Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100088077 | ACCURATE METHODS FOR MODELING THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION FOR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FOR LAND SCAPES - Accurate methods to model the precipitation rate, water delivery spatial distribution, and distribution uniformity for irrigation systems for landscapes are described. A relatively small set of test data is fitted to empirical and physics-based formulas. This permits the extrapolation of test data for an irrigation system with sprinklers being used with any arbitrary specification of operational and environmental variables. The environmental variables are the pressure at the sprinkler head, sprinkler model and nozzle choice, range of arc operation, throw adjustment, head tilt, run time, and spatial position. The environmental variables are the wind profile and three-dimensional terrain topology. The; invention predicts the surface distributions and the three dimension spatial distributions. Projected onto a landscape surface, this predicts the surface distributions for any arbitrary landscape topology, and includes the effect of wind upon the distribution, and thus provides a very general and realistic irrigation design tool. | 04-08-2010 |
20130320250 | ELECTRONIC FLOW CONTROL METHOD FOR A SPRING DIAPHRAGM IRRIGATION CONTROL VALVE USING A PULSED SIGNAL - Improvements in an electronic valve control system is disclosed where the valve is a spring diaphragm irrigation control valve where the flow rate is controlled with pulsed signal to a control solenoid. This device functions as hydraulic amplifier where the input signal is characterized by the duty cycle ratio of the applied electrical signal, and the output is the flow rate through the irrigation valve. The pilot path of the solenoid on the valve is rapidly alternated between enabled and disable states. This is achieved by installing an electrically actuated valve at some point along pilot path. The electrical signal to this valve is rapidly pulsed. This causes the irrigation valve to be held in a partially opened state. The duty cycle of the pulse signal controls the flow rate of water through the irrigation valve. | 12-05-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080295954 | END EFFECTOR AND METHODS FOR CONSTRUCTING COMPOSITE MEMBERS - An end effector, and methods for constructing composite members, in which a compaction roller and redirect rollers translate synchronously along the compaction axis. Additionally, the end effector includes an advantageous arrangement of spools and rollers that directs tow to the redirect rollers at substantially a right angle. Movement of the compaction roller along the compaction axis induces little, if any, changes in tow tension. The substantially constant tow tension advantageously reduces rewinding of the tow supply spools, which can degrade the quality of the lay up and contribute to despooling problems. | 12-04-2008 |
20090078361 | MODULAR HEAD LAMINATION DEVICE AND METHOD - To fabricate a composite item, a first end effector is selected from a plurality of end effectors to apply tows to a form. The first end effector includes an integrated creel configured to store spools of the tow on an assembly of spindles. The assembly of spindles is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first integrated creel. The first end effector is secured to a positioning device. The tows are applied to the form and the tows are compacted on the form with a compaction device. The assembly of spindles are disposed circumferentially about the compaction device. | 03-26-2009 |
20090082891 | OPTIMIZING TASK ASSIGNMENTS FOR MULTI-HEAD TAPE LAYDOWN - The operation of automated tape heads used to layup a composite structure is optimized in order to reduce layup time and better balance tape head loading. Ply data is generated that defines the ply segments and tape courses for each sequence of the layup. Each sequence is partitioned into groups of either ply segments or tape courses for the sequence. Multiple possible tape head assignments are generated in which the individual tape heads are assigned to the groups A final set of tape head assignments are selected based on the assignments that minimize the time required to complete the layup. | 03-26-2009 |
20090084486 | OPTIMIZED ORDERING OF DOUBLER PLIES IN COMPOSITE STRUCTURES - The off-part motion of an automatic composite tape laydown head is optimized to increase the overall rate at which tape is laid down to form doublers in a composite structure layup. Starting and stopping gates for each doubler are determined based on ply data and course definitions for the doublers. Using the gate locations, multiple possible paths between the doublers are analyzed to determine the best course for optimizing tape head travel. The selected course is used by an NC program that controls the operation of the tape head. | 04-02-2009 |
20090127374 | CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE SCRAP REMOVAL FOR TAPE PROCESS - In one embodiment, an apparatus for removing scrap from tape material on original backing paper includes a supply reel, at least one cutting member, at least one heating member and/or cooling member, and at least one removal member. The supply reel is for supplying and unrolling tape material on original backing paper. The at least one cutting member is for cutting unrolled tape material while on original backing paper. The at least one of a heating member and a cooling member are for at least one of heating and cooling cut unrolled tape material on original backing paper. The at least one removal member is for removing scrap cut unrolled tape material from original backing paper. | 05-21-2009 |
20100230043 | Method and Apparatus for Placing Short Courses of Composite Tape - An automatic composite tape placement head includes a roller for compacting tape on a substrate, and a cutter adjacent the roller for cutting the tape at the roller. | 09-16-2010 |
20110240218 | HEATING METHOD FOR A COMPOSITE LAMINATOR - A method of fabricating a composite item may include dispensing a composite material comprising a reinforcement and a resin. The method may further include energizing an infrared heat source. The infrared heat source may tend to generate a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation that is preferentially absorbed by the reinforcement. The method may additionally include controlling power to the infrared heat source to cause the infrared heat source to emit a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by the resin to a relatively greater extent than the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by the reinforcement. | 10-06-2011 |
20110315325 | Backing Film Removal for Fiber Placement Machine - An apparatus and associated method for removing backing film from tape during a fiber placement process. A passive (non-powered) take-up roller is used to wind up the backing film that has been separated from the tape. | 12-29-2011 |
20120138232 | END EFFECTOR AND METHODS FOR CONSTRUCTING COMPOSITE MEMBERS - An end effector, and methods for constructing composite members, in which a compaction roller and redirect rollers translate synchronously along the compaction axis. Additionally, the end effector includes an advantageous arrangement of spools and rollers that directs tow to the redirect rollers at substantially a right angle. Movement of the compaction roller along the compaction axis induces little, if any, changes in tow tension. The substantially constant tow tension advantageously reduces rewinding of the tow supply spools. which can degrade the quality of the lay up and contribute to despooling problems. | 06-07-2012 |
20130105072 | Method and Apparatus for Producing Composite Fillers | 05-02-2013 |
20140069586 | Apparatus for Producing Composite Fillers - Apparatus for producing a composite filler includes at least one die and a device for moving a stack of reinforced ply strips through the die. The die has peripheral die face adapted for forming the ply strip stack into a desired cross sectional shape. The cross section of the die face may vary around the periphery of the die. | 03-13-2014 |
20140096898 | Method of Composite Tape Lamination Over Convex Radii - A tape laminating machine having a compaction roller lays up composite tape over a substrate having a convex radius. The compaction roller folds the tape as it moves over the convex radius, while simultaneously pivoting about a trailing edge of the tape to prevent the compaction roller from lifting off the tape laid just before the convex radius. | 04-10-2014 |
20140283981 | METHODS FOR COMPOSITE TAPE LAMINATION OVER VARIOUS ANGLES BETWEEN FIBERS AND LINES TANGENT TO CONVEX RADII - A tape laminating machine having a compaction roller lays up composite tape over a substrate having a convex radius. The compaction roller folds the tape as it moves over the convex radius, while simultaneously pivoting about a trailing edge of the tape to prevent the compaction roller from lifting off the tape laid just before the convex radius. | 09-25-2014 |