Patents by Inventor Charles R. Prebil
Charles R. Prebil has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11524471Abstract: A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2019Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
-
Patent number: 10899081Abstract: An apparatus for thermoplastic welding includes at least one tool configured to support first and second thermoplastic composite parts in a first welding position having one or more joint lines between the first and second thermoplastic composite parts. The tool includes a plurality of induction coils. The apparatus further includes a susceptor removably positioned along the one or more joint lines. The susceptor is configured to heat the one or more joint lines when exposed to a magnetic flux generated by the plurality of induction coils to bond the first and second thermoplastic composite parts along the one or more joint lines. The apparatus also includes a susceptor removal device coupled to the susceptor and configured to remove the susceptor during bonding of the first and second thermoplastic composite parts.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2018Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Marc R. Matsen, Bret Alan McGinness Voss, Alexander M. Rubin, Charles R. Prebil
-
Publication number: 20200180231Abstract: An apparatus for thermoplastic welding includes at least one tool configured to support first and second thermoplastic composite parts in a first welding position having one or more joint lines between the first and second thermoplastic composite parts. The tool includes a plurality of induction coils. The apparatus further includes a susceptor removably positioned along the one or more joint lines. The susceptor is configured to heat the one or more joint lines when exposed to a magnetic flux generated by the plurality of induction coils to bond the first and second thermoplastic composite parts along the one or more joint lines. The apparatus also includes a susceptor removal device coupled to the susceptor and configured to remove the susceptor during bonding of the first and second thermoplastic composite parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Marc R. Matsen, Bret Alan McGinness Voss, Alexander M. Rubin, Charles R. Prebil
-
Publication number: 20200047434Abstract: A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
-
Patent number: 10449736Abstract: A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2014Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
-
Patent number: 10434726Abstract: Thermoplastic composite parts are produced by automated fiber placement followed by stamp forming a layup having tailored fiber orientations. The tailored fiber orientations are achieved by tow steering and result in a layup that does not wrinkle during forming.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2015Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Gregory James Schoepen Hickman, James R. Fox, Charles R. Prebil, Randall Dow Wilkerson
-
Patent number: 10232532Abstract: Consolidation tooling is used in a continuous compression molding machine to produce a fiber reinforced thermoplastic part having a varying height. The tooling includes first and second tool dies adapted to compress and form a multi-ply stack of thermoplastic prepreg into a part, and at least a first tooling sleeve movable through the first and second tool dies. The tooling sleeve has at least a first tapered portion engageable with the multi-ply stack.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Randall Dow Wilkerson, Sharon Sher Ying Wong
-
Patent number: 10076883Abstract: An off-axis prepreg material manufacturing machine may include a robot configured to position a prepreg piece adjacent to an end of a prepreg layer. The machine may additionally include an alignment system configured to sense a position of the prepreg piece relative to the prepreg layer and generate a position signal representative thereof. The machine may also include a controller configured to receive the position signal and cause the robot to adjust the position of the prepreg piece such that an end edge of the prepreg piece and an end edge of the prepreg layer are in substantially abutting contact.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2015Date of Patent: September 18, 2018Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Randall D. Wilkerson
-
Patent number: 9662742Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented. A method may comprise positioning a metallic bladder within a tool, the tool having a number of die liners that generate heat when exposed to a magnetic field; applying the magnetic field to the number of die liners to heat the metallic bladder; and pressurizing the metallic bladder.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2014Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventors: Marc Rollo Matsen, Alexander M. Rubin, Randall Dow Wilkerson, Carey E. Wilkinson, James Rodney Fox, Charles R. Prebil, Gregory James Schoepen Hickman, Jeffery Lee Marcoe
-
Patent number: 9545761Abstract: A device changes the shape of a die used to compression mold a part. The device includes a sleeve placed between the die and a charge to be molded. The sleeve has an inner face generally conforming to a face of the die, and a outer face for molding a part.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2014Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Alexander M. Rubin, Randall D. Wilkerson
-
Publication number: 20160325509Abstract: An off-axis prepreg material manufacturing machine may include a robot configured to position a prepreg piece adjacent to an end of a prepreg layer. The machine may additionally include an alignment system configured to sense a position of the prepreg piece relative to the prepreg layer and generate a position signal representative thereof. The machine may also include a controller configured to receive the position signal and cause the robot to adjust the position of the prepreg piece such that an end edge of the prepreg piece and an end edge of the prepreg layer are in substantially abutting contact.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2015Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Randall D. Wilkerson
-
Patent number: 9358764Abstract: A method of forming a structural assembly may include providing a first component and a second component to be joined together. The method may additionally include scanning a contour of a first mating surface of the first component and scanning a contour of a second mating surface of the second component. The method may further include producing a thermoplastic element having opposing first and second element surfaces substantially matching a contour of the first mating surface and the second mating surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2014Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
-
Patent number: 9238338Abstract: A composite structure having a contoured cross section is fabricated by assembling a flat ply stack and forming the stack. The full plies in the stack are tacked through their entire thickness and the partial plies are tacked to individual ones of the full plies in a manner that enables the plies to slip in relation to each other, preventing wrinkling and distortion of the plies during forming.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2011Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventors: Randall Dow Wilkerson, James R. Fox, Charles R. Prebil
-
Publication number: 20150165746Abstract: A method of forming a structural assembly may include providing a first component and a second component to be joined together. The method may additionally include scanning a contour of a first mating surface of the first component and scanning a contour of a second mating surface of the second component. The method may further include producing a thermoplastic element having opposing first and second element surfaces substantially matching a contour of the first mating surface and the second mating surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2014Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
-
Publication number: 20150053333Abstract: A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
-
Publication number: 20150013894Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented. A method may comprise positioning a metallic bladder within a tool, the tool having a number of die liners that generate heat when exposed to a magnetic field; applying the magnetic field to the number of die liners to heat the metallic bladder; and pressurizing the metallic bladder.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2014Publication date: January 15, 2015Inventors: Marc Rollo Matsen, Alexander M. Rubin, Randall Dow Wilkerson, Carey E. Wilkinson, James Rodney Fox, Charles R. Prebil, Gregory James Schoepen Hickman, Jeffery Lee Marcoe
-
Publication number: 20140314894Abstract: A device changes the shape of a die used to compression mold a part. The device includes a sleeve placed between the die and a charge to be molded. The sleeve has an inner face generally conforming to a face of the die, and a outer face for molding a part.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Alexander M. Rubin, Randall D. Wilkerson
-
Patent number: 8691137Abstract: A device changes the shape of a die used to compression mold a part. The device includes a sleeve placed between the die and a charge to be molded. The sleeve has an inner face generally conforming to a face of the die, and a outer face for molding a part.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2009Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Alexander M. Rubin, Randall D. Wilkerson
-
Publication number: 20130149498Abstract: A composite structure having a contoured cross section is fabricated by assembling a flat ply stack and forming the stack. The full plies in the stack are tacked through their entire thickness and the partial plies are tacked to individual ones of the full plies in a manner that enables the plies to slip in relation to each other, preventing wrinkling and distortion of the plies during forming.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2011Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANYInventors: Randall Dow Wilkerson, James R. Fox, Charles R. Prebil
-
Publication number: 20100225016Abstract: A device changes the shape of a die used to compression mold a part. The device includes a sleeve placed between the die and a charge to be molded. The sleeve has an inner face generally conforming to a face of the die, and a outer face for molding a part.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2009Publication date: September 9, 2010Inventors: Charles R. Prebil, James R. Fox, Alexander M. Rubin, Randall D. Wilkerson