Method of making improved nose caps for missiles and rockets

Claim 1

A method of making a nose cap for a missile or a rocket to achieve controlled orientation of reinforcement fibers of the impregnated tape used to construct said nose cap, said method comprising the steps of: a. forming a panel on a first mandrel, said panel being formed by wrapping said first mandrel with an impregnated tape that contains woven reinforcement fibers selected from silica fibers and glass fibers, said wrapping being accomplished by wrapping said tape with its width at a predetermined angle to the mandrel centerline; b. slitting and removing said panel from said first mandrel, said panel being constituted of an impregnated tape that is impregnated with a material selected from organic resins and ceramics or combinations thereof, and said tape being uncured when removed from said first mandrel; c. reshaping said uncured panel by heating said uncured panel below its cure temperature coupled with pressure to shape to a predetermined geometrical contour; d. wrapping said uncured panel spirally around a second mandrel to form a preform, said second mandrel defining the inside contour of nose cap for a missile or rocket; e. performing any necessary machining or cutting operation on said preform to adjust weight and dimensions of said preform for proper molding; f. placing said preform in a suitable mold and molding said preform to form a substantially finished nose cap for a missile or rocket, said suitable mold defining the outside contour of said nose cap, and said substantially completed nose cap being characterized by having reinforcement fibers oriented at a predetermined angle to the surface of said nose cap; and g. machining and trimming said substantially completed nose cap to final shape and dimensions to complete said method of making a nose cap for a missile or rocket.

Claim 2

A method of making a nose cap for a missile or a rocket to achieve controlled orientation of reinforcement fibers of the impregnated tape used to construct said nose cap, said method comprising the steps of: a. forming a panel on a first mandrel, said panel being formed by wrapping said first mandrel with an impregnated tape that contains woven reinforcement fibers selected from silica fibers and glass fibers, said wrapping being accomplished by wrapping said tape with its width at a predetermined angle to the mandrel centerline; b. slitting and removing said panel from said first mandrel, said panel being constituted of an impregnated tape that is impregnated with a material selected from organic resins and ceramics or combinations thereof, and said tape being uncured when removed from said first mandrel; c. reshaping said uncured panel by heating said uncured panel below its cure temperature coupled with pressure to shape to a predetermined geometrical contour; d. wrapping said uncured panel spirally around a second mandrel to form a preform, said second mandrel defining the inside contour of nose cap for a missile or rocket; e. performing any necessary machining or cutting operation on said preform to adjust weight and dimensions of said preform for proper molding; f. placing said preform in a suitable mold and molding said preform to form a substantially finished nose cap for a missile or rocket, said suitable mold defining the outside contour of said nose cap, and said substantially completed nose cap being characterized by having reinforcement fibers oriented at a predetermined angle to the surface of said nose cap; and g. machining and trimming said substantially completed nose cap to final shape and dimensions to complete said method of making a nose cap for a missile or rocket.