Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B1/00—Layered products having a general shape other than plane
  • B32B1/08—Tubular products
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C53/00—Shaping by bending, folding, twisting, straightening or flattening; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C53/36—Bending and joining, e.g. for making hollow articles
  • B29C53/38—Bending and joining, e.g. for making hollow articles by bending sheets or strips at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the article being formed and joining the edges
  • B29C53/40—Bending and joining, e.g. for making hollow articles by bending sheets or strips at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the article being formed and joining the edges for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
  • B29C53/42—Bending and joining, e.g. for making hollow articles by bending sheets or strips at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the article being formed and joining the edges for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using internal forming surfaces, e.g. mandrels
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
  • B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
  • B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
  • B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
  • B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
  • B29C70/44—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding
  • B29C70/446—Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B38/00—Ancillary operations in connection with laminating processes
  • B32B38/0036—Heat treatment
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H12/00—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures
  • E04H12/02—Structures made of specified materials
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C53/00—Shaping by bending, folding, twisting, straightening or flattening; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C53/56—Winding and joining, e.g. winding spirally
  • B29C53/562—Winding and joining, e.g. winding spirally spirally
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2009/00—Layered products
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/766—Poles, masts, posts

Definitions

• the invention concerns a pole made of a material which is mainly made up of a first component, such as glass, and of a second component, such as a polymer.
• a typical example of such poles are flagpoles which earlier were normally made of wood. However, in the recent many years, wood as material for flagpoles has largely been replaced by other materials.
• a material which has grown quite popular is glass-fibre reinforced polyester which is characterised by a number of outstanding properties .
• Flagpoles made of this material in practice known as glass-fibre flagpoles, are thus light and at the same time very strong. They have a smooth, bright surface which is weather-resisting and dirt repelling, and unlike wooden flagpoles, they do not require recurrent maintenance such as painting or lacquering.
• the flagpoles can be constructed in different ways, but normally the polyester in the pole is reinforced by several layers of tube-shaped fibres in the form of webs or mats which lie rather close together.
• the flagpole can be adopted for manual laying up.
• the glass fibre webs which in advance has been drenched with polyester, is thus laid round a mandrel.
• Each layer is pressed by a groove roller to compress the web and press out the air in the web, before the next layer is laid up.
• a pole such as a flagpole of glass-fibre reinforced polyester or of a similar fibre reinforced polymer, will be rather expensive due to the above-mentioned production-related circumstances.
• the object of the invention is to provide a pole of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph and which is less expensive to manufacture than a pole made of glass-fibre reinforced polyester or a similar fibre reinforced polymer and which, at the same time, has just as good properties.
• novel and unique features according to the invention whereby this is achieved, is the fact that the two components form part of the material as composite fibres formed by both components .
• the composite fibres can enter into the material as rovings which consist of a large number of fibres, but at the embodiment preferred, these rovings can already be woven into a web of fibres .
• the material of a pole is recyclable and can thereby be utilised again.
• an advantage is furthermore obtained in that discarded poles and poles with manufacturing faults will no longer pollute the environment to the same extent as poles of e.g. glass-fibre reinforced polyester which are virtually imperishable.
• the invention furthermore concerns a method of manufacturing a pole of a material which is mainly made up of a first component, such as glass, and a second component, such as a polymer.
• the novel and unique features of this method is the fact that the two components make up composite fibres formed by both components, and that the pole is made of these composite fibres.
• fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flagpole according to the invention
• fig. 2 a - g are perspective views of successive process stages of a first embodiment of the method according to the invention of manufacturing the flagpole shown in fig. 1,
• fig. 3 a - c are perspective views of successive process stages of a second embodiment of the method according to the invention of manufacturing the flagpole shown in fig. 1, and
• fig. 4 a - c are perspective views of successive process stages of a third embodiment of the method according to the invention of manufacturing the flagpole shown in fig. 1.
• Fig. 1 shows, diagonally from the end and in perspective, a flagpole 1 according to the invention.
• the flagpole is, in this case, made up of a number of tube-shaped webs 2 which transversely lie close together.
• the web is woven from rovings each consisting of a large number of fibres.
• Each fibre is a composite fibre of two components, respectively glass and a polymer, such as polypropylene.
• the flagpole can be manufactured in different ways as described in details in the following.
• Fig. 2 a - g show a first method according to the invention of manufacturing a flagpole.
• the flagpole is thus constructed round a rigid mandrel 3 of for example aluminium.
• the mandrel has journals 4 for rotatable suspension in a pedestal (not shown) .
• a web 5 is wound round the mandrel 3 until a layer 6 having mainly the diameter of the finished pole is formed.
• the web 5 is of the above-mentioned type of composite fibres of glass and a polymer respectively, in the following, the polymer is assumed to be, as an example, polypropylene.
• a flexible plate 8 is laid round the film 7.
• the surface of the composite fibre layer 6 with the film 7 will be formed as an impression of the surface of the plate 8 facing the composite fibre layer.
• flagpoles of an even, smooth surface are wanted, the surface being dirt repelling and easy cleanable, and the plate 8 must then have a correspondingly even, smooth surface .
• an air permeable mat 9 is laid round the already laid layers 6, 7, 8, 9. Since the mat is air permeable, it allows confined air being evacuated.
• the mandrel 3 with the layers 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 is placed in a furnace 11 at a temperature of e.g. 200°C.
• the mandrel stays in the furnace for about 5 minutes during which the two thermoplastic polymers, in this example polypropylene and acrylic respectively, soften and assume the shape of the mandrel, simultaneously the composite fibres of the web 5 are joined whereby a solid, coherent layer 5 is formed, said layer is furthermore joined with the acrylic film 7.
• the mandrel 3 with the layers 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 is then taken out of the furnace and cooled to a temperature where both the polypropylene and the acrylic transform into the solid phase, and finally, the different layers 8, 9, 10 and the mandrel 3 are removed from the now solid and joined layers 6, 7 which form the in fig. 2g shown finished flagpole 1.
• Fig. 3 a, b, c show a second method according to the invention of manufacturing a flagpole.
• the flagpole is constructed round a flexible mandrel 12 of for example thermostable silicone rubber.
• the mandrel 12 is via a tube 13 with a valve 14 connected to a compressed-air source (not shown) .
• a valve 14 By opening the valve 14, the flexible mandrel 12 is put under pressure.
• a web 14 is wound round the mandrel 12 until a layer 15 having mainly the diameter of the finished pole is formed.
• the web is of the same kind as the web 5 shown in fig. 2 a-g of composite fibres of glass and polymer, respectively.
• the mandrel 12 with the composite fibres 15 is placed in a mould 16 of for example aluminium.
• the mould 16 consists, in this case, of two halves 16 a, b which in fig. 3b are closed round the composite fibre layer 15 and the mandrel 12.
• the valve 14 is now opened so that the flexible mandrel 12 expands and thereby presses the composite fibre layer 15 to abut against the inside of the mould chamber which has a shape corresponding to the shape of the finished flagpole.
• the mould 16 is, in advance, heated to for example 150°C.
• the mould is closed and the flexible mandrel 12 put under pressure, the mould is heated further to a temperature of 200°C and kept at this temperature for a sufficient period of time, for example 5 minutes, until the polymer softens and thereby assumes the shape of the mould chamber, at the same time as the composite fibres of the web 14 are joined.
• the mould At the end of the standing time in the furnace, the mould is cooled to about 150°C at which point the plastic polymer transforms into the solid phase. The mould is then opened and the mandrel removed when the pressure has been released.
• Fig. 4 a, b, c show a third method according to the invention of manufacturing a flagpole.
• a plate is formed, as shown in fig. 4a, said plate consisting partly of web 19 which is of the same kind as the web 5 shown in fig. 2 a - g of composite fibres of glass and polypropylene respectively, and partly of an substratum in the form of a dyed acrylic-film 20 with an even, smooth surface .
• the plate 18 may be formed under pressure at a temperature of for example 200°C and with a standing time of 5 minutes during which the polypropylene softens and the composite fibres of the web 19 are joined, simultaneously the acrylic-film 20 is joined with the composite fibres.
• the plate 18 is then cooled to 80° - 120°C and curved, as shown in fig. 4a with the acrylic substratum at the outside, to a jacket 21 round a rigid mandrel 22 having the shape of the wanted cavity of the finished flagpole.
• the two long sides 23 a,b of the wrapping 21 are joined by a weld 24 by means of a welding gun 25 after which the finished flagpole is pulled off the mandrel.
• the flagpole is now the colour of the acrylic-film and has its even, smooth surface.
• the joining of the long sides can also be done by means of other joining methods, for example bonding or hot melting, just as the seam can be a lap weld instead of a butt joint.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Motors, Generators (AREA)
• Reinforced Plastic Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8101440

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (9)

• 1997
  • 1997-10-08 WO PCT/DK1997/000431 patent/WO1998016376A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-10-08 CA CA002269548A patent/CA2269548A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-10-08 AU AU45502/97A patent/AU4550297A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-10-08 EP EP97943789A patent/EP0930965A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-10-08 PL PL97332630A patent/PL332630A1/xx unknown
• 1999
  • 1999-04-13 NO NO991730A patent/NO991730D0/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (9)

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