Patent US4790898A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4790898A
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Method and apparatus for fiber lamination
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1982-07-19
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Granted: 1988-12-13
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Expires: 2002-07-19
Abstract
Abstract A series of filaments are grouped into rovings (10), with each roving being impregnated with a viscous, tacky resin binder. The rovings are guided (12, 14, 16) to and compressed against a mandrel (18). By controlling intraroving spacing and compression force, the rovings are compressed such that their lateral expansion results in adjacent roving bonding, whereby a singular band (22) of defined width, height and filament count is formed. The height and width is controlled by varying the compression force and the intraroving spacing. Band contouring is realized by severing (24, 26) selected rovings prior to band formation. Linear and rotational relative motion is provided (FIG. 11: 110, 112, 114) between the roving guiding and compression means and the mandrel to precisely orient the band.
Inventors
- 👤 Quentin T. Woods
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:33
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/30; B29C70/32; B29C53/00; B29C53/56; B29C53/566; B29C53/80; B29C53/8008; B29C53/8016; B29C70/06; B29C70/10; B29C70/16; B29C70/20; B29C70/38; B29C70/382; B29C70/40; B29C70/50; B29C70/504; D; D02; D02J; D02J1/00; D02J1/18; B29C35/00; B29C35/02; B29C2035/0283; B29C70/54; B29C70/545; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/06; B29K2105/08; B29K2105/10; B29K2105/101; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1052; Y10T156/1062; Y10T156/12; Y10T156/1317; Y10T156/1322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A method for producing fiber laminations comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of rovings, each roving comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments; (b) predeterminedly guiding said rovings to a receiving surface, with predetermined spacing between said rovings; and a predeterminedly contoured mandrel for supporting the fiber laminations; guide means for guiding each of a plurality of rovings, with each roving being comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments, to said mandrel, the guide means comprising an expandable and contractable comb having two sets of tines, each offset from the other, one set of tines for guiding one group of rovings with a remaining set of tines for guiding the remaining rovings; and compaction means for compacting the rovings against the mandrel such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together whereby the compacted rovings form a band contoured to the mandrel.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
A method for producing fiber laminations comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of rovings, each roving comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments; (b) predeterminedly guiding said rovings to a receiving surface, with predetermined spacing between said rovings; and a predeterminedly contoured mandrel for supporting the fiber laminations; guide means for guiding each of a plurality of rovings, with each roving being comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments, to said mandrel, the guide means comprising an expandable and contractable comb having two sets of tines, each offset from the other, one set of tines for guiding one group of rovings with a remaining set of tines for guiding the remaining rovings; and compaction means for compacting the rovings against the mandrel such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together whereby the compacted rovings form a band contoured to the mandrel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the step of: (i) controlling the spacing, d, between the rovings to thereby vary the height, h, and the filament density of said band.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the steps of: (i) providing a fixed position comb, the comb having a plurality of tines with each roving being routed through a pair of said tines; (ii) providing a predeterminedly positioned, rotatable comb, the rotatable comb having a plurality of tines with each roving being routed through a pair of said tines; and (iii) controllably rotating said comb to uniformly fix the distance, d, between the rovings at the receiving surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises the steps of: (i) providing an expandable and contractable comb having two sets of tines, each offset from the other; and (ii) guiding one group of roving through one set of tines and the remaining rovings through the other set of tines.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises the steps of: (i) providing a hinged comb pair; (ii) routing the rovings through the tines on each of the combs; and (iii) controlling the angle formed by the hinged comb pair to thereby control the roving spacing, d.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of: (d) severing selected rovings prior to steps (b) and (c) to thereby predeterminedly vary the cross-sectional contour of the resultant band.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 6 comprising the further step of: (e) clamping a roving in a predetermined position prior to its being severed per step (d); and (f) controllably rethreading and guiding a clamped roving to said receiving surface.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
40 words
The method of any one of claims 1 through 7 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of: applying sufficient compression force to the rovings such that application of additional force does not significantly increase the compaction of the rovings.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 2 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of: applying a controlled compression force to the rovings to, in conjunction with the spacing, d, control the thickness and width of the band.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
63 words
The method of any one of claims 1 through 7 comprising the further steps of: providing a control head for both guiding and spacing the rovings, per step (b), and compacting the rovings, per step (c); and providing a controlled relative rotary and linear motion between the receiving surface and said control head to thereby precisely position the band on the receiving surface.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
62 words
