US3737261A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Resin impregnating system
Assignee: GOLDSWORTHY ENG Inc
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Filing: 1971-02-16
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Granted: 1973-06-05
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Expires: 1991-02-16
Abstract
Abstract A resin impregnating system in the form of an open-ended tubular housing or canister is provided with a pair of flexible rubber seals at the transverse open ends to accommodate the reinforcing material forming part of a reinforced plastic member passing through the housing. The housing is provided with a suitable resin matrix material which is capable of impregnating the reinforced plastic member passing through the housing. The reinforced plastic member is typically formed of a textile strand material which is capable of receiving the resin matrix. Transducers capable of being operated by sonic energy are located in the housing for forcing the resin into the textile strand material. Another embodiment of the invention discloses a canister divided into two compartments where the first compartment is maintained under vacuum conditions for removing any entrained air in the textile strand material. The member passes immediately from the first compartment into the second compartment which is maintained under pressure for forcing the resin matrix into the voids left by the removed air in the textile strand material.
Inventors
- 👤 E Hardesty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 19:06
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29B; B29B15/00; B29B15/08; B29B15/10; B29B15/12; B29B15/122; B29C; B29C37/00; B29C37/006; B29C37/0064; B29C53/00; B29C53/80; B29C53/8008; B29C53/8066; B29C53/8075; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/40; B29C70/50; B29C70/52; B29C70/523; B29C2791/00; B29C2791/004; B29C2791/006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
364 words
A device for impregnating a resin matrix curable material into the individual closely wound impregnatable textile fiber strands of a hollow tubular member when said tubular member is retained on and moving along a fixed rigid mandrel and where each strand is formed of a plurality of textile filaments, said device comprising a tubular housing having open entrant and exit end portions and a central bore formed by an interior wall extending between said open end portions, means operatively associated with said housing for introducing said matrix curable material into said central bore, means also operatively associated with said housing to force said resin matrix into said plurality of closely wound strands and into intimate contact with each of the filaments in fluid of said strands as said strands move along said mandrel, a fluid expandable sealing ring operatively located at each of said open end portions for engaging said strands and forming a sliding liquid seal between said strands and said sealing rings as said strands move through said housing, fluid supply means operatively associated with each of said sealing rings to permit a fluid to be introduced into said rings to permit expansion and contraction responsive to the amount of fluid introduced thereinto, to thereby maintain preselected pressure engagement with the hollow tubular member and to adjust surface non-linearities in said hollow tubular member, individual fluid supply tubes operatively connected to said fluid supply means and respective ones of said sealing rings for independently controlling the fluid introduced into the sealing ring at said entrant end portion to control pressure condtions in said central chamber and the amount of oozing of the matrix curable material outwardly of said ring and for independently controlling the amount of fluid to be introduced into the sealing ring at said exit end portion to thereby control the amount of matrix material impregnation in said strands and the amount of resin material remaining on the surface of said strands, said mandrel extending through said housing and beyond the sealing ring at the exit end portion thereof so from the the impregnated strands may be ultimately cured and removed from the mandrel as the final structural tubular member.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
364 words
A device for impregnating a resin matrix curable material into the individual closely wound impregnatable textile fiber strands of a hollow tubular member when said tubular member is retained on and moving along a fixed rigid mandrel and where each strand is formed of a plurality of textile filaments, said device comprising a tubular housing having open entrant and exit end portions and a central bore formed by an interior wall extending between said open end portions, means operatively associated with said housing for introducing said matrix curable material into said central bore, means also operatively associated with said housing to force said resin matrix into said plurality of closely wound strands and into intimate contact with each of the filaments in fluid of said strands as said strands move along said mandrel, a fluid expandable sealing ring operatively located at each of said open end portions for engaging said strands and forming a sliding liquid seal between said strands and said sealing rings as said strands move through said housing, fluid supply means operatively associated with each of said sealing rings to permit a fluid to be introduced into said rings to permit expansion and contraction responsive to the amount of fluid introduced thereinto, to thereby maintain preselected pressure engagement with the hollow tubular member and to adjust surface non-linearities in said hollow tubular member, individual fluid supply tubes operatively connected to said fluid supply means and respective ones of said sealing rings for independently controlling the fluid introduced into the sealing ring at said entrant end portion to control pressure condtions in said central chamber and the amount of oozing of the matrix curable material outwardly of said ring and for independently controlling the amount of fluid to be introduced into the sealing ring at said exit end portion to thereby control the amount of matrix material impregnation in said strands and the amount of resin material remaining on the surface of said strands, said mandrel extending through said housing and beyond the sealing ring at the exit end portion thereof so from the the impregnated strands may be ultimately cured and removed from the mandrel as the final structural tubular member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 1 further characterized in that energizable means is operatively associated with said housing capable of producing sonic energy for forcibly urging said matrix curable material into initmate contact with said strands.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
The device of claim 1 further characterized in that at least one transducer plate is located in said housing and surrounding said central bore and being operatively connectable to a mechanism capable of producing a source of sonic energy for applying said sonic energy across said central bore to forcibly urge said matrix curable mAterial into intimate contact with said strands.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device of claim 1 further characterized in that said housing is maintained under pressure in the area of said central bore to thereby forcibly urge said matrix curable material into intimate contact with said strands.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
504 words
A device for impregnating a resin matrix curable material into the individual closely wound impregnatable textile fiber strands of a hollow tubular member when said tubular member is retained on and moving along a fixed rigid mandrel and where each strand is formed of a plurality of textile filaments, said device comprising a tubular housing having an elongated outer wall, an intermediate wall in said housing forming a first chamber and entrant axially aligned second chamber, said housing having an extrant open end portion communicating with said first chamber and an exit open end portion communicating with said second chamber, means forming an aperture in said intermediate wall permitting communication between said two chambers, means operatively associated with said first chamber for creating a vacuum therein to remove entrained air from said strands as said strands move along said mandrel, means operatively associated with said housing for introducing said matrix curable material into said second chamber, contact means also operatively associated with said housing to force said resin matrix into said plurality of closely wound strands and into intimate contact with each of the filaments in each of said strands as said strands move along said mandrel, a fluid expandable sealing ring operatively located at each of said open end portions and in the aperture in said intermediate wall for engaging said strands and forming a sliding liquid seal between said strands and said sealing ring as said strands move through said housing, fluid supply means operatively associated with each of said sealing rings to permit a fluid to be introduced into said rings to permit expansion and contraction responsive to the amount of fluid introduced thereinto, to thereby maintain preselected pressure engagement with the hollow tubular member and to adjust surface non-linearities in said hollow tubular member, a first individual fluid supply tube operatively connected to said fluid supply means and the sealing ring at entrant end portion for controlling the fluid introduced into the sealing ring at said entrant end portion to control vacuum conditions in said first chamber, a second individual fluid supply tube operatively connected to said fluid supply means and said sealing ring in said aperture for also independently controlling the amount of fluid to the sealing ring in said aperture to control vacuum conditions in said first chamber and the amount of oozing of the matrix curable material from said second chamber, and a third individual fluid supply tube operatively connected to said fluid supply means and to the sealing ring at said exit end portion for also independently controlling the amount of fluid to be introduced into the sealing ring at said exit end portion to thereby control the amount of matrix material impregnation in said strands and the amount of resin material remaining on the surface of said strands, said mandrel extending through said housing and beyond the sealing ring at the exit end portion thereof so that the impregnated strands may be ultimately cured and removed from the mandrel as the final structural tubular member.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
504 words
A device for impregnating a resin matrix curable material into the individual closely wound impregnatable textile fiber strands of a hollow tubular member when said tubular member is retained on and moving along a fixed rigid mandrel and where each strand is formed of a plurality of textile filaments, said device comprising a tubular housing having an elongated outer wall, an intermediate wall in said housing forming a first chamber and entrant axially aligned second chamber, said housing having an extrant open end portion communicating with said first chamber and an exit open end portion communicating with said second chamber, means forming an aperture in said intermediate wall permitting communication between said two chambers, means operatively associated with said first chamber for creating a vacuum therein to remove entrained air from said strands as said strands move along said mandrel, means operatively associated with said housing for introducing said matrix curable material into said second chamber, contact means also operatively associated with said housing to force said resin matrix into said plurality of closely wound strands and into intimate contact with each of the filaments in each of said strands as said strands move along said mandrel, a fluid expandable sealing ring operatively located at each of said open end portions and in the aperture in said intermediate wall for engaging said strands and forming a sliding liquid seal between said strands and said sealing ring as said strands move through said housing, fluid supply means operatively associated with each of said sealing rings to permit a fluid to be introduced into said rings to permit expansion and contraction responsive to the amount of fluid introduced thereinto, to thereby maintain preselected pressure engagement with the hollow tubular member and to adjust surface non-linearities in said hollow tubular member, a first individual fluid supply tube operatively connected to said fluid supply means and the sealing ring at entrant end portion for controlling the fluid introduced into the sealing ring at said entrant end portion to control vacuum conditions in said first chamber, a second individual fluid supply tube operatively connected to said fluid supply means and said sealing ring in said aperture for also independently controlling the amount of fluid to the sealing ring in said aperture to control vacuum conditions in said first chamber and the amount of oozing of the matrix curable material from said second chamber, and a third individual fluid supply tube operatively connected to said fluid supply means and to the sealing ring at said exit end portion for also independently controlling the amount of fluid to be introduced into the sealing ring at said exit end portion to thereby control the amount of matrix material impregnation in said strands and the amount of resin material remaining on the surface of said strands, said mandrel extending through said housing and beyond the sealing ring at the exit end portion thereof so that the impregnated strands may be ultimately cured and removed from the mandrel as the final structural tubular member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 5 further characterized in that the matrix contact means enables said second chamber to be maintained under pressure for forcibly urging said matrix curable material into intimate contact with said strands.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 5 further characterized in that said matrix contact means comprises energizable means capable of producing sonic energy and which is operatively associated with said second chamber for forcibly urging said matrix curable material into intimate contact with said strands.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
The device of claim 5 further characterized in thaT said matrix contact means enables said second chamber to be maintained under pressure to thereby forcibly urge said matrix curable material into intimate contact with said strands, and means is operatively associated with said second chamber to automatically adjust for entrained air in said strands to thereby maintain relatively constant pressure in said second chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
The device of claim 1 further characterized in that said contact means comprises energizable means operatively associated with said housing for producing high frequency energy introduced with respect to the resin matrix curable material contained within said chamber, said matrix curable material having energy coupling properties to couple the energy with respect to said strands and thereby vibrate said strands to cause intimate contact of the matrix material with said strands and impregnation thereinto.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 9 further characterized in that the energizable means is capable of producing sonic energy for forcibly urging said matrix curable material into intimate contact with said strands.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
The device of claim 10 further characterized in that said energizable means comprises at least one transducer plate located in said housing and surrounding said central bore and being operatively connectable to a mechanism capable of producing a source of sonic energy for applying said sonic energy to said strands across said matrix curable material to forcibly urge said matrix curable material into intimate contact with said strands.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-04 | 1976-12-04 | 1977-06-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-04 | 1980-12-04 | 1981-06-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-04 | 1984-12-04 | 1985-06-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |