Apparatus for producing fiber-reinforced plastic sheet structures

Apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced plastic sheet laminate structure comprised of at least two laminable members, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for feeding through said apparatus on a continuous basis a plurality of endwise abutted relatively rigid panels with each having a pair of spaced apart first sides and a pair of spaced apart second sides and relatively flat opposite surfaces;
• (b) winding means for winding a plurality of first strands of fiber reinforcing material about said panels in closely spaced relationship to one another about and around said pair of spaced apart first sides and across said relatively flat opposite surfaces;
• (c) means for applying a plurality of second strands of fiber reinforcing material to said first strands on the relatively flat opposite surfaces of said panels and extending between the spaced apart second sides, said plurality of first strands and plurality of second strands having been impregnated with curable binder which is capable of being cured to bond said first and second strands to one another to effect a woven strand sheet on said panels when cured,
• (d) first and second continuous belts, each of said belts having a first surface and a second surface with the second surfaces of said belts having portions which are opposed to and spaced apart from each other forming an opening therebetween for receiving said panels and strands thereon during movement through said apparatus,
• (e) a pair of separate housings with each forming a plenum chamber and each chamber having a wall facing the first surface of each of said belts and located so that each one of said belts surrounds and moves around an individual one of said housings,
• (f) a continuous gas pressure sealing element on said wall of each of said housings and extending toward the belt nearest that housing, said sealing elements each having a continuous gas pocket throughout said sealing element, each sealing element also each having an end portion capable of engaging said first surface of one of said first and second belts in sliding but sealing engagement therewith to create a gas receiving area formed by said wall of each said housing and said belt surrounding that housing and said continuous seal on that housing when said gas pockets are filled with gas,
• (g) aperture means in said wall of each said housing permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas in said gas receiving area adjacent the wall of each housing and which gas under pressure bears against the first surface of said belts and urges said second surface of each of said belts into contact with the strands on the flat surfaces of said panel with relatively uniform pressure in said gas receiving areas to cause contact of opposed surfaces of said strands with relatively uniform pressure and thereby also enable a curing of a binder impregnated in said reinforcing material and relatively uniform lamination of said strands to said panel, and
• (h) separate driving means in advance of said belts for driving said panels and strands thereon through said apparatus by pushing same through the opening between said belts without any driving force created by said belts so that the panel and strands passing through said opening engage and impart a driving force to said belts, but which belts nevertheless apply a laminating pressure to the panel and strands therebetween, and thereby also permit the belts surrounding the associated housings to be essentially floatable about the associated housings.

Apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced plastic sheet structure, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for initiating a cure of a resin matrix impregnated in a reinforcing fiber containing sheet of material having at least one relatively flat surface,
• (b) a pair of continuous belts, each of said belts having a first surface and a second surface with the second surfaces of said belts having portions which are opposed and spaced apart from each other forming an opening there between for receiving said sheet of material during movement thereof,
• (c) a pair of spaced apart housings with each having a plenum chamber and each having a wall facing the first surface of individual ones of said belts, said housings being arranged so that each one of said belts surrounds individual ones of said housing,
• (d) means for causing a heating of at least one of said belts to thereby apply heat to said sheet of material during passage through said opening,
• (e) a continuous seal on said wall of each housing and extending toward said first surface of each of said belts, each said seal having an end portion capable of engaging said first surface of each said belt to create a gas receiving area formed by said wall of said housing and said belt surrounding that housing and said continuous seal on that housing,
• (f) aperture means in said wall of each housing permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas in each said gas receiving area which bears against the first surface of each said belt and urges said second surface of each said belt into contact with said sheet of material with relatively uniform pressure in said gas receiving areas to further premit a cure of the resin matrix impregnated in said reinforcing material,
• (g) separate driving means in advance of said belts for forcably driving said sheet of material through said apparatus and pushing said sheet of material through the opening between said belts, and
• (h) additional driving means for driving said belts synchronized to the rate of movement of the sheet of material so that the sheet of material passes between said belts, and which belts apply a laminating pressure to the sheet of material therebetween, and which also permitts the belts surrounding the associated housings to be at least partially floatable about the associated housings.

Apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced plastic sheet laminate structure comprised of at least two laminable members, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for bringing a first laminable member comprised of fiber reinforcing material into incidental relationship with a relatively flat surface of a second laminable member comprised of a relatively rigid member,
• (b) first and second continuous belts, each of said belts having a first surface and a second surface with the second surfaces of said belts having portions which are opposed and spaced apart from each other forming an opening there between for receiving said laminable members during movement of said members,
• (c) a pair of separate housings with each forming a plenum chamber and each chamber having a wall facing the first surface of each of said belts and located so that each one of said belts surrounds and moves around an individual one of said housings,
• (d) a continuous gas pressure seal on said wall of each of said housings and extending toward the belt nearest that housing, said seals each having an end portion capable of engaging said first surface of said first and second belts in sliding engagement therewith to create a gas receiving area formed by said wall of each said housing and said belt surrounding that housing and said continuous seal on that housing, each said seal is a continuous sealing element having a continuous gas pocket extending through out said sealing element and permitting each said sealing element to engage one of said belts in a sealing but nevertheless slidable contact when said gas pocket is filled with gas,
• (e) aperture means in said wall of each said housing permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas in said gas receiving area adjacent the wall of each housing which bears against the first surface of said belts and urges said second surface of each of said belts into contact with said laminable members with relatively uniform pressure in said gas receiving areas to cause contact of opposed surfaces of said laminable members with relatively uniform pressure and thereby also enable a curing of a resin matrix impregnated in said reinforcing material and relatively uniform lamination of said laminable members, and
• (f) separate driving means for driving said laminable members through said apparatus and through the opening between said belts without any driving force created by said belts so that the laminable members passing through said opening engage and impart a driving force to said belts, but which belts nevertheless apply a laminating pressure to the laminable members therebetween, and thereby also permitting the belts surrounding the associated housings to be essentially floatable about the associated housings.

Apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced plastic sheet structure, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for initiating a cure of a resin matrix impregnated in a reinforcing fiber containing sheet of material having at least one relatively flat surface,
• (b) a pair of continuous belts, each of said belts having a first surface and a second surface with the second surfaces of said belts having portions which are opposed and spaced apart from each other forming an opening there between for receiving said sheet of material during movement thereof,
• (c) a pair of spaced apart housings with each having a plenum chamber and each having a wall facing the first surface of individual ones of said belts, said housings being arranged so that each one of said belts surrounds individual ones of said housing,
• (d) means for causing a heating of at least one of said belts to thereby apply heat to said sheet of material during passage through said opening,
• (e) a continuous seal on said wall of each housing and extending toward said first surface of each of said belts, each said seal having an end portion capable of engaging said first surface of each said belt to create a gas receiving area formed by said wall of said housing and said belt surrounding that housing and said continuous seal on that housing, each said seal being a continuous sealing element and each having a continuous gas pocket extending throughout said sealing element and permitting each said sealing element to engage one of said belts in a slidable contact when said gas pocket is filled with gas,
• (f) aperture means in said wall permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas in each said gas receiving area which bears against the first surface of each said belt and urges said second surface of each said belt into contact with said sheet of material with relatively uniform pressure in said gas receiving areas to further permit a cure of the resin matrix impregnated in said reinforcing material,
• (g) separate driving means for driving said sheet of material through said apparatus and through the opening between said belts without any driving force created by said belts so that the sheet of material passing through said opening engages and imparts a driving force to said belts, but which belts nevertheless apply a laminating pressure to the sheet of material therebetween, and thereby also permitting the belts surrounding the associated housings to be essentially floatable about the associated housings.

Apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced plastic sheet laminate structure comprised of at least two laminable members, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for bringing a first laminable member comprised of a resin matrix impregnated fiber reinforced plastic composite material into incidental relationship with a relatively flat surface of a second laminable member comprised of a relatively rigid member having such relatively flat surface,
• (b) means to initiate a cure of the resin matrix in the reinforced plastic material,
• (c) means for moving said laminable members in a processing path and into the means to initiate a cure,
• (d) a first belt located in a path of movement of said laminable members and having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface with the second surface engaging the exterior surface of one of said laminable members to cause said laminable members to be forced into contact with each other,
• (e) a second belt located in a path of movement of said laminable members and being spaced apart from said first belt to form a gap therebetween, said second belt having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface with the second surface engaging an exterior surface of a different one of said laminable members to cause said laminable members to be forced into contact with each other,
• (f) a first housing forming a plenum chamber and having a wall facing the second surface of said first belt,
• (g) a second housing forming a plenum chamber and having a wall facing the second surface of said second belt,
• (h) a continuous sealing element on said wall of each said housing and extending around said wall and engaging the belt associated with that housing, each said sealing element having a continuous portion opposite said associated wall and being capable of engaging the associated belt to create a gas receiving area formed by said wall of said housing and said belt and said sealing element, each said sealing element having a continuous gas pocket extending throughout said sealing element and capable of causing said sealing element to engage said associated belt in a sealing but nevertheless slidable contact when said gas pocket is filled with gas,
• (i) first aperture means in each said wall permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas in said gas receiving areas which bear against the interior surface of said laminable members with relatively uniform pressure in the gas receiving areas to cause contact with relatively uniform pressure between said belts and surfaces of said laminable members, and
• (j) second aperture means in each of said walls permitting passage of a gas under pressure into said gas pockets to cause said sealing elements to engage said belts.

Apparatus for producing a reinforced plastic sheet structure, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for impregnating a sheet of a fiber containing reinforcing material with a curable binder which forms a reinforced plastic composite with said reinforcing material when cured,
• (b) a pair of continuous belts, each of said belts having a first surface and a second surface with the second surfaces of said belts having portions which are opposed and spaced apart from each other forming an opening therebetween for receiving said sheet of material during movement thereof,
• (c) a pair of spaced apart housings with each having a plenum chamber and each having a wall facing the first surface of individual ones of said belts, said housings being arranged so that each one of said belts surrounds individual ones of said housings,
• (d) a continuous seal on said wall of each housing and extending toward said first surface of each of said belts, each said seal having an end portion capable of engaging said first surface of each said belt to create a gas receiving area formed by said wall of said housing and said belt surrounding that housing and said continuous seal on that housing,
• (e) means permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas in each said gas receiving area which bears against the first surface of each said belt and urges said second surface of each said belt into contact with said sheet of material with relatively uniform pressure in said gas receiving areas,
• (f) means for bringing an initially liquid surface sealing material into contact with the curable binder on said sheet before the binder has completely cured and still possesses an adhesive quality, and
• (g) curing means for curing said binder to a full cure with said sealing material in contact therewith so that said impregnated reinforcing material becomes a rigid reinforced plastic composite with said surface sealing material rigidly bonded thereto and providing a sealing quality to said composite.

An apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced plastic sheet structure, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for initiating a cure of a resin matrix impregnated in a reinforcing fiber containing sheet of material having at least one relatively flat surface,
• (b) a pair of continuous belts with each of said belts having an outer surface and in inner surface with the outer surfaces of said belts having portions which are opposed and spaced apart from each other and forming an opening therebetween for receiving said sheet of material during movement thereof,
• (c) a pair of housings with each of said housings having a plenum chamber, and each housing having a wall facing the interior surface of a separate one of said belts,
• (d) means in said wall of each of said housings permitting passage of a gas under pressure to form a body of gas which bears against the inner surface of said belts and supports said belts during movement thereof so that each of said belts is primarly supported by the gas, and
• (e) separate driving means in advance of said belts for forcably driving said sheet of material through said apparatus by pushing the sheet of material through the opening between said belts without any driving force created by said belts so that the sheet of material passing through said opening engage and impart a driving force to said belts, but which belts nevertheless apply a laminating pressure to the sheet of material therebetween and thereby also permitting the belts surrounding the associated housings to be essentially floatable about the associated housing.