Patent ID: 9714153
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: B29C,B33Y,B65H

Claim:
1. A method for loading a spool assembly to an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising: providing a spool assembly comprising a rotatable spool with a filament supply thereon and having a locking mechanism configured to engage with the spool to prevent rotation of the spool during transport or storage of the spool assembly; engaging the locking mechanism with the spool to prevent rotation of the spool; inserting the spool assembly into a bay of the additive manufacturing system such that the locking mechanism disengages from the spool to allow the spool to rotate within the spool assembly; and feeding the filament to a print head retained by the additive manufacturing system by rotating spool after the locking mechanism is disengaged from the spool while the spool is in the bay of the additive manufacturing system.