Automatic tape laying apparatus

• US 4,541,886 A
• Filed: 03/02/1984
• Issued: 09/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Aerospace, Inc. (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: British Aerospace PLC (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Marlow, Christopher I., Wiltshire, Anthony R., Hulme, Ivan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David
• Application Number:
  US06/585,371
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 156/350-353, 156/361, 156/363, 156/542, 156/584, 156/510, 156/64, 156/522, 156/521, 156/235, 156/523, 156/530, 156/230, 156/574
• US Class Current: 156/230
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/386 Automated tape laying [ATL]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/388 Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2063/00 Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/12 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with cutting, punching, piercing, severing or tearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1788 Work traversing type and/or means applying work to wall or static structure

Abstract

Automatic tape laying apparatus for laying epoxy resin impregnated carbon fibre tape includes a table onto which lengths of tape are laid for profiling to shape and size, a curved form tool on which the profiled lengths of tape are laid-up to form an article to be cured, a roller to transfer the profiled lengths from the table to the tool and to effect laying-up thereon, the roller having suction ducts on its surface to hold the lengths of tape in place during transfer which suction is progressively de-activated and replaced with blowing as the roller is rolled over the form tool and progressively lays-up the profiled tape onto the tool.

Claims

1. Automatic tape laying apparatus including surface means onto which portions of tape are laid for profiling to shape and size, tool means on which the profiled portions are laid-up to form an article to be cured, and transfer means for transferring the profiled portions from the surface means to the tool means and effecting laying-up thereon, the transfer means comprising carrier means having a generally arcuate surface region, drive means to roll the carrier means over a portion of tape upon the surface means, holding means arranged to hold the tape portion against the arcuate surface of the carrier means as the carrier means is rolled over said portion, traversing means to traverse the carrier means to a laying-up position over the tool means, said drive means effective to both urge the carrier means against and to roll over the tool means, and means to progressively release regions of the carried portion of tape as those regions lie between the arcuate surface and the tool means whereby the tape portion is progressively laid-up upon the tool means.

2. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 1, in which the arcuate surface region of the carrier means is continuous such that the carrier means is in the form of a roller.

3. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arcuate surface means of the carrier means is of a compliant material.

4. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding means for holding a tape portion onto the surface means comprises aperture means through which a suction is to be effected.

5. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the aperture means are formed in discrete zones whereby suction may be applied selectively to these zones.

6. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the roller is mounted for rotation on axle means, the axle means is provided with means to effect steering, tilting and axial movement of the roller during its roll over the tool means.

7. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said surface means comprises a planar table with apertures through which a suction can be effected.

8. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apertures are zoned such that the suction can be selectively applied to said zones.

9. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein means are provided to remove scrap portions of tape from said surface means subsequent to profiling the tape portions laid thereon.

10. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said scrap portion removal means comprise a matrix of pin elements, means to lower said pin elements onto the scrap portions of tape for impalement purposes, and means to prevent any pin elements from contacting a profiled tape portion to be laid-up.

11. Automatic tape laying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tool means is capable of stepped angular movement, whereby successive layers of laid-up tape portions may be of different orientation.

12. A method of automatic tape laying comprising the steps of dispensing a length of tape onto a planar surface, holding said tape length onto the surface by suction, profiling at least an end region of the tape length, removing any waste material from said profiling operation from the surface whilst retaining the profiled tape portion in position, rolling a roller over the profiled tape portion, progressively collecting and holding said portion around the roller by suction, translating the loaded roller to the vicinity of a tool surface, urging the roller against the tool surface such that the profiled tape portion is locally compressed between the two, and rolling the roller over the tool surface such that the profiled tape portion is progressively deposited upon the tool surface.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the suction holding the profiled tape portion to the surface is progressively removed as the tape portion is collected.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the suction for collecting the tape portion is progressively initiated around the roller as the roller passes over the tape portion.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein suction is progressively stopped during rolling over the tool surface.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the suction is progressively replaced by blowing to urge the tape portion from the roller during rolling over the tool surface.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein during rolling over the tool surface, the roller is both steered, tilted and moved axially to accommodate variations in tool contour.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein during rolling over the tool surface, the roller is periodically moved additionally to its rolling movement to effect tensioning of the tape portion being laid up.