Reinforced thin wall thermoplastic storage vessel manufacture
OwnerDavid E. Hauberinventor
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for reinforcement of a thin wall hollow thermoplastic storage vessel with one or more wraps of continuous fibers. This method requires thermal bonding between the reinforcement fibers and the outer surface of the thermoplastic storage vessel while the interior cavity of the storage vessel is being pressurized. The fiber wraps can also be oriented in spatial directions further resisting internal stress on the storage vessel walls when put into service.
Claims12
An apparatus to mechanically reinforce a cylindrical shaped hollow thin wall thermoplastic storage vessel having an open end with at least one wrap of continuous reinforcement fiber employing a thermoplastic resin binder, said fiber reinforcement having been helically wrapped about the outer surface in an unbonded condition, which comprises:
- (a) physical support means disposed at the vessel ends to rotate the fiber wrapped storage vessel when suspended in the ambient atmosphere,
- (b) external heating means to thermally bond the fiber reinforcement to the outer surface of said suspended storage vessel while rotating in the ambient atmosphere,
- (c) external gaseous means to internally pressurize the hollow inner cavity of the suspended rotating storage vessel while thermal bonding of the fiber reinforcement occurs in the ambient atmosphere,
- (d) external liquid cooling means to contemporaneously cool the hollow inner cavity of the suspended rotating storage vessel while said thermal bonding of the fiber reinforcement occurs, and
- (e) automated electrical control means in said apparatus enabling such fiber reinforcement procedure to be carried out in a continuous sequential manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.