Lightweight contoured load carrying structure

• US 4,079,903 A
• Filed: 11/19/1973
• Issued: 03/21/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fiber Science Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fiber Science Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ashton, Larry J., Abildskov, Dale P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US05/416,965
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 244/123, 244/117 R, 244/124, 244/125, 244/133, 416/230, 416/226, 416/241 A, 52/84
• US Class Current: 244/123.5
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/00 Wings ornithopter wings B64C33/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49879 Spaced wall tube or receptacle

Abstract

Contoured load carrying filament reinforced matrix structure which may be in the form of an airfoil or hydrofoil and comprising a plurality of elongated coextensive tubes disposed in side-by-side relationship to form a tube assembly and individually of sufficient cross section to project substantially from one side to the other of the cross sectional contour of the foil with the opposite cross sectional extremities of such tubes cooperating to form a composite cross sectional contour defining the contour of such foil. A skin is wrapped around the composite tube assembly and is bonded thereto to secure such filament wound tubes in position and provide for good load distribution when such foil is loaded.

Claims

1. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure having an elongated cross section of a selected contour and comprising:

a plurality of elongated filament wound tubular members disposed in a side-by-side relationship and cooperating together to form a tubular member assembly, the opposite cross section extremities of said tubular members cooperating to define substantially the contour of the opposite sides of said selected contour, at least some of said tubular members having a plurality of elongated reinforcement means in addition to the filaments of said tubular members and of a material different from said filaments extending longitudinally thereof, said reinforcement means being formed in the walls of said at least some tubular members and arranged between successive layers of said filament wound tubular members;

skin means wrapped around said opposite cross section extremities to cover said tubular member assembly; and

bonding means affixing at least portions of said opposite cross section extremities of said tubular members to said skin means whereby said filament wound tubular members, reinforcement means and skin means, when loaded, will cooperate together in carrying longitudinal bending loads applied thereto as well as in distributing loads along the length of the composite cross section to extend substantially to said opposite side of said structure.

2. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubular members include a plurality of relatively large-in-cross section central tubular members with the tubular members on opposite sides thereof becoming progressively smaller-in-vertical-cross section to cause said contour of said structure to assume the contour of a fluid foil.

3. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubular members are constructed from at least one ply of circumferential filaments and at least one ply of spiral filaments.

4. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said skin means is in the form of fiber glass.

5. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 that includes:

a plurality of tubular members telescoped into said respective first mentioned tubular members and cooperating therewith to define filler spaces; and

lightweight filler means disposed in said filler spaces.

6. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said skin means includes a first skin member and a second skin member spaced apart to form a filler chamber; and

lightweight filler means disposed in said filler chamber and sandwiched between said first and second skin members.

7. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubular members are tapered from one end to the other.

8. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubular are formed from plies of winding filament extending substantially from one end to the other of said respective tubes.

9. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bonding means affixes adjacent tubular members to one another.

10. The lightweight contoured load carrying structure of claim 1 wherein said skin means comprises a filament wound skin means.

11. The lightweight contoured load carrying structure of claim 10 wherein said skin means comprises a sandwich of at least one layer of circumferential filaments and at least one layer of spiral filaments.

12. A lightweight contoured load carrying structure having an elongated cross section forming a fluid foil contour and comprising:

a first plurality of elongated filament wound tubular members disposed in side-by-side relationship and cooperating together to form a tubular member assembly, the opposite cross-sectional extremities of said tubular members cooperating to define substantially the contour of the opposite sides of at least a portion of said fluid foil contour;

a second plurality of elongated filament wound tubular members telescoped into respective ones of said first plurality of tubular members and cooperating therewith to define filler spaces therebetween, said filler spaces having ligthweight, substantially noncompressive stiffening filler means disposed therein;

skin means wrapped around said composite cross section to cover said tubular members, said skin means including an inner skin member and an outer skin member spaced apart to form a filler chamber therebetween, said filler chamber having lightweight, substantially noncompressive stiffening filler means disposed therein and sandwiched between said skin members;

bonding means affixed at least said opposite cross-sectional extremities of said first plurality of tubular members to said inner skin member whereby said filament wound tubular members, filler means and skin means, when loaded, will cooperate together in carrying longitudinal bending loads applied thereto as well as in distributing loads along the length of the composite cross section to extend substantially to said opposite side of said structure.

13. The lightweight contoured load carrying structure of claim 12 wherein said skin means comprises a filament wound skin means.