US4911683A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seam for work fabric and method of manufacture thereof
Assignee: Valmet Fabrics Inc
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Filing: 1988-08-03
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Granted: 1990-03-27
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Expires: 2008-08-03
Abstract
Abstract An endless work fabric having a loop seam construction and a method of manufacture thereof is disclosed, wherein the fabric is used as a papermaker felt, a papermaker dryer fabric, a forming wire, or filter fabric. An endless belt formed of a preselected material preferably having longitudinally extending yarns included therein is collapsed upon itself to form folded ends that are stripped to expose end loops. The loops as formed in the ends of the fabric are intermeshed to define a transversely extending channel through which a pintle member is extended for joining the two ends of the folded fabric to define the endless work fabric. An alternate construction includes forming the fabric of nonwoven materials and interconnecting the ends of the collapsed fabric by a hinge-like construction through which a pintle member is extended.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert W. Legge
- 👤 William O. Hocking, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 04:32
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16G; F16G3/00; F16G3/02; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/19; Y10T428/192; Y10T428/195; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A work fabric including an endless fabric body having opposed end portions that are defined by the collapsing of said fabric body upon itself, opposed interior surfaces of said fabric body thereby being disposed in abutting relation throughout the fabric body, said collapsed fabric body being folded such that the opposed end portions are disposed in adjacent relation, and means for interconnecting said opposed and adjacent end portions, thereby forming said fabric body in an endless double layer construction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A work fabric including an endless fabric body having opposed end portions that are defined by the collapsing of said fabric body upon itself, opposed interior surfaces of said fabric body thereby being disposed in abutting relation throughout the fabric body, said collapsed fabric body being folded such that the opposed end portions are disposed in adjacent relation, and means for interconnecting said opposed and adjacent end portions, thereby forming said fabric body in an endless double layer construction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 1, said fabric body including at least a plurality of parallel yarns that extend in a longitudinal direction, said yarns at the opposed end portions of said fabric body defining opposed loops, said interconnecting means including a pintle that extends through said loops to interconnect said opposed end portions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 2, said fabric body being formed of a woven fabric that includes yarns that are disposed in transverse relation with respect to the longitudinally extending yarns.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 1, said fabric body as folded upon itself having a longitudinal dimension that is approximately one-half the length of the collapsed fabric body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 2, alternate loops on said opposed end portions being substantially removed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 2, said fabric body further including nonwoven material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 6, said fabric body including means for stabilizing said longitudinally extending yarns.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 7, said stabilizing means being defined by a fibrous batt that is needled into said fabric body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 8, said stabilizing means being further defined by an adhesive resin or a polymer that is used in conjunction with said fibrous batt.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 1, said fabric body including nonwoven materials.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 1, the opposed ends of said fabric body being cut out to define alternately disposed notches and projections, the notches and projections of said opposed ends being intermeshed to form a channel, and said interconnecting means including a pintle that extends through said channel to lock said opposed ends together.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
A work fabric as claimed in claim 11, said fabric body being formed of fibrous materials.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of making a work fabric, comprising the steps of forming a fabric body in an endless configuration, compressing the endless fabric body to a collapsed and flattened position to define oppositely located bent ends and for locating opposed interior surfaces of said fabric body in abutting relation throughout the fabric body, folding said fabric body such that the ends thereof are disposed in adjacent relation and interlocking said adjacent ends to form said fabric in a double layer endless construction.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of making a work fabric, comprising the steps of forming a fabric body in an endless configuration, compressing the endless fabric body to a collapsed and flattened position to define oppositely located bent ends and for locating opposed interior surfaces of said fabric body in abutting relation throughout the fabric body, folding said fabric body such that the ends thereof are disposed in adjacent relation and interlocking said adjacent ends to form said fabric in a double layer endless construction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising the further step of forming said fabric body of materials that include at least a plurality of parallel and longitudinally extending yarns.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as claimed in claim 14, comprising the further steps of stripping the ends of said fabric body to expose a plurality of yarn loops, intermeshing the yarn loops of the opposed ends, and interlocking said opposed ends by projecting a pintle through the intermeshed yarn loops.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 15, comprising the further step of cutting away alternate yarn loops of the opposed ends.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of as claimed in claim 15, comprising the further step of applying a fibrous batt material to said fabric body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 17, comprising the further step of applying to said fabric body an adhesive resin or a polymer for use in conjunction with said fibrous batt.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising the further step of forming the fabric body of nonwoven materials.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as claimed in claim 19, comprising the further steps of forming notches in the ends of said fabric in spaced relation, wherein spaced projections are defined between the notches, intermeshing the notches and projections of said ends, and extending a pintle through the notches and projections of the intermeshed end to interlock said ends together.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-03-26 | 1993-09-25 | 1994-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-03-26 | 1997-09-25 | 1998-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-03-26 | 2001-09-25 | 2002-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |