Passive tensioning system for composite material payout control
AssigneeFives Machining Systems, Inc.
InventorsJohn Brockman, Milo Vaniglia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A passive tensioning system is disclosed for composite material that is dispensed by a composite placement machine. A spool is mounted on a spool shaft and material on the spool is pulled from the spool and applied to a surface. The tensioning system has a drag brake on the spool shaft and a drag brake control for the drag brake. A dancer roll is mounted on a linear slide having a spring force and a slide control is provided for the linear slide. A control system continually varies the drag brake control and the slide control to control the tension of the composite material based on the instantaneous operating characteristics of the composite placement machine.
Claims18
A passive tensioning system for composite material dispensed by a composite placement machine in which material on a spool mounted on a spool shaft is pulled off over a dancer roll and applied to a surface, the passive tensioning system comprising:
- a drag brake on the spool shaft;
- a drag brake control for the drag brake;
- the dancer roll mounted on a linear slide having a spring force;
- a slide control for varying the spring force for the linear slide;
- and,
- a control system for continually varying the drag brake control and the slide control to control the tension of the composite material based on the instantaneous operating characteristics of the composite placement machine, wherein the dancer roll, the drag brake control, and the slide control are carried by a composite placement head and creel assembly;
- and the dancer roll spring force is dynamically adjustable based on the change of the gravity vector on the dancer roll as the tensioning system is tilted relative to the gravity vector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.