Graphite fiber alignment process and apparatus and fabric produced therefrom
AssigneeTextile Products, Incorporated
InventorFrederick H. Curzio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Misaligned strands in a graphite fiber on tape are aligned and wound up on reels with a minimum of degradation by the steps of: separating the individual strands, diverging the strands, aligning the strands and winding the individual strands onto separate take-up reels in one continuous operation. Graphite fabric woven from the strands exhibit little or no degradation and have a uniform density and excellent physical properties. The alignment apparatus is inexpensive, simple to operate and occupies a relatively small space.
Claims8
A fabric of aligned graphite fibers having a uniform density and weave and uniform physical properties in both the warp and fill direction, the fabric being adapted to follow the contours of a support substrate, the fabric being formed from strands derived by unwinding from a graphitized strip produced in a graphitizing furnace, the unwinding process subsequent to the graphitizing furnace comprising the steps of:
- i. initially separating individual graphite strands from the strip;
- ii. diverging the strands while separating the strands from the graphitized strip under tension;
- iii. feeding each strand through a separate alignment tube;
- and,
- iv. winding up a plurality of strands, each strand being on a separate aligned reel, a plurality of aligned reels having at least one drive rod therefor, each reel being maintained forwardly in off-centered contact with the drive rod due to strand tension, whereby release of strand tension causes the reel to move out of alignment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.