapes can be extruded or rectangular to have mating edges with raised rails. It can be machined from the extruded material, which can facilitate bonding by mechanical and / or adhesive means. One such structure according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3I. Alternatively, the material strip may not require left and right sides that fit or join together. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the cross section of the strip 16 may have grooves that mate on its upper surface or on the upper side, or grooves that mate on its lower surface or on its bottom side, as shown in FIG. 4B. May be included.

  For example, FIG. 4C shows the material strip of FIGS. 4A and 4B positioned to mate. The arrows in FIG. 4C indicate, for example, the direction in which each of the material strips 16 must be moved to engage the groove and combine the two strips. FIG. 4D shows the two material strips 16 after being combined or joined together. It should be noted that although the exemplary embodiment shows only two mating material strips, the final fabric, belt, or sleeve is formed from several of the material strips combined together. It is. Obviously, sheet materials in the form of endless loops can be formed when material strips are combined in a spiral winding process. Although a mechanical combination is shown, the strength of the combination is as exemplified by an industrial process known as “Clearweld” (see www.clearweld.com), for example by thermal bonding. It should also be noted that this can be improved by a technique known as selective binding.

  FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional view of a material strip 16 having grooves on both the top side and the bottom side. FIG. 5B shows how two material strips 16 having the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 5A can be combined. The combined structure results in grooves on the top and bottom surfaces of the final product.

  Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5C, FIG. 5C shows the combination of the two material strips 16 shown in FIGS. 5A and 4B. This results in a sheet product having grooves on the bottom surface and a flat top surface. Similarly, a structure having a groove on the top surface and a flat bottom surface can be formed.

  Another exemplary embodiment is a fabric, belt, or sleeve formed from a strip of material 16 having a knurled combination or “positive” lock that forms a stronger combination due to mechanical design. is there. This design is in the sense that the pins and pin receptors have mechanical interference that requires significant force to either join the ribbons together or separate them. Has an “aggressive” association. For example, FIG. 6A illustrates the features of the corrugated combination in individual ribbon-like material strips 16. FIG. 6B illustrates the features of the corrugated combination in an opposing configuration of individual ribbon-like material strips 16 designed to combine with the structure shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C shows the individual ribbon-like material strips 16 of FIGS. 6A and 6B positioned to mate. It should be noted here that the top and bottom ribbons are staggered in order to accommodate another material strip 16 of the opposite configuration. Finally, FIG. 6D illustrates these same strips after being pushed together to form a combined structure. Several ribbon-like material strips such as these can be combined together to form the final fabric, belt, or sleeve.

  Another exemplary embodiment is a fabric, belt, or sleeve formed from a strip of material 16 having grooves on both the top and bottom sides, for example as shown in FIG. 7A. These two ribbon-like material strips 16 are designed to be joined together to form a positive combination, as shown in FIG. 7B. It should be noted that both the top surface and the bottom surface hold grooves on their respective surfaces. 7A and 7B, it may be apparent to one skilled in the art to join more than two strips to create a multilayer structure, or the top strip if only two strips are used. The outer shape of the groove in the groove portion can be the same or different on the top side and the bottom side. Similarly, the groove profile of the groove in the lower strip can be the same or different on each side. As pointed out above, embodiments described in the present invention relate to a single layer of spirally wound ribbons or strips, but various geometries that form a belt of two or more layers. There may be advantages to using a strip having a shape. Thus, according to one exemplary embodiment, the belt may have more than one layer, where the strip may be formed such that the two or more layers are mechanically combined. Each layer may be spirally wound at an angle in the opposite direction or in the MD direction to provide additional strength.

  For example, FIG. 7C shows a combined structure that results in a grooved bottom surface and a flat top surface, while FIG. 7D results in a combined structure that results in a flat bottom surface and a grooved top surface. Indicates.

  Many shapes can be considered to create such positive combinations, as may be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, some of the previous embodiments have focused on round-shaped protrusions and round receiving portions. However, other shapes can be used to achieve the same effect. An example of an aggressive combination having such a shape is shown in FIG. 8A. Alternatively, shapes can be mixed to achieve a positive combination. Examples of mixed shapes are shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C.

