Claims
- 1. Weaving apparatus comprising:
- a unit for forming a first sheet of substantially parallel warp yarns;
- a unit for forming a second sheet of substantially parallel warp yarns;
- means for moving the sheets of warp yarns with respect to each other to form a shed;
- a member for inserting fill yarns transversely of the warp yarns into the shed; and
- a unit for inserting an interlocked angle yarn at an angle across the first sheet of warp yarns, the fill yarns and the second sheet of warp yarns.
- 2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the angle yarn inserting unit comprises:
- a placement member for placing the angle yarn between adjacent warp yarns in at least one of the first and second warp yarns sheets; and
- an angle yarn supply.
- 3. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said angle yarn inserting unit comprises means for moving the yarn placement member between a first side of said one of the sheets of warp yarns and on a second side of said one of the sheets of warp yarns.
- 4. Apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a mounting system for moving the yarn inserting unit transversely with respect to the warp yarn sheets.
- 5. Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the angle yarn inserting unit comprises:
- a needle having an opening for receiving the angle yarn and means for moving the opening through one of the sheets of warp yarns.
- 6. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the angle yarn inserting unit comprises:
- a plurality of needles, each needle having an opening for receiving an angle yarn; and
- means for moving each opening through one of the sheets of warp yarns.
- 7. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the unit for inserting the angle yarn comprises:
- a rack extending transversely of the first sheet of warp yarns;
- a carrier mounted on the rack;
- a drive system for moving the carrier along the rack;
- a placement member on the carrier for carrying the angle yarn; and
- a drive element associated with the placement member for selectively disposing the angle yarn on one side or the other side of the first sheet of warp yarns.
- 8. Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the rack comprises:
- a first section;
- a second section; and
- means for mounting the first section and the second section for movement toward or away from each other.
- 9. Weaving apparatus comprising:
- a supply system for providing an array of warp yarns;
- a fill yarn placement member for placing fill yarns substantially orthogonal to the warp yarns;
- a unit for placing first angle yarns with the warp yarns and the fill yarns, said angle yarns being disposed angularly with respect to the warp and the fill yarns in a plane defined by the warp yarns and the fill yarns, wherein the angle yarn placing unit comprises a first yarn carrying member and a drive system for moving the yarn carrying member transversely with respect to the array of warp yarns;
- means for effecting relative movement between the angle yarns and the warp yarns for interlocking the warp yarns, the angle yarns and the fill yarns, wherein the angle yarns are disposed angularly with respect to the warp yarns and the fill yarns in a plane defined by the warp and fill yarns; and
- a first support disposed outboard of a first edge of the array of warp yarns for releasably engaging an end of said angle yarn.
- 10. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the first support for releasably engaging an end of said angle yarn comprises a movable belt.
- 11. Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the movable belt comprises a tacky surface for releasably engaging the angle yarn end.
- 12. Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the belt comprises hook fasteners for releasably engaging the angle yarn end.
- 13. Apparatus as in claim 9, further comprising:
- a second support for releasably engaging an end of an angle yarn disposed outboard of a second edge of the array of warp yarns, said second edge being opposite the first edge; and
- a second unit for placing a second angle yarn interlocked with the warp yarns and fill yarn, with the second angle yarn being disposed at an angle with respect to the first angle yarn and in the same plane.
- 14. Apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the second unit for placing the second angle yarn comprises a second yarn carrying member and second drive system for moving the second yarn carrying member transversely with respect to the array of warp yarns in a direction opposed to the direction of movement of the first yarn carrying member.
- 15. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the interlocking means can vary the position of a warp yarn with respect to the angle yarn and the fill yarn.
- 16. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the interlocking means can vary the position of the angle yarn with respect to the warp yarns and the fill yarn.
- 17. A method of forming a fabric comprising the steps of:
- establishing a sheet of warp yarn;
- disposing a fill yarn substantially transversely to the warp yarns;
- disposing an angle yarn extending in a bias direction with the warp and fill yarns;
- moving the angle yarn relative to the warp layers such that the angle yarn is in an interlocked relationship with the warp yarn and the fill yarn; and
- securing an end of the angle yarn at an edge of the warp yarn, wherein the step of securing the end of the angle yarn comprises releasably engaging said end on a member movable with the warp yarns.
- 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of moving the angle yarn transversely of the warp yarn as the fabric is formed.
- 19. A method as in claim 17, wherein the step of securing the end of the angle yarn comprises weaving the end in a selvage portion of the fabric.
- 20. A method of forming a fabric comprising the steps of:
- establishing a first sheet of warp yarns;
- establishing a second sheet of warp yarns;
- forming a shed with the first and second sheets of warp yarns;
- inserting a fill yarn in said shed to form a first fabric; and
- inserting an angle yarn extending in a bias direction to the warp yarns and fill yarn in said first fabric while successively drawing the angle yarn transversely with respect to the sheets of warp yarns as fill yarns are inserted in the fabric.
- 21. A method as in claim 20, further comprising the step of interlocking the angle yarn with the warp and fill yarns.
- 22. A method as in claim 21, wherein the step of joining the first and second fabrics comprises utilizing at least one of the angle yarns to join the first and second fabrics.
- 23. A method as in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:
- establishing a third sheet of warp yarns;
- establishing a fourth sheet of warp yarns;
- forming a shed with the third and fourth sheets of warp yarns;
- inserting a fill yarn in the shed form by the third and fourth sheets of warp yearns to form a second fabric;
- inserting a second angle yarn extending in a bias direction to the warp yarns and fill yarn in said second fabric; and
- joining the first fabric to the second fabric to form a multilayer structure.
- 24. Weaving apparatus comprising:
- a supply system for providing an array of warp yarns;
- a fill yarn placement member for placing fill yarns substantially orthogonal to the warp yarns;
- a unit for placing first angle yarns with the warp yarns and the fill yarns, said angle yarns being disposed angularly with respect to the warp and the fill yarns in a plane defined by the warp yarns and the fill yarns; and
- means for effecting relative movement between the angle yarns and the warp yarns for interlocking the warp yarns, the angle yarns and the fill yarns, wherein the angle yarns are disposed angularly with respect to the warp yarns and the fill yarns in a plane defined by the warp and fill yarns, wherein the effecting and interlocking means can vary the position of a warp yarn with respect to the angle yarn and the fill yarn.
- 25. Weaving apparatus comprising:
- a supply system for providing an array of warp yarns;
- a fill yarn placement member for placing fill yarns substantially orthogonal to the warp yarns;
- a unit for placing first angle yarns with the warp yarns and the fill yarns, said angle yarns being disposed angularly with respect to the warp and the fill yarns in a plane defined by the warp yarns and the fill yarns; and
- means for effecting relative movement between the angle yarns and the warp yarns for interlocking the warp yarns, the angle yarns and the fill yarns, wherein the angle yarns are disposed angularly with respect to the warp yarns and the fill yarns in a plane defined by the warp and fill yarns, wherein the effecting and interlocking means can vary the position of the angle yarn with respect to the warp yarns and the fill yarn.
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein was made by an employee of the United States government and may be manufactured or used by or for the United States government without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
46-15751 |
Apr 1971 |
JPX |
50-20186 |
Jul 1975 |
JPX |
1052847 |
Feb 1989 |
JPX |
2117418 |
Oct 1983 |
GBX |
9014454 |
Nov 1990 |
WOX |