Textiles: weaving – Miscellaneous – Loom cleaning
Patent
1999-06-16
2000-02-01
Calvert, John J.
Textiles: weaving
Miscellaneous
Loom cleaning
139 11, 139384, 139384R, 139DIG1, D03D 4100, D03D 300
Patent
active
060191384
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a woven material, used for example in the making of panels which are impregnated with a resin, and relates more particularly to an improvement in such a material and related method wherein a three dimensional structure is formed using a continuous weave forming walls extending orthogonally with one another and each being integrally formed with the other through a common skin to create a high strength unibody stiffener.
In the fabrication of composite materials, it is known to use textiles or filamentary strand materials to reinforce the structures which are created. These reinforcing materials may take many different forms. For example, these strand materials may take the form of polymeric, glass, carbon, ceramic or other industrial fibers. Hence, such composite materials enjoy the benefits of high strength, light weight, and ability to be shaped to a desired configuration.
It have been found particularly useful to create panels with reinforcing walls extending in two coordinate directions and still have the reinforcing walls be connected to a base skin to provide the requisite overall strength for the structure as designed. Obviously, the drawbacks involved with forming a panel of this type using a conventional three dimensional weave system are numerous. One such drawback is that the constraint in constructing a stiffened panel is that the pick yarns which forms the wall section must be continuous through the section.
Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a method of ma-king a three dimensional woven fabric suitable for use as a frame member of a composite material that has a substantially planar skin portion with orthogonally disposed walls connected to the skin portion to effect the formation of a stiffened skin panel.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of making a three dimensional woven fabric of the aforementioned type wherein any size structure is capable of being fabricated according to the method.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a method of making a three dimensional woven fabric of the aforementioned type wherein the fabric is capable of being formed using any type of multiharness weaving loom.
Yet still a further object of the invention is to provide a method of making a three dimensional woven fabric of the aforementioned type wherein the fabric structure is capable of being formed from any type or diameter yarn.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making a three dimensional woven fabric of the aforementioned type wherein yarns are continuously woven through intersecting walls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in a method of making a three dimensional stiffener having at least one wall extending outwardly from a generally planar base portion. The invention comprises the steps of forming the generally planar base portion of said stiffener by weaving at least two layers using orthogonally disposed first and second yarn lengths and using a third plurality of yarn lengths disposed within planes extending perpendicularly to the general plane of said stiffener, and weaving each of said plurality of yarn lengths in said third plurality between the topmost and bottommost ones of said plurality of first and second orthogonally disposed first and second yarn lengths. At least one stiffener wall extending orthogonally to said plane is formed by overweaving along a given section of said planar portion and in a direction perpendicular to said general plane of said stiffener coincident with a section of one of said plurality of first and second yarn lengths.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the woven stiffener of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one intersection within the stiffener of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 2 showing. one embodiment of a first wall to base portion connection.
FIG. 4 is an alternative out of phase embodiment of the connectio
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PCT International Search Report.
Malek Ahmed Ezzeldin
Pastore Christopher Michael
Anderson Terry J.
Calvert John J.
Hoch Jr. Karl J.
Muromoto Jr. Robert H.
Northrop Grumman Corporation
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