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US 11,628,636 B2Granted
Automated tow/tape placement system
AssigneeUnited States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
InventorRobert G. Bryant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may provide Automated Tape (or Tow) Placement (ATP) systems including machine-based parts that support prepreg tape laying processes to build composite parts. Various embodiments may be applied to materials that may be consolidated during fabrication and/or may be used to fabricate parts that may require post processing steps.
Claims14
An Automated Tape Placement (ATP) head, comprising:
- a layup truck, comprising:
- two rollers;
- a rotating transmission supporting the two rollers;
- wherein the rotating transmission is configured to tilt such that in a first position of the rotating transmission a first of the two rollers operates as a compaction drive wheel and the second of the two rollers operates as a tensioning guide drive wheel for a tape being deposited by the ATP head and in a second position of the rotating transmission the second of the two rollers operates as the compaction drive wheel and the first of the two rollers operates as the tensioning guide drive wheel for the tape being deposited by the ATP head;
- wherein the tape being deposited by the ATP head passes between the two rollers contacting both of the two rollers in both of the first position of the rotating transmission and the second position of the rotating transmission;
- wherein the layup truck further comprises stanchions supporting the rotating transmission;
- at least one grip truck, comprising:
- two rollers;
- a rotating transmission supporting the two rollers;
- stanchions supporting the rotating transmission;
- and
- a rotatable collar attached to the stanchions and including a rotating link, wherein the tape being deposited by the ATP head does not pass between the two rollers of the at least one grip truck.
9 more elements
An ATP system, comprising:
- a first ATP head, comprising:
- a layup truck, comprising:
- two rollers;
- a rotating transmission supporting the two rollers;
- wherein the rotating transmission is configured to tilt such that in a first position of the rotating transmission a first of the two rollers operates as a compaction drive wheel and the second of the two rollers operates as a tensioning guide drive wheel for a tape being deposited by the ATP head and in a second position of the rotating transmission the second of the two rollers operates as the compaction drive wheel and the first of the two rollers operates as the tensioning guide drive wheel for the tape being deposited by the ATP head;
- wherein the tape being deposited by the ATP head passes between the two rollers contacting both of the two rollers in both of the first position of the rotating transmission and the second position of the rotating transmission;
- a first pair of grip trucks, each grip truck of the first pair of grip trucks comprising:
- two rollers;
- a rotating transmission supporting the two rollers;
- stanchions supporting the rotating transmission;
- and
- a rotatable collar attached to the stanchions and including a rotating link, wherein the first tape being deposited by the first ATP head does not pass between the two rollers of either of the first pair of grip trucks.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.