  The mechanical combination thus formed between adjacent strip materials as described in the above embodiment enhances the ease with which a spiral wound foundation fabric or foundation structure can be created, for the reason Without such a lock, the adjacent strip material can stray and separate during the process of making a spirally wound fabric. By mechanically combining adjacent spiral windings, stray and separation between adjacent spiral windings can be prevented. Furthermore, a thermal weld can also be formed in the mechanically locked area of the fabric, so that it is not necessary to rely solely on the mechanical lock strength for bond strength. According to one embodiment of the present invention, this is done by placing a near-infrared or infrared or laser-absorbing dye before locking the male / female component into one, and then in the area of the mechanical lock. This is accomplished by applying the mechanical lock to near infrared or infrared energy or a laser source that causes thermal welding of the mechanical lock without melting the external material.

  The strip material described in the above embodiment is extruded from any polymer resin material known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, polyester resin, polyamide resin, polyurethane resin, polypropylene resin, polyetheretherketone resin. Good. An industrial strap material is uniaxially oriented, that is, it has a tensile modulus at least twice that of a biaxially oriented material (film) and a tensile factor of up to 10 times that of an extruded material (molded article). Any other suitable material can be used, although it is attractive as a base material in view of having it. That is, the resulting structure from the uniaxially oriented material requires less than half the thickness of the biaxially oriented material (film) and less than one-tenth the thickness of the extruded material (molded article). . This feature is illustrated in FIG. 9, where the results are shown for designing a part designed to obtain a specific force and strain for a fixed width. The equation used in this design problem is the relationship between stress and strain and is as follows:

Force = (coefficient x strain)
(Width x thickness)

  In this example, the force (or load) is kept constant with width and strain. The equation shows that the required thickness is inversely proportional to the material's tensile modulus. This equation represents the problem of designing the paper machine fabric to be dimensionally stable, i.e. the load is known, the maximum strain is known, and the machine width is fixed. The result is shown by the final thickness of the part required depending on the tensile factor of the material used. As shown by FIG. 9, uniaxial materials such as straps or ribbons clearly have a significant advantage over films and molded polymers. However, the fabrics, belts, or sleeves of the present invention are not limited to these orientations in that either uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the strap material or both can be used in the practice of the invention.

  According to one exemplary embodiment, the strip or strap material described in the above embodiments may include a stiffener to improve the mechanical strength of the overall structure. For example, the reinforcement may be a fiber, yarn, monofilament, or multifilament yarn that can be oriented in the MD direction of the fabric, sleeve, or belt along the length of the strap material. The reinforcement can be included through an extrusion or pultrusion process in which fibers or yarns are extruded or drawn with the material forming the strip or strap material. They can be completely embedded in the strap material, or can be partially embedded on one or both surfaces of the strap material, or both. The reinforcing fibers or yarns may be formed of high modulus materials such as, but not limited to, aramids including, but not limited to, Kevlar® and Nomex®, and further strength, tensile modulus, tear resistance and / or Alternatively, the strip or strap material can be provided with resistance to cracking, abrasion resistance and / or resistance to chemical degradation. Broadly speaking, the reinforcing fibers or yarns can be made from thermoplastic and / or thermoset polymers. Non-limiting examples of suitable fiber materials include metals such as glass, carbon, polyester, polyurethane, and steel. According to a further embodiment, the melting temperature of the reinforcing fiber or yarn may be higher than the melting temperature of the strip material or strip material, or vice versa.

