Hitco, Inc.

Guy B Langlois

Raymond G Spain

A plurality of generally parallel, side-by-side warp tows of carbonaceous precursor material are interwoven with fill yarns forming a fabric of low density cross weave to facilitate handling of the warp tows for oxidation, carbonization and other processing thereof. A different fill yarn is interwoven with the warp tows from each of the opposite edges of the fabric so as to form a succession of generally V-shaped loops in each warp yarn with the loops of the two different warp yarns being staggered along the length of the fabric. Each loop of warp yarn is comprised of a pair of lengths of warp yarn which enter the fabric from spaced-apart locations along an edge of the fabric and undulate under and over the warp tows in a like sense which is opposite the sense of the undulations of the immediately adjacent loops prior to joining at a point across part but not all of the width of the fabric. When processing of the warp tows is completed, the fill yarns are easily removed simply by pulling on those portions of the fill yarns extending between the successive loops. Methods and apparatus for weaving the fabric employ spaced-apart members such as rotatable rollers for supporting the warp tows and reciprocating, out-of-phase heddle arrangement disposed between the rollers and engaging the warp tows to periodically momentarily lift alternate ones of the warp tows relative to the remaining warp tows and then momentarily lift the remaining ones of the warp tows relative to the alternate warp tows. Each time the warp tows are momentarily separated, a loop from each of the opposite fill yarns is placed between the separated warp tows such as by use of opposite rapier assemblies which employ hollow, elongated members for feeding in the warp yarns to form the loops.

Growing community of inventors

Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

Guy B Langlois