US 6,601,457 B2 · Textile fabric testing

Abstract

A single fabric testing apparatus is capable of measuring mechanical and thermal characteristics of a specimen previously carried out in separate testing apparatuses. The single apparatus is provided with a plurality of mechanical and temperature sensors and a heatable top plate. In use, a ram moves the top plate vertically downwards to press a fabric specimen against a bottom plate. The plate is surrounded by a fixed upstanding peripheral skirt against which an outer periphery of the specimen is bent to enable shearing and bending characteristics to be measured. The bottom plate is biased upwards by a spring which is compressed until the top plate is arrested by a fixed frame member. Further downward movement of the ram enables compressibility of the specimen to be determined. A rotatable section of the top plate can be turned by a stepping motor to determine the surface friction characteristics of the specimen.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An apparatus for testing textile fabric specimens, the apparatus comprising:

a horizontal bottom plate having a planar surface separated from and surrounded by a peripheral skirt having a planar surface co-planar with the planar surface of the horizontal bottom plate;
a movable horizontal top plate having a planar surface with an area smaller than an area surrounded by the peripheral skirt;
a ram moving the top plate vertically relative to the bottom plate, bending a textile fabric specimen relative to the skirt while pressing a central region of the textile fabric specimen against the bottom plate;
biasing means resiliently biasing the bottom plate toward the top plate and limiting vertical movement of the bottom plate by the ram when the top plate compresses a central region of the textile fabric specimen against the bottom plate so that thickness and compressibility of the textile fabric specimen can be determined;
and
mechanical sensors mounted at the skirt for determining the thickness of the textile fabric specimen, shearing and bending characteristics of the textile fabric specimen, and compressibility of the textile fabric specimen.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Textile fabric testing

Life of this patent

Textile fabric testing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7