  The strap material is usually supplied in a continuous length and the product has a rectangular cross section. The strap material is a tough, versatile and usually untreated polyester strip with excellent handling properties that makes it suitable for many industrial applications. As pointed out above, strap materials have excellent mechanical strength and dimensional stability and do not become brittle over time under normal conditions. The strap material is resistant to moisture and most chemicals, and can withstand temperatures from 70 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees Celsius or above. Typical cross-sectional dimensions of the strap material that can be used in the present invention are, for example, a thickness of 0.30 mm (or more) and a width of 10 mm (or more). Although the strap material can be spirally wound, adjacent wraps of strap material that do not have the means of assembly to be held together may need to be welded or joined in some manner. In such cases, adjacent ribbons using laser or ultrasonic welding to improve cross-machine direction (“CD”) characteristics such as strength and reduce the risk of separation of adjacent material strips. The material strip can be fixed or welded together.

  While uniaxial strap materials are found to have a maximum MD tensile modulus, properties other than tensile modulus can also be important. For example, if the MD tensile modulus is too high with respect to the strap material, the crack resistance and bending fatigue resistance of the final structure may be unacceptable. Alternatively, the final structure CD characteristics may also be important. For example, referring to a PET material and a material strip of the same thickness, an unoriented strip may have a typical MD tensile modulus of about 3 GPa and a typical MD strength of about 50 MPa. On the other hand, biaxially, biaxially oriented strips may have an MD tensile modulus of about 4.7 GPa and an MD strength of about 170 MPa. It has been found that modifying the processing of the uniaxial strip so that the MD tensile modulus can be 6-10 GPa and the MD strength can be 250 MPa or more, resulting in a strip with a CD strength approaching approximately 100 MPa. Furthermore, the material can be less brittle, i.e. it can not crack even if it is repeatedly bent, and it can be handled well when joining the strips together. The bond between the strips can also withstand separation during intended use on the production machine.

  One method of holding adjacent strips together is in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, where adjacent strips are welded ultrasonically between edges while simultaneously providing lateral pressure to contact the edges together. Is to keep it in a state. For example, one part of the welding device can hold one strip, preferably a strip already wound in a spiral, against the support roll and hold it down, while another part of the device A strip, preferably an unrolled strip, can be pushed against the strip held below. The welding between the edges is illustrated in FIG. 11A, for example.

  Application of ultrasonic gap welding results in particularly strong bonds. In contrast, ultrasonic welding in either time mode or energy mode, which is known as conventional ultrasonic welding, results in a bond that can be described as brittle. Therefore, it can be concluded that the bond formed by ultrasonic gap welding is preferable compared to conventional ultrasonic welding.

  Another exemplary method of holding adjacent strips together is to apply adhesive 30 to the ends 34, 36 of adjacent strips 16, 16 and join them, according to one embodiment of the present invention. This method is illustrated in FIGS. 10A-10D. It should be noted that the filler material 32 can be used to fill gaps or portions where the strips do not contact each other.

  Another way to hold adjacent strips or functional strips together is to use a “welded strip” consisting of the same base material as the strip material, according to one embodiment of the invention. For example, the weld strip is shown in FIG. 11B as a thin material visible above and below the strip material. In such an arrangement, the weld strip provides a material for welding the strip material so that the assembled structure does not rely on the edge-to-edge weld shown in FIG. 11A. Using the welding strip method may result in edge-to-edge welding, which is neither necessary nor preferred. As shown in FIG. 11B, a “sandwich” or stacked structure can be formed using the welding strip method with the horizontal surface of the strip material welded to the horizontal surface of the welding strip. Here, in the sense that the welding strip may be disposed only either above or below the strip material, the welding strip need not be disposed both above and below the strip material. It should be noted. According to one aspect, the weld strip may be the central part of a sandwich-like structure with the strip material above and / or below the weld strip. Further, although the weld strip is shown as being thinner than the strip material and as wide as the strip material, this is for illustrative purposes only. The weld strip may be narrower or wider than the strip material, and may be the same thickness as the strip material or even thicker than the strip material. The weld strip may also be another piece of strip material, not a special material created solely for the purpose of the weld strip. The weld strip may also have an adhesive applied to one surface thereof to help hold the weld strip in place for the welding operation. However, when such an adhesive is used, it is preferred that the adhesive be applied partially to the entire surface of the weld strip because the ultrasonic application or laser welding may be applied by partial application. This is because, during stripping, strong welding between similar materials (for example, polyesters) of the strip material and the welding strip can be promoted.

  If the weld strip is made from an unoriented extruded polymer, it is preferred that the weld strip be much thinner than the strip material because, as exemplified earlier in this disclosure, the unoriented extrusion weld. This is because the strip is less capable of maintaining the dimensional stability of the final structure. However, if the weld strip is made from an oriented polymer, it is preferred that the weld strip combined with the strip material be as thin as possible. As pointed out above, the weld strip may be another piece of strip material. In this case, however, it is preferred that the thickness of the individual materials be selected so that the overall thickness of the sandwich or laminate can be minimized. As also pointed out above, the weld strip may be coated with an adhesive used to hold the structure together for further processing. According to one aspect, for example, a welding strip with an adhesive may be used to create a structure that goes directly to the drilling step, which may be a laser drilling without any ultrasonic coupling, This causes laser drilling or laser drilling to produce a spot weld that can hold the sandwich structure together.

  Another way of holding adjacent strip materials together is to weld adjacent strips using a laser welding technique, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary apparatus 320 that can be used in a laser welding process in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In this process, the fabric, belt, or sleeve 322 shown in FIG. 14 should be understood to be a relatively short portion of the overall length of the final fabric, belt, or sleeve. The fabric, belt or sleeve 322 is endless, but very practically it may be mounted around a pair of rolls not shown but known to those skilled in the art. In such an arrangement, the device 320 may be placed on one of the two surfaces of the fabric 322 between the two rolls, very conveniently on the top surface. Whether endless or not, the fabric 322 may preferably be placed under appropriate tension during the process. Further, to prevent sagging, the fabric 322 may be supported from below by a horizontal support member as it moves through the device 320.

  Referring now more specifically to FIG. 14, in FIG. 14, the fabric 322 is shown moving through the device 320 in an upward direction when the method of the present invention is being implemented. The laser head used in the welding process can traverse the fabric in the CD or width “X” direction while the fabric can move in the MD or “Y” direction. It is also possible to build a system in which the fabric moves in a three-dimensional manner relative to the laser welding head, which is mechanically fixed.

  The advantage of laser welding over ultrasonic welding is that ultrasonic welding has an upper speed limit of about 10 meters per minute, whereas laser welding can be achieved at speeds in the range of 100 meters per minute. Adding a light absorbing dye or ink absorber to the edge of the strip can also help to concentrate the thermal effects of the laser. The absorber can be black ink or an IR dye that is invisible to the human eye, such as that utilized by “Clearweld”. (See www.clearweld.com)

  Once the final fabric, belt, or sleeve has been created and adjacent strips in the fabric, belt, or sleeve have been welded or joined in some way, one side of the fabric from the other side of the fabric by means such as laser drilling Can be provided with holes or through cavities that allow fluid (air and / or water) to pass through. It should be noted that these through-holes or cavities that allow fluid to pass from one side of the fabric to the other can be created either before or after the spiral winding and joining steps. It is. Such holes or pierced cavities can be created via laser drilling or any other suitable hole / drilling process, for example using mechanical or thermal means, and depending on the intended use It can be of any size, shape, orientation, form and / or pattern. The penetrating cavity or hole may have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more. An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 13, which is a cross-section in the direction across the fabric 80 of the present invention, i.e. across the machine, and the strip 82 has air and its length along its length. A plurality of holes 84 are provided for the passage of water.

  Innovative fabrics are, as pointed out above, formed fabrics, press fabrics, dry fabrics, draft drying (TAD) fabrics, shoe press belts or transfer belts or calender belts, air-laying processes, melt-blowing processes, spunbonding processes. Alternatively, it can be used as a base material for use in a treatment belt used in a hydroentanglement process. The inventive fabric, belt or sleeve is one or more additional layers formed using strip material on or under the substrate to provide functionality rather than reinforcement, for example A layer of textile can be included. For example, an MD yarn array may be laminated to the back of a belt or sleeve to create a void. Alternatively, one or more layers may be provided between two layers of strap material. Additional layers used include woven or non-woven materials, MD yarn arrays or CD yarn arrays, spirally wound woven material strips having a width smaller than the width of the fabric, fibrous webs, films Or any combination thereof and can be attached to the substrate by any suitable technique known to those skilled in the art. Needle punches, thermal bonds and chemical bonds are just a few examples.

  As pointed out above, the industrial fabrics, belts, or sleeves of the present invention can be used in the drying section, including the forming section, press section, and draft drying (TAD) of the papermaking machine. The fabrics, belts or sleeves of the present invention can also be used as belts in other industrial processes such as sheet transfer belts, long nip press (LNP) belts or calender belts, or corrugator belts. The inventive fabric, belt, or sleeve can be applied to one or both surfaces using any of the means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing, or etching. It may have a texture that can be created. The fabric can also be used as part of a textile finishing belt, for example a sanforized belt or a tanned belt. Furthermore, the fabrics, belts or sleeves of the present invention can be used in other industrial environments where industrial belts are used to dehydrate materials. For example, fabrics, belts, or sleeves are used in pulp forming belts or pulp press belts to dewater recycled paper during the deinking process, such as a dewatering belt on a double nip thickener (DNT) deinking machine. It can be used in a belt or in a sludge dewatering belt. Inventive fabrics, belts or sleeves can also be used as belts used in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics by processes such as airlaid, spunbond, meltblown, or hydroentangled processes.

  According to one exemplary embodiment, the fabric, belt, or sleeve of the present invention may optionally include a functional coating on one or both surfaces thereof. The functional coating may have a flat and smooth upper surface, or alternatively, any of the means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing, or etching. Use may be textured in some manner. The functional coating can be any of the materials known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, or any other polymeric resin material, or even rubber. May optionally include particles such as nanofillers that can improve the resistance to bending fatigue, crack propagation properties, or wear properties of the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve.

  The fabrics, belts or sleeves of the present invention may also be formed fabrics, press fabrics, dry fabrics, draft drying (TAD) fabrics, shoe press belts or transfer belts or calender belts, air lay processes, melt blow processes, spunbond processes, or water streams. Processing belt, sheet transfer belt, long nip press (LNP) belt or calender belt, corrugator belt, sanforized belt, tanning belt, pulp forming belt or pulp press belt, double nip thickener (DNT) used in the entanglement process It can also be used as a reinforcing base or substrate in a dewatering belt on a deinking machine or a sludge dewatering belt. The reinforcing base or substrate can have a smooth, planar surface or can be textured. The reinforcing base or substrate can optionally include a functional coating on one or both of its surfaces, and the functional surface can have a smooth, planar surface or texture. Can be given.

