Forming fabrics for paper-making machines and methods of manufacture thereof

Claim 1

Endless forming fabric for paper-making machine and the like, comprising: an upper layer of threads transverse to the direction of movement of the fabric on the machine and located on the material forming side of the fabric, a lower layer of threads transverse to said direction of movement and located on the wear side of the fabric, and longitudinal threads interwoven with the layers of transverse threads, wherein all outer loops formed by the longitudinal threads over the transverse threads of the upper layer bind with from 3 to 7 transverse threads of the upper layer and the first points of crossing of said outer loops with the transverse threads are distributed according to a weaving pattern comprising at least five longitudinal threads, and the weaving pattern on the outer surface of the fabric which supports the material to be formed is of a type without alignments of said loops on adjacent threads and without diagonal effects, wherein the longitudinal threads from lower loops each binding with one transverse thread of the lower layer on the wear side of the fabric, and wherein said outer loops formed by the longitudinal threads over the transverse threads of the upper layer are so located that there is no gap in the longitudinal direction between each individual said outer loop of each said longitudinal thread and outer loops of the adjacent longitudinal threads.