Process for reinforced polymeric composites

Claim 1

A process for the continuous manufacture of a reinforced polymeric composite comprising the steps of: a. providing a pair of cojointly longitudinally moving upper and lower mold means having opposed interior surfaces defining in cross section an open ended cavity having a predetermined cross section corresponding to said composite; b. providing upper and lower flexible means substantially non-adherent to said upper and lower mold means, respectively; c. applying a coating of a first thermoset reactant composition to said flexible means; d. longitudinally applying continuous strands of a high modulus material onto said coating while said coating is in a viscous state with pressure sufficient to at least partially wet said continuous strands with said coating; e. depositing chopped strands of high modulus material onto said continuous strands in a random array; f. applying a foamable thermoset reactant composition over said continuous strands and said chopped strands; g. transferring said flexible means with said coating, said chopped and said continuous strands, and said thermoset reactant compositions thereon onto said mold means into said cavity; h. controlling the reactions of said thermoset reactant compositions in said cavity such that the foaming pressure of said foamable thermoset reactant composition occurs substantially within said cavity and is effective to (1) at least partially wet said chopped and continuous strands with both thermoset reactant compositions, (2) embed portions of said chopped strands into both of said reactant compositions to thereby establish a three dimensional high modulus interface bridging both said thermoset reactant compositions, and (3) completely fill said cavity forcing said flexible means into conformity with said opposed interior surfaces, thereby forming a composite; and i. curing said reactants prior to exiting said cavity sufficient to maintain the dimensional integrity of said composite.