Apparatus and method for manufacturing composite structures

Apparatus for applying a composite tape, adhered to a backing strip, to a mold surface, comprising:

• an applicator means for urging the composite tape against the mold and for adhering the composite tape to the mold surface;
• means for separating the backing strip from the fibrous strip adhered to the mold surface, said means including take-up reel means for collecting the backing strip and for imparting tension to the backing strip for stripping it from the composite tape;
• cutting means for cutting the fibrous tape, the means for separating the fibrous tape from the backing tape further comprising tensioning means for collecting the backing strip which is separated from the fibrous tape while sustaining tension on the backing strip extending between the supply reel and the take-up reel;
• further comprising means for translating the applicator means and the tensioning means between a first relative orientation, in which the applicator means is positioned adjacent the mold surface and comprises means urging the tape structure against the mold surface and in which the tensioning means is spaced from the mold surface and comprises means guiding the backup tape along a path spaced from the mold surface and spaced from the fibrous tape applied to the mold surface, and a second relative orientation in which the applicator means is spaced from the mold surface and the tensioning means is positioned adjacent the mold surface and comprises means urging a portion of the backing strip which has been separated from the fibrous tape into contact with the fibrous tape which has been adhered to the mold surface, the applicator means and the tensioning means comprising, when in their second relative orientation, means guiding the fibrous tape from the applicator means toward the tensioning means and into contact with the mold surface and thereby defining a tensioned length of the fibrous tape extending between the applicator means and the tensioning means.

An apparatus for manufacturing three dimensionally contoured composite structures comprised of layers of adherently bonded flexible tape formed in a desired pattern on a removeable contoured receiving surface, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a support structure;
• (b) first means moveably mounted on said support structure including tape dispenser means for controllably dispensing said tape and cutter means for controllably cutting said tape;
• (c) a bed member for supporting a mold having a contoured receiving surface;
• (d) second means for selectively at least horizontally moving said first means with respect to said contoured receiving surface along selected paths, said first means being controllable to dispense said tape over said receiving surface as said first means is selectively moved with respect thereto;
• (e) control means including:
• (i) user programable third means coupled to said second means and responsive to digital coordinate data for controlling said second means to selectively move said first means over the receiving surface to dispense said tape on said receiving surface and for controlling said cutter means to selectively cut said tape into lengths corresponding to the outer dimensions of said receiving surface as defined by said digital coordinate data while said first means is being moved across said receiving surface;
• and,
• (ii) automatic fourth means operating independently of said third means including sensor means for detecting the contour of said surface and means coupled to said second means for vertically positioning said first means with respect to said contoured receiving surface.

An apparatus for manufacturing a composite structure, the apparatus being of the type operable for applying composite tape in a desired pattern on a receiving surface, comprising:

• (a) structure defining a mold surface;
• (b) first means for containing and dispensing the composite tape;
• (c) second means, for translating the first means across the mold surface along selected paths;
• (d) third means, having programmable control means, for defining a preselected pattern of tape lengths to be cut for application on the mold surface by cutting the tape into lengths corresponding to respective spatial dimensions of a desired configuration;
• and
• (e) fourth means including tape cutting means having blade means and control means for transversely moving said blade means across the tape while the first means is being translated in a continuous motion across the mold surface and the tape is continuously being dispensed by the first means over the mold surface.

An apparatus for manufacturing a composite structure of the type adapted for applying composite tape in a desired pattern to a receiving surface, comprising:

• structure defining a mold surface;
• first means for containing and dispensing the tape;
• second means, for translating the first means across the mold surface along selected paths;
• third means, having operator programmable means, for defining a preselected pattern of tape lengths on the mold surface by cutting the tape into lengths corresponding to respective spacial dimensions of a desired configuration while said first means is being translated across said mold surface;
• fourth means, responsive to elevationed variances in the mold surface, for causing the first means to track the contour of the mold surface during translation of the first means across the mold surface.

An apparatus for applying a composite tape to a mold, comprising:

• a tape dispenser head for dispensing the composite tape;
• a mold having a surface adapted for receiving the tape;
• gantry means for translating the dispenser head over the mold in a desired pattern;
• control means for defining a preselected pattern of tape lengths on the mold surface by activating the dispenser head to cut the tape into lengths corresponding to respective lateral dimensions of a selected pattern;
• the tape dispenser head having a supply reel comprising means adapted to receive a composite tape structure having a fibrous tape layer impregnated with an uncured resin and adapted to be cured to form a structural unit, and a backing strip adjacent the fibrous strip;
• further comprising means having a blade with the cutting edge oriented selectively at an angle ranging from a first to a second position wherein the first position is with the blade substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and the second position is with the blade substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dispensed fibrous tape layer and means for translating the blade across and through the fibrous tape layer and adjacent the backing strip, the means translating the blade comprising means preventing serration of the backing strip.

An apparatus for applying a composite tape to a contoured mold comprising:

• a tape dispenser means for dispensing tape therefrom;
• dispenser translating means for translating the dispenser means over the mold in a desired pattern;
• numerically controlled digital computer and program means for defining a preselected pattern of tape lengths on the mold surface for cutting the tape into lengths corresponding to respective spatial dimensions of a desired configuration while said translating means is translating said tape dispenser means across said mold surface;
• control means for controlling the movement of said tape dispenser means such that said dispenser means is capable of following the contour of the mold surface as said dispenser means is translated across the mold surface, and
• means for actuating said control means independently of said program means upon translation of said dispenser means across the mold surface.

An apparatus for manufacturing a composite structure of the type adapted for applying composite tape in a desired pattern to a receiving surface, comprising:

• structure defining a contoured mold surface;
• first means for containing and dispensing the tape;
• second means for translating the first means across the mold surface along said selected paths;
• third means having operator programmable means for defining a preselected pattern of tape lengths on the mold surface by cutting the tape into lengths corresponding to the respective spatial dimensions of a desired configuration while said first means is being translated across the mold surface;
• fourth means independent of the programmable third means responsive to elevational variances in the mold surface for causing the first means to track the contour of the mold surface during translation of the first means across the mold surface.

An apparatus for manufacturing three dimensionally contoured composite structures comprised of layers of adherently bonded flexible tape formed in a desired pattern on a contoured receiving surface, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a support structure;
• (b) first means movably mounted on said support structure including tape dispenser means for controllably dispensing said tape and cutter means for controllably cutting said tape;
• (c) a bed member for supporting a mold having a contoured receiving surface;
• (d) second means for selectively at least horizontally moving said first means with respect to said contoured receiving surface along selected paths, said first means being controllable to dispense said tape over said receiving surface as said first means is selectively moved with respect thereto;
• (e) control means including:
• (i) user programmable third means coupled to said second means and responsive to digital coordinate data for controlling said second means to selectively move said first means over the receiving surface to dispense said tape on said receiving surface and for controlling said cutter means to selectively cut said tape into lengths corresponding to the predetermined dimensions of said receiving surface as defined by said digital coordinate data while said first means is being moved across said receiving surface;
• and
• (ii) automatic fourth means operating independently of said third means including sensor means for detecting the contour of said surface and means coupled to said second means for angularly positioning said first means with respect to said contour receiving surface.