Sine wave beam web and method of manufacture
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsWilliam Rendall Johnson, Ralph Raleigh Welsh
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Abstract
The invention disclosed is (1) a sine wave web for structural elements made of composite materials, (2) structural combinations incorporating the web, and (3) a method of manufacturing the web. The concept disclosed avoids bunching and distortion of the fibers of the composite web material as it is shaped and flanged for attachment to adjacent structure, such as the chords and capstrips of an I-beam.
Claims6
A structural channel having a length and a back surface, and a web having a base plane and two edges, said edges being in said base plane, a first flange integrally formed with said web at one of said two edges, a second flange integrally formed with said web at the other of said two edges, said first and second flanges being disposed at a predetermined angle to said base plane of said web and extending in a first direction from said base plane, said web having corrugations in the form of sequential protrusions, each protrusion extending from one of said two edges to the other, said protrusions protruding from said base plane in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said second direction being the direction said back surface faces from said base plane, each of said protrusions having two ends, each of said ends intersecting one of said edges of said web, each of said ends of each protrusion being oriented substantially at 45.degree. to said base plane, said ends of each said protrusion sloping toward each other, the overall conformation being such that fibrous fabric, oriented with its fibers at 45.degree. to said protrusions and pressed against said structural channel will conform uniformly to said web and said flanges without wrinkling of said fabric or stretching of said fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.