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US 5,746,879 AGranted
Apparatus for making honeycomb from substrates and node strips
AssigneePlascore, Inc.
InventorsFritz Huebner, Gerard J. Schoeb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for forming honeycomb structure from a plurality of substrate layers. The layers are bonded together by spaced, parallel, solid node strips of thermoplastic material pressed and heated above the softening temperature to bond to the substrate surfaces and form a block. Several alternative apparatuses are disclosed.
Claims13
An apparatus for forming a precursor block expandable into a honeycomb structure, comprising:
- a substrate feeder for advancing substrate layers;
- node strip feeding means for advancing successive sets of pluralities of polymeric node strips in parallel relationship, at equal spacings, onto said substrate layers, one set for each layer, and for advancing successive sets of spaced, parallel node strips laterally off-set half way relative to the strip spacing of the set therebelow;
- said node strip feeding means comprises spools of solid, continuous thermoplastic node strips;
- and
- heating means for heating said node strips to a temperature above the softening point of said node strips as said node strips are advanced from said node strip feeding means and prior to said node strips being applied onto said substrate layers.
2 more elements
An apparatus for forming a precursor block expandable into a honeycomb structure, comprising:
- a rotational form;
- a first substrate feeder for advancing a first substrate layer onto said rotational form;
- first node strip feeding means for advancing a first set of at least three solid polymeric node strips in parallel relationship, at equal spacings, onto said first substrate layer as said first substrate layer is fed onto said rotational form;
- a second substrate feeder for advancing a second substrate layer onto said first set of node strips as said node strips are advanced onto said first substrate layer;
- second node strip feeding means for advancing a second set of at least three spaced, parallel solid polymeric node strips onto said second substrate layer, said second node strip feeding means advances said second set of node strips laterally offset halfway relative to the spacing of said first set of node strips;
- said node strip feeding means comprises spools of solid, continuous thermoplastic node strips;
- and
- heating means for heating said first and second sets of node strips to a temperature that is above the softening point of said node strips but below the melting point of said node strips as said node strips are advanced form said first and second node strip feeding means and prior to said node strips being applied onto said substrate layers such that first and second substrate layers are bonded together by said node strips to form a precursor block that is expandable into a honeycomb structure.
5 more elements
Apparatus for forming a precursor block expandable into a honeycomb structure, comprising:
- a substrate feeder for advancing substrate layers;
- node strip feeding means for advancing successive sets of pluralities of polymeric node strips in parallel relationship, at equal spacings, onto said substrate layers, one set for each layer, and advancing successive sets of spaced, parallel node strips laterally offset halfway relative to the strip spacing of the set therebelow;
- said node strip feeding means comprises spools of solid, continuous thermoplastic node strips;
- and
- a heatable pressure applicator located for softening said node strips and pressing them into bonding relationship with said substrate layers to form a block, whereby expansion of the block will effect a honeycomb structure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.