Abstract:
This invention is a fabric and tape laying machine (10) operable with a robot (12) including programmable controls, a supply roll (24), and a mold, plug or mandrel (37). The apparatus includes a chassis (27), structure for supporting the supply roll, a contact roller module, a tape cutting unit (32), and a first set of feed rollers (30). The tape cuting unit (32) includes at least one cutter to cut a predetermined profile. The contact roller module includes at least one modular frame, a set of three pressure contact rollers carried by the frame. There is also a suspension system (22) for dynamically energizing the contact roller module to have its rollers apply a predetermined level of force downward on the tape during the lay-up process regardlexx of any varying contours on the mold surface.
Abstract:
A sail with a seamless body is produced by transporting a flexible carrier over a segmented support through a series of stations in which a coating of liquid synthetic resin is deposited on the carrier in a predetermined pattern conforming substantially to the desired configuration for the sail and the segments of the support are moved to the carrier and coating into the predetermined contour for the transverse portion of the sail disposed thereon concurrently with passage of said carrier thereover. Structural yarns are deposited in the coating in a predetermined pattern, and additional liquid synthetic resin to a desired depth for the coating corresponding substantially to the desired thickness for the sail and to encapsulate the structural yarns. The resin on said carrier is cured to produce a composite sail structure having the desired configuration and contours with structural yarns being embedded in the cured resin. The composite sail structure si removed from the carrier and trimmed, following which finishing operations are performed thereon.
Abstract:
An apparatus for fabricating a unique non-woven fabric which has the appearance of a woven fabric includes a supply station for adhesive coated parallel warp yarns, a support structure for orienting the parallel warp yarns into a cylindrical orientation with the adhesive coating on the outside, a weft yarn applicator for wrapping weft yarns around the cylindrically oriented warp yarns, a heating station for activating the adhesive and a cooling station for setting the adhesive, and a cutter for severing the cylindrically formed fabric composite so that it can be flattened and wrapped onto a take-up roller. The weft yarn applicator includes a rotating drum wherein a plurality of spools of weft yarn material are mounted in circumferentially spaced relationship. Tension on the weft yarns is provided by the rotation of the drum (centrifugal force) and a stationary conical aligner is used to guide the weft yarn material onto the warp yarns in substantially perpendicular alignment.
Abstract:
A low-stretch, flexible composite, made of one or several sections, particularly useful for making a sail (2), includes first and second polymer films (52, 62) with discontinuous, stretch-resistant segments (16) therebetween. The segments extend generally along the load lines (17) for the sail. The segments have lengths which are substantially shorter than corresponding lengths of the load lines within each section. The ends of the segments are laterally staggered relative to one another. Mats (20) of generally parallel mat elements can be used as the segments. The mat elements typically include discrete multifiber yarns (24, 26) and/or a fiber array (22), typically created by pneumatically laterally spreading apart the fibers of an untwisted multifiber yarn (32). A laminating assembly includes first and second flexible pressure sheets (66, 68), defining a sealable lamination interior (82) containing the material stack (64) to be laminated, housed within an enclosure (90). A partial vacuum is created within the lamination interior and heated fluid is circulated in contact with the pressure sheets to quickly and uniformly heat the pressure sheets and the material stack being laminated.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a sail (R, G; 60; 70; 80; 90; 100) for sailboats, said sail comprising portions (1'; F61-F65; F71-F76; F81-F84; F91-F95; F101-F110) wherein shape memory elements in the form of filiform members (2) made of a shape memory alloy are incorporated, the surface area resulting from the sum of the surface areas of said portions being comprised between 0,01% and 50% of the surface area of the whole sail. The invention also relates to a control apparatus allowing to control operation of the sail and to a method for controlling operation of a sailboat sail.
Abstract:
An integral sail to generate a propulsion following a thrust from the wind has an integral layered structure delimited externally by a first external layer (11) and by a second external layer (111), both made with a smooth layer of thin and continuous film of flexible material. Furthermore, to each of said first external layer (11) and second external layer (111) at least a layer of parallel fibers (12, 112, 212, 312), adjacent to each other, is associated internally with respect to the layered structure. The whole is made solid by means of at least a layer of thermofusible glue (14, 114, 214, 314), disposed inside the external layers (11, 111) and in coordination with the corresponding layers of parallel fibers (12, 112, 212, 312).
Abstract:
A sail (10) having at least three tops (A, B, C) and three corresponding edges (14, 15, 16) opposite the tops (A, B, C) and comprising a plurality of panels (17, 18, 19, 20) each of which in turn comprises two outer covering layers (21), between which a plurality of reinforcement elements (22) are positioned which define, in their entirety, a multi-directional main reinforcement structure (23). The plurality of reinforcement elements (22) are disposed in a pre-determined manner with respect to three generatrix lines (26, 27, 28), which have in common a determinate reference point (25), disposed in a substantially central position of the sail (10), and each one passing through, or near, one of the three tops (A, B, C).
Abstract:
This invention is a fabric and tape laying machine (10) operable with a robot (12) including programmable controls, a supply roll (24), and a mold, plug or mandrel (37). The apparatus includes a chassis (27), structure for supporting the supply roll, a contact roller module, a tape cutting unit (32), and a first set of feed rollers (30). The tape cuting unit (32) includes at least one cutter to cut a predetermined profile. The contact roller module includes at least one modular frame, a set of three pressure contact rollers carried by the frame. There is also a suspension system (22) for dynamically energizing the contact roller module to have its rollers apply a predetermined level of force downward on the tape during the lay-up process regardlexx of any varying contours on the mold surface.
Abstract:
A sail with a seamless body is produced by transporting a flexible carrier (12) over a segmented support (18) through a series of stations in which a coating (31) of liquid synthetic resin is deposited on the carrier (12) in a predetermined pattern conforming substantially to the desired configuration for the sail and the segments of the support are moved to the carrier (12) and coating (31) into the predetermined contour for the transverse portion of the sail disposed thereon concurrently with passage of said carrier (12) thereover. Structural yarns (36) are deposited in the coating (31) in a predetermined pattern, and additional liquid synthetic resin to a desired depth for the coating (31) corresponding substantially to the desired thickness for the sail and to encapsulate the structural yarns (36). The resin on said carrier (12) is cured to produce a composite sail structure having the desired configuration and contours with structural yarns being embedded in the cured resin. The composite sail structure si removed from the carrier and trimmed, following which finishing operations are performed thereon.
Abstract:
Dispositif pour la fabrication de panneaux à courbure tridimensionnelle à partir d'un matériau en feuille, comprenant une empreinte de formage (5) définie par une membrane (6) comprenant une peau (11) élastiquement étirable, de préférence en combinaison avec un squelette formé par un quadrillage de lattes (10) élastiques enflexion qui sont mobiles en translation longitudinale par rapport à la peau, ainsi qu'un réseau de moyens de déformation sélective de l'empreinte agissant sur les lattes (10) de la membrane pour imprimer à cette dernière une courbure tridimensionnelle modulable. Application: notamment à la fabrication de voiles.