Patent US3900357A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3900357A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Composite material springs and manufacture
Assignee: Edgewater Corp
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Filing: 1972-11-30
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Granted: 1975-08-19
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Expires: 1992-11-30
Abstract
Abstract Light-weight, corrosion-resistant, elongated spring structure formed from fiber-reinforced composite material and method of manufacture in which a configuration-defining core portion is laid up from non-woven fiber plies of varying longitudinal dimension with such centrally located core portion being overlaid with a plurality of elongated plies of non-woven fibers extending between longitudinal ends of the spring structure. Transverse strength in the elongated spring structure is obtained from placement of crossply material generally contiguous to the outer surface or by helical wrapping of the longitudinally oriented plies. Included are methods for forming integral spring-mounting means and manufacture of a plurality of spring structures simultaneously.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul V Huchette
- 👤 Jr Homer H Hall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:45
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29D; B29D99/00; B29D99/0003; B29D99/0007; B29C; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/30; B29C70/34; B29C70/345; B29C70/347; B29C70/68; B29C70/86; B29C70/865; B60; B60G; B60G11/00; B60G11/02; F; F16; F16F; F16F1/00; F16F1/36; F16F1/366; F16F1/368; B29C2793/00; B29C2793/009; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/06; B29K2105/08; B29K2105/10; B29K2105/101; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/774; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1089
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
290 words
A METHOD FOR FORMING A FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE SPRING HAVING A TENSION SIDE AND A COMPRESSION SIDE, A NEUTRAL AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN ITS LONGITUDINAL ENDS, AND A VAR LAR TO THE NEUTRAL AXIS WITH THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA DIMINISHING IN APPROACHING AT LEAST ONE OF THE LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF THE SPRING PROVIDING A TAPERED CONFIGURATION COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF VARYING-LENGTH PLIES COMPRISING SOLELY NON-WOVEN FIBRES IN SIDE-BY-SIDE, LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED, UNIDIRETIONAL RELATIONSHIP, SUCH FIBERS BEING HELD IN A CURABLE MATRIX MATERIAL, PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FULL-LENGTH PLIES COMPRISING SOLELY NON-WOVEN FIBERS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE, LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED, UNDIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FIBERS BEING HELD IN A CURABLE MATRIX MATERIAL, UCH ELONGATED PLIES EXTENDING AT LEAST OVER THE FULL LONGITUDINAL LENGTH OF THE COMPOSITE SPRING BEING FORMED, PROVIDING A MOLDING MEANS HAVING A CONFIGURATION CONFORMING TO THE DESIRED TAPERED CONFIGURATION OF THE ELONGATED SPRING BEING FORMED, ASSEMBLING SUCH VARYING LENGTH PLIES AND SUCH ELONGATED FULLENGTH PLIES TO FORM A COMPOSITE SPRING, WITH SHORTER LENGTH PLIES OF THE VARYING LENGTH PLIES BEING CENTRALLY LOCATED CONTIGUOUS TO THE NEUTRAL AXIS AND PLIES OF PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING LENTH OF SUCH VARYING LENGTH PLIES BEING LOCATED OUTWARDLY FROM SUCH NEUTRAL AXIS IN THE DIRECTION OF BOTH THE TENSION AND COMPRESSION SIDES OF THE COMPOSITE SPRING BEING FORMED AND INCLUDING PLACING AN ELONGATED PLY COMPRISING SOLELY NONWOVEN FIBERS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED, UNDIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP ALONG THE NEUTRAL AXIS TO EXTEND BETWEEN LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF THE SPRING BEING FORMED, WITH SUCH PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FULL LENGTH PLIES OVERLYING SUCH VARYING LENGTH PLIES, AND TREATING SUCH ASSEMBLAGE OF PLIES TO CURE SUCH MATRIX MATERIAL TO FORM A SOLID UNITARY STRUCTURE IN WHICH THE NONWOVEN FIBERS OF SUCH ASSEMBLAGE OF PLIES ARE BONDED TOGETHER BY THE CURE MATRIX MATERIAL.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
290 words
A METHOD FOR FORMING A FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE SPRING HAVING A TENSION SIDE AND A COMPRESSION SIDE, A NEUTRAL AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN ITS LONGITUDINAL ENDS, AND A VAR LAR TO THE NEUTRAL AXIS WITH THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA DIMINISHING IN APPROACHING AT LEAST ONE OF THE LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF THE SPRING PROVIDING A TAPERED CONFIGURATION COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF VARYING-LENGTH PLIES COMPRISING SOLELY NON-WOVEN FIBRES IN SIDE-BY-SIDE, LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED, UNIDIRETIONAL RELATIONSHIP, SUCH FIBERS BEING HELD IN A CURABLE MATRIX MATERIAL, PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FULL-LENGTH PLIES COMPRISING SOLELY NON-WOVEN FIBERS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE, LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED, UNDIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FIBERS BEING HELD IN A CURABLE MATRIX MATERIAL, UCH ELONGATED PLIES EXTENDING AT LEAST OVER THE FULL LONGITUDINAL LENGTH OF THE COMPOSITE SPRING BEING FORMED, PROVIDING A MOLDING MEANS HAVING A CONFIGURATION CONFORMING TO THE DESIRED TAPERED CONFIGURATION OF THE ELONGATED SPRING BEING FORMED, ASSEMBLING SUCH VARYING LENGTH PLIES AND SUCH ELONGATED FULLENGTH PLIES TO FORM A COMPOSITE SPRING, WITH SHORTER LENGTH PLIES OF THE VARYING LENGTH PLIES BEING CENTRALLY LOCATED CONTIGUOUS TO THE NEUTRAL AXIS AND PLIES OF PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING LENTH OF SUCH VARYING LENGTH PLIES BEING LOCATED OUTWARDLY FROM SUCH NEUTRAL AXIS IN THE DIRECTION OF BOTH THE TENSION AND COMPRESSION SIDES OF THE COMPOSITE SPRING BEING FORMED AND INCLUDING PLACING AN ELONGATED PLY COMPRISING SOLELY NONWOVEN FIBERS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED, UNDIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP ALONG THE NEUTRAL AXIS TO EXTEND BETWEEN LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF THE SPRING BEING FORMED, WITH SUCH PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FULL LENGTH PLIES OVERLYING SUCH VARYING LENGTH PLIES, AND TREATING SUCH ASSEMBLAGE OF PLIES TO CURE SUCH MATRIX MATERIAL TO FORM A SOLID UNITARY STRUCTURE IN WHICH THE NONWOVEN FIBERS OF SUCH ASSEMBLAGE OF PLIES ARE BONDED TOGETHER BY THE CURE MATRIX MATERIAL.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
125 words
The method of claim 1 in which such plurality of elongated full length plies have a length at least twice the length of the spring being formed and such plies are laid up by placing the plurality of elongated full length plies on the mold means with a portion of such plies extending between longitudinal ends of the spring defined by such mold means and the remaining portion of such full length plies overhanging such mold means, placing such plurality of varying length plies and such neutral axis elongated ply forming the centrally located core on the portion of the full length plies on the mold means, and placing the remaining portion of the full length plies in overlying relationship to such centrally located core.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 2 including the step of assEmbling eyelet means at at least one longitudinal end of the spring integrally with such spring by wrapping portions of the full length plies around the eyelet means when such remaining portion of the full length plies is placed in overlying relationship to the centrally located core plies.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 in which such neutral axis lay-up includes a plurality of elongated plies, assembling eyelet means at at least one longitudinal end of the spring, such eyelet means being positioned along the neutral axis, and wrapping at least one ply of the neutral axis lay-up around the eyelet means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1 in which the elongated full length plies are assembled with at least one ply which is located contiguous to an outer surface of the spring means having its fibers oriented laterally in relationship to the longitudinal direction and extending across the width of the spring.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
254 words
Method for forming a fiber-reinforced composite spring of elongated tapered configuration with cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated tapered configuration diminishing in approaching at least one longitudinal end of the composite spring, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of varying-length plies comprising solely non-woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship, such fibers being held in a curable matrix material, providing a plurality of elongated full-length plies comprising solely non-woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship with the fibers being held in a curable matrix material, such elongated plies extending at least over the full longitudinal length of the composite spring being formed, assembling such varying length plies and such elongated plies to form a composite spring with shorter length plies of the varying length plies being centrally located to provide the tapered configuration and with such plurality of elongated plies overlying such varying length plies, providing an elongated tape-like ply comprising unidirectionally oriented, non-woven fibers in a curable matrix material, helically wrapping such elongated tape-like ply about the combined varying length plies and overlying elongated plies with the unidirectionally oriented non-woven fibers in such helically wrapped plies being oriented in transverse relationship to the longitudinal axis of such composite spring, with such wrapping extending between longitudinal ends of such composite spring, and treating such helically wrapped structure to form a solid unitary structure in which non-woven fibers of the varying-length plies, full-length plies and helically wrapped ply are bonded together by the matrix material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
