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:
Dec. 01, 1992
Filed:
May. 29, 1991
Stanley T Peters, Mt. View, CA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A device and method for producing a tapered scarf joint between two composites includes a cutting guide for cutting plies to incrementally variable lengths. The joint is produced on a filament winding machine having a mandrel and a winding eye for delivering tacky prepreg filament bands. A first helical ply is wound around the mandrel. Next, a cutting guide edge is positioned over the first ply an incremental distance inward from the ply end. As the next helical ply is wound, the filaments are cut at the cutting guide edge. The cut filament ends are pressed against the first ply. The process is repeated N times. The cutting guide is then removed from the mandrel, and a final ply is wound over the entire length of the composite. Similarly, the same cutting guide is then used to produce an outwardly tapered composite end. Only this time the cutting guide edge is positioned incrementally outward along a tapered wedge attached to one end of the mandrel. Finally the inwardly tapered composite end is adhesively attached to the outwardly tapered composite end, thereby producing a relatively inexpensive high strength composite joint without increasing composite thickness.