27--THE BENDING AND CREASING OF MULTICOMPONENT VISCOELASTIC FIBRE ASSEMBLIES: PART I: GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF THE PROBLEM.

The problems involved in making a mechanical analysis of bending deformations in textile fabrics are discussed. It is suggested that progress can be made by making simplifying assumptions concerning the geometry of fabric structure and deformation and using energy considerations to calculate forces and moments. Certain simple examples are given of the usefulness of this approach. A foundation is laid for the construction of a computer model that will, it is hoped, simulate the viscoelastic bending and creasing behaviour of textile fabrics from a knowledge of the bending and torsional viscoelastic properties of the constituent fibre(s) and their relative geometrical arrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]