Maywood L Wilson

52058980, Apr 27, 1993

Nov 15, 1990

7/613046

Maywood L. Wilson - Tabb VA
Gary S. Johnson - Hampton VA

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

B05C 3152
B29B 1512
B29C 6714

156441

A pultrusion machine employing a corrugated impregnator vessel to immerse multiple, continuous strand, fiber tow in an impregnating material, and an adjustable metered exit orifice for the impregnator vessel to control the quantity of impregnating material retained by the impregnated fibers, is provided. An adjustable height insert retains transverse rod elements within each depression of the corrugated vessel to maintain the individual fiber tows spread and in contact with the vessel bottom. A series of elongated heating dies, transversely disposed on the pultrusion machine and having flat heating surfaces with radiused edges, ensure adequate temperature exposed dwell time, and exert adequate pressure on the impregnated fiber tows, to provide the desired thickness and fiber/resin ratio in the prepreg formed. The prepreg passing through the pulling mechanism is wound on a suitable take-up spool for subsequent use. A formula is derived for determining the cross sectional area opening of the metering device.

55407978, Jul 30, 1996

Mar 24, 1995

8/409976

Maywood L. Wilson - Yorktown VA

B29C 7052

156180

A pultrusion apparatus and process for impregnation of multiple fiber tows with a thermoplastic resin wherein an impregnation vessel having an entrance and an exit end is provided with a fiber control insert formed of spaced cylindrical rings suspended therein, with a resin flow control device being suspended horizontally within the rings. A combined resin meter and profile die is attached to the impregnation vessel exit end with a cooling die connected thereto. A pulling mechanism pulls the fiber tows through melted resin contained within the impregnation vessel and into a stepped decreasing diameter passageway in the resin meter and profile die to remove excess resin and shape the impregnated fiber into a useful structure before it is cooled below the melting point of the resin by the cooling die. In one embodiment, a cut-off station is provided adjacent the pulling mechanism to cut the cooled impregnated fiber structure into the desired lengths. In another embodiment, the pulling mechanism includes a winding spool with separate compartments therein to accommodate up to five separate impregnated fiber structures received from a five passageway resin metering and profile die.