Material dispensing systems
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsDavid G. Carlson, Paul K. Oldroyd, George R. Decker, Doug K. Wolfe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of preparing a composite article including providing a first bias assembly with a first bias roll; providing a first non-bias assembly with a first non-bias roll; positioning the first bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a bias ply from the first bias roll along a bias path on a mold; cutting the bias ply; positioning the first non-bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a non-bias ply from the first non-bias roll; and cutting the non-bias ply; wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel.
Claims7
A method of preparing a composite article using a material dispensing system, the material dispensing system having a pair of tracks mounted to a ceiling or a floor;
- a machine base disposed between the pair of tracks having a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the pair of tracks;
- a mold disposed on the matching base;
- a first frame including movable support members disposed in the pair of tracks, the first frame moves only in an X direction on the pair of tracks during operation;
- and a first application head supported by the movable support members, the first application head comprising a platform disposed on the movalble support members, the first application head comprising:
- a first bias ply assembly comprising a bias ply roll supported on a bias ply dispenser unit, the first bias ply assembly configured to pass bias ply material along a bias path, the first bias assembly supported by the platform, and
- a first non-bias ply assembly comprising a non-bias ply rtoll supported by a non-bias ply dispenser unit, the non-bias ply assembly configured to pass non-bias ply material along a non-bias path;
- the first non-bias assembly supported by the platform and below the first bias ply assembly:
- the method comprising:
- providing the first bias assembly with the bias ply roll;
- providing the first non-bias assembly with the non-bias roll;
- positioning the first bias assembly to a first dispensing position by the movable support members traversing across the tracks;
- dispensing a bias ply material from the bias ply roll along the bias path on the mold;
- cutting the bias ply material;
- positioning the first non-bias assembly to a second dispensing position by the movable support members traversing across the tracks;
- dispensing a non-bias ply material from the non-bias ply roll along the non-bias path on the mold;
- and
- cutting the non-bias ply material;
- wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.