# US 12,594,714 B2 · Methods and apparatus for compressing material during additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,714 B2 - Document ID: US12594714B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/290,642 - Filed: 2025-08-05 - Published: 2025-11-20 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-17 - Assignees: Thermwood Corporation - Applicants: Thermwood Corporation - Inventors: Kenneth J. Susnjara; Scott G. Vaal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594714B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material - B29C 64/194: during lay-up - B29C 64/218: Rollers - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING ## Abstract An additive manufacturing device and method for delivering a flowable material from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine and compressing the flowable material with a compression roller. In one embodiment, the device includes a nozzle configured to deposit a flowable material on a surface; and a roller configured to compress the deposited flowable material, wherein the roller comprises: a flat center portion having a constant diameter; and opposed end portions, wherein each end portion extends outwardly from the flat center portion, and wherein a radially outermost surface of each end portion is angled relative a rotational axis of the roller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An additive manufacturing device, the device comprising: a first link, the first link configured to move along at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, or a z-axis; a second link connected to the first link, the second link configured to move along at least one of the x-axis, the y-axis, or the z-axis; an applicator head connected to the second link, the applicator head having a nozzle configured to deposit material; and a roller connected to the applicator head, the roller having an axial length and including: a flat center portion formed about a midpoint of the axial length of the roller, the center portion configured to come into contact with the material deposited by the nozzle; and end portions including ends of the roller, the end portions having reduced diameters on opposite sides of the flat center portion as compared to a diameter of the flat center portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, wherein the first link is a carriage and the second link is a carrier, and further wherein the carriage is configured to move the carrier and the applicator head along the y-axis, and the carrier is configured to move the applicator head along the z-axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing device includes a computer numeric control machine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, wherein the roller is connected to a bracket, the bracket configured to be rotated about the nozzle by a servomotor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, further comprising a third link connected to the first link, the third link configured to move along at least one of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The additive manufacturing device of claim 5, wherein the third link is a gantry, and further wherein the gantry is configured to move the first link, the second link, and the applicator head along the x-axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, further comprising a base configured to be positioned below the first link. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the base is a bed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to cause movement of the first link and movement of the second link. ### Claim 10 An additive manufacturing device, the device comprising: a first link configured to move along at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, or a z-axis; a second link connected to the first link, the second link configured to move along at least one of the x-axis, the y-axis, or the z-axis; an applicator head connected to the second link, the applicator head having a nozzle configured to deposit material; and a roller connected to the applicator head that includes: a flat center portion having a constant diameter, the flat center portion configured to come into contact with material deposited by the nozzle; and tapering end portions including ends of the roller, the tapering end portions having reduced diameters compared to the constant diameter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The additive manufacturing device of claim 10, wherein the first link is a carriage and the second link is a carrier, and further wherein the carriage is configured to move the carrier and the applicator head along the y-axis, and the carrier is configured to move the applicator head along the z-axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The additive manufacturing device of claim 10, wherein the additive manufacturing device includes a computer numeric control machine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The additive manufacturing device of claim 10, further including a bed configured to receive the material deposited by the nozzle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The additive manufacturing device of claim 10, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the first link and movement of the second link. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The additive manufacturing device of claim 10, wherein the roller is connected to a bracket, the bracket configured to be rotated by a servomotor. ### Claim 16 An additive manufacturing device, the device comprising: a first link, the first link configured to move along at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, or a z-axis; a second link connected to the first link, the second link configured to move along at least one of the x-axis, the y-axis, or the z-axis; and an applicator head connected to the second link, the applicator head having a nozzle, a roller, and a bracket, wherein the nozzle is configured to configured to deposit material, wherein the roller is connected to the bracket, and further wherein the roller has an axial length and includes: a flat center portion formed about a midpoint of the axial length of the roller, the flat center portion configured to come into contact with the material deposited by the nozzle; and end portions including ends of the roller, the end portions having reduced diameters on opposite sides of the flat center portion as compared to a diameter of the flat center portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The additive manufacturing device of claim 16, wherein the bracket is configured to be rotated by a servomotor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The additive manufacturing device of claim 16, wherein the first link is a carriage and the second link is a carrier, and further wherein the carriage is configured to move the carrier and the applicator head along the y-axis, and the carrier is configured to move the applicator head along the z-axis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The additive manufacturing device of claim 16, wherein the additive manufacturing device includes a computer numeric control machine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The additive manufacturing device of claim 16, further comprising a base configured to be positioned below the first link, wherein the base is a bed.