Patent ID: 7939128

Claim:
A method of forming an industrial webbing with a degradation detector for detecting degradation of yarns forming said webbing due to exposure to ultraviolet rays including: selecting synthetic yarns which degrade at a known rate over a known time period from exposure to ultraviolet rays and fabricating said synthetic yarns into said industrial webbing; selecting a phosphorescent which has an ability to glow which diminishes over a known period of time and at a known rate when exposed to ultraviolet rays and correlating the time and rate of diminishing ability to glow of the phosphorescent with the time and rate of strength loss of said synthetic yarns; incorporating said selected phosphorescent with said webbing at least along its length; exposing said webbing including said phosphorescent to ultraviolet rays causing said ability to glow to diminish as said synthetic yarns begin degradation from exposure to ultraviolet rays, with said diminishing of said ability to glow to a pre-selected level indicating degradation of said synthetic yarns to an unsafe degree.