US2935096A - Woven tubular fabric - Google Patents

Description

WOVEN TUBULAR FABRIC William Cole, Newtown, Conn.

Application February 16, 1959, Serial No. 793,497 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-387) 'The present invention relates to a woven fabric and more particularly to a fabric that is tubular and may be united with a fluid resistant material to form a hose.

sion, etc. without affecting the interior surface capabilities of containing the fluid under pressure. Thus a two-ply fabric has heretofore been proposed with the exterior ply being employed to resist the service injuries, wear,

etc. while the inner ply is employed to provide the strength to contain the fluid.

' --It is an object of the present invention to achieve the advantages accruing to a one-ply woven tubular fabric by providing a woven tubular fabric which may be used in a fire hose that is essentially two-ply and yet one which may be unitarily made in a single weaving operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide atubular fabric of the above type that may be used in afirehose and which has an increased resistance to elon- .gatiori and twist when containing fluid under pressure. 1 Incarrying out the present invention, there is provided a woven tubular fabric having warp and woof strands. The woof strands are formed from a length of at least one thread helically disposed while the warp strands extend transversely of and are interwoven with the woof strands' to form the tubular hose. The interweaving may be of the plain weave type, as one up and one down, or of the twill weave type having two up and one down which produces a tight weave capable of resisting service injuries, wear, etc.

There is also provided a plurality of additional warp strands that extend transverse of and are interwoven with the woof strands; however, according to the present invention, the interweaving consists of looping each of the additional warp strands with only a few of the woof Uniwd 5W6 Patent strands, thus looping each additional warp strandwith,

for example, a first woof strand, and then leaving the additional warp strands free for a plurality of successive woof strands before looping it with the following woof strand. In this manner the additional warp strands are interwoven with the woof strands to be unitary therewith and yet, by reason of the loo-ping constituting only a minor portion of the length of the additional warp strands, these additional warp strands constitute in efifect a ply of sub- 'stantially straight lengths which effectively resist elongation and twist of the hose.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. In the drawing: Figure 1 is a plan of one side of a short length of abric, made according to the present invention with the "fabric being dilated to clearly disclose each strand.

Fig. 2. is a diagrammatic illustration of the interweaving of the strands of the fabric in Fig. 1.

, Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification of the fabric of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a length of tubular hose employing fabric woven according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of an axial cross-section of the hose of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a plan of the other side of the fabric shown in Fig. 1 with the fabric being shown undilated.

Referring to the drawing, the fabric of the present invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 10 and as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, it consists of a plurality of successive woof strands 11, 11a, 11b, 110, etc. formed from a single thread that is helically wound such that a cross-section shows the successive strands indicated though, if desired, more than one helically disposed thread may be employed to form the woof strands. Interwoven with the woof strands 11 are warp strands 12 and 13, the weave between the warp and woof strands in these figures being a plain weave of the type having each of the warp strands looping alternate woof strands to provide a weave known as one up, one down, the interweaving of the warp strands 12 and 13 with the woof strands forming a base.

In carrying out the present invention a plurality of additional warp strands 14 are provided. The number of additional warp strands will, of course, depend upon the size of the hose and in order to simplify the explanation of the invention reference will be made only to a portion of the fabric since the weave of the one portion is repeated throughout the fabric.

According to the present invention each of the addi tional warp strands is interwoven with the woof strand by being looped with selected ones thereof in a manner which provides a substantial length of each additional warp strand being free from the woof strands. Thus the invention contemplates each additional warp strand to loop a woof strand, be free from at least the next three successive woof strands and then loop the following woof strand to repeat the weave of looping and then skipping at least three warp strands.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 7 with particular reference to Fig. 2, each additional warp strand between looping the woof strands is free (or skips) seven woof strands. There is provided in this portion of the weave eight additional warp strands, indicated by the reference numerals 14, 14a, 14b, etc. to 14g, in order to enable each of the woof strands to be looped in the portion by an additional warp strand. The additional warp strand 14 loops the woof strand 11, then is free from woof strands 11a through 11g before it loops woof strand 11h to begin repeating the weaving pattern. Similarly, additional warp strand 14a loops over woof strand 11a, is free from seven woof strands 11b through 11h and loops woof strand 11i. Additional warp strand 14b loops woof strand 11b, is free from seven woof strands 11c through Hi and loops woof strand 111'. It will be appreciated that the other additional woof strands (Me-14g) in the portion are interwoven in the same fashion as the three above mentioned to have only one of the additional warp strands engage each of the woof strands in the portion and be free from a plurality thereof before it repeats the weave by looping the following woof strand.

As shown in Fig. 7, each of the additional warp strands has a substantial length that is free from the woof strands between loops therewith and also that all of the additional warp strands and particularly the free portions thereof are located on one side of the base formed by the woof strands and the warp strands 12 and 13. On this side the additional warp strands are closely spaced and are suflicient in number to substantially completely overlie and hide the warp strands 12 and 13. It will moreover be appreciated that the additional warp strands. on each side of one additional warp strand loop the preceding and successive woof strands which the one additional warp strand loops, thus effecting the diagonally twill effect shown in Fig. 7. Moreover the free portions of the additional warp strands are all of substantially the same length by being free of the same number of successive woof strands, the woof strands being substantially equispaced. r

In the particular embodiment shown, Figs. 1, 2 and 7, there are eight additional warp strands crossways, before the weave repeats itself, i.e. an additional warp strand loops the same woof strand. Thus the number of woof strands of which each additional warp strand is free between loops is equal to the number of additional warp strands located between additional warp strands that loop the same woof strand, i.e., seven in both instances. While there has been shown a fabric in which the additional warp strands have portions free from seven woof strands, it is, of course, apparent that this number may be varied according to the present invention from at least three as a minimum. For example, shown in Fig. 3 is a fabric 15 in which there are four additional warp strands in a portion of the weave before it repeats itself with each of the additional warp strands being free from three successive woof strands between loops with woof strands. The weave is otherwise the same above noted in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7.

