Filament cutting and placement system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRobert M. Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed which cuts sheets of resin impregnated fibers and their backer material into tows of precise width and stores them on cassette reels for placement on a tool or mandrel. The placement assembly can place several tows simultaneously from a plurality of tow cassettes attached to the assembly. The tows are passed through a cutting and scrapping assembly which cuts the tows to a precise shape and length as directed by a microprocessor controller and removes tow scraps. After cutting, the backer is removed from the tow and the tow placed on the tool. The backer is then used to drive the following tows individually as directed by the controller. Finally, the backers are delivered to individual backer cassettes for disposal.
Claims15
Apparatus for continuously cutting and placing tows of resin impregnated fibers on a tool, said fibers being releasably attached to a backer and moving through said apparatus along a flow path, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of rotatable tow cassette reels of tows for dispensing said tows;
- first tow tensioning means attached to said tow cassette reels for maintaining constant tension on said tows during placement on said tool;
- a guide pulley assembly, said assembly comprised of a plurality of pulleys individually rotatable on a shaft for guiding each of said tows through said apparatus along the flow path;
- tow cutting means for cutting said tows to a predetermined length and shape after said tows exit from said guide pulley assembly;
- encoder pulley means for guiding said tows after passing through said cutting means and for determining the position of each of the tow ends when said tows are placed on said tool;
- means for removing said backers from said tows and storing said backers on backer cassette reels;
- second tow tensioning means attached to said backer cassette reels for controlling the tension on said tows in conjunction with the first tow tensioning means attached to the tow cassette reels, said second tow tensioning means acting in the opposite direction of said first tow tensioning means to minimize the tension on the tow when said tow is placed on said tool;
- drive means for driving each of said tows individually in response to a predetermined pattern;
- control means for controlling said drive means and said tow cutting means in response to the outputs of both said encoder pulleys and a predetermined pattern installed in the control means;
- and
- a tow placement head for receiving the cut tows and placing them on the tool surface.
A cutting and placement apparatus for cutting tows of resin impregnated fibers from a sheet of resin impregnated material having a separable backer adhered to one side of said tow, and for placing said tows on a tool having the shape of the desired end product, said apparatus comprising:
- means for cutting said sheet material into tows of precise width and storing said tows in continuous lengths on cassette reels;
- a base for supporting said placement assembly;
- a tool mounted on said base, said tool having the shape of the product to be formed;
- a multi-axis maneuverable head mounted on said base adjacent said tool;
- a tow application assembly attached to said maneuverable head and maneuverable therewith, said tow application assembly comprising;
- a plurality of rotatable tow cassette reels of tows for dispensing said tows;
- first tow tensioning means attached to said tow cassette reels for maintaining constant tension on said tows during placement on said tool;
- a guide pulley assembly, said assembly comprised of a plurality of pulleys individually rotatable on a shaft for guiding each of said tows through said apparatus along the flow path;
- tow cutting means for cutting said tows to a predetermined length and shape after said tows exit from said guide pulley assembly;
- encoder pulley means for guiding said tows after passing through said cutting means and for determining the position of each of the tow ends when said tows are placed on said tool;
- means for removing said backers from said tows and storing said backers on backer cassette reels;
- second tow tensioning means attached to said backer cassette reels for controlling the tension on said tows in conjunction with the first tow tensioning means attached to the tow cassette reels, said second tow tensioning means acting in the opposite direction of said first tow tensioning means to minimize the tension on the tow when said tow is placed on said tool;
- drive means for driving each of said tows individually in response to a predetermined pattern;
- control means for controlling said drive means and said tow cutting means in response to the outputs of both said encoder pulleys and a predetermined pattern installed in the control means;
- and
- a tow placement head for receiving the cut tows and placing them on the tool surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.