This invention in one embodiment comprises a cylindrical rod with a rotating, removable loop head inserted into the center of the top end of the rod. The loop head is inserted into a vertical hole drilled into the top end of the rod, wherein the loop head is able to rotate in the hole. The loop head has a plurality of outwardly radially extending circumferential loops that receive wire for bending and weaving into the Viking Knit. Preferably, the rod also has an anchor hole, drilled diagonally through the rod near its top end, for receiving and securing a wire. Preferably, the rod also has a conical wire wrap attachment at the bottom of the rod for making wired end caps to cover or enclose the finished Viking Knit Weave. In another embodiment, this invention comprises a hollow cone with a rotating, removable loop head inserted in either or both ends of the cone.

A flexible hose reinforced with at least two superimposed textile layers includes an inner load-bearing tubular layer defining a longitudinal axis and made of a first polymeric or elastomeric material, an outer cover layer made of a second polymeric or elastomeric material, and a first and a second reinforced textile layer mutually superimposed and interposed between the inner and outer layers. The first and the second textile layers are both knitted textile layers with tricot chain stitches having courses of stitches and rows of stitches, the courses of stitches being substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis, the rows of stitches having opposite inclinations with respect to the longitudinal axis. A production line and a method of manufacturing such hose.

A flexible hose reinforced with at least two superimposed textile layers includes an inner load-bearing tubular layer defining a longitudinal axis and made of a first polymeric or elastomeric material, an outer cover layer made of a second polymeric or elastomeric material, and a first and a second reinforced textile layer mutually superimposed and interposed between the inner and outer layers. The first and the second textile layers are both knitted textile layers with tricot chain stitches having courses of stitches and rows of stitches, the courses of stitches being substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis, the rows of stitches having opposite inclinations with respect to the longitudinal axis. A production line and a method of manufacturing such hose.

A load-bearing fabric architecture including a soft surface material, a support system provided in contact with the soft surface material. The support system comprises a frame and structural surface material connected to the frame. The soft surface material is at least partially disposed above the support system, and the support system is configured to support an applied load.

A method of manufacturing a fabric structure for use in manufacturing a composite aircraft blade. The method comprises: combining yarns including both reinforcing material filaments and a matrix material with yarns of reinforcing material filaments and/or yarns including at least one filament of matrix material; or by combining yarns of reinforcing material filaments with yarns including at least one filament of matrix material; or by combining yarns each comprising both reinforcing material filaments and matrix material. Combining may comprise weaving, knitting or braiding. The matrix material may be a thermoplastic.

Computer implemented method, system and computer program product for simulating the behavior of a knitted fabric at yarn level. The method comprises: retrieving structural information of a knitted fabric; representing each stitch with four contact nodes (4) at the end of the two stitch contacts (5) between pair of loops (2), each contact node (4) being described by a 3D position coordinate (x) and two sliding coordinates (u, v) representing the arc lengths of the two yarns in contact; measuring forces on each contact node (4) based on a force model including wrapping forces to capture the interaction of yarns at stitches; calculating the movement of each contact node (4) at a plurality of time steps using equations of motion derived using the Lagrange-Euler equations, and numerically integrated over time, wherein the equations of motion account for the mass density distributed uniformly along yarns, as well as the measured forces and boundary conditions.

Computer implemented method, system and computer program product for simulating the behavior of a knitted fabric at yarn level. The method comprises: retrieving structural information of a knitted fabric; representing each stitch with four contact nodes (4) at the end of the two stitch contacts (5) between pair of loops (2), each contact node (4) being described by a 3D position coordinate (x) and two sliding coordinates (u, v) representing the arc lengths of the two yarns in contact; measuring forces on each contact node (4) based on a force model including wrapping forces to capture the interaction of yarns at stitches; calculating the movement of each contact node (4) at a plurality of time steps using equations of motion derived using the Lagrange-Euler equations, and numerically integrated over time, wherein the equations of motion account for the mass density distributed uniformly along yarns, as well as the measured forces and boundary conditions.

A blended fabric having a patterned color includes a first portion comprised of cotton and a second portion comprised of polyester. A dye that has a strong affinity for cotton and a slight affinity for polyester is applied to the fabric. The dye gives the cotton portion a deep black color and applies a light gray color to the polyester portion. A combination of deep black cotton and light gray polyester combines to provide the patterned color of the blended fabric. The blended fabric may be comprised of a larger percentage of cotton than polyester that is spun into a single filament yarn that is then knitted into a Jersey Knit styled fabric, a looped knit terry fabric, or a fleece fabric. Further, the present invention comprises a blended fabric whereby dye absorption by the cotton and not by the polyester create darker and lighter patterns within the blended fabric.

A blended fabric having a patterned color includes a first portion comprised of cotton and a second portion comprised of polyester. A dye that has a strong affinity for cotton and a slight affinity for polyester is applied to the fabric. The dye gives the cotton portion a deep black color and applies a light gray color to the polyester portion. A combination of deep black cotton and light gray polyester combines to provide the patterned color of the blended fabric. The blended fabric may be comprised of a larger percentage of cotton than polyester that is spun into a single filament yarn that is then knitted into a Jersey Knit styled fabric, a looped knit terry fabric, or a fleece fabric. Further, the present invention comprises a blended fabric whereby dye absorption by the cotton and not by the polyester create darker and lighter patterns within the blended fabric.

Methods for fabrication of articles, in particular knitted articles, using computer-controlled machines. A 3D model of the article is characterized by a 3D polygonal mesh defining a surface of the 3D model. A streamline is drawn on the 3D model, and used to define a set of isolines over the surface described by the 3D polygonal mesh. The isolines are quantized into equidistant points along their respective lengths and a cut line traversing each of the isolines is defined. Courses are defined by connecting quantization points of the isolines based on knitting rules to produce a 2D knitting map containing apexes. Apex attraction may be performed on a first portion of the 2D knitting map by decreasing a spatial distance between respective ones of the apexes. The 2D knitting map is subsequently converted to knitting instructions for a computer-controlled knitting machine.