US5261980A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Filament-wound tubular element manufacturing method
Assignee: EDO SUB ACQUISITION Corp
•
Filing: 1992-01-22
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Granted: 1993-11-16
•
Expires: 2012-01-22
Abstract
Abstract A method of manufacturing filament-wound tubes or shafts includes drywinding a plurality of elongate mandrels with the filament, inserting the filament wound mandrels into respective elongate hollow molds of a mold complex, and injecting resin such as epoxy resin under pressure into the hollow molds into intimate contact with the filament. Heat is then supplied to the mold complex to heat the resin to a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined period of time to cure the resin and thereby form the tubes or shafts. The mandrels and tube or shafts are removed from the hollow molds and then the mandrels are removed from the tubes or shafts. Many of these activities are carried out in parallel to increase the manufacturing throughput of the tubes or shafts.
Inventors
- 👤 Terry V. Pearce
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:30
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C53/00; B29C53/80; B29C53/8008; B29C53/8066; B29C33/00; B29C33/76; B29C69/00; B29C69/001; B29C69/002; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/40; B29C70/42; B29C70/46; B29C70/48; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S273/00; Y10S273/23; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/1369
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of manufacturing filament wound tubular elements comprising (a) drywinding at least one elongate mandrel with a filament, (b) heating a mold complex to a predetermined temperature, the mold complex comprising a block of heat-conductive material in which are formed a plurality of generally parallel elongate hollow molds having sidewalls and a plurality of conduits positioned adjacently between at least some of said molds, by conveying a heated, heat-carrying medium through said conduits to transfer heat to said mold complex and thus to said hollow molds, (c) inserting the filament-wound mandrel into one of said hollow molds to thereby cause said filament-wound mandrel to be heated, (d) injecting resin under pressure into the hollow mold to thereby cause said resin to be heated and to contact the filament and the sidewalls of the mold so that the resin is cured to thereby form a composite tubular element, (e) removing the mandrel and tubular element from the hollow mold, and (f) removing the mandrel from the tubular element.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of manufacturing filament wound tubular elements comprising (a) drywinding at least one elongate mandrel with a filament, (b) heating a mold complex to a predetermined temperature, the mold complex comprising a block of heat-conductive material in which are formed a plurality of generally parallel elongate hollow molds having sidewalls and a plurality of conduits positioned adjacently between at least some of said molds, by conveying a heated, heat-carrying medium through said conduits to transfer heat to said mold complex and thus to said hollow molds, (c) inserting the filament-wound mandrel into one of said hollow molds to thereby cause said filament-wound mandrel to be heated, (d) injecting resin under pressure into the hollow mold to thereby cause said resin to be heated and to contact the filament and the sidewalls of the mold so that the resin is cured to thereby form a composite tubular element, (e) removing the mandrel and tubular element from the hollow mold, and (f) removing the mandrel from the tubular element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises winding the filament helically.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises (g) joining pairs of mandrels end-to-end to form dual mandrels, (h) installing a multiplicity of dual mandrels on a winding machine, and (i) dry winding the dual mandrels with a filament.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as in claim 3 wherein step (a) further comprises (j) applying shrink tape about the ends of each dual mandrel and about the joint of each dual mandrel where each pair of mandrels are joined end-to-end, (k) heat shrinking the tape, (l) cutting the wound filament at the ends of each dual mandrel under the tape, and at the joint under the tape, to thereby expose filament ends, and (m) separating the dual mandrels into pairs of mandrels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 4 wherein step (1) comprises cutting the wound filament with an ultrasonic knife.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises drywinding a plurality of mandrels with a filament.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 6 wherein said heat-conductive block of material includes aluminum, and wherein the elongate molds are lined with a zinc alloy coated with a polished polymer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as in claim 6 wherein said heat-conductive block of material includes steel, and wherein the elongate molds are lined with a thermoplastic material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 6 wherein step (b) further comprises supplying heated oil to the conduits of the block of material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein the conduits are formed of copper tubing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises drywinding a plurality of mandrels with a filament, and wherein step (c) comprises inserting the filament-wound mandrels into respective heat-conductive pipes disposed in a fluid bath, and wherein step (b) comprises heating the fluid bath to thereby heat the pipes and thus resin on the filamentwound mandrels.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as in claim 11 wherein said pipes are comprised of steel, lined with a polymer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as in claim 11 wherein said pipes are comprised of high strength glass.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 11 wherein the heated fluid is oil.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 11 wherein the heated fluid is air.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises drywinding the filament upon a mandrel which tapers from a wide end to a narrow end, wherein step (c) comprises inserting the filament-wound mandrel, narrow end first, into a tapered elongate hollow mold, and wherein the method further comprises forcing the filament-wound mandrel tightly into the mold so that the sides of the mold press against and compact the filament on the mandrel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as in claim 16 wherein step (d) comprises withdrawing air from the mold and injecting resin into the mold.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as in claim 17 wherein air is withdrawn from the mold while resin is injected into the mold.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 18 wherein step (d) further comprises orienting the mold generally vertically and injecting resin into the lower end of the mold.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 19 wherein step (d) further comprises injecting resin into the mold through a constricted passageway leading to the mold.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein step (f) comprises clamping both ends of a multiplicity of tubular elements, clamping the ends of mandrels disposed in the multiplicity of tubular elements, and moving the clamp on the mandrels to thereby withdraw the mandrels simultaneously from the multiplicity of tubular elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 21 further comprising trimming both ends of the multiplicity of tubular elements while held in the clamps.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of curing fiber reinforced composite tubes wound about respective elongate mandrels comprising the steps of (a) inserting dry wound fiber tubes, with mandrels, longitudinally into elongate hollow molds formed in parallel in a heat conductive mold complex in which are formed a plurality of conduits positioned adjacently between at least some of said molds, (b) compacting the fiber on the mandrels, (c) injecting resin under pressure into the molds to suffuse the fiber wound about the mandrels, (d) supplying heat to the mold complex prior to or during step (c) by conveying a heated, heat-carrying medium through said conduits to transfer heat to said mold complex and thus to said hollow molds to thereby cause said tubes and mandrels to be heated and to heat cure the resin to form fiber composite tubes, (e) removing the composite tubes, with mandrels, longitudinally from the molds, and (f) removing the mandrels from the composite tubes.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of curing fiber reinforced composite tubes wound about respective elongate mandrels comprising the steps of (a) inserting dry wound fiber tubes, with mandrels, longitudinally into elongate hollow molds formed in parallel in a heat conductive mold complex in which are formed a plurality of conduits positioned adjacently between at least some of said molds, (b) compacting the fiber on the mandrels, (c) injecting resin under pressure into the molds to suffuse the fiber wound about the mandrels, (d) supplying heat to the mold complex prior to or during step (c) by conveying a heated, heat-carrying medium through said conduits to transfer heat to said mold complex and thus to said hollow molds to thereby cause said tubes and mandrels to be heated and to heat cure the resin to form fiber composite tubes, (e) removing the composite tubes, with mandrels, longitudinally from the molds, and (f) removing the mandrels from the composite tubes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as in claim 23 wherein said molds are tapered longitudinally, wherein said mandrels and dry wound fiber tubes are similarly tapered longitudinally, wherein step (a) comprises inserting the dry wound fiber tubes, with mandrels, narrow ends first, into the wide ends of the molds, and wherein step (b) comprises forcing the dry wound fiber tubes, with mandrels, tightly into the molds so that the walls of the molds press against and compact the fibers wound on the mandrels.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as in claim 24 wherein a plurality of dry wound fiber tubes, with mandrels, are forced into a corresponding plurality of molds simultaneously.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 24 wherein step (c) comprises injecting resin into the molds at the ends which are disposed lower in orientation of the molds.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as in claim 26 wherein step (c) further comprises injecting resin substantially simultaneously into a plurality of molds.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as in claim 26 wherein step (c) further comprises injecting resin into the molds through narrowed channels located adjacent the ends of the molds at which the resin is injected.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 24 wherein step (c) comprises evacuating air from the molds as resin is injected into the molds.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 29 wherein step (c) further comprises injecting resin into the molds while or after evacuating air from the molds.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 23 wherein the molds are formed of heat-conductive tubing, and wherein the heat-carrying medium is a fluid.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as in claim 23 wherein the molds are formed in a heat-conductive block of solid material, and wherein the heat-carrying medium is circulated through conduits formed in the block adjacent the molds.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 23 wherein step (f) comprises removing a plurality, of mandrels from a corresponding plurality of composite tubes simultaneously.
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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) | 1996-11-15 | 1997-05-17 | 1997-11-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-11-15 | 2001-05-17 | 2001-11-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-11-15 | 2005-05-17 | 2005-11-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |