Pultrusion machine and method

Abstract

Abstract THE INVENTION IS EMBODIED IN A DEVICE ANND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING STOCK MATERIAL FROM A COMBINATION OF FILAMENTS IMPREGNATED WITH SYNTHETIC THERMOSETTING PLASTIC RESIN INTO WHICH AN APPROPRIATE HARDENER IS ENTRAINED, FOLLOWED BY WHAT AMOUNTS TO EXTREMELY RAPID CURING WHILE THE STOCK PASSES THROUGH A FORMING DIE THROUGH WHICH IT IS PULLED BY A HAND-OVER-HAND TYPE OF PULLING DEVICE. AN IMPREGNATING OR COMPOSING TUBE WHEREIN THE FILAMENT IS IMPREGNATED WITH CATALYZED RESIN, HEREINAFTER TERMED A COMPOSING TUBE, IS OF SUCH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION THAT THE ACTION ASSISTS IN PUSHING THE STOCK THROUGH THE PROCESS PROVIDING A COMBINED ACTION WHICH GIVES RISE TO THE DESIGNATION "PULTRUSION MACHINE AND PROCESS." THE OVER-ALL OPERATION CAN BEST BE ENVISIONED FROM AN EXAMINATION OF FIGS. 1 AND 2 WHEREIN THERE IS PROVIDED A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF FILAMENT WHICH, IN PRACTICE, IS CUSTOMARILY STRANDS OF FIBERGLASS ROVING COMING FROM A MULTIPLE SOURCE, THE SEPARATE STRANDS BEING DIRECTED INTO A COMPOSING TUBE WHERE THEY ARE IMPREGNATED WITH SYNTHETIC THERMOSETTING PLASTIC RESIN. AN APPROPRIATE HARDENER IS METERED INTO THE RESIN AT OR NEAR THE COMPSING TUBE. THE IMPREGNATED STRANDS THEN PASS IMMEDIATELY TO A FORMING DIE WHEREIN THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO A RAPID CURE BY APPLICATION OF WAVE ENERGY, SUCH AS RADIO FREQUENCY WAVES. PULERS ENGAGE THE CURED STOCK AFTER IT EMERGES FROM THE FORMING DIES AND FRAW IT TO A CUT-OFF POINT. ASSISTING IN THE PASSAGE OF THE STOCK THROUGH THE FORMING DIES IS AN ULTRASONIC GENERATOR WHICH IMPARTS LONGITUDINAL WAVE ENERGY TO THE FORMING DIES AS THE STOCK PASSES THROUGH. AS THE STRANDS ARE PULLED INTO THE COMPOSING TUBE, THEY ARE WETTED BY THE RESIN AND COMPACTED SO THAT THE COMBINATION OF FILAMENT AND RESIN IS DENSELY COMPACTED UPON EMERGENCE FROM THE COMPOSING TUBE, THE PROPORTION BEING ABOUT 80% FILMENT TO ABOUT 20% RESIN.

Inventors

• 👤 William Brandt Goldsworthy

Bibliographic Details