Apparatus for coating three dimensional objects

Claim 2

Apparatus for coating three dimensional surfaces of objects comprising: turret means constructed and arranged to provide a support for an object to be coated and for rotation of the centerline of the support in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of an object to be coated thereon, a rotatable member positioned to one side of said support and supported for rotation about an axis generally lying in said plane, an extensible member supported on said rotatable member for reciprocation generally parallel to said axis over the corresponding axial dimension of the object, material deposition means on said extensible member for coating the object, first drive means for rotating said rotatable member, second drive means for rotating said turret means, third drive means for reciprocating said extensible member by a distance corresponding to said axial dimension, and control means constructed and arranged to actuate said first drive means for 360* of rotation of said rotatable member while also actuating said third drive means to reciprocate said deposition means over one circumferentially extending area of the object, said control means thereafter actuating said second drive means to index said turret means to bring another area of the object in line with said axis, and said control means thereafter reactuating said first and third drive means to cause said deposition means to reciprocate over said other area of the object.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotatable member is supported by a spindle structure having multiple passageways therethrough communicating with longitudinally spaced openings, a sleeve structure slidably engaging said spindle and having longitudinally spaced openings respective ones of which register with respective ones of said longitudinally spaced openings in said spindle through circumferential grooves in one of said structures, and means communicating with said passageways and said annular grooves for supplying fluids to said material deposition means while said rotatable member swings about said axis.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotatable member is positioned over said object for rotation about a generally vertical axis, and wherein said extensible member is tubular, a counterbalance weight in said tubular member, a pulley supported for rotation above said tubular extensible member, and a flexible member passing over said pulley with its ends connected to said tubular extensible member and said weight.

Claim 5

Apparatus for coating three dimensional surfaces of objects comprising: a pedestal having a lateral arm thereon, a vertical tubular support member fixed on said lateral arm for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a generally vertical extensible tubular member telescoping with said tubular support member for raising and lowering movement, A pulley on said tubular support member above said vertical extensible tubular member, a counterbalance weight in said vertical tubular support member, a flexible member passing over said pulley with one end connected to said weight and the other end connected to said extensible tubular member, material deposition means carried by said extensible vertical tubular member, and flexible conduit means external of said tubular members connected between said material deposition means and said lateral arm.

Claim 6

Apparatus for coating three dimensional surfaces of objects comprising: a pedestal having a lateral arm thereon, a vertical tubular support member fixed on said lateral arm for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a generally vertical extensible tubular member telescoping with said tubular support member for raising and lowering movement, A pulley on said tubular support member above said vertical extensible tubular member, a counterbalance weight in said vertical tubular support member, a flexible member passing over said pulley with one end connected to said weight and the other end connected to said extensible tubular member, material deposition means carried by said extensible vertical tubular member, and flexible conduit means external of said tubular members connected between said material deposition means and said lateral arm.

Claim 7

Apparatus for producing three dimensional objects of glass fiber reinforced plastics, comprising: a generally vertical axially extending spindle having passageways with a first set of conduit connections at one end extending therethrough and communicating with a surface of revolution of said spindle, a lateral arm member attached to said spindle and rotatable about said axis of said spindle, first motor means for rotating said lateral arm, a generally vertical member guided by said lateral arm member for raising and lowering movement, second motor means for raising and lowering said vertical member, means for supporting a mold having a three dimensional surface thereon, deposition means mounted on said generally vertical member for dispensing resin and glass fibers onto said mold surface, a collar sealingly engaging said surface of revolution of said spindle with annular grooves communicating with respective ones of said passageways, said collar having a second set of conduit connections communicating with said grooves, conduits means communicating fluid supply sources to one of said sets of conduit connections and communicating said other set of conduit connections to said deposition means, and programming means for actuating said first and second motor means to reciprocate one of said members while indexing the other member to move said deposition means over a contiguous surface of said mold.

