The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 1988
Filed:
Feb. 03, 1986
Alan K Miller, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Stanford, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and process for continuously and progressively forming components from fiber-containing composite material workpieces having a deformable matrix, wherein bending of the composite material is accomplished by pairs of roller elements between which the composite passes as it moves through the apparatus, and wherein the workpiece may be locally heated within the extent of the roller elements. Rotation of each roller is individually and independently controllable to drive the workpiece forward, retard motion of the workpiece, or freewheel. Retarding motion of selected rollers induces tensile stresses in the workpiece, which counteract the compressive stresses induced during bending so as to maintain the alignment of the fibers. Bending is preferably accomplished by positioning the pairs of roller elements to continuously introduce longitudinally adjacent bends of appropriate magnitudes and senses into the workpiece so that the laminar length of the workpiece remains substantially unchanged throughout the entire forming operation.