A tapered tubular polyester sleeve is described to serve as the flexible foundation for a spacesuit limb covering. The tube has a large end and a small end with a length to be determined. The ratio of taper is also determined by scale factors. All the warp yarns extend to the large end. A requisite number of warp yarns extend the full length of the sleeve. Other warp yarns extend from the large end but are terminated along the length of the sleeve. It is then woven with a filling yarn which extends in a full circle along the full length of the sleeve to thereby define the tapered sleeve. The sleeve after fabrication is then placed on a mandrel, heated in an oven, and then attached to the arm or other limb of the spacesuit

Lapointe, Donat J. E.

Vincent, Laurence J.

Wright, Lawrence T.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

7s 777 /2 P, 
N A S A  C A S E  NO. 
PRINT F I G .  2 
N O T I C E  
T h e  i n v e n t i o n  d i sc losed  i n  t h i s  d o c u m e n t  r e s u l t e d  f r o m  
r e s e a r c h  i n  a e r o n a u t i c a l  a n d  space a c t i v i t i e s  p e r f o r m e d  u n d e r  
programs of t h e  N a t i o n a l  A e r o n a u t i c s  a n d  Space A d m i n i s t r a t i o n .  
T h e  i n v e n t i o n  is owned by NASA a n d  is ,  t h e r e f o r e ,  ava i l ab le  for  
l i c e n s i n g  i n  a c c o r d a n c e  w i t h  t h e  NASA P a t e n t  L i c e n s i n g  
R e g u l a t i o n  (14 Code of F e d e r a l  R e g u l a t i o n s  1 2 4 5 . 2 ) .  
T o  e n c o u r a g e  commercial u t i l i z a t i o n  of NASA-owned i n v e n t i o n s ,  
it is  NASA p o l i c y  t o  g r a n t  l i c e n s e s  t o  commercial c o n c e r n s .  
A l t h o u g h  NASA e n c o u r a g e s  n o n e x c l u s i v e  l i c e n s i n g  t o  promote 
c o m p e t i t i o n  a n d  a c h i e v e  t h e  w i d e s t  p o s s i b l e  u t i l i z a t i o n ,  NASA 
w i l l  c o n s i d e r  t h e  g r a n t i n g  of a l i m i t e d  e x c l u s i v e  l i c e n s e ,  
p u r s u a n t  to  t h e  N A S A  P a t e n t  L i c e n s i n g  R e g u l a t i o n s ,  when s u c h  a 
l i c e n s e  w i l l  p r o v i d e  t h e  n e c e s s a r y  i n c e n t i v e  t o  t h e  l i c e n s e e  t o  
a c h i e v e  e a r l y  p r a c t i c a l  a p p l i c a t i o n  of t h e  i n v e n t i o n .  
A d d r e s s  i n q u i r i e s  a n d  all a p p l i c a t i o n s  f o r  l i c e n s e  for  t h i s  
i n v e n t i o n  t o  NASA P a t e n t  C o u n s e l ,  J o h n s o n  Space C e n t e r ,  Mail 
Code A L 3 ,  H o u s t o n ,  TX 77058. A p p r o v e d  N A S A  forms f o r  
a p p l i c a t i o n  f o r  n o n e x c l u s i v e  o r  e x c l u s i v e  l i c e n s e  a r e  a v a i l a b l e  
G3/27 0098974 
J S C  
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870020239 2020-03-20T10:05:40+00:00Z
1 
AWARDS ABSTRACT l4SC - 2 10 8 2 - 1 
TAPERED,  TUBULAR POLESTER FABRIC 
The i n s t a n t  inven,ion i s  d i r ec t ed  t o  a tubular  shaped f ab r i c  element, such as  
the  basis of a spacesui t  s leeve ,  serving a s  a f l e x i b l e  supporting s t r u c t u r e  f o r  
an impermeable coa t ing  material  t o  p ro t ec t  t h e  wearer from the  outs ide  
~ 
i 
I 
I environment. 
The element i s  e s s e n t i a l l y  a tapered cyl inder  cf a predetermined length formed 
on a conventional t e x t i l e  loom capable of t ubu la r  weaving. In order  t o  form 
the  t a p e r ,  t he  element has a l a r g e  end 12  and  a small end 1 4 .  All of t he  warp 
yarns extend t o  t he  l a r g e  end 1 2 .  A r equ i s i t e  number of warp yarns extend the  
f u l l  length of the  s leeve t o  small end 14. Other s e l e c t  warp yarns ,  
e>.er. ipiif i& a t  18, 22,  2 6 ,  21, 30,  arld 32, extend frorn l a r g e  end 1 2 ,  b u t  ci. 
evenly d i s t r i b u t e d  loca t ions  about the circumference a r e  c u t  a t  se lected 
lengthr  along the  length of the  sleeve before they reach small end 14. The 
lencjth cnd  number o f  ycrns cu t  def ine the  ex ten t  of t ape r .  The loorn i s  ther; 
operated t c  weave the  f i l l i n g  yarn into the  warp yarns  a b o u t  t he  s leeve.  The 
\ C G V ~ ~  sleeve i s  then placed on a mandrel which determines fink1 s i z e  and  shape 
by e i t h e r  thermally or chernically shrinking thc  untrected material  t c  precise  
d i w n s i o n s  f o r  use t is  5 covponent ~f a space su i t  or the  l i k e .  