  Although preferred embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof have been described in detail in the present specification, the present invention is not limited to those strict embodiments and modifications, and those skilled in the art will recognize according to the appended claims. Other variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof have been described in detail in the present specification, the present invention is not limited to those strict embodiments and modifications, and those skilled in the art will recognize according to the appended claims. Other variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined.
[Form 1]
An industrial fabric, belt, or sleeve comprising one or more spirally wound strips of polymer material, wherein the one or more strips of polymer material are industrial straps or ribbons.
[Form 2]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve is formed fabric, press fabric, dry fabric, draft drying (TAD) fabric, shoe press belt or transfer belt or calender belt, air lay process, melt blow process, spun bond process, or hydroentanglement process. Processing belt, sheet transfer belt, long nip press (LNP) belt or calender belt, corrugator belt, sanforized belt, tanning belt, pulp forming belt or pulp press belt, double nip thickener (DNT) deinking machine The fabric, belt, or sleeve according to aspect 1, which is a substrate for use in the above dewatering belt or sludge dewatering belt.
[Form 3]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve according to aspect 1, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more.
[Form 4]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of embodiment 1, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.
[Form 5]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve is permeable to air and / or water, and through cavities or holes in the fabric, belt, or sleeve are created using mechanical or thermal means; 5. The fabric, belt or sleeve according to Form 4.
[Form 6]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve according to form 5, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole is formed in a predetermined size, shape, or orientation.
[Form 7]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of aspect 6, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole has a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.
[Form 8]
One of a woven or non-woven material, an MD or CD yarn array, a spirally wound strip of woven material having a width less than the width of the fabric, a fibrous web, a film, or a combination thereof, or The fabric, belt, or sleeve of embodiment 1, further comprising a plurality of layers.
[Form 9]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve has a texture on one or both surfaces.
[Mode 10]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of aspect 9, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing, or etching.
[Form 11]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of embodiment 1, wherein one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt, or sleeve are smooth.
[Form 12]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of embodiment 1, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strap material spirally wound in opposite directions or in the MD direction.
[Form 13]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, further comprising a functional coating on one or both sides of the fabric, belt, or sleeve.
[Form 14]
9. The fabric, belt or sleeve according to aspect 8, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the fabric, belt or sleeve or between two layers of strap material.
[Form 15]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of form 1, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.
[Form 16]
The fabric, belt, or sleeve of form 13, wherein the functional coating has a texture on its upper surface.
[Form 17]
The form 1 wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material comprises a fabric, sleeve, or belt oriented MD reinforcement selected from the group consisting of fibers, yarns, monofilaments, and multifilament yarns. Fabric, belt, or sleeve.
[Form 18]
The fabric, belt of claim 17, wherein the fibers, yarns, monofilaments, and multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramid, thermoplastic polymer, thermosetting polymer, glass, carbon, and steel. Or sleeve.
[Form 19]
Spirally winding one or more strips of polymer material around a plurality of rolls, wherein the one or more strips of polymer material is an industrial strap or ribbon material A method for forming an industrial fabric, belt or sleeve comprising the steps of: joining the edges of adjacent strip materials using a predetermined technique.
[Mode 20]
The method of aspect 19, wherein the predetermined technique is laser welding, infrared welding, or ultrasonic welding.
[Form 21]
The method of aspect 19, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more.
[Form 22]
20. A method according to form 19, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.
[Form 23]
The fabric, belt or sleeve is made permeable to air and / or water by using mechanical or thermal means to create a cavity or hole through the fabric, belt or sleeve. The method of embodiment 19, wherein
[Form 24]
The method of embodiment 23, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole is formed with a predetermined size, shape, or orientation.
[Form 25]
25. The method of embodiment 24, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole has a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.
[Form 26]
Woven or non-woven material, MD yarn array or CD yarn array, spirally wound woven fabric having a width smaller than the width of the fabric on the upper or lower surface of the fabric, belt or sleeve The method of embodiment 19, further comprising applying one or more layers of a strip of material, a fibrous web, a film, or a combination thereof.
[Form 27]
The method of embodiment 19, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.
[Form 28]
The method of embodiment 19, wherein a texture is provided on one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt, or sleeve.
[Form 29]
The method of aspect 28, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing, or etching.
[Form 30]
The method of aspect 19, wherein one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt, or sleeve are smooth.
[Form 31]
The method of embodiment 19, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strap material spirally wound in opposite directions or in the MD direction.
[Form 32]
The method of embodiment 19, further comprising the step of coating a functional coating on one or both sides of the fabric, belt, or sleeve.
[Form 33]
The method of embodiment 26, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the fabric, belt, or sleeve, or between two layers of strap material.
[Form 34]
The method of aspect 32, further comprising providing a texture to the functional coating.
[Form 35]
The method of aspect 19, further comprising the step of reinforcing the industrial strap or ribbon material with fibers, yarns, monofilaments, or multifilament yarns in the MD direction of the fabric, sleeve, or belt.
[Form 36]
36. The method of form 35, wherein the fiber, yarn, monofilament, or multifilament yarn is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramid, thermoplastic polymer, thermosetting polymer, glass, carbon, and steel.

