# US 12,000,069 B2 · Three-dimensional woven support beam and method of making thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,069 B2 - Document ID: US12000069B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/878,817 - Filed: 2020-05-20 - Published: 2020-11-26 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-22 - Assignees: Albany Engineered Composites, Inc. - Applicants: Albany Engineered Composites, Inc. - Inventors: Brock Gilbertson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000069B2 ## CPC - D03D 25/005: {Three-dimensional woven fabrics} - B29B 11/16: comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)} - D03D 1/00: Woven fabrics designed to make specified articles - D03D 3/00: Woven fabrics characterised by their shape - D10B 2505/02: Reinforcing materials; Prepregs - D03D: WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract Disclosed is a cruciform-shaped reinforcing structure with at least two arms of intersecting C-Beams having continuous warp fiber reinforcement across the length of each arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a woven preform, comprising: weaving a first fabric over a second fabric in a first portion of the woven preform, the first and second fabrics each including warp fibers interwoven with weft fibers; interweaving warp fibers of the first fabric with warp fibers of the second fabric at a crossover portion of the woven preform such that after the crossover portion the first fabric is woven under the second fabric in a second portion of the woven preform; wherein the warp fibers in the first and second fabrics are continuous across the crossover portion, and wherein the warp fibers on edges of the first fabric and the warp fibers on edges of the second fabric are floating warp fibers that float in the crossover portion, such that at least one of the edges including the floating warp fibers is folded along an axis of the floating warp fibers that is parallel with the at least one of the edges. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fabric is a single layer fabric or multilayer fabric; and wherein the second fabric is a single layer fabric or multilayer fabric. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 1, comprising: rotating the first fabric about the crossover portion to form an angle with respect to the second fabric. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 3, wherein the angle is 90 degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 1, comprising: folding edges of the first and second fabrics to cause the preform to have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of H-Beam, I-Beam, T-Beam, L-Beam, and Pi-Beam. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 1, comprising: folding the edges of the first fabric into a C-Beam; and folding the edges of the second fabric into a C-Beam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method of forming a composite support structure comprising: forming the woven preform as claimed in claim 6; and impregnating the woven preform with a matrix material. ### Claim 8 A woven preform, comprising: a first fabric of warp fibers interwoven with weft fibers; a second fabric of warp fibers interwoven with weft fibers, wherein the warp fibers of the first fabric are interwoven with the warp fibers of the second fabric at a crossover portion such that the warp fibers in the first fabric and the warp fibers in the second fabric are continuous across the crossover portion, wherein the first fabric and the second fabric elsewhere from the crossover portion are not interwoven with one another, and wherein the warp fibers on edges of the first fabric and the warp fibers on edges of the second fabric are floating warp fibers that float in the crossover portion, such that at least one of the edges including the floating warp fibers is folded along an axis of the floating warp fibers that is parallel with the at least one of the edges. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The woven preform as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first fabric is a single layer fabric or multilayer fabric; and wherein the second fabric is a single layer fabric or multilayer fabric. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The woven preform as claimed in claim 8, comprising: a third fabric of warp fibers interwoven with weft fibers, wherein the warp fibers of the third fabric are interwoven with the warp fibers of the second fabric at a crossover portion such that the warp fibers in the third fabric and the warp fibers in the second fabric are continuous across the crossover portion, wherein the third fabric and the second fabric elsewhere from the crossover portion are not interwoven with one another, wherein the first, second, and third fabrics form an angle with at least one other of the remaining fabrics. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The woven preform as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second fabrics have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of H-Beam, I-Beam, T-Beam, L-Beam, and Pi-Beam. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The woven preform as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second fabrics each are a C-Beam. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) A composite support structure, comprising: the woven preform as claimed in claim 8; and a matrix material. ### Claim 14 A method of forming a woven preform, comprising: weaving at least three woven fabrics including warp fibers interwoven with weft fibers, each woven fabric having a first fabric woven over a second fabric in a first portion of the woven preform; interweaving each of the at least three fabrics with at least one remaining woven fabric at a respective crossover portion, such that there are at least two crossover portions in each woven fabric; wherein after each crossover portion of the at least three woven fabrics, an intersecting fabric woven over another fabric is woven under the another woven fabric, wherein the warp fibers in the intersecting fabrics are continuous across each crossover portion, and wherein the warp fibers on edges of the at least three fabrics are floating warp fibers that float in each crossover portion, such that at least one of the edges including the floating warp fibers is folded along an axis of the floating warp fibers that is parallel with the at least one of the edges. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the at least three fabrics is a single layer fabric or multilayer fabric. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 15, comprising: rotating the at least three fabrics about the crossover portions so that the at least three fabrics form an angle with at least one other of the at least three fabrics. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 14, wherein there are four fabrics, each fabric intersecting with exactly two other fabrics. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 17, comprising: folding edges of each of the four fabrics into a C-Beam. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 14, comprising: folding edges of each of the at least three fabrics to have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of H-Beam, I-Beam, T-Beam, L-Beam, and Pi-Beam. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of forming a woven preform as claimed in claim 14, comprising: folding edges of each of the at least three fabrics into a C-Beam. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) A method of forming a composite support structure comprising: forming the woven preform as claimed in claim 18; and impregnating the woven preform with a matrix material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A method of forming a composite support structure comprising: forming the woven preform as claimed in claim 20; and impregnating the woven preform with a matrix material. ### Claim 23 A woven preform, comprising: at least three woven fabrics having warp fibers interwoven with weft fibers, each woven fabric having a first fabric woven over a second fabric in a first portion of the woven preform; wherein each of the at least three woven fabrics is interwoven with at least one remaining woven fabric at a respective crossover portion, such that there are at least two crossover portions in each woven fabric; wherein after each crossover portion of the at least three woven fabrics, an intersecting fabric woven over another fabric is woven under the another woven fabric, wherein the warp fibers in the intersecting fabrics are continuous across each crossover portion, and wherein the warp fibers on edges of the at least three fabrics are floating warp fibers that float in each crossover portion, such that at least one of the edges including the floating warp fibers is folded along an axis of the floating warp fibers that is parallel with the at least one of the edges. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The woven preform as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the at least three fabrics is a single layer fabric or multilayer fabric. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The woven preform as claimed in claim 23, wherein the at least three fabrics form an angle with at least one other of the at least three fabrics. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The woven preform as claimed in claim 23, wherein the at least three fabrics have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of H-Beam, I-Beam, T-Beam, L-Beam, and Pi-Beam. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The woven preform as claimed in claim 23, wherein there are four fabrics, each fabric intersecting with exactly two other fabrics. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The woven preform as claimed in claim 27, wherein each of the four fabrics is a C-Beam. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The woven preform as claimed in claim 25, wherein each of the at least three fabrics is a C-Beam. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) A composite support structure comprising: the woven preform as claimed in claim 28; and a matrix material. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) A composite support structure comprising: the woven preform as claimed in claim 29; and a matrix material.