Fabrics in accordance with the invention are characterized by densely woven bodies of substantial thickness, in which individual warp yarns define angled paths traversing a principal portion of the wall thickness. The warp yarns and lateral fill yarns completely interlock the structure in non-laminar fashion. Seamless thick walled bodies having selectable shapes are woven by methods in which fill yarns are circumferentially fed under tension between spaced and independently controlled warp yarns that are directed radially into a central weaving region, with new warp yarn ends being selectively added. Frustums and other hollow bodies may be woven with progressively increasing diameter, with fill yarns circumferentially disposed about the central axis and warp yarns traversing paths within planes substantially parallel to the central axis, new warp yarn planes being added as the diameter of the body increases. Solid cylindrical shapes may employ a unitary structure defined by a plurality of substantially like segments of a cylinder, each segment having a number of warp planes extending radially and terminating at the outer surface of the cylinder, but having a different selected radial length, with the fill yarn being disposed in substantially concentric or spiral fashion within the cylinder.
A three-dimensional weave is formed having a triple set of rods and yarns. The network of rods is placed about the generatrices of the body of revolution to be made and ordered regularly around the axis of the latter in coaxial layers of revolution and in successive radial bunches. Circumferential yarns and radial yarns are laid in helical courses and woven into said network of rods around the axis.
Method of weaving a three-dimensional fabric which comprises the steps of inserting a number of doubled weft yarns between the layers of the warp yarns, securing the loops which connect the weft yarns by means of a binder yarn threaded therethrough, inserting vertical yarns between the vertical rows of warp yarns perpendicularly to the weft and warp yarns, and after repeating the first two steps beating the woven yarn with a reed. A loom for carrying out this process is also disclosed.
A sock which provides increased comfort to the wearer as a result of reduced friction between the sock and the foot. The reduced friction is accomplished by treating the sock with a fluoropolymer. The treated sock contains discrete fluoropolymer particles (in non-membranous form) on or near the surface which contacts the foot. The treatment can by carried out by spraying, dipping, impregnating, coating of precursor fibers, or other conventional coating methods.
A method and machine for rapidly manufacturing transverse diagonal three dimensional fabric in flat panels of variable thicknesses and cross sections, wide widths and continuous length consisting of a yarn guide plate that holds all longitudinal yarns in exact position, two rows of knitting needles, or sewing needles with loopers, that insert rows of transverse yarns at +45.degree. and -45.degree. in the transverse plane, a beat mechanism that moves the yarn guide plate to compact the transverse yarns, and a shift mechanism that moves both rows of needles alternately one row to the right and to the left to bind the right and left side edges of the fabric. A three-dimensional fabric pattern that is produced by this method and machines, which consists of multiple rows of longitudinal yarns held straight in the longitudinal plane, aligned exactly with the longitudinal axis, multiple rows of straight transverse diagonal yarns alternating at +45.degree. and -45.degree. in the transverse plane orthogonal to themselves and to the longitudinal yarns, chained loop stitches of transverse yarns at the bottom edge of the fabric, which has the right and left side edges of the fabric bound with transverse yarns.
This invention relates to a body of three-dimensional fabric, a method of producing such bodies or parts of various shapes from three-dimensional fabric and also relates to apparatus for industrial performance of this method.