Shown perspectively in Fig. is a length of hose 16 with the additional warp strands being on the inner side of the hose. The hose is lined with a fluidproof material, such as rubber 17. The additional warp strands by being substantially straight and having very little interweaving act like straight cords, thereby preventing elongation of the hose and in effect constituting an inner ply of the hose.

Shown in Fig. 4 is a further embodiment of the woven tubular fabric of the present invention in which the fabric 18 rather than having a base of a plain weave between the woof strands 11 and warp strands 19a, 19b and 190 as in the embodiments disclosed heretofore, are woven to form a twill weave having two up and one down so that each warp strand loops a woof strand, is free from the next two woof strands and loops the following woof strand. Also, additional warp strands 21 of the present invention are woven therein in a manner such as shown in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 in which each additional warp strand loops a woof strand, skips the next three successive woof strands and loops the following woof strand. It will be appreciated that if desired the additional warp strands may be free from a larger number than three successive woof strands. The portions of the additional warp strands 21 that are free from the woof strands are located on one side of the fabric 18 (which is preferably the inner) while the portions of the warp strands 1%, 19b and 190 that skip two woof strands to form the base are located on the other side of the fabric.

It is preferred to have the warp strands of a size larger than the additional warp strands and of either twisted or untwisted yarn though variations in size may be made within the scope of the presentinvention. The fabric heretofore disclosed may be easily woven in a single operation on a machine of the type disclosed in the U8. patent to C. S. Cole, No. 2,609,838 granted September 9, 1952.

It will accordingly be appreciated that there has been disclosed a woven tubular fabric which is composed of a base having helically disposed woof strands and interwoven therewith either in a plan or a twill weave, warp strands. Moreover there isv provided according to the present invention additional warp strands which extend transversely of the woof strands and are interwoven with the woof strands only a preselected positions such that each additional warp strand loops a woof strand, skips at least three woof strands before looping the following woof strand. This provides a unitary woven tubular fabric that is actually one-ply and made in one weaving operation but which achieves the results of a two-ply fabric when employed in a fire hose.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A woven tubular fabric comprising a single base supply of warp strands extending transversely of at least one thread helically disposed forming successive woof strands and being interwoven therewith, and a plurality of additional warp strands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely 'of the woof strands and being interwoven therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands before looping the following woof strand, said additional warp strands forming one surface of the fabric.

2. A woven tubular fabric comprising a single base supply of warp strands extending transversely of at least one thread helically disposed forming successive woof strands and being interwoven therewith, and a plurality of additional warp strands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely of the woof strands and being interwoven therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands before looping the following woof strand, all of the portions of the additional warp strands free from the woof strands being located on one side of the base of interwoven warp and woof strands, said additional warp strands forming one surface of the fabric.

3. A woven tubular fabric comprising a base of warp strands extending transversely of at least one thread helically disposed forming successive woof strands and being interwoven therewith, and a plurality of additional warp strands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely of the woof strands and being interwoven therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands before looping the following woof strand, the additional warp strands on each side, of one additional warp strand looping the preceding and successive woof strand which the one additional warp strand loops.

4. A woven tubular fabric comprising a single base supply of warp strands extending transversely of at least one thread helically disposed forming successive woof strands and being interwoven therewith, and a plurality of additional warp strands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely of the woof strands and being interwoven therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands before looping the following woof strand, each of the portions of the additional Warp strands free from the woof strands being of substantially the same length by being free of the same number of successive woof strands, said additional warp strands forming one surface of the fabric. 1

5. A woven tubular fabric comprising a base of warp strands extending transversely of at least one thread helically disposed forming successive woof strands and being interwoven therewith, and a plurality of additional warp strands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely of the woof strands and being interwoven therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands before looping the following woof strand, the number of woof strands of which each additional warp strand is free between loops being equal to the number of additional assume warp strands located between additional warp strands that loop the same woof strand.

6. A woven tubular fabric comprising a base of warp strandsextending transversely of at least one thread helically disposed forming successive woof strands and being v interwoven therewith, a plurality of additional warp strands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely of the woof strands and being interwoven t therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands bestrands, each of said additional warp strands extending transversely of the woof strands and being interwoven therewith by looping one woof strand, and being free from at least the next three successive woof strands before looping the following woof strand, and in which the warp strands and the woof strands of the base are interwoven in a twill weave with each warp strand looping a woof strand, passing the next two successive woof strands and looping the following woof strand.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which the portions of the warp strands passing over the two woof strands are on one side of the fabric and the portions of the additional warp strands free from the woof strands being on the other side of the fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 268,366 Gillespie Nov. 28, 1882

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