Composite Technology & Applications Limited

Rolls-royce Corporation

The Boeing Company

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

University of Delaware

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.

Barrday Inc.

Accudyne Systems, Inc.

Ralph Douglas Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

Michael James Case

James Tingle

John Anthony Kukon

Steven Andrew Cope

Kimberly Ann Ferrara

Vernon M Benson

Jason K Slack

Christopher James Madsen

Peter G Turner

Kyle Putnam Tarry

Don C Jones

Jesse Paul Brown

James Gargel

Michael G Case

Kim Ferrara

Nanette Gopez

Mark Allan Lamontia

Thomas Jacob Hagman

Mark B Gruber

James Cole Galloway

Tim Braucht

Steve B Funck

Ross Hutter

Andrew Galbraith

Chinkal Patel

Steven A Cope

Kimberley Ann Ferrara

There is disclosed a method of inserting a reinforcing rod into a hole in a laminated material. The method comprises a feed operation in which a feed clamp clamps a rod whilst moving towards the laminated material to feed an end section of the rod through a guide clamp into a hole in the laminated material. The method further comprises a re-supply operation in which the feed clamp releases the rod and moves relative the rod along a return direction away from the laminated material whilst the guide clamp clamps the rod. A corresponding insertion head for inserting a reinforcing rod, and insertion equipment comprising the insertion head and a controller is also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for inserting a reinforcing rod into a laminated material

Material preparation devices and related methods include a material or substrate assembly and an application assembly for applying a fiber material.

Material preparation device and related methods

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

A material preparation device is provided. The material preparation device includes a bias-ply assembly, a feedstock assembly and an application head. The bias-ply assembly is configured to pass a bias-ply backing material along a first path. The feedstock assembly is configured to pass a feedstock along a second path that crosses the first path at a select angle. The feedstock includes resin pre-impregnated fiber-reinforced material (pre-preg) having the fibers at a first orientation relative to an edge of the feedstock. The application head is configured to transfer the pre-preg from the feedstock to the bias-ply backing material at a location where the first path crosses the second path to form a bias-ply with the fibers of the pre-preg having a second, different orientation relative to an edge of the formed bias-ply.

Material preparation device

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

A material preparation device is provided. The material preparation device includes a bias-ply assembly, a feedstock assembly and an application head. The bias-ply assembly is configured to pass a bias-ply backing material along a first path. The feedstock assembly is configured to pass a feedstock along a second path that crosses the first path at a select angle. The feedstock includes resin pre-impregnated fiber reinforced material (pre-preg) having the fibers at a first orientation relative to an edge of the feedstock. The application head is configured to transfer the pre-preg from the feedstock to the bias-ply backing material at a location where the first path crosses the second path to form a bias-ply with the fibers of the pre-preg having a second different orientation relative to an edge of the formed bias-ply.

Automated bias-ply preparation device and process

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

A gantry system supports a human user in a harness attached to a carriage on a track. The carriage may comprise a body defining a U-shaped or C-shaped opening sized to receive a cylindrical track, and a pair of wheels attached to the body that roll along a top portion of the track with sufficiently minimal drag to permit the user to move the carriage without assistance. Single track embodiments may have a straight or curved trajectory and may have intersecting track portions with junctions that move between the intersecting track portions. In other embodiments, the carriage traverses a perpendicular track spanning a pair of parallel tracks. The perpendicular track may traverse the parallel tracks with or without motorized assistance. A counterweight system may provide partial weight support for the user. In one embodiment, the tracks are supported by a collapsible free-standing structure.

Open area harness system for providing patient mobility

A method for processing a composite includes consolidating a section of a continuous length of a first feedstock together with a section of a continuous length of a second feedstock to form a consolidated section. The first feedstock is made of a first composite layer that is releasably bonded to a first release layer, and the second feedstock is made of a second composite layer that is releasably bonded to a second release layer. The first release layer is then separated from the consolidated section and from a portion of the first composite layer a distance beyond an edge of the consolidated section. The first composite layer is then cut within the distance beyond the edge to release the consolidated section from the remaining continuous length of the first feedstock.

Method for processing a composite

An apparatus for splicing an elongate multi-layered workpiece includes: (a) drives and guides cooperating to drive the workpiece along a working path; (b) a cutter for severing the workpiece; (c) a layer manipulator for separating layers; (d) an applicator for applying adhesive; and (e) a deflector unit for deflecting the workpiece from the working path. The cutter effects the severing to present first and second workpiece segments. The layer manipulator effects inter-layer separation in one segment to present an interlayer zone in the one segment. A drive inserts the other segment in the interlayer zone. The layer manipulator urges the layers together to capture the other segment within the interlayer zone to establish a multi-layer structure. A drive and at least one of the workpiece deflector unit and the applicator situate the multi-layer structure adjacent to the applicator for finishing the splicing by applying adhesive to the multi-layer structure.

Apparatus and method for splicing an elongate multi-layered workpiece

A tape placement head for applying thermoplastic tape to an object includes a heated feeder which guides the tape/tow to a heated zone. The heated zone has a line compactor having a single row of at least one movable heated member. An area compactor is located in the heated zone downstream from the line compactor. The area compactor includes a plurality of rows of movable feet which are extendable toward the tape/tow different distances with respect to each other to conform to the shape of the object. A shim is located between the heated compactors and the tape/tow. A chilled compactor is in a chilled zone downstream from the heated zone. The chilled zone includes a line chilled compactor and an area chilled compactor. A chilled shim is mounted between the chilled compactor and the tape/tow.

Growing community of inventors

Elkton, MD, United States of America

Ralph Douglas Cope