Claims
- 1. A method to prevent fiber and fabric distortion in woven materials when weaving fill yarns at a non-orthogonal angle to warp yarns, comprising the steps of:
- (a) weaving fabric with warp and fill yarns concurrently with a weaving process for fabricating one of a straight, curved, planer and three-dimensional fabric, the fill yarns at a non-orthogonal angle to the warp yarns;
- (b) depositing a tacifying material on the warp and fill yarns; and
- (c) bonding the warp and fill yarns together.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said step (b) the tacifier material is deposited as a powder and step (c) further comprises the substeps of:
- (i) melting the tacifier material while on the warp and fill yarns; and
- (ii) supplying cool air to solidify the tacifying material.
- 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein in said substep (c) (i) the tacifier material is melted by providing heating elements in the tips of clamping bars.
- 4. A method according to claim 2, wherein in said substep (c) (i) the tacifier material is melted by providing heating elements in take-up rollers.
- 5. A method according to claim 2, wherein in said substep (c) (i) the tacifier material is melted by applying a hot gas.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said step (b) the tacifier material is deposited in a yarn form and step (c) further comprises the substeps of:
- (i) melting the tacifier material; and
- (ii) supplying cool air to solidify the tacifying material.
- 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein in said substep (c) (i) the tacifier material is melted by providing heating elements in the tips of clamping bars.
- 8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said substep (c) (i) the tacifier material is melted by providing heating elements in take-up rollers.
- 9. A method according to claim 6, wherein in said substep (c) (i) the tacifier material is melted by applying a hot gas.
- 10. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said step (b) the tacifier material is deposited in a solution form by spraying the solution onto the fabric and step (c) further comprises the substep (i) of applying pressure to the fabric to bond the warp and fill yarns.
- 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises the substep (ii) of supplying air to increase evaporation of the solution.
- 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said step (b) the tacifier material is in liquid form and step (c) further comprises the substeps of:
- (i) melting the tacifier material; and
- (ii) spraying the melted tacifier material, as a liquid, onto the fill yarn after being extracted from a fill yarn spool prior to the fill yarn being inserted into a shed of the fabric.
- 13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said step (c) further comprises the substeps of:
- (iii) clamping the fabric to bond the warp and fill yarns; and
- (iv) supplying cool air to the fabric to expedite evaporation of the liquid.
- 14. A method to prevent fiber and fabric distortion in woven materials when weaving fill yarns at a non-orthogonal angle to warp yarns, comprising:
- (a) supplying yarn containing adhesive for forming a fabric;
- (b) inserting fill yarn into a shed of the fabric;
- (c) beating the fill yarn into the fabric such that the fill yarn is non-orthogonal to the warp yarn;
- (d) melting the adhesive in the yarn;
- (e) advancing the fabric; and
- (f) supplying cool air to the fabric to solidify the adhesive.
- 15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said step (c) comprises the substeps of:
- (i) pulling the fabric through heated clamping bars; and
- (ii) opening the clamping bars.
- 16. A method according to claim 14, wherein said step (c) comprises the substeps of:
- (i) pulling the fabric through heated take-up rollers; and
- (ii) opening the take-up rollers.
- 17. A method according to claim 14, wherein in said step (a) the yarn containing adhesive is selected from a group consisting of one of resin powder coated structural yarns, comingled thermoplastic and structural yarns, and coated yarns having a thermoplastic matrix.
- 18. A method to prevent fiber end fabric distortion in woven materials, comprising the steps of:
- (a) weaving fabric with warp and fill yams concurrently with e weaving process for fabricating one of a straight, curved, planar and three-dimensional fabric;
- (b) depositing a tacifying material on the warp and fill yarns to bond them together, wherein the tacifier material is in liquid form;
- (c) melting the tacifier material; and
- (d) said depositing step including spraying the melted tacifier material onto the fill yarn after being extracted from a fill yarn spool prior to the fill yarn being inserted into a shed of the fabric.
- 19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:
- (e) clamping the fabric to effect said bonding of the warp and fill yarns; and
- (f) supplying cool air to the fabric to expedite evaporation of the liquid.
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein was made by an employee of the U.S. Government and may be used by or for the government for governmental purposes without the payment of royalties thereon or therefor.
US Referenced Citations (22)