Apparatus and methods for gripping flexible materials

• Main Authors: Post, Thomas Joseph, Veljkovic, Danilo, Hanet, Robert, Ruud, James Anthony
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.10.2020
• Subjects: ALLOYS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CEMENTS; CERAMICS; CHEMISTRY; COMBINED OPERATIONS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDINGMATERIALS; CONCRETE; CONVEYING; CUTTING; CUTTING-OUT; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; HAND CUTTING TOOLS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS,CABLES; LIME, MAGNESIA; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; METALLURGY; OTHER WORKING OF METAL; PACKING; PERFORATING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PUNCHING; REFRACTORIES; SEVERING; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING; SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS, SLAG, OR MIXTURESCONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER; SLAG; STAMPING-OUT; STORING; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS; WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE

A ceramic fiber processing apparatus and method for processing ceramic fibers for the manufacture of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) is provided. The apparatus includes a frame including a plurality of unidirectional ceramic fibers wound thereabout and extending across a void therein the frame to define a first planar array of ceramic fibers and a second planar array of ceramic fibers. During use, the frame is disposed in the ceramic fiber processing apparatus in a manner to enable gripping of the first planar array of ceramic fibers with a first gripper assembly and gripping of the second planar array of ceramic fibers with a second gripper assembly. A cutting mechanism provides cutting of the plurality of unidirectional ceramic fibers to separate the first planar array of ceramic fibers and the second planar array of ceramic fibers from one another.