Claim 8

Apparatus for producing three dimensional objects of glass fiber reinforced plastics, comprising: a generally vertical axially extending spindle having passageways with a first set of conduit connections at one end extending therethrough and communicating with a surface of revolution of said spindle, a lateral arm member attached to said spindle and rotatable about said axis of said spindle, first motor means for rotating said lateral arm, a generally vertical member guided by said lateral arm member for raising and lowering movement, second motor means for raising and lowering said vertical member, means for supporting a mold having a three dimensional surface thereon, deposition means mounted on said generally vertical member for dispensing resin and glass fibers onto said mold surface, a collar sealingly engaging said surface of revolution of said spindle with annular grooves communicating with respective ones of said passageways, said collar having a second set of conduit connections communicating with said grooves, conduits means communicating fluid supply sources to one of said sets of conduit connections and communicating said other set of conduit connections to said deposition means, and programming means for actuating said first and second motor means to reciprocate one of said members while indexing the other member to move said deposition means over a contiguous surface of said mold.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mold comprises two sections having two external openings communicating with an internal mold cavity, said openings being adapted to receive said deposition means, and wherein said means for supporting said mold comprises a turret mounting said mold for rotation in a plane passing through said openings and adapted to bring said openings in line with said vertical member, and third motor means controlled by said programming means for indexing said turret to bring the other of said mold openings in line with said vertical member after said deposition means has been programmed through said one opening to cover a first contiguous surface of said mold.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mold comprises an inflatable bag having three dimensional external mold surfaces extending between two projecting ends, a turret supporting said inflatable bag for rotation in a plane passing through both projecting ends, and third motor means controlled by said programming means for indexing said turret to bring the other of said two ends generally parallel to said vertical member after said deposition means has coated a contiguous surface of said mold adjacent one of its ends.

Claim 11

Apparatus for depositing materials on three dimensional objects comprising: a shaft supported for rotation about a first longitudinal axis; a generally L-shaped crank arm on said shaft with the outstanding leg of the arm being positioned generally laterally from and extending longitudinally of said shaft; support means on said outstanding leg for supporting the three dimensional object at a position spaced from and generally crosswise to said shaft; material deposition means; a support arm for said material deposition means rotatable about a second axis generally passing through said support means at generally a right angle to said first axis; first motor driven means capable of moving said material deposition means longitudinally parallel to said second axis a distance equal to the axial dimension of said objects; second motor driven means for rotating said support arm about saiD second axis; third motor driven means for indexing said shaft; and control means constructed and arranged to cause said first motor driven means to reciprocate said material deposition means over the object in a direction parallel to said second axis while also causing said second motor driven means to rotate said support arm about said second axis to move said material deposition means over a first circumferentially extending area of the object, said control means then indexing said third motor driven means to bring another area of the object in line with said second axis, and again actuating said first and second motor means to reciprocate said deposition means over the other area of the object in like manner.

Claim 12

Apparatus for depositing materials on three dimensional objects comprising: a shaft supported for rotation about a first longitudinal axis; a generally L-shaped crank arm on said shaft with the outstanding leg of the arm being positioned generally laterally from and extending longitudinally of said shaft; support means on said outstanding leg for supporting the three dimensional object at a position spaced from and generally crosswise to said shaft; material deposition means; a support arm for said material deposition means rotatable about a second axis generally passing through said support means at generally a right angle to said first axis; first motor driven means capable of moving said material deposition means longitudinally parallel to said second axis a distance equal to the axial dimension of said objects; second motor driven means for rotating said support arm about saiD second axis; third motor driven means for indexing said shaft; and control means constructed and arranged to cause said first motor driven means to reciprocate said material deposition means over the object in a direction parallel to said second axis while also causing said second motor driven means to rotate said support arm about said second axis to move said material deposition means over a first circumferentially extending area of the object, said control means then indexing said third motor driven means to bring another area of the object in line with said second axis, and again actuating said first and second motor means to reciprocate said deposition means over the other area of the object in like manner.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said three dimensional object is a collapsible mold, and said support for said deposition means moves said deposition means around the outside of said collapsible mold.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said material deposition means includes means to project short lengths of glass fibers and a resin spray toward said second axis.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said three dimensional object is a split mold having an internal cavity with two side outlets at an angle relative to each other; wherein said support for said deposition means positions said deposition means radially inwardly of said cavity through one side outlet; and wherein said programming means actuates said first and second motor means to reciprocate and revolve said deposition means in said cavity while said third motor means is stationary, then causes said first motor means to move said deposition means out of said cavity, and then actuates said third motor means to index said mold to bring said other outlet in line with said second axis for reciprocation of said deposition means over its surface.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said material deposition means includes means to project short lengths of glass fibers and a resin spray onto the walls of the mold cavity.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said support arm includes: a vertical spindle structure centered on said second axis; a depending extensible member on said support arm positioned to one side of said spindle, said extensible member being reciprocable in a direction generally parallel to said spindle; said material deposition means being carried on said extensible member, said spindle having multiple passageways therethrough communicating with longitudinally spaced openings in said spindle; a sleeve structure slidably engaging said spindle structure and having longitudinally spaced openings respective ones of which register with respective ones of said longitudinally spaced openings in said spindle structure through circumferential grooves in one of said structures; and means communicating with said passageways in said spindle and said openings in said sleeve for supplying fluids to said material deposition means while said rotatable arm swings about said axis.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 including: means on said support on the opposite side of said spindle from said extensible member for supporting a coiled package of continuous strand, and guide means fastened to at least one of said members for feeding said strand to said deposition means.