US 12,263,614 B2
Insertion apparatus and method of providing through thickness reinforcement in a laminated material
Paul Warrington, London (GB)
Assigned to ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/437,689
Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, London (GB)
PCT Filed Mar. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/055592
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 9, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/182550, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1903191 (GB), filed on Mar. 9, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0143861 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B27F 7/13 (2006.01); B29C 70/24 (2006.01); B29K 307/04 (2006.01)
CPC B27F 7/13 (2013.01) [B29C 70/24 (2013.01); B29K 2307/04 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing a laminated material, the method comprising:
moving a guide foot to a datum location relative the laminated material, at which the guide foot abuts a reinforcement zone on a surface of the laminated material;
moving a carrier for an insertion element relative the guide foot to align the insertion element for insertion through the guide foot when the guide foot is at the datum location, whereby the carrier is translated relative the guide foot along a translation axis; and
conducting an insertion operation by inserting the insertion element, having a principal axis which is linear, through the guide foot into the laminated material along an insertion direction when the guide foot is in the datum location, wherein the insertion element comprises:
a needle for forming a hole in the laminated material;
a reinforcement rod to be received in the laminated material; or
a tamping pin for tamping a reinforcement rod received in the laminated material;
wherein the translation axis is orthogonal to the insertion direction.