Woven construction system
AssigneeW. T. Rogers Company
InventorsWilliam T. Graham, Jean L. Petrick, Harold E. Swingley, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for making woven articles and kits from which woven articles may be manufactured using the woven construction system are disclosed. The woven construction system includes the use of at least two spaced shaping bands which are interconnected by a plurality of vertical struts which are received within aligned holes in each of the shaping bands. The skeletal structure thus produced by the shaping bands and vertical struts can then be woven by an elongated weaving strip to produce a finished tubular woven construction. Several kits are disclosed which may be assembled into finished woven articles by persons not generally skilled in making woven objects without the use of additional jigs or fixtures.
Claims15
A woven construction of a generally tubular shape comprising:
- a. at least two spaced, closed shaping bands each having an odd number of holes formed in it;
- b. a plurality of struts extending between and being received within the corresponding holes in each of the shaping bands, each of the struts being formed from thermoplastic material into a generally circular cross-sectional shape and each of the struts having a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs provided on its surface about its periphery;
- c. at least one elongated weaving strip woven continuously in and among the struts, the weaving strip being formed from thermoplastic material into a generally flattened shape and having a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs provided on its surface about its periphery, the ribs on the weaving strip and the ribs on the struts serving to add stiffness to the woven construction;
- and
- d. the spaced shaping bands determining the relative orientation and spacing of the struts to thus determine the size and shape of the woven construction.
A kit for making a woven construction capable of being assembled into the woven construction by an unskilled person without the use of additional jigs or fixtures, the kit comprising the combination of;
- a. a plurality of elongated struts adapted to being held in spaced vertical orientation;
- b. at least one elongated weaving strip adapted to being woven in and among the vertical struts in a generally horizontal manner;
- c. at least two shaping bands of a generally closed planar shape, each of the shaping bands having an odd number of holes formed in it and each shaping band being adapted to receiving fixedly in the holes therein the struts, the shaping bands being thus adapted to retain and fix the struts to determine the relative spacing and orientation of the struts to thus determine the size and shape of the woven construction;
- and
- d. a plurality of wedges adapted for use in wedging the struts in place in the holes in the shaping bands to thus form a skeletal structure which is capable of retaining its shape so that it can be woven with the weaving strip to form the woven construction.
A method of making a woven construction comprising the steps of:
- a. inserting the ends of a plurality of elongated struts into holes formed in a shaping band of a closed planar shape;
- b. threading another shaping band of a closed planar shape over the struts so that the struts are received in holes formed therein to thus form a skeletal structure of the woven construction;
- c. inserting a wedge into each of the holes in the shaping bands to wedge the struts securely in place therein so that the skeletal structure will retain its shape;
- and
- d. weaving a weaving strip in and among the struts of the skeletal structure to form the woven construction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.