Courtaulds Plc

Thomas R Burrow

Frank Robinson

Max W Betts

Patrick A White

A composite structure such as an aircraft brake disc has a matrix material reinforced by knitted panels of fabric arranged in a stack. The panels are knitted directly into the desired disc shape so that there is no fabric waste, by knitting a helix of fabric on a flat-bed weft knitting machine having a patterning mechanism which allows shaping and a presser foot or sinkers to hold the knitting down on the needles. The helix of fabric can be closed down to constitute the stack of disc panels directly or it can be separated into discrete disc panels by knitting in draw threads connecting successive windings of the helix. The disc panels may be knitted from oxidised acrylic yarn and then heated to carbonise the yarn. A stack of carbon fibre fabric panels may be embedded in a carbon matrix by carbon vapor deposition to form a brake disc.

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Earlsdon, United Kingdom

Thomas R Burrow