Patent ID: 11872778
Assignee: AIRBORNE INTERNATIONAL B.V.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method of manipulating a sheet of fiber reinforced material built up with parallel longitudinally oriented fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix material, comprising:
engaging at least one face of the sheet by a friction element that extends substantially transversely to the orientation of the fibers, and that exerts friction onto the face in a direction substantially along the orientation of the fibers;
engaging the opposite face of the sheet of fiber reinforced material by a guide element that extends substantially transversely to the orientation of the fibers, the guide element enveloping a conveying path; and
wherein the friction element and guide element are disposed on opposite sides of the conveying path and are interspaced along the conveying path to leave a slot between the friction element and the guide element that allows limited free movement of the sheet to be conveyed transverse to its face;
wherein a plurality of drive and/or guide elements is arranged substantially transversely to the conveying path to in use engage a face of a sheet of fiber reinforced material substantially transversely to the orientation of the fibers;
wherein at least one of the drive and/or guide elements is arranged to exert traction forces with a transverse component and is arranged to extend substantially transversely to the conveying path at an angle that is offset from perpendicular and is arranged to maintain linear contact across a whole width of the sheet of fiber reinforced material.