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AssigneeComposite Technology and Applications Limited
InventorsAnthony Dale Johnson, Ralph Douglas Cope, John Anthony Kukon, Michael James Case, James Tingle
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There is disclosed a cutting mechanism 22 for severing elongate fibre reinforcement material 14 in composite material lay-up equipment 10, the cutting mechanism 22 comprising a cutting element 60 and a counteracting element 76 which cooperate to sever fibre reinforcement material 14 extending through the nip between them, the cutting element 60 being mounted on an elongate arm 44 which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element 60 relatively to the counteracting element 76 to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism 22 further comprising guide means 52 arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material 14 through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device 84 for driving the elongate arm 44 in a cutting stroke, the actuation device 84 acting on the elongate arm 44 at a position away from the cutting element 60. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment 10 comprising the cutting mechanism 22.
A cutting mechanism for severing elongate fibre reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fibre reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element.
A cutting mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the guide means comprises a guide channel having an outlet adjacent the nip.
A cutting mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutting element and the counteracting element have respective cutting edges which are inclined relative to each other such that in a cutting stroke the cutting element and the counteracting element cooperate in a scissor action.
A cutting mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutting element and the counteracting element have respective cutting edges, and wherein the cutting edge of the counteracting element touches the arcuate path followed by the cutting edge of the cutting element in a cutting stroke.
A cutting mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutting element is one of a plurality of cutting elements disposed in an array, and wherein there is at least one counteracting element, each cutting element cooperating with the counteracting element or with one of the counteracting elements to sever a respective length of fibre reinforcement material extending through a respective nip between the cutting element and the respective counteracting element, each cutting element being mounted on one of a corresponding plurality of elongate arms which is pivotable about a pivot axis spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the, or the respective, counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke,
Composite material lay-up equipment for applying lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material to an article, comprising a cutting mechanism in accordance with any one of the preceding claims and a support head which carries the cutting mechanism.
A cutting mechanism for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising:
A cutting mechanism substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Composite material lay-up equipment substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.