Patent ID: 8225638

Claim:
An apparatus for testing a frictional wear property of a flexible fabric comprising: a) a stationary roller assembly comprising a supporting frame, and a plurality of adjacently spaced rollers mounted on the supporting frame; each roller having a central longitudinal axis that is positioned parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the other roller or rollers; each of said rollers being mounted on the supporting frame for rotation around its central longitudinal axis; wherein adjacent rollers are spaced from each other to define a space therebetween that allows a flexible fabric to be translated therethrough; the supporting frame being either attached to or an integral component of a structural framework; b) at least two opposing mounts for releasably supporting a flexible fabric to be tested in the space or spaces between adjacent rollers and in a position for frictional engagement of the flexible fabric with the rollers; and c) a reciprocating driver connected to the mounts for automatically and continuously translating the mounts back and forth along a path such that when a flexible fabric is supported by the mounts, the flexible fabric is positioned for passing through the space or spaces between the plurality of rollers and in frictional engagement with the rollers.