Filament winding apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975298-B2
Application number	US-201615308527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to an improved winding apparatus useful in the production of filament wound products and particularly wound tubular products having high length to diameter ratios. The improved winding apparatus comprises a support means for supporting a rotatable mandrel during the manufacture of wound products, the support means comprising a plurality of axially spaced pins extending circumferentially around the mandrel, and a support assembly having a semicircular inner face and an opening, wherein a portion of the plurality of pins is brought into contact with the inner face of the support assembly when the mandrel is rotated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus having a supported mandrel, the apparatus comprising:
a cylindrical mandrel having an outer surface, a plurality of support pins extending radially from the outer surface of the mandrel, and
a support assembly having a semicircular inner surface and an opening,
wherein at least two support pins contact the support assembly inner surface to rotatably support the mandrel.

2. The apparatus having a supported mandrel of claim 1 , wherein the support pins are circumferentially spaced from one another about the circumference of the mandrel.

3. The apparatus having a supported mandrel of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of support pins are equally circumferentially spaced.

4. The apparatus having a supported mandrel of claim 1 , wherein the support pins are retractable into the mandrel.

5. The apparatus having a supported mandrel of claim 1 , wherein the support pins are removable from the mandrel.

6. The apparatus having a supported mandrel of claim 1 , wherein the support assembly further comprises a channel extending substantially along the entire support assembly inner surface, the channel shaped to receive the plurality of support pins.

7. A method of making a filament wound part comprising the steps of:
winding a filament on a mandrel having a plurality of axially extending support pins circumferentially spaced about the mandrel, at least a portion of the plurality of support pins contacting a support assembly thereby rotatably supporting the mandrel,
repeatedly winding the filament,
retracting the support pins into the mandrel or removing the support pins from the mandrel, and
removing the windings from the mandrel.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Krautkramer Robert Eugene
• Wilson Matthew Robert
• Krautkramer Kyle Andrew

Classifications

• B29C70/32

  on a rotating mould, former or core · CPC title

• B65H54/02

  Winding and traversing material on to reels, bobbins, tubes, or like package cores or formers · CPC title

• B29K2307/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• B29C70/54 Primary

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} · CPC title

• B29C53/66 Primary

  with axially movable winding feed member {, e.g. lathe type winding} · CPC title