Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.

Owens-corning Fiberglass Technology, Inc.

Douglas Brian Mann

Martin C Flautt

Leonard Joseph Adzima

Andrew B Woodside

Eugene V Galloway

Joseph Anthony Adcock

Larry J Huey

Margaret M Woodside

James V Gauchel

David L Shipp

Frank MacDonald

Clark Thomas Forbes

Keith Brian Richey

Juan-Carlos Maymir

Donald Scarsella

Peggy M Woodside

A moving strand is provided and a size is applied to the strand. A collet is rotated to wind the strand and build a package. The strand is reciprocated with a strand reciprocator to lay the strand at a wind angle on the package surface as the package rotates. A rotatable collet receives the strand to build a package. A strand reciprocator is mounted to guide the strand from edge to edge of the package and to lay the strand in a helical pattern on the package surface as the package rotates. The collet and the cam for the strand reciprocator are driven by motors. A collet inverter drive and a cam inverter drive control the rotational speed of the collet and cam, respectively. A controller is operatively connected to control the collet and cam inverter drives. A memory device such as a computer provides information to the controller of the waywind and wind angle as a function of package buildup time. An encoder can be operatively connected to each motor to provide feedback information to the controller relating to the rotational speed of the collet and the cam. The wind angle can remain constant while the relative rotational speed of the collet and the cam are varied as a function of package buildup time. Alternatively, the wind angle and the relative rotational speed of the collet and the cam can be varied as a function of package buildup time.

Method for controlling wind angle and waywind during strand package buildup

A collet is rotated to wind a strand and build a package. The strand is reciprocated with a strand reciprocator having a strand guide to lay the strand in a pattern on the package surface as the package rotates. As the package builds, the diameter of the package increases. A method includes a startup procedure for selecting a desired rotational speed or torque of the collet prior to building the package. As the package builds, the torque on the collet is monitored and kept within upper and lower operating curves to control the package density. The method can also monitor the torque of the cam and/or receder to control the force exerted by the strand guide on the package.

Method of controlling strand guide position during package buildup

A guide eye for use with a traverse mechanism of a strand package winder is positioned with respect to the surface of the package during the package build process so that the guide eye contacts the package surface in the larger diameter, end regions of the package. This positioning provides a minimal free length between the point at which the strands leaves the guide and the point at which the strand contacts the package surface, giving better control over the placement of the strand onto the package surface, particularly in the end portions of the package. Further, the guide eye is pressed against the package surface, slightly compressing the surface and pressing a portion of the preceding stand courses against the package. This pressure helps to fix the strand in the position in which it was laid down to reduce displacement of the strand course during the package build process.

Strand guide eye and method of winding a package using the same

A method and apparatus are provided for forming a fabric, suitable for mailing a finished composite product, using one or more composite strands. One embodiment of the apparatus comprises at least one bushing for forming reinforcing fibers; supply equipment for supplying matrix fibers; at least one applicator for applying bonding size (i.e., bonding chemical treatment) to the fibers; a gathering mechanism for gathering the treated fibers into at least one composite strand; a pulling mechanism for pulling the at least one composite strand; and a fabric forming mechanism for forming a fabric using the at least one composite strand. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of drawing a plurality of reinforcing fibers; supplying a plurality of preformed matrix fibers; applying bonding size directly to the reinforcing fibers and the matrix fibers from one or more applicators at least before the reinforcing fibers are gathered together into a strand; gathering the fibers together into at least one composite strand; and forming the at least one composite strand into a unidirectional fabric. The resulting unidirectional fabric comprises a plurality of stitching threads and a continuous glass/polymer composite strand in the form of a plurality of transverse loops. The composite strand can comprise a plurality of first reinforcing fibers drawn from a bushing of molten glass, a plurality of preformed matrix fibers made from a polymer matrix material, and bonding size which bonds together the fibers of the composite strand.

Manufacture of a undirectional composite fabric

An apparatus is provided for producing a glass fiber package. The apparatus includes a heated bushing for supplying streams of molten glass to be drawn into continuous fibers, a rotatable member adapted to draw the streams into fibers and to wind the fibers into a package, an applicator for applying a size to the fibers, and a drying device including a heated element maintained at a temperature of between about 1000.degree. F. and 1500.degree. F. for contacting and transferring energy in the form of heat to the sized fibers to dry the fibers before they are wound into the package. The heating member is stationary while contacting the sized fibers.

Method and apparatus for forming continuous glass fibers

A sizing composition for glass is provided. The sizing composition comprises a vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion, a polyvinyl acetate copolymer latex, and a vinyl acrylic copolymer emulsion.

Sizing composition for glass roving

A method and apparatus are provided for producing composite strands. The apparatus comprises a heated bushing for supplying streams of molten glass to be drawn into continuous first fibers; a drawing device adapted to draw the streams into the first fibers; supply equipment for supplying one or more second fibers of a second material; one or more applicators for applying a size to the first and second fibers; and a device for gathering the first and second fibers into one or more composite strands. The composite stands are made by drawing glass fibers from the bushing; applying sizing to the glass fibers and the second fibers; contacting the fibers with a heated contact plate to dry the fibers; and then commingling the fibers to form one or more composite strands.

Contact drying of fibers to form composite strands

A method and apparatus is disclosed for producing dried sized glass fibers wherein a drying device is used to produce current flow along sized fibers to thereby partially or fully dry the size on the fibers. The apparatus may include an applicator for applying a size to the fibers and a drying device which comprises a high voltage electrode connected to a high voltage source and at least one grounded electrode. Drying is performed by passing the sized fibers by the electrodes such that a current flows along the sized fibers from the high voltage electrode to the at least one grounded electrode. The grounded electrodes may comprise grounded gathering shoes.

Growing community of inventors

Evans, GA, United States of America

Douglas Brian Mann