Patent ID: 8931725
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: B29C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for loading spools into a creel of a fiber placement machine that is used to charge a mold, the creel having a number of spools arranged in a pattern, the apparatus comprising: a creel loader; a spool magazine carried by the creel loader; at least two mandrels in the spool magazine, a stripper mandrel and a loader mandrel, whereby the stripper mandrel is used to remove an empty spool core from the creel and the loader mandrel is used to load a full spool into the creel; at least one mandrel in the spool magazine for receiving full spools and for transferring the full spools to the creel of the fiber placement machine, wherein the at least one mandrel is the loader mandrel; and, a turret mechanism for mounting the stripper mandrel and the loader mandrel in the spool magazine, the turret mechanism aligning first the stripper mandrel with a selected mandrel in the creel to remove an empty spool from the creel and then aligning the loader mandrel with the selected mandrel to load a full spool into the creel.