Apparatus for continuously forming composite shapes

Claim 1

An apparatus for continuously forming elongated structural shapes from fiber reinforced thermoplastic strips which comprises: drive means for continuously moving a plurality of dry fiber reinforced thermoplastic strips from supply rolls through the apparatus; at least one first heater roller set having heating means located in selected narrow rings around the roller surfaces to heat areas of a first strip passing through said roller set only along lines parallel to the strip longitudinal edges; at least one first plurality of reshaping roller sets, each set having complimentary shapes for changing the cross-sectional shape of the first strip in steps, said reshaping occurring only in the linear heated areas; means to continuously feed at least one second strip into contact with said first step; consolidating heating means for receiving said first and second strips, including a first plurality of opposed spring-loaded platens to compress the contacting areas of said strips together to form a structural member and heating means to heat said strips to the consolidation temperature range of said thermoplastic as said strips move continuously through said first platens; cooling means for receiving the resulting structural member from said consolidating heating means comprising a second plurality of opposed spring-loaded platens engaging said member to maintain the shape of said member and cooling means cooling said member to return said member to a temperature below the thermoplastic consolidation temperature range as said member moves continuously through said second platens.

Claim 2

An apparatus for continuously forming elongated structural shapes from fiber reinforced thermoplastic strips which comprises: drive means for continuously moving a plurality of dry fiber reinforced thermoplastic strips from supply rolls through the apparatus; at least one first heater roller set having heating means located in selected narrow rings around the roller surfaces to heat areas of a first strip passing through said roller set only along lines parallel to the strip longitudinal edges; at least one first plurality of reshaping roller sets, each set having complimentary shapes for changing the cross-sectional shape of the first strip in steps, said reshaping occurring only in the linear heated areas; means to continuously feed at least one second strip into contact with said first step; consolidating heating means for receiving said first and second strips, including a first plurality of opposed spring-loaded platens to compress the contacting areas of said strips together to form a structural member and heating means to heat said strips to the consolidation temperature range of said thermoplastic as said strips move continuously through said first platens; cooling means for receiving the resulting structural member from said consolidating heating means comprising a second plurality of opposed spring-loaded platens engaging said member to maintain the shape of said member and cooling means cooling said member to return said member to a temperature below the thermoplastic consolidation temperature range as said member moves continuously through said second platens.

Claim 6

A method of manufacturing a structural beam having an I-beam cross-section from strips comprising graphite fibers embedded in a thermoplastic resin matrix which comprises the steps of: heating areas parallel to longitudinal edges of two graphite/thermoplastic strips to the consolidation temperature range of the resin; passing each of said strips through sets of rollers, each set having cooperating shapes which bend said strips along said heated areas to stepwise change the cross-section of each strip from rectangular to a channel section; bringing the two resulting channel sections together in a back-to-back relationship with the channel flanges in a planar relationship; bringing two graphite/thermoplastic welts into contact with the outer line of contact between channel backs; bringing two graphite/thermoplastic cap strips into contact with said channel flanges; pressing together said channel sections and strips while heating them to the consolidation temperature range of said thermoplastic, for a time sufficient for consolidation and bonding; and cooling said resulting I-beam to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the resin structural shape while applying shape-maintaining pressure until the temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic.

Claim 7

A method of manufacturing a structural beam having an I-beam cross-section from strips comprising graphite fibers embedded in a thermoplastic resin matrix which comprises the steps of: heating areas parallel to longitudinal edges of two graphite/thermoplastic strips to the consolidation temperature range of the resin; passing each of said strips through sets of rollers, each set having cooperating shapes which bend said strips along said heated areas to stepwise change the cross-section of each strip from rectangular to a channel section; bringing the two resulting channel sections together in a back-to-back relationship with the channel flanges in a planar relationship; bringing two graphite/thermoplastic welts into contact with the outer line of contact between channel backs; bringing two graphite/thermoplastic cap strips into contact with said channel flanges; pressing together said channel sections and strips while heating them to the consolidation temperature range of said thermoplastic, for a time sufficient for consolidation and bonding; and cooling said resulting I-beam to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the resin structural shape while applying shape-maintaining pressure until the temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic.