Patent ID: 7712488

Claim:
A method of forming a woven preform, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of adjacent layers, each layer having a plurality of warp fibers, the warp fibers being generally parallel to each other and forming generally vertical columns; and (b) weaving a plurality of fill fibers with the layers of warp fibers to form a base and two legs extending from the base, the base and each leg being formed from at least two layers of warp fibers, the base having a first edge and a second edge, each leg having a inner end and an outer end, wherein each fill fiber is woven such that the filler fiber has a beginning at the first edge of the base, then extends across a central section of the base, then exits the layers of the base and extends into the layers of the leg adjacent to the second edge of the base before extending back into and across the central section of the base, and then extends out into the layers of the other of the legs adjacent to the first edge of the base, then exits the layers of the legs and extends back into and across the layers of the central section of the base for extending to the second edge of the base, and wherein the fill fibers interlock the layers of the base, interlock the layers of each leg, and interlock the warp fibers within each layer.