Ribbed woven material

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present invention includes ribbed woven materials, methods for increasing the abrasion resistance of a material, methods for providing an indication of wear, ropes configured to provide one or more alerts as a total breaking weight of a rope is approached, woven rope cover systems for rope-like materials, woven rope structures having ribs, and nonwoven ropes comprising strands including nonwoven strands of material that are configured in a rope construction and further comprising one or more woven rope cords displaced within the nonwoven rope construction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ribbed woven material comprising:
 a. a plurality of warp threads;   b. a plurality of weft threads, wherein the warp and weft threads are interwoven together; and   c. at least one woven rope having a thickness which is greater than that of the warp threads or the weft threads, wherein the at least one woven rope is woven into the material in the warp direction or the warp direction and extends outwardly in a rib formation from the surface of the material.   
     
     
         2 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the woven ropes are spaced equidistance from one another. 
     
     
         3 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the ribs that are formed extend outwardly from one side of the material. 
     
     
         4 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the ribs that are formed extend outwardly from both sides of the material. 
     
     
         5 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the woven rope has a thickness that is at least 10% greater than that of the warp threads. 
     
     
         6 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the material is a tubular fabric. 
     
     
         7 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the weave pattern is selected from the group consisting of a plain weave, a twill weave, a satin weave, a tabby weave, a taffeta weave, a matt weave, a basket weave, a rib weave, computer-generated interlacings, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the warp and/or weft thread configuration is selected from the group consisting of circular, ovular, elliptical, and flat. 
     
     
         9 . The material of  claim 1  wherein the warp, weft, and/or woven rope threads are selected from a fiber of the group consisting of meta-, para-aramid fibers, para-aramid fibers, meta-aramid fibers, cotton, rayon, Teflon®-coated fibers, shaped fibers, glass fibers, basalt fibers, carbon fibers, high modulus polyethylene fibers, liquid crystal polymer fibers, hollow fibers, nylon, polyesters, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polyetheretherketone, polyolefins, amide polymers or copolymers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The material of  claim 1  wherein warp, weft, and/or woven rope threads have a denier greater than the amount selected from one or more of the following: 500 denier, 1000 denier, 2000 denier, 3000 denier, and 4000 denier. 
     
     
         11 . A rope configured to provide an alert as a total breaking weight of a rope is approached, wherein the rope comprises a woven rope having indicator yarns displaced within the rope, wherein the indicator yarns have maximum load weights that are less than the total breaking weight of the entire rope. 
     
     
         12 . The rope of  claim 11  wherein the woven rope further comprises indicator filaments having maximum load weights that are less than the total breaking weight of the entire rope. 
     
     
         13 . The rope of  claim 12  wherein the indicator warp yarns and the indicator filaments are a different color than the remainder of the woven rope. 
     
     
         14 . The rope of  claim 12  wherein the indicator warp yarns and the indicator filaments have maximum load weights that are about 20 and about 80% of the total breaking weight of the entire rope. 
     
     
         15 . The rope of  claim 12  wherein the indicator warp yarns and the indicator filaments have maximum load weights that are about 40 and about 60% of the total breaking weight of the entire rope. 
     
     
         16 . The rope of  claim 12  wherein the indicator warp yarns and the indicator filaments have maximum load weights that are less than 80% of the total breaking weight of the entire rope. 
     
     
         17 . A woven rope cover system for rope-like materials, wherein the rope cover comprises a plurality of interlacing individual fibers interlaced in a regular order, wherein the interlacing fibers are arranged to form a tubular shape having a hollow center configured to house a rope-like structure. 
     
     
         18 . The woven rope cover system of  claim 17  further comprising a rope-like structure disposed within the hollow center of the rope cover such that a space is present between the rope-like structure and the rope cover. 
     
     
         19 . The woven rope cover system of  claim 17  wherein the rope cover comprises at least one rib that projects from a surface of the woven rope cover, wherein the rib is optionally comprised of woven rope. 
     
     
         20 . A nonwoven rope comprising strands comprising nonwoven strands of material that are configured in a rope construction and further comprising one or more woven rope cords displaced within the nonwoven rope construction. 
     
     
         21 . The nonwoven rope of  claim 20  wherein the nonwoven rope comprises strands that are arranged in one or more constructions selected from the group consisting of twisted, braided, double braided, braided kernmantle, and knitted. 
     
     
         22 . The nonwoven rope of  claim 20  wherein the woven rope cords are smaller in diameter than the nonwoven strands of material.