Woven fabrics containing glass fibers and abrasive belts made from same

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to extremely strong woven fabrics which give close to zero elongation in one direction. This invention also relates to abrasive belts made from said woven fabrics.

#2. Description of the Prior Art

#The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 schematically shows a weave pattern which embodies features of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

#The woven fabric of the present invention comprises alternating glass fibers and organic fibers in the warp direction and organic fibers in the fill direction. For a given length of woven fabric in the warp direction, the sinuosity of the glass fibers in the warp direction is less than or equal to the sinuosity of the organic fibers in the warp direction. As used herein, the terms fiber and fibers include monofilaments and multifilament yarns. Both the glass fibers and the organic fibers used in the present invention are preferably multifilament yarns because of their greater strength and their better ability to bond to resins.

#Commercially available coated glass yarns, such as those used in the manufacture of glass-belted tires or carpet backing are suitable for the woven fabrics of the present invention. The glass fibers employed in the present invention are preferably coated before being woven. A conventional resorcinol-formaldehyde latex is appropriate.

#Treatment of the glass filaments as they are formed is typical. In one such treatment, the filaments are sprayed with a liquid composition containing an anchoring agent such as an aminosilane when they are collectively drawn from the conventional multi-orifice platinum bushing containing the molten glass. A single glass filament is pulled from each of these orifices by a winder situated below. The pulling attenuates the glass into filaments of extremely fine diameter. The filaments are drawn together into a common strand just prior to being wound on the spool. The anchoring agent is sprayed onto the filaments just prior to their being gathered together. Suitable anchoring agents include gamma-aminopropyltriethoxy silane; a mercapto substituted organoalkoxy silane; a glycidoxy silane, such as gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane; or a carboxyl group and/or unsaturated group containing silane, such as gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy silane. A Werner type compound complexed to contain an amino, a carboxyl or other active hydrogen containing organic group may also be used as the anchoring agent. A typical treatment composition is composed of 0.5-2.0 percent by weight of gamma-aminopropyltriethoxy silane, 0.3-0.6 percent by weight of a lubricant and the remainder water. The treated strand on the spool package is frequently combined with a plurality of like strands to form a yarn. For example, a plurality of from 2 to 10 strands, each composed of several hundred glass filaments, are combined, usually with some amount of twist, to form a strand suitable for use as a component of the present invention. The glass strand may also be formed of a combination of multiple yarn subassemblies; each of the subelement yarns being formed of several hundred glass filaments so that the combined yarn is a multiple of the subelements. Suitable glass fiber thicknesses are in the range of about 1000 denier to 3500 denier.