Abstract: In a pultrusion laminating process, a plurality of tapes or other elongate, yielding plies are longitudinally combined into a composite unit and drawn through a heated die which compacts the plies into a desired cross section and cures the resin to produce a laminated, elongate structure. Method and apparatus are provided herein in combination with such a pultrusion system, for fabricating repetitive longitudinal tapers in the finished laminated structure.

Abstract: In a pultrusion system, a plurality of tape plies made of resin impregnated filaments or fibers are laminated by combining the plies into a longitudinal composite of tapes and pulling the combined tapes through a heated die which compresses and cures the resinous tapes into a unitary laminated structure. The individual tapes are stored by winding them on reels, interleaved with a release tape. A method and apparatus for handling the release tapes are provided, in which such tapes are stripped away from and disposed of at a rate equaling, on the average, the rate at which the resin tapes are fed to the laminating die. An electromechanical resolver is coupled to one of the resin tapes and, as it is pulled from the reel toward the die, the resolver measures its longitudinal rate of travel by issuing a succession of electrical trigger signals, each trigger signal representing a predetermined distance of travel of the resin tape as it is withdrawn from the reel.