Composite Technology & Applications Limited

Rolls-royce Corporation

John Anthony Kukon

Ralph Douglas Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

James Tingle

Michael James Case

There is disclosed a cutting mechanism for severing elongate fibre reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fibre reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment comprising the cutting mechanism.

Cutting mechanism

There is disclosed a cutting mechanism for severing elongate fiber reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fiber reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fiber reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment comprising the cutting mechanism.

There is disclosed composite material lay-up equipment for applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material to an article, the equipment comprising: a support head; a cutting mechanism carried by the support head for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material. The cutting mechanism comprises a plurality of cutting elements coupled to and moveable with respect to the support head and a cassette removably attached to the support head and having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elements statically mounted thereto. Each cutting element is displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elements cooperate to sever a length of elongate fiber reinforcement material extending through the nip formed between them.

Composite material lay-up equipment

There is disclosed composite material lay-up equipmentfor applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement materialto an article, the equipmentcomprising: a support head; a cutting mechanismcarried by the support headfor severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material. The cutting mechanismcomprises a plurality of cutting elementscoupled to and moveable with respect to the support headand a cassetteremovably attached to the support headand having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elementsstatically mounted thereto. Each cutting elementis displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting elementto perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elementscooperate to sever a length of elongate fiber reinforcementmaterial extending through the nip formed between them.

There is disclosed a cutting mechanismfor severing elongate fiber reinforcement materialin composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanismcomprising a cutting elementand a counteracting elementwhich cooperate to sever fiber reinforcement materialextending through the nip between them, the cutting elementbeing mounted on an elongate armwhich is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting elementrelatively to the counteracting elementto perform a cutting stroke, the mechanismfurther comprising guide meansarranged to guide the fiber reinforcement materialthrough the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation devicefor driving the elongate armin a cutting stroke, the actuation deviceacting on the elongate armat a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipmentcomprising the cutting mechanism

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Franklinville, NY, United States of America

John Anthony Kukon