On-site wall structure formation

A system for fabricating a generally cylindrical storage structure from fiber containing reinforcing plastic material, said system comprising:

• a. a head support member rotatable through a cylindrical path, said head support member being extensible and having an end thereof rotatable through a cylindrical path length substantially equivalent to the cylindrical length of the storage structure to be formed,
• b. an application head carried by and located on the last named end of said support member and receiving a matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material,
• c. means operatively associated with support member for moving said support member and application head along previously deposited turns of reinforcing material,
• d. said application head having a draw-die which essentially conforms to the size and shape of a new turn of impregnated reinforcing material and which draw-die is essentially closed but open on one-side thereof, said application head being located so that a previously deposited turn of said storage structure substantially closes said draw-die in such size and shape to receive and deposit said matrix impregnated reinforcing material as a new turn on a previously deposited turn of the storage structure,
• e. securement means carried by said application head for rigidly securing and bonding the matrix impregnated reinforcing material as a new turn during deposition thereof to a previously deposited turn of reinforcing material,
• f. a pair of rollers spaced apart from each other in a plane parallel to the movement of said application head and being located along the exterior surface of the last previously deposited turn of spirally wound reinforcing material,
• g. a drive belt trained around said pair of rollers and engaging the exterior surface of said last previously deposited turn of spirally wound reinforcing material to drive said application head around said walled enclosure thus formed,
• h. and motive means carried by said application head to drive one of said rollers and said drive belt.

A system for fabricating a generally cylindrical storage structure from fiber containing reinforcing plastic material at an on-site location, said system comprising:

• a. means at said on-site location for pultruding a continuous length of substantially fully cured matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material having a size and shape conforming to a layer turn in the storage structure.
• b. storage means at said on-site location for retaining a coiled portion of the continuous length of the substantially fully cured matrix impregnated reinforcing material,
• c. a head support member rotatable through a cylindrical path, and having an end thereof rotatable through a cylindrical path length substantially equivalent to the cylindrical length of the storage structure to be formed,
• d. an application head carried by and located on the last named end of said support member for receiving the matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material from said storage means,
• e. means for moving said support member and application head along previously deposited turns of reinforcing material and depositing the substantially fully cured reinforcing material as a new turn on the last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material,
• f. one of ssid last previously deposited turns and said new turn having an interlockable projection extending therefrom toward the other of said turns and said other of the turns having an interlocking recess formed therein and capable of having said projection mechanically interlocked into said interlocking recess in a zipper type arrangement as said application head moves therealong,
• g. means on said application for chemically bonding the projection on either new turn of the substantially fully cured matrix impregnated reinforcing material or the last previously deposited turn to the interlocking recess on the other of said turns to thereby bond said new layer turn to said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material,
• h. and means on said application head to retentively hold said new turn on said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material during a portion of the chemically bonding of the projection and the interlocking recess during movement of the application head therealong.

A system for fabricating a generally cylindrical storage structure from fiber containing reinforcing plastic material at an on-site location, said system comprising:

• a. means for providing a continuous length of substantially fully cured matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material having a size and shape conforming to a layer turn in the storage structure,
• b. storage means at said on-site location for retaining a coiled portion of the continuous length of the substantially fully cured matrix impregnated reinforcing material, and which length of reinforcing material has a cross-sectional size and shape substantially equivalent to previously deposited turns of reinforcing material on the storage structure,
• c. platform means located in relationship to said storage means and vertically rising as the height of the storage structure increases during fabrication thereof,
• d. a head support member operatively associated with said platform means and being rotatable through a cylindrical path, and said head support member having an end thereof rotatable through a cylindrical path length substantially equivalent to the cylindrical length of the storage structure to be formed,
• e. an application head carried by and located on the last named end of said support member for receiving the matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material dispensed from said storage means,
• f. means for moving said support member and application head along previously deposited turns of reinforcing material and depositing the substantially fully cured reinforcing material as a new turn of reinforcing material on the last previously deposited turn,
• g. one of said previously deposited turns and said new turn having an interlockable tongue-like projection extending therefrom toward the other of said turns and said other of the turns having an interlocking groove-like recess formed therein and capable of having said projection mechanically interlocked into said interlocking recess in a zipper type arrangement as said application head moves therealong,
• h. means on said application head for chemically bonding the projection of one of said new turn of substantially fully cured matrix impregnated reinforcing material or the last previously deposited turn to the interlocking recess on the other of said turns to thereby bond said new layer turn to said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material,
• i. and means on said application head to retentively hold said new turn on said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material during a portion of the chemical bonding of the projection and the interlocking recess during movement of the application head therealong.