Thii  principal  rove l ty  of  t h e  ir ,venticr appears t o  l i e  i n  c u t t i n s  c: select tc!  
number of the  warp yarns  shor t  of the f u l l  length from thr  l a rge  end t o  the  
smell end of the  s leeve p r io r  t o  w e a v i n g - i n  t h e  f i l l i n g  ya rn ,  i n  order to 
e f f e c t  a tapered woven f ab r i c  element w i t h  a l l  t h e  desired q u a l i t i e s  2nd 
minimal bulk. 
In veri tors  : Donat J .  E. LaPointe, Lawrence T .  Wright, 
Laurence J .  Vincent 
Ernpl oyer: kl bany Internat ional  Research Company 
FIG. 1 
12 
16 
I P 
LL P 
42 
SLEEVE 
50 
i 
FIG. 2 
MSC-21082-1 
Patent 
-1- 
TAPERED, TUBULAR POLYESTER FABRIC 
Origin of the Invention 
The invention described herein was made in the 
performance of work under a NASA contract and is subject 
5 to the provisions of Section 305 of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, Public Law 85-568 (72 
Stat. 435; 42 U.S.C. 2457). 
Background of the Invention -
1. Field of the Invention 
10 The field of invention of this disclosure is a 
seamless tapered fabric sleeve. It particularly finds use 
as a form fitted sleeve over the arm of a space suit and 
the like where the arm is subject to tapering and may also 
bend, flex or articulate. The arm is protected by the 
15 sleeve which is fitted over it and to this end, the 
surrounding sleeve is ideally constructed so that it 
contours snugly around the structure. Moreover, the 
sleeve can be custom sized so that the diameter at one end 
can be first identified, the diameter of the opposite can 
20 be the same or different, and the length of the sleeve 
Patent  
- 2 -  
between the two ends can be varied. So to speak, the 
sleeve is a shaped trapezoid when viewed from the side in 
a flattened state. It is preferably made of a strong 
material such as polyester and is provided with a 
5 controllable degree of shrinkage. In the method of 
processing, the sleeve is first woven and thereafter 
placed on a conforming supportive mandrel for shrinkage to 
reduce the size of the sleeve. In this step, the material 
shrinks to yield the final sized, tapered sleeve. One 
10 mode of shrinkage is by placing the sleeve in an oven at 
elevated temperature; another mode of shrinkage includes 
wetting with methylene chloride at room temperature to 
chemically shrink the sleeve on the mandrel. In this 
state, it is a seamless, woven element brought down to a 
15 particular size and is able to slide over an arm or other 
mechanism to provide protection to it. 
2 .  Background Art 
Representative U.S. Patents thought to have a bearing 
on the present disclosure include U. S. Patent 4,091,464 
20 which discloses a space suit having joints therein. It 
appears to incorporate a fiber membrane of aramid fibers 
with a laminate of neoprene. U . S .  Patent 2,998,030 at 
Columns 1 and 2 is directed to a method of weaving. 
U . S .  Patent 3,094,762 discloses heat shrinking of TFE 
25 tubing. U.S. Patent 3,606,656 discloses a woven fabric 
with heat shrinking of selected fibers while U.S. Patent 
3,669,157 shows heat shrinking of a woven tubular fabric. 
In addition to these, U.S. Patent 3,719,212 shows fabric 
woven on a mandrel. U.S. Patent 4,025,684 is directed to 
30 a woven tubular fabric coated with plastics or synthetic 
rubbers. Last of all, U . S .  Patent 4,147,822 shows a resin 
impregnated, woven fabric in the composite or layered 
structure. It would appear that none of the art discussed 
Patent 
- 3 -  
5 
10 
15 
20 
25 
30 
above teaches the described structure or the method of 
manufacture thereof. 
Summary of the Invention 
The present invention is summarized as both a method 
of manufacture and a product made thereby. The product is 
a tapered sleeve which is first formed with a specified 
diameter at one end, a different diameter at the opposite 
end and a specified length between the two ends. It is 
shaped in the fashion of a trapezoid when considered flat 
but it is a hollow tubular sleeve woven of polyester 
material and tapers from a large end size to a small size. 
Moreover, this sleeve is constructed so that, after 
weaving, it can then be placed on a supportive mandrel and 
then placed in an oven to be thermally shrunk. An 
alternative processing step is chemically shrinking the 
sleeve. Thereafter, the sleeve is placed around the arm 
of a space suit to serve as a seamless, pressurized 
tubular structure which spans an articulated space suit 
arm or leg. 
In the method of manufacture, through the use of a 
standard or conventional textile loom capable of tubular 
weaving, a set of warp threads is defined extending from 
one end of the sleeve to be made thereby. Selective warp 
yarns are cut. The number of yarns cut and the length of 
yarns before cutting defines the degree or extent of 
taper. The yarn threads so cut are woven into the tapered 
sleeve by the filling thereby defining the tapered sleeve. 
The next step in the process is to place the sleeve on a 
supportive mandrel for thermal or chemical shrinking the 
untreated material, thereby reducing diameter and yielding 
a quality seamless sleeve of tapered construction brought 
down to a particular set of dimensions for use with a 
space suit joint system. 
Patent  
- 4 -  
Brief Description of the drawings 
So that the manner in which the above recited 
features, advantages and objects of the present invention 
are attained and can be understood in detail, more 
5 particular description of the invention, briefly 
summarized above, may be had by reference to the 
embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended 
drawings. 
It is to be noted, however, that the appended 
10 drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this 
invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting 
of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally 
effective embodiments. 
F I G .  1 is a side view of a sleeve during weaving 
15 showing deployment of the several yarns which make up the 
sleeve and illustrating termination of selected warp yarns 
in the sleeve; and 
FIG. 2 is a step wise processing sequence showing the 
sleeve of the present disclosure as it is placed on a 
20mandrel and subsequently treated with a view of making the 
finished product which is part of a space suit joint 
system. 
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment 
Attention is directed to Fig. 1 of the drawings where 
25the numeral 10 identifies a sleeve which is constructed in 
accordance with the present disclosure. It is shown at a 
stage where weaving takes place to assemble the sleeve out 
of polyester yarn. The sleeve is shown out of the textile 
loom for ease of description. Textile looms of the sort 
30necessary to weave tubular sleeves are well known. Such a 
textile loom f o r m s  sleeves of requisite dimensions. In 
this instance, the textile loom is equipped with polyester 
yarn to obtain the sleeve of the present disclosure. 
Patent 
- 5 -  
Considering now the sleeve shown in Fig. 1 of the 
drawings, it is in the form of a tubular member or sleeve 
10 which has a large diameter end 12. The opposite end is 
identified by the numeral 14 and it is smaller than the 
5 end 12. At the time of setting up the textile loom to 
weave the sleeve 10, several warp yarns are placed in it. 
One such typical full length warp yarn is identified by 
the numeral 16. This represents several warp yarns which 
extend the full length of the sleeve from end to end. 
10 Thus, if the sleeve were one meter in length, the warp 
yarn 16 would be one meter in length. The diameter of the 
yarn is subject to variation so long as a diameter is 
selected which can be handled by the textile loom which 
weaves the sleeve 10. The yarn 16 extends the full length 
150f the sleeve. 
Warp yarns are spaced evenly around the sleeve 
in typical fashion. The ends per inch are thus defined by 
the required spacing for yarns in the sleeve. This can 
vary over a range depending on the size of yarn, thickness 
20of the finished fabric, and other scale factors well 
known. The sleeve 10 is thus formed with several warp 
yarns 16 extending the full length of the sleeve. In 
contrast with that particular warp yarn, another warp yarn 
18 extends along the sleeve but is terminated at an end 
25location 20. For instance, it can have a length which is 
90% of the length of the sleeve 10. The yarn 18 is 
terminated at the point 20, it being understood that the 
yarn 18 can be replicated in the sleeve 10. Further, 
another warp yarn 22 terminates at a point 24. The yarns 
3018 and 22 are different in length. Proceeding further, 
yarns 26, 28, 30 and 32 are all shorter yet. Many shorter 
warp yarns thus define the amount of taper. If the taper 
is to be severe, then a large number of short yarns is 
used. That is, along the entire length of sleeve 10, 
Patent 
- 6 -  
yarns are terminated at spaced locations so that the 
number of threads is reduced something in a linear fashion 
along the length of the tubular sleeve to yield the 
necessary taper. By contrast, if the taper is not severe, 
5 the full length yarns 16 are increased while the number of 
shortened yarns is decreased. In other words, once the 
dimensions of the tapered sleeve are known, this is 
implemented by first selecting the relative percentage of 
yarns which are full length as typified by the yarn 16. 
10 F o r  instance, this percentage can be 100% to define a 
sleeve with no taper or can be 25% to define a sleeve 
wherein the smaller end is approximately one fourth the 
size of the larger end of the sleeve. Perhaps an example 
will aid in this description. Assume a sleeve which 
15 has 5,000 yarns at the large end 12. Assume further that 
the sleeve is to be one meter in length. Assume also that 
the sleeve is to taper to half the large diameter. In 
that event, 50% of the yarns in the sleeve will extend the 
full length as does the yarn 16. In this particular 
20 example 2,500 of the yarns will extend the full. length of 
the sleeve. The remaining 2,500 yarns will then terminate 
evenly along the one meter length of the sleeve. This 
requires that the 2,500 yarns terminate in the 100 
centimeters (the length of the sleeve) or that 25 yarns 
25 terminate in each centimeter. In this example, this would 
then require 2,500 yarns of shortened length evenly 
distributed along the sleeve 10. In other words, the 
2,500 shortened yarns would be evenly distributed along 
the sleeve length. 
30 An important factor to note is that the shortened 
yarns are mixed evenly in with the full length yarns 16. 
To this end, they are mixed and scattered so that they do 
not collectively terminate at batched locations. This 
Patent  
- 7 -  
avoids creating an irregularity in the surface of the 
woven fabric when finished. 
In the conventional textile loom which is available 
for forming such a woven tubular member, the several yarns 
5 which make up the warp of the sleeve are thus placed in 
$he textile loom, including both full length yarns and 
those which are shortened as described above, and the loom 
is then operated to place the filling yarn 40 through the 
warp yarns. That is, the filling yarn 40 is woven in a 
10 repeated circle from one end of the sleeve to the other. 
The filling yarn weaving process is believed to be well 
known for standard textile looms. Suffice it to say that 
the filling yarn 40 is woven until the full length of the 
sleeve is defined. In actuality, it might be desirable to 
15 weave the sleeve even longer than the desired length to 
permit trimming of the finished product. Weaving thus 
forms the sleeve shown in Fig. 1 so that it is a completed 
product devoid of seams. A s  desired, the woven sleeve is 
removed from the textile loom and then has the form shown 
20 in Fig. 1. Depending on dimensions and the stiffness of 
the yarn, the sleeve has a stiffness and weight which is 
subject to control at the time of selection of dimensions, 
yarn count and other scale factors relating to the 
finished product. In summary, the sleeve structure shown 
25in Fig. 1 is woven to provide the defined sleeve. 
The sleeve 10 shown in Fig. 1 is next processed in 
the manner best illustrated in Fig. 2. The sleeve is 
supported on a mandrel 42.  This holds the sleeve in the 
desired shape and also keeps the sleeve from folding. The 
30sleeve and mandrel are then placed in an oven 4 4  and 
heated to a specified temperature and for a required 
duration. A s  stated earlier, the sleeve can also be 
shrunk chemically by wetting with methylene chloride at 
ambient temperature causing the fabric to shrink to the 
Patent 
- a -  
contour of the mandrel. After shrinking, the sleeve can 
thereafter be removed from the mandrel 42. The sleeve 
then is ready to be placed over a portion of a space suit 
such as the arm 50 illustrated in Fig. 2. The sleeve then 
5 has a proper taper and a length to permit it to be placed 
over the arm to cover the joint thereof and to provide 
necessary protection to the space suit arm. 
As will be understood from the description given 
above, several scale factors can be modified and changed 
10 in the fabrication of the sleeve. The tapered tubular 
polyester fabric sleeve is woven to selected scale. While 
the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiment, the 
scope is determined by the claims which follow. 
. Patent 
9 
-H- 
TAPERED, TUBULAR POLYESTER FABRIC 
Abstract 
A tapered tubular polyester sleeve as set forth. It 
has a large end 12 and a small end 14 with a length 
5 to be determined. The ratio of taper is also 
determined by scale factors. All the warp yarns 
extend to/ the large end 12. A requisite number of 
warp yarns 16 extend the full length of the sleeve. 
Other warp yarns exemplified at 18, 22, 26, 28, 30 
10 and 32 extend from the large end but are terminated 
along the length of the sleeve. It is then woven 
with a filling yarn 40 which extends in a full circle 
along the full length of the sleeve to thereby define 
the tapered sleeve. The sleeve after fabrication is 
15 then placed on a mandrel 42, heated in an oven 44 and 
is thereafter placed on the arm or other limb of a 
space suit exemplified at 50. 


Tapered, tubular polyester fabric

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server