Abstract: The tooling includes a central die member and an outer die member spaced thereabout to form an annular, draftless chamber for receiving a composite preform. An annular punch is received in the chamber for pressing the preform at an elevated temperature sufficient to consolidate and bond the preform into the desired composite. The tooling with the preform therein can be enclosed in a gas impermeable envelope (e.g., a steel can) and hot isostatically pressed at the elevated temperature to press the punch against the preform for purposes of consolidation. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the central die member is selected greater than that of the outer die member and the consolidated composite to facilitate removal of the composite from the draftless chamber.

Abstract: A method of joining titanium to a dissimilar metal wherein a predetermined amount of heat and pressure is applied sufficient to plastically deform only one of the metals being joined. The heat and pressure combine to flow one metal into shaped surfaces existing in the second metal, maintain the joint in compression through differrential thermal expansion and bonding the deformed metal to the other metal. The method uses a temperature sufficiently low to effect bonding without any chance for the formation of excessive brittle intermetallic phases.

Abstract: An improved method of forming a filamentary reinforced article includes forming a preform of metal and filament layers by winding material around an axis. The resulting layered preform is enclosed in a fluid tight housing. The housing has a rigid frame which bounds the periphery of the preform. The housing also has flexible panel sections which extend inwardly from the frame across the preform. To bond the layers of the preform together and increase the density of the preform, the housing is subjected to a hot isostatic pressing operation. During the hot isostatic pressing operation, fluid pressure forces against the housing plastically deform the panel sections of the housing inwardly in a direction parallel to the axis around which the layers of the preform were wound to apply axial deformation forces to opposite sides of the preform.

Abstract: An improved method of forming an article includes providing continuous woven, flat, helical tape of filaments and a continuous flat, helical tape of foil. The two helical tapes are interleaved to form a helical assembly having turns of filaments alternating with turns of foil. Deformation forces are applied against the turns of the helical assembly in a direction parallel to the central axis of the helix to bond the turns of the tapes of foil and filament together while maintaining the filaments free of axially extending forces. During the bonding of the turns of the helical foil and filament tapes, the tapes may be bonded to a housing or other component of an article to be reinforced. Radial reinforcing can be provided by including in the helical assembly a layer having filaments with central axes which are radial relative to the central axes of the filaments of the helical tape.

Abstract: A transversely twisted hollow airfoil member is provided by diffusion bonding together airfoil components each having a skin or shell in the form of a partial airfoil twisted transversely along its length and one or more internal support ribs having bonding surfaces which are not twisted transversely along their length. Each support rib extends substantially normal to a bonding plane defined by bonding surfaces on the support ribs. As a result of the rib and bonding surface orientation, the airfoil components can be forged and the components bonded together at elevated temperature in short times between dies movable by high pressure toward one another normal to the bonding surfaces.

Abstract: An improved method of forming an article includes providing continuous, woven, flat, helical tape of filaments and a continuous flat, helical tape of foil. The two helical tapes are interleaved to form a helical assembly having turns of filaments alternating with turns of foil. Deformation forces are applied against the turns of the helical assembly in a direction parallel to the central axis of the helix to bond the turns of the tapes off oil and filament together while maintaining the filaments free of axially extending forces. During the bonding of the turns of the helical foil and filament tapes, the tapes may be bonded to a housing or other component of an article to be reinforced. Radial reinforcing can be provided by including in the helical assembly a layer having filaments with central axes which are radial relative to the central axes of the filaments of the helical tape.

Abstract: A method for fabricating long-length and/or large-sized dense filamentary reinforced monotapes. The method comprises forming a layered sandwich of matrix foils or encapsulating sheets plus foils around a reinforcing mat of collimated fibers and sealing the edges of the assembly. The sealing step is carried out with the sandwich formed to a predetermined arcuate configuration such that the sandwich can be coiled after edge sealing without buckling the encapsulating sheets or disturbing the filament alignment and orientation. The formation of the sealed, encapsulated preform can be carried out using continuous processing techniques. Subsequent processing, such as densification, can be performed with the preform in the coiled condition or after it is uncoiled to approximately the arcuate configuration of the sealing step.