Self-damped composite structures

Claim 1

A SELF-DAMPED COMPOSITE STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY WHICH IS SUBJECT TO FLEXURAL MOVEMENTS RESPONSIVE TO EXCITATION OF VIBRATORY CHARACTER, COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF LOAD-SUPPORTING MEMBERS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SURFACES IN COEXTENSIVE PARALLEL LAMINAR RELATIONSHIP, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A THICKNESS IMPARTING A STRUCTURAL STIFFNESS TO WITHSTAND PART OF THE LOADS IMPOSED UPON SAID MEMBER, DAMPING MATERIAL INTERPOSED IN A LAYER BETWEEN AND ADHERING TO THE ADJACENT PLANAR SURFACES OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID MATERIAL BEING SUBJECT TO SHEAR AND DISSIPATING ENERGY RESPONSIVE THERETO WHILE PERMITTING RELATIVE SLIP BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS IN DIRECTIONS PARALLEL WITH SAID SURFACES UPON OCCURENCE OF SAID FLEXURAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID ASSEMBLY, AND A PLURALITY OF LOCKING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID MEMBERS AT EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SPACED POSITIONS AND DISTRIBUTED ACROSS AREAS OF SAID MEMBERS REQUIRED TO BE OF GREATER STRUCTURAL STRENGTH THAN THAT OF THE COMBINED STRENGTHS OF SAID MEMBERS ACTING INDIVIDUALLY, EACH OF SAID LOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A PART EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO SAID SURFACES AND MATING SAID MEMBERS WITH LIMITED FREEDOM FOR MINUTE RELATIVE SLIP THEREBETWEEN IN SAID DIRECTIONS, WHEREBY VIBRATION TRANSMISSIBILITY AND RESONANT MAGNIFICATION OF SAID ASSEMBLY ARE SUPPRESSED BY DISSIPATION OF ENERGY IN SAID MATERIAL, AND SAID MEMBERS ARE LOCKED TOGETHER IN SAID DIRECTIONS TO DEVELOP SAID GREATER STRUCTURAL STRENGTH UPON OCCURRENCE OF FLEXURES OF SAID ASSEMBLY BEYOND SMALL LIMITED AMOUNTS.