Apparatus for forming a composite article
OwnerKenneth H. Herbert, Jr.inventor
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are described for the formation of a three dimensional composite article by use of a flexible male mold placeable within a cavity formed within a rigid female mold. Fibers are initially bound to the surface of the flexible male mold and the mold is thereafter placed inside the female mold cavity. The surface of the flexible male mold is thereafter displaced away from the female mold by the injection of hardenable resin between the molds. The flexible surface is thereafter returned to near its original position adjacent the female mold. The flexible mold includes a chamber defined therein capable of pressurization and depressurization during the fabrication process of the composite article.
Claims5
Apparatus for use in forming a composite article, a portion of said article including a hardenable resin, said apparatus comprising:
- a rigid female mold having a cavity defined downwardly therein and a corresponding reference surface facing said cavity,
- a flexible male mold having a mold chamber formed therein, a portion of said mold chamber bounded by a flexible wall having a flexible mold surface positionable a variably spaced distance away from said reference surface, said wall deformable away from said reference surface when said hardenable resin is injected between said reference surface and said flexible wall, said wall including an insert cavity extending inwardly from said flexible mold surface for forming a lateral stiffener on said article, and
- resin injection means for injecting said resin between said reference surface and said flexible wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.