Structural reinforcement member and method of utilizing the same to reinforce a product

A method of producing a structural member adapted to reinforce a product and comprising the steps of

• fabricating a gridwork which comprises a set of warp strands and a set of weft strands which are disposed at right angles to each other, with each of the strands comprising at least one continuous filament, wherein the sets of strands are non-interlaced and at least some of the strands of each set are spaced apart so as to define an open structure, and wherein the set of warp strands is separated into groups each containing a plurality of contiguous strands, with at least one strand of each group lying on one side of the set of weft stands, and at least one other strand of each group lying on the other side of the set of weft strands in contiguous superimposed relationship with said at least one strand, and
• advancing the gridwork along a path of travel while
• (1) immersing the advancing gridwork in a liquid resin bath which is thermosettable and capable of being heated to cure to the B-stage,
• (2) guiding the resin coated advancing gridwork through a nip so as to squeeze off excess resin, and cause the resin to more fully penetrate into the strands, and then
• (3) heating and applying pressure to the advancing gridwork to an extent sufficient to cause the resin to cure to the B-stage without fully curing and firmly pressing the crossover points of the sets of strands together so that the crossover points bond to each other, then
• applying one or more layers of said gridwork to a product to be reinforced, and then
• heating the one or more layers of said gridwork to fully cure the resin, and
• comprising the further step of forming the gridwork into a transportable supply package after said steps (1), (2), and (3) and prior to the step of applying one or more layers of said gridwork to a product, and
• comprising the further steps conducted prior to the step of applying one or more layers of said gridwork to a product, of withdrawing the gridwork from the supply package and heating the withdrawn gridwork so as to soften the B-stage resin, and corrugating the heated gridwork so as to form alternating ridges and grooves in the set of warp strands, while maintaining the set of weft strands substantially linear, and cooling the gridwork so as to substantially rigidize the gridwork.