The method of any one of claims 1 through 7 wherein the rovings are impregnated with a heat setting binder, the method comprising the further steps of: heating the rovings to a predetermined temperature to thereby establish a predetermined tack prior to compacting; and heating the receiving surface to a predetermined temperature, such that upon compacting a cohesive intraroving bond is formed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps: automatically controlling the compacting compression force and the intraroving spacing such that a band of predetermined width, height and filament count is formed; and automatically controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the receiving surface and the formed band, such that the resultant formed structure exhibits a predetermined stress profile.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus for producing fiber laminations comprising: (c) compacting said rovings against said receiving surface such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together and form a continuous band conformed to the contour of the receiving surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus for producing fiber laminations comprising: (c) compacting said rovings against said receiving surface such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together and form a continuous band conformed to the contour of the receiving surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising: means for severing selected rovings prior to said rovings being compacted into said band to thereby predeterminedly vary the cross-sectional contour of the band.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: clamping means for clamping a roving in a predetermined position prior to severing of the rovings; and rethreading means for controllably rethreading a clamped roving through said guide means to said mandrel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the compaction means further comprises: means for applying sufficient compression force to the rovings, such that application of additional force does not significantly increase the compaction of the rovings.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the compaction means further comprises: means for applying a controlled compression force to the rovings to, in conjunction with the spacing, d, control the thickness and the width of the band.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of any one of claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a control head for both guiding and compacting the rovings; and means for controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the mandrel and said control head to thereby precisely position the band on the mandrel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a control head for both guiding and compacting the rovings; and means for controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the mandrel and said control head to thereby precisely position the band on the mandrel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the rovings are impregnated with a heat setting binder further comprising: means to heat the rovings, prior to compacting, to a predetermined temperature; and means to heat the mandrel surface to a predetermined temperature, such that upon compacting a cohesive intraroving bond is formed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
111 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a control head for both guiding and compacting the rovings; means for controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the mandrel and said control head to thereby precisely position the head on the mandrel; and automatic control means for automatically controlling the compression force of the compaction means and the intraroving spacing such that a band of predetermined width, height and filament count is formed, the automatic control means also including means for automatically controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the receiving surface and the formed band, such that the resultant formed structure exhibits a predetermined stress profile.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
99 words
Apparatus for producing fiber laminations comprising: a predeterminedly contoured mandrel for supporting the fiber laminations; guide means for guiding each of plurality of rovings, with each roving being comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments, to said mandrel, said guide means comprising a hinge comb pair, each comb having tines for guiding the rovings therethrough, and the angle formed by the comb pair being adjustable to control the roving spacing, d; compaction means for compacting the rovings against the mandrel such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together whereby the compacted rovings form a band contoured to the mandrel.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
99 words
Apparatus for producing fiber laminations comprising: a predeterminedly contoured mandrel for supporting the fiber laminations; guide means for guiding each of plurality of rovings, with each roving being comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments, to said mandrel, said guide means comprising a hinge comb pair, each comb having tines for guiding the rovings therethrough, and the angle formed by the comb pair being adjustable to control the roving spacing, d; compaction means for compacting the rovings against the mandrel such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together whereby the compacted rovings form a band contoured to the mandrel.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising: means for severing selected rovings prior to said rovings being compacted into said band to thereby predeterminedly vary the cross-sectional contour of the band.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising: clamping means for clamping a roving in a predetermined position prior to severing of the roving; and rethreading means for controllably rethreading a clamped roving through said guide means to said mandrel.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the compaction means further comprises: means for applying sufficient compression force to the rovings, such that application of additional force does not significantly increase the compaction of the rovings.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the compaction means further comprises: means for applying a controlled compression force to the rovings to, in conjunction with the spacing, d, control the thickness and width of the band.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of either of claims 22 or 26 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a control head for both guiding and compacting the roving; and means for controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the mandrel and said control head to thereby precisely position the band on the mandrel.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a control head for both guiding and compacting the rovings; and means for controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the mandrel and said control head to thereby precisely position the head on the mandrel.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the rovings are impregnated with a heat setting binder further comprising: means to heat the rovings, prior to compacting, to a predetermined temperature; and means to heat the mandrel surface to a predetermined temperature, such that upon compacting a cohesive intraroving bond is formed.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
111 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a control head for both guiding and compacting the rovings; means for controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the mandrel and said control head to thereby precisely position the head on the mandrel; and automatic control means for automatically controlling the compression force of the compaction means and the intraroving spacing such that a band of predetermined width, height and filament count is formed, the automatic control means also including means for automatically controlling the relative rotary and linear motion between the receiving surface and the formed band, such that the resultant formed structure exhibits a predetermined stress profile.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-12-13 | 1992-06-13 | 1992-12-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-12-13 | 1996-06-13 | 1996-12-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-12-13 | 2000-06-13 | 2000-12-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |