Method of making a reinforcing mat for a pultruded part
AssigneePella Corporation
InventorsLaurence W. Davies, Peter J. Fritz, Kenneth D. Beer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of preparing a reinforcing structure for use in manufacture a pultruded part where the reinforcing structure is pulled through a pultrusion die in a continuous longitudinal pull direction. The method includes arranging a plurality of first reinforcing fibers in a transverse direction and attaching a permeable transport web of staple fibers to the first reinforcing fibers such that the portion of the first reinforcing fibers oriented in the direction transverse comprises at least 30% of a volume of materials comprising the reinforcing structure.
Claims32
1-19. (canceled)
A reinforcing structure adapted for use in the manufacture of a pultruded part where the reinforcing structure is pulled through a pultrusion die in a continuous longitudinal pull direction during pultrusion, the reinforcing structure comprising:
- a permeable transport web of heat-fusible, staple fibers that comprise a plurality of first polymeric fibers having a first glass transition temperature and a plurality of second polymeric fibers having a second glass transition temperature;
- and
- a plurality of first reinforcing fibers arranged transverse to the longitudinal pull direction attached to the permeable transport web.
A reinforcing structure adapted for use in the manufacture of a pultruded part where the reinforcing structure is pulled through a pultrusion die in a continuous longitudinal pull direction during pultrusion, the reinforcing structure comprising:
- a plurality of first reinforcing fibers at an angle relative to the longitudinal pull direction during pultrusion, the first reinforcing fibers being in a generally planar, non-overlapping configuration;
- a plurality of second reinforcing fibers at an angle different than the angle of the first reinforcing fibers, the second reinforcing fibers being in a generally planar, non-overlapping configuration;
- and
- a permeable transport web of staple fibers having a weight of about 10 grams per square meter to about 1200 grams per square meter attached to the first reinforcing fibers and the second reinforcing fibers to provide longitudinal strength, shear strength, and anti-skew properties sufficient to substantially maintain the relative orientation of the first and second reinforcing fibers when subjected to pulling forces encountered during pultrusion.
A reinforcing structure adapted for use in the manufacture of a pultruded part where the reinforcing structure is pulled through a pultrusion die in a continuous longitudinal pull direction during pultrusion, the reinforcing structure comprising:
- a first reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of first reinforcing fibers in a generally planar, non-overlapping configuration, the first reinforcing fibers attached to a permeable transport web of staple fibers to provide shear strength and anti-skew properties sufficient to substantially maintain the relative orientations of the first reinforcing fibers when subjected to pulling forces encountered during pultrusion;
- a second reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of second reinforcing fibers in a generally planar, non-overlapping configuration, the second reinforcing fibers attached to a permeable transport web of staple fibers to provide shear strength and anti-skew properties sufficient to substantially maintain the relative orientations of the second reinforcing fibers when subjected to pulling forces encountered during pultrusion;
- and
- a plurality of longitudinal rovings positioned between the first and second reinforcing structures.
A method of preparing a reinforcing structure for use in the manufacture of a pultruded part, where the reinforcing structure is pulled through a pultrusion die in a continuous longitudinal direction during pultrusion, the method comprising:
- arranging a plurality of first reinforcing fibers generally transverse to the longitudinal pull direction;
- contacting the first reinforcing fibers with a permeable transport web of staple fibers that comprise a plurality of first polymeric fibers having a first glass transition temperature and a plurality of second polymeric fibers having a second glass transition temperature;
- and
- attaching the first reinforcing fibers to the transport web by randomly entangling at least a portion of the staple fibers with the first reinforcing fibers.
A method of preparing a reinforcing structure for use in the manufacture of a pultruded part, where the reinforcing structure is pulled through a pultrusion die in a continuous longitudinal direction during pultrusion, the method comprising:
- arranging a plurality of first reinforcing fibers at an angle relative to the longitudinal pull direction during pultrusion, the first reinforcing fibers being in a generally planar, non-overlapping configuration;
- arranging a plurality of second reinforcing fibers at an angle different than the angle of the first reinforcing fibers, the second reinforcing fibers being in a generally planar, non-overlapping configuration;
- and
- contacting the first reinforcing fibers with a permeable transport web of staple fibers having a weight of about 10 grams per square meter to about 1200 grams per square meter;
- and
- attaching the first reinforcing fibers to the transport web by randomly entangling at least a portion of the staple fibers with the first reinforcing fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.