United Technologies Corporation

Marcia A Fecto

John A Violette

A method of manufacturing a fiber reinforced article using a fiber preform 10 suitable for impregnating with a curable resin to form the fiber reinforced article. The fiber preform 10 is formed by fitting a plurality of preformed seamless fabric envelopes 20 over an inner mold body 30 one over another in a layered fashion. An outer mold body 40 is placed over the completed fiber preform 10 prior to injecting a curable resin into the mold cavity 50 housing the fiber preform 10. The preform 10 comprises an innermost seamless fabric envelope 20A preformed to closely match a desired contour of the inner surface of the manufactured article, an outermost seamless fabric envelope 20B preformed to closely match a desired contour of the outer surface of the manufactured article, and an intermediate layer of at least one intermediate seamless fabric envelope 20C disposed therebetween.

Method of making contoured fiber reinforced body

A propeller blade spar/foam subassembly is manufactured by disposing a lamination of prepreg within a mold, closing the mold about a spar and injecting foam into mold cavities formed at the lead edge and the trailing edge of the spar.

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North Canton, CT, United States of America

Marcia A Fecto