Sliding core means for the manufacture of fiber-reinforced plastic tanks

Abstract

Abstract APPARATUS FOR FORMING FIBER-REINFORCED PLASTIC ARTICLES BY FLUID PRESSURE, IN WHICH A HOLLOW BLANK OF FIBROUS MATTING MATERIAL IS POSITIONED WITHIN A MOLD AND AN INFLATABLE BAG IS EXPANDED WITHIN THE BLANK TO FORCE THE BLANK INTO FIRM CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE MOLD AND TO COMPRESS THE BLANK AGAINST THE MOLD. FTHE BLANK, WHILE IN ITS COMPRESSED STATE, IS INJECTED WITH A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF SETTABLE RESIN AND THE RESIN IS THEN CURED TO PROVIDED A HOLLOW, FIBER-REINFORCED PLASTIC ARTICLE. THE APPARATUS ACCORDING TO THIS INVENTION INCLUDES A CORE HAVING ONE END SLIDABLY RECEIVED WITHIN AN ACCESS OPENING IN THE MOLD AND THE OTHER END OF THE CORE CARRIES THE FIBROUS BLANK. AN INFLATABLE BAG IS POSITIONED WITHIN THE MOLD AND HAS AN INFLATING STEM WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH THE CORE SO THAT THE FIBROUS BLANK IS BETWEEN THE BAG AND THE INNER MOLD SURFACE. A SEALING RING SURROUNDS THE CORE AND POSITIONS THE BLANK ON THE CORE BETWEEN THE BAG AND THE RING. THE CORE IS FREELY SLIDABLE WITHIN THE ACCESS OPENING, AT LEAST FOR AN AXIAL DISTANCE WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE DESIRED COMPRESSION OF THE BLANK SO THAT AREAS OF THE BLANK ADJACENT THE CORE ARE FIRMLY COMPRESSED AGAINST THE MOLD SURFACE BY THE INFLATABLE BAG. AS THE BLANK IS COMPRESSED IN THIS MANNER, THE SEALING RING FORMS A SEAL BETWEEM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE MOLD AND THE ACCESS OPENING TO PREVENT RESIN FROM FLOWING INTO AND FOULING THE ACCESS OPENING.

Inventors

• 👤 Arthur J Wiltshire

Bibliographic Details