Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Abstract: Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A composite feedstock strip may include continuous unidirectional fibers extending parallel to each other and to the principal axis of the strip. This fiber continuity yields superior mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength along strip's principal axis. Composite feedstock strips may be fabricated by slitting a composite laminate in a direction parallel to the fibers. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the slit strips may be changed by reattributing material at least on the surface of the strips and/or by coating the slit strips with another material. This cross-sectional shape change may be performed without disturbing the continuous fibers within the strips. The cross-sectional distribution of fibers within the strips may be uneven with higher concentration of fibers near the principal axis of the strips, for example, to assist with additive manufacturing.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Abstract: Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A composite feedstock strip may include continuous unidirectional fibers extending parallel to each other and to the principal axis of the strip. This fiber continuity yields superior mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength along strip's principal axis. Composite feedstock strips may be fabricated by slitting a composite laminate in a direction parallel to the fibers. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the slit strips may be changed by reattributing material at least on the surface of the strips and/or by coating the slit strips with another material. This cross-sectional shape change may be performed without disturbing the continuous fibers within the strips. The cross-sectional distribution of fibers within the strips may be uneven with higher concentration of fibers near the principal axis of the strips, for example, to assist with additive manufacturing.

Abstract: Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A composite feedstock strip may include continuous unidirectional fibers extending parallel to each other and to the principal axis of the strip. This fiber continuity yields superior mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength along strip's principal axis. Composite feedstock strips may be fabricated by slitting a composite laminate in a direction parallel to the fibers. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the slit strips may be changed by reattributing material at least on the surface of the strips and/or by coating the slit strips with another material. This cross-sectional shape change may be performed without disturbing the continuous fibers within the strips. The cross-sectional distribution of fibers within the strips may be uneven with higher concentration of fibers near the principal axis of the strips, for example, to assist with additive manufacturing.

Abstract: Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A strip may include continuous fibers extending parallel to the principal axis of the strip. The cross-sectional distribution of these continuous fibers may be uneven. Specifically, the fibers may be concentrated near the center of the strip and may be positioned away from at least some portions of the strip surface. A strip may be formed by laminating a layup of one or more fiber-containing plies and one or more of resin plies. The position of the different types of plies in the layup is used to control distribution of the fibers and other materials within the strip. The laminated sheet is slit into multiple strips in a direction parallel to the continuous fibers. The cross-sectional profile of the slit strips may be later changed without disturbing orientation of the continuous fibers.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Abstract: A computer implemented apparatus and method for receiving tool paths that a dispensing head follows to deposit roads of material for successively building object layers of a 3D object during an additive manufacturing process, generating simulated object layers of a simulated 3D object from the tool paths, wherein the simulated object layers represent an interior geometry of each one of the object layers, determining a contact surface area between adjacent ones of the simulated object layers, and determining a predicted mechanical property of the 3D object from the contact surface area and a material property of the material.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Abstract: An interchangeable elevator bail link system and method for changing elevator bail length and load carrying configurations during rig operations, wherein an upper bail section is provided comprising a connection for a link tilt system of a top drive or traveling block, and further comprising a connector for connecting to a corresponding connector located on one or more lower bail sections of differing tonnage capacities and lengths, wherein the upper bail section connector and lower bail section connector comprise male and female profiles of corresponding size, shape and location, so that when the connector of the lower bail section is aligned in nonparallel relation to the connector of the upper bail section, which is attached to a link tilt system, movement of the top drive or traveling block in an upwards direction will cause the lower bail section to rotate to a position parallel with the upper bail section.

Abstract: A Z-axis test coupon structure and method for additive manufacturing process are disclosed. An example method of fabricating Z-axis test coupons for additive manufacturing processes, includes fabricating tensile specimens, the fabricating of the tensile specimens including providing a web between adjacent ones of the tensile specimens, and the fabricating of the tensile specimens including using an additive manufacturing process, removing the web from between the adjacent ones of the tensile specimens, and testing a tensile strength of one of the tensile specimens.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Abstract: A computer implemented apparatus and method for receiving tool paths that a dispensing head follows to deposit roads of material for successively building object layers of a 3D object during an additive manufacturing process, generating simulated object layers of a simulated 3D object from the tool paths, wherein the simulated object layers represent an interior geometry of each one of the object layers, determining a contact surface area between adjacent ones of the simulated object layers, and determining a predicted mechanical property of the 3D object from the contact surface area and a material property of the material.

Abstract: Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A composite feedstock strip may include continuous unidirectional fibers extending parallel to each other and to the principal axis of the strip. This fiber continuity yields superior mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength along strip's principal axis. Composite feedstock strips may be fabricated by slitting a composite laminate in a direction parallel to the fibers. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the slit strips may be changed by reattributing material at least on the surface of the strips and/or by coating the slit strips with another material. This cross-sectional shape change may be performed without disturbing the continuous fibers within the strips. The cross-sectional distribution of fibers within the strips may be uneven with higher concentration of fibers near the principal axis of the strips, for example, to assist with additive manufacturing.

Abstract: Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A strip may include continuous fibers extending parallel to the principal axis of the strip. The cross-sectional distribution of these continuous fibers may be uneven. Specifically, the fibers may be concentrated near the center of the strip and may be positioned away from at least some portions of the strip surface. A strip may be formed by laminating a layup of one or more fiber-containing plies and one or more of resin plies. The position of the different types of plies in the layup is used to control distribution of the fibers and other materials within the strip. The laminated sheet is slit into multiple strips in a direction parallel to the continuous fibers. The cross-sectional profile of the slit strips may be later changed without disturbing orientation of the continuous fibers.

Abstract: An interchangeable elevator bail link system and method for changing elevator bail length and load carrying configurations during rig operations, wherein an upper bail section is provided comprising a connection for a link tilt system of a top drive or traveling block, and further comprising a connector for connecting to a corresponding connector located on one or more lower bail sections of differing tonnage capacities and lengths, wherein the upper bail section connector and lower bail section connector comprise male and female profiles of corresponding size, shape and location, so that when the connector of the lower bail section is aligned in nonparallel relation to the connector of the upper bail section, which is attached to a link tilt system, movement of the top drive or traveling block in an upwards direction will cause the lower bail section to rotate to a position parallel with the upper bail section.

Abstract: A vulcanizable composition of matter comprising a rubber component, a filler, a curative for the rubber, where the rubber component includes a multi-modal polymer including at least two distinct peak molecular weights within a range defined by a lower limit of 80 kg/mole and an upper limit of 500 kg/mole.

Abstract: A Z-axis test coupon structure and method for additive manufacturing process are disclosed. An example method of fabricating Z-axis test coupons for additive manufacturing processes, includes fabricating tensile specimens, the fabricating of the tensile specimens including providing a web between adjacent ones of the tensile specimens, and the fabricating of the tensile specimens including using an additive manufacturing process, removing the web from between the adjacent ones of the tensile specimens, and testing a tensile strength of one of the tensile specimens.

Abstract: A Z-axis test coupon structure includes a plurality of circularly-arranged tensile specimens oriented along a Z-axis and at least one web connecting adjacent ones of the plurality of tensile specimens.