A system for fabricating a generally cylindrical storage structure from fiber containing reinforcing plastic material at an on-site location, said system comprising:

• a. means for providing a continuous length of substantially fully cured matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material having a size and shape conforming to a layer turn in the storage structure,
• b. storage means at said on-site location for retaining a coiled portion of the continuous length of the substantially fully cured matrix impregnated reinforcing material,
• c. a head support member rotatable through a cylindrical path, and having an end thereof rotatable through a cylindrical path length substantially equivalent to the cylindrical length of the storage structure to be formed,
• d. an application head carried by and located on the last named end of said support member for receiving the matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material from said storage means,
• e. means for moving said support member and application head along previously deposited turns of reinforcing material and depositing the substantially fully cured reinforcing material as a new turn on the last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material,
• f. said application means comprising a draw-die which essentially conforms to the size and shape of a new turn of the impregnated reinforcing material and which die is essentially closed and open on one side thereof, said application means being located so that a previously deposited turn of said walled enclosure substantially closes said draw-die in such size and shape to receive and deposit said impregnated reinforcing material,
• g. each turn of the matrix impregnated reinforcing material having a projection extending therefrom and a projection receiving groove thereon and on each previously deposited turn of the spirally wound reinforcing material so that a projection of one of said turns extends into and is mechanically interlocked in the projection receiving groove of the other of said turns in a zipper type arrangement as said application head moves therealong,
• h. means on said application head for chemically bonding the new turn of the substantially fully cured matrix impregnated reinforcing material as a new layer turn to a previously deposited turn of reinforcing material,
• i. and means on said application head to retentively hold said new turn on said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material during a portion of the chemical bonding of the projection and the projection receiving groove during movement of the application head therealong.

Apparatus for generating a reinforced plastic composite walled enclosure formed of successive turns of spirally wound reinforcing material;

• said apparatus comprising:
• a. a supporting member rotatable through a cylindrical path,
• b. an application head carried by said supporting member and being movable in a cylindrical path of peripheral length substantially equivalent to the peripheral length of the walled enclosure to be formed,
• c. delivery means to supply a pultruded matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material to said application head in the form of a turn to be used on the walled enclosure and having the desired cross-sectional size and shape,
• d. application means operatively associated with said application head for receiving said turn of matrix impregnated reinforcing material to deposit said turn of matrix impregnated reinforcing material as a new turn on a previously deposited turn of the spirally wound reinforcing material,
• e. said delivery means supplying said application head with a sufficient amount of the reinforcing material in the form of a turn in a continuous strip to form a plurality of turns on the walled enclosure,
• f. said application means comprising a draw-die which essentially conforms to the size and shape of a new turn of the impregnated reinforcing material and which die is essentially closed and open on one side thereof, said application means being located so that a previously deposited turn of said walled enclosure substantially closes said draw-die in such size and shape to receive and deposit said impregnated reinforcing material,
• g. one of said last previously deposited turn and said new turn having an interlockable projection extending therefrom toward the other of said turns and said other of the turns having an interlocking recess formed therein and capable of having said projection mechanically interlocked into said interlocking recess in a zipper type arrangement as said application head moves therealong,
• h. securement means carried by said application head to rigidly secure and bond said matrix impregnated reinforcing material during deposition thereof as a new turn of said walled enclosure to a previously deposited turn of reinforcing material in said walled enclosure,
• i. said securement means being provided with bonding means to chemically bond the projection of one of said turns into the interlocking recess of the other of said turns,
• j. and means on said application head to retentively hold said new turn on said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material during a portion of the chemical bonding of the projection and the interlocking recess during movement of the application head therealong.

Apparatus for generating a reinforced plastic composite walled enclosure formed of successive turns of spirally wound reinforcing material;

• said apparatus comprising:
• a. a supporting member rotatable through a cylindrical path,
• b. an application head carried by said supporting member and being movable in a cylindrical path of peripheral length substantially equivalent to the peripheral length of the walled enclosure to be formed,
• c. delivery means including a pultrusion device which pultrudes a substantially fully cured amount of a matrix impregnated fiber containing reinforcing material having a cross-sectional shape substantially equivalent to the shape of a turn in the walled enclosure for delivery to said application head,
• d. application means operatively associated with said application head for receiving said matrix impregnated reinforcing material to deposit said matrix impregnated reinforcing material as a turn on a previously deposited turn of the spirally wound reinforcing material,
• e. said application means comprising a draw-die which essentially conforms to the size and shape of a new turn of the impregnated reinforcing material and which die is essentially closed and open on one side thereof, said application means being located so that a previously deposited turn of said walled enclosure substantially closes said draw-die in such size and shape to receive and deposit said impregnated reinforcing material,
• f. one of said last previously deposited turns and said new turn having an interlockable projection extending therefrom toward the other of said turns and said other of the turns having an interlocking recess formed therein and capable of having said projection mechanically interlocked into said interlocking recess in a zipper type arrangement as said application head moves therealong,
• g. securement means carried by said application head to rigidly secure and bond said matrix impregnated reinforcing material during deposition thereof as a new turn of said walled enclosure to a previously deposited turn of reinforcing material in said walled enclosure,
• h. said securement means being provided with bonding means to chemically bond the projection of one of said turns into the interlocking recess of the other of said turns,
• i. and means on said application head to retentively hold said new turn on said last previously deposited turn of reinforcing material during a portion of the chemically bonding of the projection and the interlocking recess during movement of the application head therealong.