254 words
Method for forming a fiber-reinforced composite spring of elongated tapered configuration with cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated tapered configuration diminishing in approaching at least one longitudinal end of the composite spring, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of varying-length plies comprising solely non-woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship, such fibers being held in a curable matrix material, providing a plurality of elongated full-length plies comprising solely non-woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship with the fibers being held in a curable matrix material, such elongated plies extending at least over the full longitudinal length of the composite spring being formed, assembling such varying length plies and such elongated plies to form a composite spring with shorter length plies of the varying length plies being centrally located to provide the tapered configuration and with such plurality of elongated plies overlying such varying length plies, providing an elongated tape-like ply comprising unidirectionally oriented, non-woven fibers in a curable matrix material, helically wrapping such elongated tape-like ply about the combined varying length plies and overlying elongated plies with the unidirectionally oriented non-woven fibers in such helically wrapped plies being oriented in transverse relationship to the longitudinal axis of such composite spring, with such wrapping extending between longitudinal ends of such composite spring, and treating such helically wrapped structure to form a solid unitary structure in which non-woven fibers of the varying-length plies, full-length plies and helically wrapped ply are bonded together by the matrix material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
239 words
Method for producing a plurality of elongated, fiber-reinforced springs of tapered configuration with cross-sectional area of such springs in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated tapered configuration diminishing in approaching at least one longitudinal end of such composite spring, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of sheet-like plies comprising solely woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship held in a curable matrix material, such plies being of predetermined varying length in such longitudinal direction, providing a plurality of sheet-like elongated plies extending at least over the full length between longitudinal ends of the spring configuration with such elongated full-length plies comprising solely non-woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship, with the fibers being held in a curable matrix material, assembling such varying length sheet-like plies with shorter length plies being centrally located longitudinally to provide the tapered configuration and with elongated full-length sheet-like plies overlaying such varying length plies, treating such combined varying length plieS and overlying elongated plies to cure the matrix material forming a solid unitary structure in which the non-woven fibers of such varying length plies and elongated full-length plies are bonded together by matrix material, and cutting such cured, unitary structure along a longitudinally oriented plane extending between longitudinal ends of such configuration in parallel relationship to longitudinally oriented fibers of such varying length plies and overlying full-length plies to form a plurality of elongated tapered configuration springs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
239 words
Method for producing a plurality of elongated, fiber-reinforced springs of tapered configuration with cross-sectional area of such springs in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated tapered configuration diminishing in approaching at least one longitudinal end of such composite spring, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of sheet-like plies comprising solely woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship held in a curable matrix material, such plies being of predetermined varying length in such longitudinal direction, providing a plurality of sheet-like elongated plies extending at least over the full length between longitudinal ends of the spring configuration with such elongated full-length plies comprising solely non-woven fibers in side-by-side, longitudinally oriented, unidirectional relationship, with the fibers being held in a curable matrix material, assembling such varying length sheet-like