Compaction roller for a fiber placement machine

A tool for compacting a composite article, the tool comprising:

• a mounting bracket;
• a shaft having a plurality of bores and at least one transverse fluid pressure passage connected to each of the plurality of bores, mounted to the mounting bracket;
• a plurality of segments arranged along a length of the shaft, each segment comprising a piston bore and a piston within the segment, and also comprising a bearing having an outer race and a flexible outer covering, wherein each of the pistons is movable within the piston bore and one of the plurality of bores in response to pressure in the fluid pressure passage, and wherein each of the plurality of segments is separately movable perpendicularly to the shaft in response to a contour of the composite article and movement of the piston within the segment;
• and
• wherein the plurality of bores in the shaft comprises two pluralities of bores, side by side, and wherein each of the plurality of segments comprises two piston bores, and further comprising a piston in each of the two bores, each piston movable within one bore of the two pluralities of bores within the shaft.

A tool for compacting an article made with a composite material, the tool comprising:

• a bracket for connecting to a fiber placement head;
• a shaft mounted on the bracket;
• and
• a plurality of deformable segments mounted along a length of the shaft, each segment having a generally flat cylindrical shape with an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and each segment also having a plurality of transverse mounting pins and a plurality of bores, wherein the plurality of transverse mounting pins of a first segment fits into the plurality of bores of a second, adjacent segment, and the transverse mounting pins of the second adjacent segment fit into the plurality of bores of a third, adjacent segment, and wherein an outer surface of each of the plurality of deformable segments is movable with respect to adjacent segments in response to movement of the tool and a contour of the composite material, for applying a relatively uniform pressure to compact the article.

A tool for compacting composite materials, the tool comprising:

• a bracket;
• a first shaft fixedly mounted on the bracket;
• a second shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket and connected to a source of power;
• and
• a plurality of segments, each segment having a central portion with a first aperture and a second aperture, each of the central portions mounted on the first shaft via the first aperture and mounted to the second shaft via a keyway extending through the central portion and into the second shaft, each of the plurality of segments further comprising a roller bearing and an outer flexible layer,
• wherein an outer profile of the plurality of segments may be configured by selecting a rotational orientation of the central portions, the keyway and the second shaft, so that the composite material is compacted with a relatively uniform pressure.

A compaction tool for compacting a composite article, the tool comprising:

• a bracket;
• a first shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket;
• a second shaft mounted on the bracket and having a plurality of piston bores and at least one transverse fluid pressure bore in communication with each of the piston bores;
• a plurality of segments mounted along a length of the second shaft, each segment comprising at least one piston, at least one reservoir for pressurized fluid in fluid communication with one of the plurality of piston bores, and an outer roller bearing;
• and
• a belt for mounting around the first shaft and the plurality of segments,
• wherein each of the plurality of segments is separately movable perpendicularly to the second shaft in response to a contour of the composite article and movement of the piston within the segment, to apply a relatively uniform pressure to the composite article across the belt.

A compaction tool for compacting an article made from composite materials, the tool comprising:

• a bracket;
• a first shaft fixedly mounted on the bracket, the first shaft having a plurality of piston bores and at least one transverse fluid pressure bore in communication with each of the piston bores;
• a plurality of segments mounted along a length of the first shaft, each segment comprising at least one piston, at least one reservoir for pressurized fluid in fluid communication with one of the plurality of piston bores, and an outer roller bearing;
• a second shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket;
• and
• a flexible roller further comprising an internal wire reinforcement, said roller rotatably mounted to the bracket and in rolling contact with at least two of the plurality of segments,
• wherein the first shaft further comprises a connection to a source of pressurized fluid, and the first shaft is sealingly connected to each of the plurality of segments.