Pultrusion method and device for forming composites using pre-consolidated braids

• US 6,395,210 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A & P Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: A & P Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Peter, John, Lambert, Donald, Head, Andrew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund H.
• Application Number:
  US09/310,514
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 264/137,209.3,171.76,212,257,273 156/148,180,443,441
• US Class Current: 264/137
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/525 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations

Abstract

A method and device for forming composites using a pre-consolidated tubular braid (i.e., a braid removed from the braiding machine on which it was produced prior to use in further processing) including feeding the pre-consolidated tubular braid over a supporting mandrel, impregnating the braid with a resin using a pressurized resin injection chamber with a mandrel adapted to provide adequate impregnation, feeding the resin saturated braid into a pultrusion die with a mandrel for forming and heating and pulling the cured composite from the die for finishing the end product.

Claims

1. A pultrusion process for producing a composite using a pre-consolidated tubular braid, the process comprising the steps of:

surrounding a mandrel with said pre-consolidated tubular braid;

providing an assembly supporting relative movement of said braid and said mandrel;

passing said braid through a resin injection chamber over an injection portion of said mandrel in said chamber, said chamber being connected to a resin source and said injection portion having a surface including at least one depression thereon;

applying resin within said chamber to flow through said braid and into said depression, thereby impregnating said braid with resin; and

thereafter, passing said braid through a pultrusion die over a curing portion of said mandrel in said die, said die including a heating source, whereby said die heats said braid to form the composite.

2. A pultrusion process of claim 1 wherein said braid has an interior and said applying step comprises applying resin such that said resin contacts portions of the interior of said braid at said depression.

3. A pultrusion process of claim 1 wherein said braid has an interior and said applying step comprises applying resin such that said resin contacts the interior of said braid at said depression.

6. A pultrusion process of claim 1, wherein said step of surrounding a mandrel comprises surrounding a first end of a mandrel with said pre-consolidated tubular braid, said process further comprising the step of removing the formed composite from a second end of said mandrel.

4. A pultrusion process for continuously producing a composite using a pre-consolidated tubular braid, the process comprising the steps of:

surrounding a mandrel with said pre-consolidated tubular braid;

providing an assembly supporting relative movement of said braid and said mandrel;

passing said braid through a resin injection chamber over an injection portion of said mandrel in said chamber, said chamber being connected to a resin source and said injection portion having a surface including at least one depression thereon;

applying resin within said chamber to flow through said braid and into said depression, thereby impregnating said braid with resin; and

thereafter, passing said braid through a pultrusion die over a curing portion of said mandrel in said die, said die including a heating source, whereby said die heats said braid to form the composite.

5. A pultrusion process of claim 4, wherein said step of surrounding a mandrel comprises surrounding a first end of a mandrel with said pre-consolidated tubular braid, said process further comprising the step of removing the formed composite from a second end of said mandrel.