# US 2014/0150964 A1 · Method and Apparatus for Applying Film Material to Elongate Members > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150964 A1 - Document ID: US20140150964A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,809 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Inventors: America O. Schaaf; Richard A. Miller; Donald A. Anderson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150964A1 ## CPC - B29D 99/0003: {Producing profiled members, e.g. beams} - B29C 63/024: {the sheet or web-like material being supported by a moving carriage} - B29C 70/38: Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} - B29D 99/001: {Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings (articles with hollow walls B29D24/00)} - B32B 37/10: characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure - B32B 37/20: involving the assembly of continuous webs only - B32B 38/0004: {Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details (cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence)} - B32B 38/18: Handling of layers or the laminate - B29C 2793/00: Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation - B29C 2793/0036: Slitting - B29L 2031/003: {having a profiled transverse cross-section} - B32B 37/0053: {Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers} - B32B 2038/045: {Slitting} - B32B 2250/02: 2 layers - Y10T 156/108: Flash, trim or excess removal - Y10T 156/1317: Means feeding plural workpieces to be joined - Y10T 156/1348: Work traversing type - Y10T 156/1795: Implement carried web supply - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - 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) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Film material is applied to a surface of an elongate structural member. A carriage moved along the structural member dispenses, compacts and cuts the film material in a single pass along the structural member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for applying film material to a surface of an elongate member comprising: a carriage; rollers adapted to mount the carriage for movement along the elongate member; a supply of film material on the carriage for dispensing film material; a compaction roller on the carriage for compacting the film material against the surface of the elongate member; and a film cutter assembly for trimming at least one edge of the film material as the carriage moves along the elongate member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate member includes a top, a bottom and sides, and the rollers engage the top, bottom and sides of the elongate member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rollers include: fore and aft rollers mounted on the carriage for gripping the sides of the elongate member, and fore and aft traction tires mounted on the carriage for engaging the top of the elongate member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the film material includes a backer and the apparatus further comprises: a backer take-up reel mounted on the carriage for taking up and accumulating the backer as the film material is being dispensed from the supply of film material; and a backer take-up drive assembly for driving the backer take-up reel to rotate as the carriage moves along the elongate member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the supply of film material includes a film feed roll mounted for rotation on the carriage, and the backer take-up drive assembly is driven by rotation of the film feed roll. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the film cutter assembly includes: a pair of laterally spaced arms pivotally attached to the carriage, and a pair of cutter knives respectively attached to the arms for respectively cutting two opposite edges of the film material as the carriage moves along the elongate member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the film cutter assembly includes: a pair of cutter knives pivotally mounted on the carriage for respectively cutting two opposite edges of the film material as the carriage moves along the elongate member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the film cutter assembly further includes: follower surfaces coupled with the cutter knives for slidably engaging and following the opposite edges of the surface of the elongate member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the opposite edges of the surface of the elongate member are beveled, and wherein: the follower surfaces are beveled to substantially match the geometry of the opposite beveled edges of the surface of the elongate member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the film cutter assembly further includes: a guide slot for guiding the film material, and surfaces adapted to engage edges of the elongated member and having contours substantially matching the contours of the edges of the elongated member. ### Claim 11 Apparatus for applying film material to a flange surface of an elongate composite stringer, comprising: a carriage including adapted to be mounted on and movable along the elongate composite stringer; a compaction roller mounted on the carriage for compacting film material against the flange surface as the carriage moves along the stringer; a film feed roll assembly on the carriage adapted to hold a quantity of film material and to dispense the film material to the compaction roller; a take-up reel on the carriage adapted for taking up a backing on the film material as the film material is being dispensed to the compaction roller; a heater on the carriage for heating the flange surface as the carriage moves along the composite stringer; and a film trimmer for trimming edges of the film material to match a contour of the composite stringer after the film material has been compacted against the flange surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the carriage includes: an upper frame adapted to be positioned above the flange surface and on which the compaction roller, film feed roll assembly, take-up reel, heater, and film trimmer are mounted, and a lower frame adapted to be disposed beneath the flange surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: rollers on the lower frame for gripping the carriage against the elongate composite stringer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: a backer take-up reel mounted on the upper frame adapted for taking up a backer on the film material; and a drive coupled between the film feed roll assembly and the backer take-up reel for driving rotation of the backer take-up reel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the film trimmer comprises: followers adapted to engage and follow opposite edges of the flange surface, and a pair of cutter knives respectively pivotally mounted on the followers and coupled with the followers for cutting the film along the opposite edges of the flange surface. ### Claim 16 A method of applying film material to a surface of an elongate member, comprising: moving a carriage along the surface of the elongate member; dispensing film material from a film material supply on the carriage; compacting the film material against the surface of the elongate member using a compaction roller on the carriage as the carriage moves along the surface of the elongate member; and trimming edges of the film material that has been compacted against the surface of the elongate member, including using the carriage to move at least one cutter through the film material as the carriage moves along the surface of elongate member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the dispensing, compacting and trimming is performed in a single pass as the carriage moves along a surface of the elongate member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: removing a backer from the film material being dispensed, and accumulating the backer on a backer take-up reel on the carriage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein trimming the edges of the film material includes: drawing a pair of cutting knives through the film material as the carriage moves along a surface of the elongate member, following the edges of the surface of the elongate member, and moving the cutting knives to follow the edges of the surface of the elongate member. ### Claim 20 A method of applying film material over the length of a flange surface on a composite stringer, comprising: placing a film material applicator on the flange surface; moving the film material applicator along the length of the composite stringer; using the film material applicator to dispense and apply film material to the flange surface as the film material applicator moves along the length of the composite stringer; and using the film material applicator to trim edges of the film material to substantially match edges of the flange surface as the film material applicator moves along the length of the composite stringer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein placing the film material applicator on the flange surface includes gripping the film material applicator against a top, a bottom and sides of the composite stringer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein using the film material applicator to trim edges of the film material includes: following edges of the flange surface, moving cutting knives to follow the edges of the flange surface, and using the cutting knives to cut edges of the film material along the edges of the flange surface. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: taking up scrap film on a reel on the film material applicator produced by cutting the edges of the film material.