plies with shorter length plies being centrally located longitudinally to provide the tapered configuration and with elongated full-length sheet-like plies overlaying such varying length plies, treating such combined varying length plieS and overlying elongated plies to cure the matrix material forming a solid unitary structure in which the non-woven fibers of such varying length plies and elongated full-length plies are bonded together by matrix material, and cutting such cured, unitary structure along a longitudinally oriented plane extending between longitudinal ends of such configuration in parallel relationship to longitudinally oriented fibers of such varying length plies and overlying full-length plies to form a plurality of elongated tapered configuration springs.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
226 words
Method for forming a fiber-reinforced composite spring of elongated tapered configuration having a neutral axis extending between its longitudinal ends comprising the steps of forming a configuration-defining, centrally located core by overlaying a plurality of plies of solely non-woven, unidirectionally oriented, fibers held in a curable matrix material, such plies being longitudinally oriented and of predetermined varying length substantially less than the distance between longitudinal ends of the spring, the plurality of varying length plies forming the centrally located core being laid up with minimum length plies located contiguous to the neutral axis of the spring and central core plies of maximum length being located outermost in relation to the neutral axis, such lay-up of varying length plies being symmetrical with respect to the neutral axis and including placing at least one elongated ply of solely non-woven fibers along the neutral axis to extend between longitudinal ends of the spring, the fibers of such neutral axis ply being longitudinally oriented, placing a plurality of elongated plies extending between longitudinal ends of the spring in overlying relationship to the centrally located core, the elongated plies comprising solely non-woven unidirectionally oriented fibers held in a curable matrix material, and treating such assemblage of plies to cure the matrix material to form a solid unitary structure in which the non-woven fibers are bonded together by the cured matrix material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
226 words
Method for forming a fiber-reinforced composite spring of elongated tapered configuration having a neutral axis extending between its longitudinal ends comprising the steps of forming a configuration-defining, centrally located core by overlaying a plurality of plies of solely non-woven, unidirectionally oriented, fibers held in a curable matrix material, such plies being longitudinally oriented and of predetermined varying length substantially less than the distance between longitudinal ends of the spring, the plurality of varying length plies forming the centrally located core being laid up with minimum length plies located contiguous to the neutral axis of the spring and central core plies of maximum length being located outermost in relation to the neutral axis, such lay-up of varying length plies being symmetrical with respect to the neutral axis and including placing at least one elongated ply of solely non-woven fibers along the neutral axis to extend between longitudinal ends of the spring, the fibers of such neutral axis ply being longitudinally oriented, placing a plurality of elongated plies extending between longitudinal ends of the spring in overlying relationship to the centrally located core, the elongated plies comprising solely non-woven unidirectionally oriented fibers held in a curable matrix material, and treating such assemblage of plies to cure the matrix material to form a solid unitary structure in which the non-woven fibers are bonded together by the cured matrix material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 8 in which the matrix material comprises a polymer such as epoxy and in which the assemblage of plies are treated in a mold having an internal configuration conforming to the desired tapered configuration of the spring to form the solid unitary structure, the assemblage of plies being held under pressure during heat treatment in the mold at a temperature above about 150*C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 8 in which the plurality of elongated plies overlying the centrally located core portion are laid up with at least one ply located contiguous to an outer surface of the spring having its fibers oriented laterally in relationship to the longitudinal direction and extending across the width of the spring.
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) | 1978-08-18 | 1979-02-17 | 1979-08-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-18 | 1983-02-17 | 1983-08-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-18 | 1987-02-17 | 1987-08-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |