Gantry for use in the manufacture of laminar structures

• US 4,208,238 A
• Filed: 05/01/1978
• Issued: 06/17/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Huber, John G., August, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Weston, Caleb
• Application Number:
  US05/901,460
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 156/500, 156/510, 156/523, 156/527, 156/540, 156/584, 212/13, 212/14, 214/1 BT, 214/1 BB, 214/1 BV, 214/10, 269/21, 269/24, 269/55, 269/56, 269/58, 269/63, 271/84, 271/85, 271/91, 271/103, 271/196
• US Class Current: 156/510
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0846 for moving elongated workpieces longitudinally, e.g. wire or strip material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/386 Automated tape laying [ATL]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/00 Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantries B66C17/00 takes precedence; base supporting structures with legs B66C5/00; jib cranes B66C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/12 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with cutting, punching, piercing, severing or tearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1348 Work traversing type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1705 Lamina transferred to base from adhered flexible web or sheet type carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1906 Delaminating means responsive to feed or shape at delamination

Abstract

Apparatus for laying filament reinforced tape in a form, cutting same to a predetermined pattern and molding same in a preferred form.

Claims

1. For use with a facility to manufacture laminar structures a gantry means to traverse a path to be taken in such manufacture, said gantry being comprised of:

a frame having ends with side legs with columns connecting said ends to space said ends from one another, said side legs having drive means to provide for movement of said frame;

a platform movably mounted to and between said ends, said platform being movable between the ends and within the side legs from one side to the other side of said frame;

means to mount a composite tape laying a sizing device on said platform to be movable with and relative to said platform, said composite tape laying and sizing device including a rotatable support from said platform for a housing having a tape feeding roll for a tape with a separator backup, a tape laydown means and a separator take-up reel; and

means operatively arranged in at least some of said side legs to operate said drive means to give controllable motion to said gantry.

2. For use with a facility to manufacture laminar structures a gantry means to traverse a path to be taken in such manufacture, said gantry being comprised of:

a frame having ends with side legs with columns connecting said ends to space said ends from one another, said side legs having drive means to provide for movement of said frame;

a platform movably mounted to and between said ends, said platform being movable between the ends and within the side legs from one side to the other side of said frame;

means to mount a laser operatively associated by means to the platform to provide a cutting laser beam movable with and within the gantry to cut a desired pattern of the laminar structure; and

means operatively arranged in at least some of said side legs to operate said drive means to give controllable motion to said gantry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the laser is fixed to the platform and a system of mirrors is used to provide the laser cutting beam to a movable head directing said cutting beam downwardly, said moveable head being slideable along rod means supported by said platform.