The Boeing Company

William Bounds, Ltd.

Peter D McCowin

Darrell Darwin Jones

Paul Elfes Nelson

Hugh R Schlosstein

Joseph Daniel Brennan

Matthew K Lum

Terrence J Rowe

Worm Lund

George D Hempstead

David Paul Banks

David L Wagner

Grant C Zenkner

Robert Arthur Kisch

Mark C Boberg

Richard J Buckwitz

Dennis M Cordy

Brent R Meredith

Edward J Davert

Richard R Trujillo

Ronald J Smith

D Bruce Thomas, Jr

Peter L Hoffman

Mark R Weber

Thomas D Bruce Jr

A conformable apparatus for treating a composite material. The conformable apparatus includes a contact layer that is conformable and includes a plurality of contact elements. Each contact element of the plurality of contact elements includes a first major side, a second major side opposed from said first major side, and at least one side surface extending between said first major side and said second major side. The contact layer further includes a contact surface at least partially defined by the first major sides of the plurality of contact elements and a backing surface at least partially defined by the second major sides of said plurality of contact elements. The conformable apparatus also includes a backing layer positioned against said backing surface of said contact layer.

Conformable apparatus, systems and methods for treating a composite material

A tooling mandrel for manufacturing a composite structure may include a mandrel body having a fluid passage network formed within the mandrel body for passing a fluid medium through the mandrel body. The fluid passage network may have a passage cross-sectional area shaped to promote thermal conductance between the fluid medium and the tooling mandrel and cause a change in a mandrel cross-sectional shape.

Method of extracting a tooling mandrel from a composite laminate cavity

Method and apparatus for layup placement on a layup structure is provided. The method includes iteratively loading a layup for the layup structure on a support frame of a saddle module; aligning the saddle module with a pre-selected registration position corresponding to a predetermined application path on the layup structure; and impressing the layup into forced contact with the layup structure along the predetermined application path using a predetermined application force. The apparatus includes a plurality of saddle modules configured to operate in unison, wherein the plurality of saddle modules is configured to receive a pre-selected composite material layup.

Apparatus for layup placement

Apparatuses for creating layered tape composite structures include a frame, a source of first tape, and a first tape placement module configured to receive first tape and place the first tape on a layup surface as the frame translates along the layup surface. Some apparatuses further include a source of second tape, and a second tape placement module configured to receive second tape and place the second tape on the first tape as the frame moves along the layup surface. Methods for creating layered tape composite structures include supplying a first tape, and placing the first tape on a layup surface. Some methods further include supplying a second tape, and placing the second tape on the first tape on the layup surface.

Apparatuses and methods for creating layered tape composite structures

A method of forming a composite layup on a substrate comprises: moving an automatic fiber placement head over the substrate; using the fiber placement head to lay down multiple, parallel strips of composite tape on the substrate, including staggering the start of at least certain of the tape strips so as to form a contour pattern; and, cutting the ends of all of the tape strips using a single cut.

Reduced complexity automatic fiber placement apparatus and method

Method and apparatus for layup placement

A forming tool and method for its use with flat pre-preg composite laminate assemblies which incorporates a mandrel segmented into multiple forming blocks, the forming blocks sized to receive a draped composite laminate assembly with all portions of the composite laminate assembly spaced from a shaping surface on each block. A spline plate engages the shaping surface of the forming blocks to provide a neutral axis for maintaining the entire composite laminate assembly in tension during forming. In the exemplary embodiments, the draped composite laminate assembly is formed to the forming blocks from the flat composite laminate assembly and maintained in contact with the forming blocks using a vacuum bag. The mandrel forming blocks arc then displaced to a desired curvature on the spline plate.

Method and apparatus for contouring composite pre-preg articles

A composite part is formed by a composite tape application machine that lays up a plurality of tapes on a substrate. The lateral position of the tapes may be adjusted as the tapes are being laid up.

Method and apparatus for producing composite structures

A forming tool and method for its use with flat pre-preg composite laminate assemblies which incorporates a mandrel segmented into multiple forming blocks, the forming blocks sized to receive a draped composite laminate assembly with all portions of the composite laminate assembly spaced from a shaping surface on each block. A spline plate engages the shaping surface of the forming blocks to provide a neutral axis for maintaining the entire composite laminate assembly in tension during forming. In the exemplary embodiments, the draped composite laminate assembly is formed to the forming blocks from the flat composite laminate assembly and maintained in contact with the forming blocks using a vacuum bag. The mandrel forming blocks are then displaced to a desired curvature on the spline plate.

Apparatus for cutting plural aligned ply strips includes plural knife blades disposed in a spaced manner such that each knife blade is aligned with and in closely spaced relation to an associated ply strip. The knife blades are pivotally mounted in a common housing and are coupled to a single rotational drive for allowing each knife blade to assume the same predetermined cutting angle relative to its associated ply strip, where the cutting angle may be varied between &#xb1;45&#xb0;. The plural knife blades are coupled to a rotational drive by means of plural circular drive gears and are connected to a linear drive for displacing the knife blades into contact with the ply strips for cutting the strips at the predetermined angle. The severed edges of the aligned ply strips are formed in mutual linear alignment and do not include projecting triangular patterns, or crenelations.

Mechanism and method for predetermined angular cutting of a plurality of ply strips

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for manufacturing multiple layer composite structures and structures containing components made of multiple layer composite structures, comprising dispensing layers of composite material, trimming each layer to its final shape as it is being dispensed, and positioning it properly with respect to prior layers in the part lay-up.

Composite material layup including trim-on-the-fly

A pre-patterned layup kit with layup patterned to accommodate an airframe topological feature, trimmed to fit a preselected target region of a layup structure, and conformed to the target region contour. The kit can be fabricated in advance of airframe manufacture and stored until use. The kit includes a flexible carrier upon which the layup is laid, and a release layer between the layup and the carrier. The layup has multiple laminae oriented to an carrier indexing element, and indexed to the target region thereby. A kit manufacturing method includes preparing the laminae constituent of the layup, preparing the carrier, and laying down the laminae on the carrier to make the kit. The kit can be compacted, inspected, and prepared for storage. The layup can be fabricated of a pre-patterned lamina or multiple laminae that are shaped and trimmed to accommodate an airframe topological feature.

Pre-patterned layup kit and method of manufacture

A fiber tensioning device is provided for a spool of fibers. A hub is rotatably mounted on the support and is adapted to have the spool of fibers mounted thereon. Means on the hub apply a drag force on fibers being drawn from the spool to maintain the fibers in tension.

Simplified fiber tensioning for automated fiber placement machines

Apparatus are provided for attaching to a composite tape lamination machine in order to remove composite scrap tape material from a backing paper. When a moveable member is in one position composite non-scrap tape material on a backing paper is directed along a path to avoid a removing member and keep composite non-scrap tape material on a backing paper. When the moveable member is in another position composite scrap tape material on a backing paper is directed along a different path to contact the removing member and remove composite scrap tape material from a backing paper. Composite scrap tape material may be disposed in a scrap disposal member. Backing paper having attached composite non-scrap tape material and not having attached composite scrap tape material may be spooled using a spool roller.

Growing community of inventors

Enumclaw, WA, United States of America

Peter D McCowin