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US 4,907,736 AGranted
Method of forming articles
AssigneeAirfoil Textron Inc.
InventorGordon S. Doble
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAirfoil Textron Inc.
InventorGordon S. Doble
Estimating the term…
An improved method of forming a filamentary reinforced article includes forming a preform of metal and filament layers by winding material around an axis. The resulting layered preform is enclosed in a fluid tight housing. The housing has a rigid frame which bounds the periphery of the preform. The housing also has flexible panel sections which extend inwardly from the frame across the preform. To bond the layers of the preform together and increase the density of the preform, the housing is subjected to a hot isostatic pressing operation. During the hot isostatic pressing operation, fluid pressure forces against the housing plastically deform the panel sections of the housing inwardly in a direction parallel to the axis around which the layers of the preform were wound to apply axial deformation forces to opposite sides of the preform. The deformation forces plastically deform the layers of the preform by decreasing the distance between minor side surfaces and increasing the distance between major side surfaces of the layers. This results in densification and bonding of the layers of the preform without subjecting the filaments of the preform to axial tension or compression stresses.
A method of forming an article comprising the steps of forming a preform of layers containing metal and filaments, said layers including major side surfaces and minor side surfaces extending transversely to the major side surfaces with longitudinal axes of the filaments extending generally parallel to the major side surfaces of the layers, and metallurgically bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform, said step of metallurgically bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform including applying a deformation force against the preform in a direction generally perpendicular to minor side surfaces of the layers and parallel to major side surfaces of the layers, plastically deforming the layers under the influence of the deformation force by decreasing the distance between the minor side surfaces of the layers and increasing the distance between the major side surfaces of the layers including preventing substantial buckling of the preform from application of the deformation force, and maintaining the filaments substantially free of axially extending forces during performance of the step of bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform.
A method of forming an article comprising the steps of providing a metal carrier strip, providing a plurality of elongated lengths of composite having a metal matrix and reinforcing filaments disposed in the metal matrix, placing the lengths of composite on the carrier strip with longitudinal axes of the lengths of composite extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carrier strip and with ends of lengths of composite in abutting engagement, winding the carrier strip and the lengths of composite about an axis on a rigid metal member to make a preform having a plurality of layers of composite and carrier strip wound on the member, and bonding the layers together and to the member and increasing the density of the preform by heating the preform and applying force against the layers with said member exhibiting substantial non-deformability during bonding and densifying.
A method of forming an article comprising the steps of forming a preform of metal and filaments by winding material in layers around an axis, enclosing the preform in a fluid tight housing, said step of enclosing the preform in a fluid tight housing including enclosing the periphery of the preform with a rigid frame having an opening with an axis coincident with the axis of the preform around which the material was wound and enclosing opposite sides of the preform with flexible panel sections which extend inwardly from the frame toward the preform axis around which the material was wound, and bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform, said step of bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform including applying fluid pressure against the housing, deforming the panel sections of the housing inwardly under the influence of fluid pressure and in directions generally parallel to the preform axis around which the material was wound to apply axial forces to opposite sides of the preform in directions generally parallel to the axis around which the preform material was wound, and maintaining the dimensions of the frame substantially constant during the application of fluid pressure against the housing.
A method of forming an article comprising the steps of forming a preform of layers containing metal and filaments, said layers including major side surfaces and minor side surfaces extending transversely to the major side surfaces with longitudinal axes of the filaments extending generally parallel to the major side surfaces of the layers, and metallurgically bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform, said step of metallurgically bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform including applying a deformation force against the preform in a direction generally perpendicular to minor side surfaces of the layers and parallel to the major side surfaces of the layers, limiting deformation of the layers in a direction perpendicular to major side surfaces of the layers under the influence of the deformation force by pressing the layers against a rigid body including preventing substantial buckling of the preform from application of the deformation force, and maintaining the filaments substantially free of axially extending forces during performance of the step of bonding the layers and increasing the density of the preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.