Abstract: The invention relates to guide tooling (22) for a circular needling table for needling a textile structure made from a helical fiber sheet, the tooling comprising an inner guide rail (24) of circularly arcuate shape, and an outer guide rail (26) of circularly arcuate shape arranged coaxially around the inner guide rail and connected thereto by radial reinforcement (28), the outer and inner guide rails defining between them a passage for guiding the helical fiber sheet under a needling head, the outer guide rail being made up of two outer guide rail angular sectors (26a, 26b) that are connected to each other by an outer actuator (28), the outer actuator being suitable for moving the adjacent free ends (26a-1, 26b-1) of the outer guide rail angular sectors apart from each other so as to expand the outer guide rail.

Abstract: A circular weaving machine has warp-tape guide elements arranged around a circular reed to supply a multiplicity of warp tapes. Weaving-shed forming devices group the fed warp tapes into two warp-tape groups and impart thereon mutually opposed alternating movements, with the result that a weaving shed is opened and closed between the two warp-tape groups. A weaving shuttle moves on an orbit in the opened weaving shed and, in the process, introduces a weft tape from a weft-tape bobbin carried thereby into the weaving shed, with the result that a fabric is formed. The fabric is drawn off through a weaving ring. The weaving shuttle keeps the bobbin axis of the weft-tape bobbin at an angular position which deviates by at most +/?15°, preferably at most +/?10°, from a normal to a surface which contains the geometric connecting lines between the warp-tape guide elements and the weaving ring.

Abstract: A preform manufacturing apparatus comprising a supply of fiber strip, a moveable positive fiber strip delivery mechanism coupled between a desired lay down location and the supply of fiber strip to positively deliver and orient the supply of fiber strip to the desired lay down location, and an optional electronic unwinder coupled to the supply of fiber strip when more delicate textile strips are used to fabricate the net shape preform is described herein. The electronic unwinder is configured to interact with the moveable positive fiber strip delivery mechanism.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shuttle for a weaving machine, of which the shuttle is designed to be alternately transferred from one side of a weave to the other while machine-side guiding elements are constantly intervening, with a left-hand connecting element and a right-hand connecting element for connecting the shuttle to the corresponding transfer element and to a filling (weft) bobbin. The filling bobbin is embodied to be rotationally positively drivable, with a drive that is designed for at least two impingements upon the filling bobbin, namely for either accelerating or for decelerating the dispensing of filling (weft) thread. The invention further relates to a weaving process in which such a shuttle is used.

Abstract: A seamless and integrated textile innerduct comprising: a warp comprised of polyester monofilament yarns and a weft comprised of polyester multifilament yarns, wherein the warp has 70-85 ends per inch, the weft has 14-25 ends per inch, the warp and weft are integrated seamlessly to form an elongated enclosure having breaking strength of at least 1000 pounds, a vertical retraction rate of less than 3% at 150° C. for a duration of one hour, a longitudinal shrinkage rate of less than 3% at ?80° C.; a pulling strip is placed inside the enclosure; the pulling strip is made of polyester multifilament yarns; and the inner duct is flexible and stretchable longitudinally.

Abstract: An air delivery conduit for conveying breathable gas from a positive airway pressure device to a patient interface includes a tubular wall structure constructed from a textile material. A reinforcing structure may be provided to the wall structure that is structured to prevent kinking or collapsing of the wall structure. The wall structure may include a warp having a plurality of lengthwise textile warp threads arranged in a circle and a weft having a textile weft thread that is woven through the warp threads.

Abstract: In order to deflect a warp thread sheet (2) in a weaving machine, a deflecting device (18)is provided which is guided in guides (26) that also guide heald frames (13, 14, 15, 16). The deflecting device positions a segment (46) of the warp thread sheet (2) that starts at a beatup line (7) of the fabric (8) between the beatup line and the heald frames.

Abstract: A specialty bag is formed from a circular loom adapted with a unique mechanism of the current invention such that the resulting woven tubular sheet contains at least one venting band extending along the length of the tubular sheet. The tubular sheet is then cut into individual bag segments. The individual bag segments are sewn together along their bottom edge to form the final bag having at least one venting band for the proper venting of the enclosed items.

Abstract: The stationary thread guiding element (1) for a series shed weaving machine which has a plurality of concentrically extending grooves (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) at an end face (1i) is designed as a segment or sector of a circle.

Abstract: A device for drawing-off a fabric in a circular loom where the circular loom has a drive motor for driving a main shaft and a weft monitoring assembly for detecting a fault in a weft. The device has a separate motor for driving the fabric draw-off rollers, a computer that controls the rotational speed of the separate motor through a speed regulating device, and a pulse generator that generates control pulses proportional to the rotational speed of the main shaft. In the event of a fault in the weft detected by the weft monitoring assembly, the computer readjusts the rotational speed of the separate motor.

Abstract: This invention provides a reinforcing woven fabric using as weaving threads flat and substantially nontwisted multifilaments of reinforcing fiber having less than 0.5 wt. % of sizing agent provided thereto and a binding property of 400-800 mm in hook drop value, and a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing woven fabric by weaving the multifilaments of reinforcing fiber as warps and wefts. A reinforcing woven fabric having a small thickness and an extremely high covering factor and capable of indicating a high strength can be obtained at a low cost as a substrate for reinforcing composite materials.

Abstract: A loom includes a machine bed and a heddle unit which is disposed movably on the machine bed and which consists of a first heddle and a second heddle respectively adapted to carry an adjacent pair of warps thereon so as to form a shed between the warps. The first heddle moves vertically and reciprocally between a top position and a bottom position. The second heddle moves initially along an N-shaped path and subsequently returns from the end point of the path to the starting point of the path along a straight line which intersects the path. Accordingly, the warps are twisted.

