Patent ID: 6892766
Filing Date: 2005-05-17
Classification: D03D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A loom for weaving three dimensional structures which include a plurality of warp fibers, a fill fiber, and a plurality of bias fibers, the loom comprising: a plurality of bias fiber holders, each bias fiber holder holding a bias fiber under tension; a plurality of bias shuttles, each bias shuttle releasably gripping at least one of the plurality of bias fiber holders and translating horizontally, at a separate vertical position, the gripped bias fiber holders between a plurality of predetermined horizontal positions, at least one bias shuttle configured to translate above a shed formed by the warp fibers and at least one bias shuttle configured to translate below the shed; and a plurality of independently controllable bias arms, each independently controllable bias arm releasably gripping one of the plurality of bias fiber holders and translating the gripped bias fiber holder, at one of the predetermined horizontal positions, with a range of motion extending at least between two of the bias shuttles.