Patents by Inventor Charles William Knakal

Charles William Knakal 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).

  • FIBER TOW TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD
    Publication number: 20190062956
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a fiber treatment system includes a rotatable nubbed roller including an axis of rotation, a surface, and a number of spaced apart nubs projecting away from the surface, the number of spaced apart nubs imparting a number of spaced apart openings in a fiber tow. In another embodiment, the fiber treatment system further includes an optionally rotatable spreader roller for flattening the fiber tow. In yet another embodiment, the loosened, but still continuous fiber tow is chopped by a downstream chopper to form short fibers with reduced tow sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Chen-Shih WANG, Charles William KNAKAL, Jeffrey Scott DAHL, Bhavesh Suresh SHAH
  • Fiber tow treatment apparatus and system
    Patent number: 10138579
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a fiber treatment system includes a rotatable nubbed roller including an axis of rotation, a surface, and a number of spaced apart nubs projecting away from the surface, the number of spaced apart nubs imparting a number of spaced apart openings in a fiber tow. In another embodiment, the fiber treatment system further includes an optionally rotatable spreader roller for flattening the fiber tow. In yet another embodiment, the loosened, but still continuous fiber tow is chopped by a downstream chopper to form short fibers with reduced tow sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: United States Council For Automotive Research, LLC
    Inventors: Chen-Shih Wang, Charles William Knakal, Jeffrey Scott Dahl, Bhavesh Suresh Shah
  • FIBER TOW TREATMENT APPARATUS AND SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20160177475
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a fiber treatment system includes a rotatable nubbed roller including an axis 5 of rotation, a surface, and a number of spaced apart nubs projecting away from the surface, the number of spaced apart nubs imparting a number of spaced apart openings in a fiber tow. In another embodiment, the fiber treatment system further includes an optionally 10 rotatable spreader roller for flattening the fiber tow. In yet another embodiment, the loosened, but still continuous fiber tow is chopped by a downstream chopper to form short fibers with reduced tow sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Chen-Shih WANG, Charles William KNAKAL, Jeffrey Scott DAHL, Bhavesh Suresh SHAH
  • FIBER TOW TREATMENT APPARATUS AND SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20120213997
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a fiber treatment system includes a rotatable nubbed roller including an axis of rotation, a surface, and a number of spaced apart nubs projecting away from the surface, the number of spaced apart nubs imparting a number of spaced apart openings in a fiber tow. In another embodiment, the fiber treatment system further includes an optionally rotatable spreader roller for flattening the fiber tow. In yet another embodiment, the loosened, but still continuous fiber tow is chopped by a downstream chopper to form short fibers with reduced tow sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: UNITED STATES COUNCIL FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH
    Inventors: Chen-Shih Wang, Charles William Knakal, Jeffrey Scott Dahl, Bhavesh Suresh Shah