Abstract: A circular loom includes an endless raceway assembly and a shuttle sliding along the raceway assembly. The raceway assembly includes an upper ring plate, a lower ring plate, and a rod mechanism interposed between the upper and lower ring plates. The rod mechanism includes a row of outer guide rod units interconnecting the upper and lower ring plates, and a row of inner guide rod units aligned respectively and radially with the outer guide rod units so as to define a confining space therebetween. Each of the inner guide rod units includes an upper inner rod section secured to the upper ring plate, and a lower inner rod section secured to the lower ring plate so as to define an accommodating space between the upper and lower inner rod sections.

Abstract: A method and a machine for making a hollow fiber reinforcing member using a mandrel. A plurality of flexible rods are distributed around the periphery of the mandrel. Each rod is provided at one extremity with a respective curved end so that at least the extremities with bent ends are pressed against the mandrel, with their bent ends projecting outwards from the mandrel. At least one continuous strand of filaments is interlaced around the bent ends of the rods. As the strand of filaments is interlaced around the bent ends, the rods are displaced along the mandrel to disengage the already-interlaced strand of filaments from the bent ends of the rods such that a tracery of filaments including the rods and bearing against the mandrel is formed progressively.

Abstract: A dense and stable shading and insulating screen (1) can be pulled away sideways and rolled up, provided it has a double weave. Fabric fibers which both as weft (6) and warp elements (5) hold together tightly both weft (3) and warp strips (2) in a stable pattern or supporting weave, have a positive impact on the light transmission of the screen (1), by absorbing the water to the inside of the screen and, resulting from surface activity, having the water transferred to the outside of the screen (1).

Abstract: Continuous production of a long bias cloth is accomplished by manufacturing a tubular fabric on a circular loom having a circular frame, reeds arranged on the frame and a shuttle for a weft rotatable along the frame. The fabric is removed from the loom under tension by a removal device comprising a primary pillar core with a plurality of caterpillars adjacent its outer periphery. Removal under tension prevents the formation of any edge portion causing folds and wrinkles in the tubular fabric. The tubular fabric is then spirally cut by a cutting device which has a secondary pillar core with a plurality of feed rolls adjacent its outer periphery. The feed rolls are capable of moving the fabric forward relative to its length, while the cutter is capable of moving circumferentially relative to fabric lengbth. A long bias cloth of high quality can be manufactured continuously, even when the warp and weft fibers used have high-strength and poor or low elongation.

Abstract: A polyethylene/polypropylene bag weaving machine includes a cooling system which eliminates the need for power lubrication. Ribbons being fed to the machine pass over a sponge located in a water tank, thereby moistening the ribbons and ensuring that they stay sufficiently cooling as they enter the weaving device.

Abstract: In a circular loom provided with a main drive shaft, a plurality of healds are arranged in a ring-shaped alignment coaxially around the main drive shaft. An annular reed member is stationarily located inside the ring-shaped alignment of the healds and coaxially therearound, wherein shuttles are able to move along an annular passage defined by the annular reed member, a weft taken out from each of the shuttles is inserted to successive sheds created by a shed-forming mechanism and the inserted weft is interwoven with the warps to form a tubular fabric having a predetermined weave structure, by applying a particular shed forming mechanism based upon a principle such that the shedding operations of a unit group of warps to create each one repeat weave structure is controlled to satisfy the crossing condition between said warps and said inserted weft which is defined by said one repeat weave structure.

Abstract: A triaxial textile fabric for use as a reinforcing textile fabric for a composite material wherein the modulus of elasticity is made isotropic and which can be readily deformed into a three-dimensional configuration without causing special changes in orientation angles and a process by which such a textile fabric can be easily produced. The fabric comprises a large number of oblique yarns extending in a radial direction from the center of the textile fabric, and a circumferential yarn woven spirally in a circumferential direction between the oblique yarns. Each adjacent ones of the oblique yarns are interlaced with each other and the circumferential yarn is woven between the thus interlaced oblique yarns such that such interlacing may appear between each adjacent coils of the spirally woven circumferential yarn. Such an interlacing step takes place after insertion of the circumferential yarn and before an upward and downward movement of the alternate oblique yarns.

Abstract: A mechanism for guiding a shuttle in a circular loom having shuttles provided with a plurality of rotatable supporting wheels moved along a circular running passage. Wefts taken out from each shuttle are inserted into successive sheds of warps created immediately before the arrival of the shuttle and are interwoven with the warps to form a tubular fabric. The circular running passage is defined by at least one annular guide surface created by an element guide surface of each reed element of an annular reed member of the circular loom. The running passage of each of the supporting wheels is restricted by a corresponding one of the annular guide surfaces located at a corresponsing position. Possible pressing of the warps against the upper and lower annular edge portions of the annular reed member by the supporting wheels is prevented.

Abstract: A spherical cloth weaving machine in which radially stretched warp yarn and circumferentially running weft yarns are woven into a desired spherical shape, the machine being constructed with a mechanism for moving the warp yarns alternately by shuttle chucks which hold required numbers of the warp yarns at their outer peripheral part. A mechanism is provided for hooking the circumferential weft yarn and beating the same toward the center of the warp yarns for compact weaving. A weft yarn rotating mechanism causes the weft yarn to pass through the warp yarns which are being moved by the warp yarn moving mechanism. A mechanism is provided for maintaining the woven cloth in a spherical shape.