Multi-ply industrial fabric having integral jointing structures

A substantially planar jointed multi-layer industrial fabric, assembled from at least one segment comprising at least one woven or nonwoven ply, in which the joints utilize jointing yarns or formed structures. The jointing yarns or formed structures are placed at selected locations, such as the lateral edges, of at least one planar surface of a ply of the at least one, or first, fabric segment, and interlock in mating engagement with corresponding jointing yarns or formed structures either in at least one surface of a ply of a second segment, or in another location on the first fabric segment, to provide an integral joint. The joints are comprised of shaped yarns and formed structures which in any combination form mating engagements substantially within the plane of the fabric, such as in hook-and-loop or slot-and-rib type joints, and the like. The fabric is assembled by engaging and interlocking the jointing yarns or formed structures, for example by overlapping the segments, in either a spiral winding process or piecewise fashion, so that the jointing yarns or structures provided in the segment ply are engaged and interlocked. Further secondary processing of the joint is not required. The at least one segment may be a single continuous strip, a plurality of strips, or panels, into which the jointing structures have been incorporated.