Abstract: The invention disclosed herein is a combination of hardware fittings and an elastomeric peripheral seal which are used to bond two halves of a single beam together. The beam has transverse openings extending through its width when its halves are joined. The fittings cover opposite ends of each beam opening and essentially convert each into a vacuum chamber. The peripheral seal surrounds the interface between the beam's halves. A vacuum is drawn through both the fittings and the peripheral seal, thus drawing a vacuum along the interface of the halves as they are bonded.

Abstract: Improvements in manufacturing composite material articles. The use of male molds in forming such articles has the problem of requiring large tolerances for the outer dimensions of the articles. The use of female molds has the problem of inaccurate forming of highly contoured inner surfaces. The invention produces an accurately formed inner surface by molding material against a male mold, and outer dimensions within close tolerances by curing the material in a female mold. A male caul (34) is positioned on a male mold (30). A preplied stack (32) of composite material is supported on a blanket (36) and held in position against caul (34) with caul (34) and mold (30) in an inverted position. Stack (32) is heated. A vacuum causes blanket (36) to mold stack (32) against caul (34). Mold (30) is rotated 180.degree., and stack (32) is allowed to cool. A female mold surface (43) is placed into contact with formed stack (32). Male mold (30) is moved away, leaving caul (34 ) and formed stack (32) in female mold (42).