Method and apparatus for forming composite pieces from composite sheet material
US5066352A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 23, 1990 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 23, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T156/1734
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A gripper on a powered gantry, which moves longitudinally relative to a porous conveyor belt, pulls a selected length of a composite sheet material and its backing from a supply roll on a carrousel and past a cutter. After a segment has been cut, the gantry returns the gripper to pull the composite sheet and its backing from the supply roll while the belt moves the segment thereon to a desired position thereon. This continues until the belt supports a plurality of segments. The gripper gantry includes a marker to mark each segment on the belt. After marking is completed, a powered gantry moves to dispose a top film over the segments. A powered gantry, which has a cutter thereon, is then moved so that the cutter, which can move orthogonal to the motion of the gantry and also has its reciprocating cutting blades rotatable about a vertical axis, can cut one or more pieces of desired shapes from each segment. After cutting is completed, the segments are advanced from the belt through a separator. The top film is fed through pinch rolls to pull all scrap downwardly after passing through the separator while each cut piece is advanced horizontally to a bottom film. The bottom film is conn…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.