Equipment for making articles composed of fiber reinforced resin materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ARTICLES FORMED OR FIBER REINFORCED RESIN MATERIAL, COMPRISING A FORMING DEVICE HAVING A FORMING PASSAGE THERETHROUGH HAVING A CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE CONFORMING WITH THAT OF THE ARTICLE BEING MADE, MEANS FOR DELIVERING INTO THE ENTRANCE END OF THE FORMING PASSAGE FIBER REINFORCEMENT IMPREGNATED WITH A HEAT HARDENABLE LIQUID RESIN MATERIAL, MEANS FOR HEATING THE RESIN MATERIAL TO SOLIDIFY IT WHILE IT IS PASSING THROUGH THE FORMING PASSAGE, AND A PULLER MECHANISM ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND PULL ON THE SOLIDIFIED ARTICLE BEYOND THE DISCHARGE END OF THE FORMING PASSAGE, THE PULLER MECHANISM INCLUDING A PAIR OF CRAWLER TREAD DEVICES YIELDINGLY URGED TOWARD EACH OTHER IN A PLANE CONTAINING THE AXIS OF DELIVERY OF THE SOLIDIFIED ARTICLE FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF THE FORMING PASSAGE AND CARRYING OPPOSED GRIPPING ELEMENTS SHAPED TO INTERFIT WITH PORTIONS OF THE SECTIONAL SHAPE OF THE ARTICLE BEING MADE, AND MEANS PROVIDING FOR SHIFTING MOVEMENT OF THE GRIPPING ELEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE CRAWLER TREAD DEVICE IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST PLANE.