Claims
- 1. A fabric of aligned graphite fibers having a uniform density and weave and uniform physical properties in both the warp and fill direction, the fabric being adapted to follow the contours of a support substrate, the fabric being formed from strands derived by unwinding from a graphitized strip produced in a graphitizing furnace, the unwinding process subsequent to the graphitizing furnace comprising the steps of:
- i. initially separating individual graphite strands from the strip;
- ii. diverging the strands while separating the strands from the graphitized strip under tension;
- iii. feeding each strand through a separate alignment tube; and,
- iv. winding up a plurality of strands, each strand being on a separate aligned reel, a plurality of aligned reels having at least one drive rod therefor, each reel being maintained forwardly in off-centered contact with the drive rod due to strand tension, whereby release of strand tension causes the reel to move out of alignment.
- 2. The fabric of claim 1, in which the apparatus comprises at least one contact drive rod for the reels, each reel being maintained in alignment under tension of the strand forwardly of the drive rod, whereby release of strand tension causes the reel to move out of alignment, and an increase of tension is compensated by reel stalling until tension becomes equalized.
- 3. The fabric of claim 1, in which the graphite strands subsequent to graphitization are in the form of a strip supported on a tape.
- 4. The fabric of claim 1, being free of stray ends.
- 5. The fabric of claims 1 or 2, in which the fabric weave is bidirectional.
- 6. The fabric of claims 1 or 2, in which the fabric weave is a twill.
- 7. The fabric of claims 1 or 2, in which the fabric weave is a satin.
- 8. The fabric of claims 1 or 2, in which the fabric weave is unidirectional.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 933,658, filed Aug. 14, 1978, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,570.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3975482 |
Rulison |
Aug 1976 |
|
4002426 |
Chenevey et al. |
Jan 1977 |
|
4024227 |
Kishimoto et al. |
May 1977 |
|
4065549 |
Kinoshita |
Dec 1977 |
|
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
933658 |
Aug 1978 |
|