NZ204620A - Composite material formed with mesh-reinforced fibre-impregnated mouldable material - Google Patents

Description

204620 Priority Date(s): Complete Specification Filed: Class: $$?. & P ?./*?&. ■ ;Publication Date: ..... .lsci§.., P.O. Journal, No: . . ;PATENTS FORM;'NO.' 5 ■ ;PATENTS ACT 19 53 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;TITLE: "IMPEOVEIMENTS IN OR RELATING TO COMPOSITE MATERIALS" ;I/J^ HAROLD ROSS BAKER, of 14 Park Cliff Road, Rotorua, New. Zealand, ;a British subject and New Zealand citizen, ;hereby declare the invention, for which I/We pray that a patent may be granted to me/us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;2.04 6 20 ;This invention relates to composite materials and a process for the manufacture thereof. ;In the reinforcing of mouldable materials such as fibreglass and related materials there has been a practice of inserting rigid steel plates between layers of the mouldable material to produce a reinforced laminent. However because such reinforcing has limited flexibility, when the reinforced laminent flexes the laminent may be caused to separate. ;It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite material which over canes the problems described above and a process for the manufacture thereof. ;It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composite material which can be conveniently used and/or produced in the construction of vehicle bodies. ;I ;Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent frcm the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. ;According to the present invention there is provided a process for the preparation of a composite material comprising the steps of: ;(a) Applying a first layer of mouldable material to a mould or surface, ;(b) Applying a mesh lath to said first layer of mouldable material, ;(c) Applying a second layer of fibre impregnated mouldable ;-2- ;£046 20 ;material on said mesh lath such that a composite material is formed with fibres of said second layer penetrating the mesh lath and spreading through the first layer of mouldable material. ;According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a composite material comprising an inner core of mesh lath having on both surfaces layers of fibre reinforced mouldable material wherein fibres of the said mouldable material penetrate the mesh lath. ;Aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing of one possible embodiment thereof in which: ;Figure 1: is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a composite material in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention. ;With reference to the drawing, a process for the preparation of a composite material generally indicated by arrow 1, comprises the steps of: ;(a) Applying a first layer of mouldable material 2 to a mould or surface (not shown), ;(b) Applying a mesh lath 3 to the said first layer of mouldable material 2, ;(c) Applying a second layer of fibre impregnated mouldable material 4 on the said mesh lath 3 such that a composite material is formed with fibres of said second layer penetrating the mesh lath and spreading through the first layer of mouldable material. ;-3- ;The process described above produces a composite material 1 comprising an inner core of mesh lath 3 having on both surfaces layers of reinforced mouldable material 2 and 4 wherein fibres of the said mouldable material penetrate the mesh lath. ;A composite material in accordance with the present invention is constructed in a mouldable material which comprises an admixture of bonding substances such as resins or plastics and a fibre material. The bonding substances can comprise synthetic resins such as polyester resin, polyamide resin, epoxy resin, or other synthetic resins which when cured produce a material which has sufficient strength for use in the construction of vehicle bodies. ;The fibrous substances which can be included in the layers of mouldable ' material can comprise fibres of glass, boron, kevlar, silica, carbon or graphite. ;The mouldable material can be applied in the form of an admixture of bonding substances and randomly mixed fibres or alternatively the fibres can be laid and/or mixed with a bonding substance in a predetermined manner either as separate strands or as woven fabric. ;The process as herein described is particularly suited to the use of spray guns commonly used in the application of glass fibre reinforced plastics and resins by which means glass fibre strands are mixed with resin and chopped into short lengths and then sprayed on to the desired surface or into a mould ;2 04620 ;The fibrous substances and bonding substances may equally be mixed and applied by hand in carrying out the process herein described. ;The mould or surface onto which the mouldable material is applied can be subjected to vibration in order to ensure complete penetration of the mesh lath by the mouldable material. ;The mesh 3 is used to reinforce the mouldable material and the thickness of mesh used will be determined by the strength which is required of the composite material. The mesh can be fabricated in steel or metal, preferably of a non-corrosive nature which has the advantage of producing a more durable composite material because the laminents will not be caused to separate because of corrosion forcing the layers apart. ;The advantage of mesh being flexible is that it can be made to fit the contours of the surface of the layers of the mouldable material on which it is laid. ;Extra strength can be obtained by repeating the layers of mouldable material and mesh such that a composite material comprising more than one layer of mesh can be produced. ;This invention has particular applicability to the construction of vehicle bodies and in the following description of a specific use of this reinforced material which is given by way of example only, the objects and advantages of this invention will become clear. ;-5- ;204620 ;N.2; PATENT OF!*fe-g 2 6 NOv I9S5 RECEIVED In the manufacture of vehicle bodies in glass fibre reinforced plastics (GRP), a stainless steel mesh can be positioned between two layers of GRP when the GRP is being layered on a surface or within a mould. When the GRP has cured the composite material which results from this process can form a strong panel or frame for a vehicle body.

This process and the composite material produced therefrom has the following advantages, inter alia: (a) The glass fibres and resin penetrate through the mesh giving a complete bond between the laminents, and the mesh can flex with the laminent preventing separation which often occurs with the conventional practice of using rigid steel plates for reinforcing. (b) This composite material provides far greater accuracy when drilling holes for fixing components to the composite material due to the plurality of holes already existing in the mesh. (c) A further advantage of using mesh is that it can be readily shaped to fit any contour on to which it may be applied.

Thus, in practice when it is required that components be fixed to mouldings, mesh can be inserted in the laminent in the desired place at the time when the GRP is laid. When the moulding has cured, the moulding is drilled in the required place. A component can be bolted to the moulding in the usual way using a flat washer on the head of a bolt. The result of this procedure is that a component can be bolted to a GRP moulding and due to the steel mesh in the moulding the bolts cannot readily be torn out of the moulding. 204620 Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions thereto may be made without departing frcm the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (31)

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A process for the preparation of a composite material comprising the steps of: (a) Applying a first layer of mouldable material to a mould or surface, (b) Applying a mesh lath to said first layer of mouldable material, (c) Applying a second layer of fibre impregnated mouldable material on said mesh lath, such that a composite material is formed with fibres of. said second layer penetrating the mesh lath.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first layer of mouldable material is fibre impregnated.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the mesh lath is a flexible metal mesh.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the mesh lath is a flexible steel mesh.

5. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the mouldable material of the first and second layers contains a bonding substance.

6. A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the bonding substance in the mouldable material of the first and second layers is a synthetic resin.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the synthetic resin is an epoxy resin. f nz. patent office j "8" tO MAR 1986 >.— — received 204620

8. A process as claimed in ciaim 6 wherein the synthetic resin is a polyester resin.

9. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the synthetic resin is a polyamide resin.

10. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the fibrous substances incorporated in the mouldable material are glass fibres.

11. A process as claimed in claims 1 to 9 wherein the fibrous substances incorporated in the mouldable material are boron fibres.

12. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the fibrous substances incorporated in the mouldable material are silica fibres.

13. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the fibrous substances incorporated in the mouldable material are carbon fibres.

14. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the fibrous substances incorporated in the mouldable material are graphite fibres.

15. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the fibrous substances incorporated in the mouldable material are kevlar fibres.

16. A composite material having an inner core comprising a lath of flexible metal mesh, wherein said inner core is sandwiched between first and second layers of a fibre reinforced mouldable material, and wherein fibres of said mouldable material penetrate the mesh lath. N.Z PATim OFWfeU U 12 DEC 1985 -9- RECEIVED 204620

17. A composite material as claimed in claim 16 wherein the fibre reinforced mouldable material of the first and second layers contains a bonding substance.

18. A composite material as claimed in claim 17 wherein the bonding substance contained in the fibre reinforced mouldable material is a synthetic resin.

19. A composite material as claimed in claim 18 wherein the synthetic resin is an epoxy resin.

20. A composite material as claimed in claim 18 wherein the synthetic resin is a polyester resin.

21. A composite material as claimed in claim 18 wherein the synthetic resin is a polyamide resin.

22. A composite material as claimed in claim 17 wherein the bonding substance is a plastics material.

23. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 22 wherein only one of said first or second layers of mouldable material contains a fibrous reinforcing substance.

24. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 wherein the fibrous substance can be glass fibres.

25. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 wherein the fibrous substance can be boron fibres.

26. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 wherein the fibrous substance can be silica fibres. -10- 12 DEC 1985 1 204620

27. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 wherein the fibrous substance can be carbon fibres.

28. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 wherein the fibrous substance can be graphite fibres.

29. A composite material as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 wherein the fibrous substance can be kevlar fibres.

30. A process for the preparation of a composite material substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

31. A composite material substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. HAROLD ROSS BAKER l^v/ hie A fhnrno v/o BARRY V. JAMES & ASSOCIATES N.2. LATENT 0F?ffe8 1 20ECi985 RECEIVED -11-