Method of and apparatus for weaving a three-dimensional article

A method of weaving a three-dimensional article from a plurality of fibers with weaving means having a plurality of carrier members, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) arranging said carrier members in the form of a matrix, choosing and grouping said carrier members in said matrix to make a plurality of blocks in a manner that predetermined two blocks chosen from said blocks are partially overlapped each other, in each of which blocks the chosen carrier members are arranged in a form of rectangular formation so that a formation depicted by all of said chosen carrier members forms a pattern corresponding to a cross-sectional form of said three-dimensional article;
• (b) supporting said fibers only to said chosen carrier members in said matrix, and performing sequentially a basic weaving operation, which consists of steps defined by the following steps of from (b-1) to (b-4) at one of said blocks and performing the same at every block in order;
• (b-1) moving said carrier members arranged at even rows and said carrier members arranged at odd rows respectively in the opposite direction along said row direction by a predetermined amount,
• (b-2) moving said carrier members arranged at even columns and said carrier members arranged at odd columns respectively in the opposite direction along said column direction by a predetermined amount,
• (b-3) moving said carrier members arranged at the even rows and said carrier members arranged at the odd rows in the opposite direction to that in said step (b-1) by a predetermined amount, and
• (b-4) moving said carrier members arranged at the even columns and said carrier members arranged at the odd columns in the opposite direction to that in said step (b-2) by a predetermined amount;
• and
• (c) adjusting the numbers of the basic weaving operations of said chosen carrier members located at a portion where one of said blocks is overlapped with another said blocks and at a portion where one of said blocks has no overlapping with another said blocks at the same numbers by controlling the number of times of said moving of said carrier members in the row direction and in the column direction.

Apparatus for weaving a three-dimensional article from a plurality of fibers, said apparatus comprising:

• weaving means, having a plurality of carrier members arranged in the form of a matrix, for interweaving said fibers by alternately moving said carrier members along a column direction and a row direction of said matrix;
• first guide means for inserting in and extracting from between said carrier members adjoining each other along the row direction;
• second guide means for inserting in and extracting from between said carrier members adjoining each other along the column direction;
• and
• control means for controlling said weaving means, said first guide means and said second guide means;
• said control means further comprising:
• first control means for inserting said first guide means in between said carrier members, while extracting said second guide means from between said carrier members,
• second control means for moving said carrier members arranged at even rows and said carrier members arranged at odd rows respectively in the opposite direction along row direction by a perscribed amount, after completing a control operation of said first control means,
• third control means for inserting said second guide means in between said carrier members, while extracting said first guide means from between said carrier members, after completing a control operation of said second control means,
• fourth control means for moving said carrier members arranged at even columns and said carrier members arranged at odd columns respectively in the opposite direction along said column direction by a prescribed amount, after completing a control operation of said third control means,
• fifth control means for inserting said first guide means in between said carrier members, while extracting said second guide means from between said carrier members, after completing a control operation of said fourth control means,
• sixth control means for moving said carrier members arranged at the even rows and said carrier members arranged at the odd rows in the opposite direction to that in said second control means by a prescribed amount, after completing a control operation of said fifth control means,
• seventh control means for inserting said second guide means in between said carrier members, while extracting said first guide means from between said carrier members, after completing a control operation of said sixth control means, and
• eighth control means for moving said carrier members arranged at the even columns and said members arranged at the odd columns in the opposite direction to that in said fourth control means by a prescribed amount, after completing a control operation of said seventh control means.