Claims (36)

  An industrial fabric, belt, or sleeve comprising one or more spirally wound strips of polymer material, wherein the one or more strips of polymer material are industrial straps or ribbons.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve is formed fabric, press fabric, dry fabric, draft drying (TAD) fabric, shoe press belt or transfer belt or calender belt, air lay process, melt blow process, spun bond process, or hydroentanglement process. Processing belt, sheet transfer belt, long nip press (LNP) belt or calender belt, corrugator belt, sanforized belt, tanning belt, pulp forming belt or pulp press belt, double nip thickener (DNT) deinking machine The fabric, belt, or sleeve according to claim 1, which is a substrate for use in an upper dewatering belt or sludge dewatering belt.   The fabric, belt or sleeve of claim 1, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve is permeable to air and / or water, and through cavities or holes in the fabric, belt, or sleeve are created using mechanical or thermal means; The fabric, belt or sleeve according to claim 4.   6. A fabric, belt or sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole is formed in a predetermined size, shape or orientation.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 6, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole has a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.   One of a woven or non-woven material, an MD or CD yarn array, a spirally wound strip of woven material having a width less than the width of the fabric, a fibrous web, a film, or a combination thereof, or The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of layers.   The fabric, belt or sleeve of claim 1, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve has a texture on one or both surfaces.   10. A fabric, belt or sleeve according to claim 9, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, wherein one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt, or sleeve are smooth.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strap material spirally wound in opposite directions or in the MD direction.   The fabric, belt, or sleeve of claim 1, further comprising a functional coating on one or both sides of the fabric, belt, or sleeve.   9. A fabric, belt or sleeve according to claim 8, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the fabric, belt or sleeve or between two layers of strap material.   The fabric, belt or sleeve of claim 1, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.   14. A fabric, belt or sleeve according to claim 13, wherein the functional coating has a texture on its upper surface.   The industrial strap or ribbon material comprises a fabric, sleeve, or belt oriented MD reinforcement selected from the group consisting of fibers, yarns, monofilaments, and multifilament yarns. The described fabric, belt or sleeve.   18. The fabric of claim 17, wherein the fibers, yarns, monofilaments, and multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramids, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, glass, carbon, and steel. Belt or sleeve.   Spirally winding one or more strips of polymer material around a plurality of rolls, wherein the one or more strips of polymer material is an industrial strap or ribbon material A method for forming an industrial fabric, belt or sleeve comprising the steps of: joining the edges of adjacent strip materials using a predetermined technique.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined technique is laser welding, infrared welding, or ultrasonic welding.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or greater and a width of 10 mm or greater.   20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.   The fabric, belt or sleeve is made permeable to air and / or water by using mechanical or thermal means to create a cavity or hole through the fabric, belt or sleeve. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein   24. The method of claim 23, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole is formed with a predetermined size, shape, or orientation.   25. The method of claim 24, wherein the penetrating cavity or hole has a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.   Woven or non-woven material, MD yarn array or CD yarn array, spirally wound woven fabric having a width smaller than the width of the fabric on the upper or lower surface of the fabric, belt or sleeve 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising applying one or more layers of a strip of material, a fibrous web, a film, or combinations thereof.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein a texture is provided on one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt, or sleeve.   29. The method of claim 28, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing, or etching.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt, or sleeve are smooth.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fabric, belt, or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strap material spirally wound in opposite directions or in the MD direction.   20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of coating a functional coating on one or both sides of the fabric, belt, or sleeve.   27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the fabric, belt, or sleeve, or between two layers of strap material.   35. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing a texture on the functional coating.   20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of reinforcing the industrial strap or ribbon material with fibers, yarns, monofilaments, or multifilament yarns in the MD direction of the fabric, sleeve, or belt.   36. The method of claim 35, wherein the fiber, yarn, monofilament, or multifilament yarn is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramid, thermoplastic polymer, thermoset polymer, glass, carbon, and steel.

Images