Method and apparatus for the continuous production of cross-plied material

Apparatus for the automated production of a cross-plied material from a first, continuous ply of material and a second, continuous ply of material, said first and said second plies of material each comprising a network of fibers substantially coated with a resin matrix, said first and said second plies exhibiting substantial interply adherence when brought into contact with one another, each of said first and said second plies of material having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

• a) means for advancing said first ply of material into a cross-plying zone;
• cutting means for cutting said second ply in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis a sufficient number of times to form a plurality of discontinuous pieces of said second ply;
• c) means for sequentially laying said discontinuous pieces of the second ply coplanarly on said first ply in the cross-plying zone with the longitudinal axis of each of said pieces rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of said first ply, said means for laying comprising a second carrier web on which said discontinuous pieces are separately carried;
• second pull means to pull the second carrier web with said discontinuous pieces thereon so that each discontinuous piece and said first ply face each other, without contact, in the cross-plying zone;
• and means for guiding each discontinuous piece and said first ply into contact with one another;
• d) means for preconsolidating said discontinuous pieces and said first ply in the cross-plying zone;
• and
• e) means for withdrawing the cross-plied material from the cross-plying zone.

Apparatus for the automated production of a cross-plied material from a first continuous ply of material and a second, continuous ply of material, each of said plies of material comprising a network of unidirectional fibers substantially coated with a resin matrix, each of said first and said second plies of material having a longitudinal axis substantially in the direction of said unidirectional fibers, said first and said second plies exhibiting substantial interply adherence when brought into contact with one another, comprising:

• a) a first carrier web, to carry said first ply;
• b) first supply means, for supplying said first ply of material on said first carrier web to a cross-plying zone;
• c) first pull means to pull the first carrier web from said first supply means through said cross-plying zone;
• d) a second carrier web, to carry said second ply, said second ply releasably adhering to said second carrier web;
• e) second supply means, for supplying said second ply of material on said second carrier web to the cross-plying zone;
• f) a cutter, for cutting the second ply while on said second carrier web in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis to form a discontinuous piece of said second ply, said piece being cut to a length substantially equal to the width of said first ply;
• g) second pull means to pull the second carrier web with said discontinuous piece thereon so that the length of said discontinuous piece and the width of said first ply face each other and are in substantial register with one another in the cross-plying zone, said second pull means pulling the second carrier web from the cross-plying zone after said discontinuous piece and said first ply in the cross-plying zone are cross-plied;
• h) means for guiding said discontinuous piece and said first ply into contact with one another;
• i) means for preconsolidating said discontinuous piece and said first ply;
• j) means for releasing said cross-plied material from said second carrier web;
• and
• k) means for withdrawing the cross-plied continuous length of material from the cross-plying zone.

Method for the automated production of a cross-plied continuous length of material from a first, continuous ply of material and a plurality of second, discontinuous plies of material, each of said first and said second plies of material having a longitudinal axis, comprising the steps of:

• a) advancing said first ply of material into a cross-plying zone;
• b) advancing said second, discontinuous plies of material so that each discontinuous ply and said first ply face each other, without contact, in said cross-plying zone;
• c) sequentially laying said second plies of material coplanarly on said first ply in the cross-plying zone with the longitudinal axis of each of said second plies rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of said first ply;
• preconsolidating said first and said second plies in the cross-plying zone;
• and
• withdrawing the cross-plied material from the cross-plying zone.