Method and apparatus for fiber lamination
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorQuentin T. Woods
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A series of filaments are grouped into rovings (10), with each roving being impregnated with a viscous, tacky resin binder. The rovings are guided (12, 14, 16) to and compressed against a mandrel (18). By controlling intraroving spacing and compression force, the rovings are compressed such that their lateral expansion results in adjacent roving bonding, whereby a singular band (22) of defined width, height and filament count is formed. The height and width is controlled by varying the compression force and the intraroving spacing. Band contouring is realized by severing (24, 26) selected rovings prior to band formation. Linear and rotational relative motion is provided (FIG. 11: 110, 112, 114) between the roving guiding and compression means and the mandrel to precisely orient the band.
Claims30
A method for producing fiber laminations comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of rovings, each roving comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments;
- (b) predeterminedly guiding said rovings to a receiving surface, with predetermined spacing between said rovings;
- and
- a predeterminedly contoured mandrel for supporting the fiber laminations;
- guide means for guiding each of a plurality of rovings, with each roving being comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments, to said mandrel, the guide means comprising an expandable and contractable comb having two sets of tines, each offset from the other, one set of tines for guiding one group of rovings with a remaining set of tines for guiding the remaining rovings;
- and
- compaction means for compacting the rovings against the mandrel such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together whereby the compacted rovings form a band contoured to the mandrel.
Apparatus for producing fiber laminations comprising:
- (c) compacting said rovings against said receiving surface such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together and form a continuous band conformed to the contour of the receiving surface.
Apparatus for producing fiber laminations comprising:
- a predeterminedly contoured mandrel for supporting the fiber laminations;
- guide means for guiding each of plurality of rovings, with each roving being comprised of a bundle of resin impregnated filaments, to said mandrel, said guide means comprising a hinge comb pair, each comb having tines for guiding the rovings therethrough, and the angle formed by the comb pair being adjustable to control the roving spacing, d;
- compaction means for compacting the rovings against the mandrel such that adjacent rovings permanently bond together whereby the compacted rovings form a band contoured to the mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.