Patent ID: 7871682

Claim:
An assembly for supporting composite laminate materials during the roll press processing thereof, comprising: a bleeder material adapted to be disposed about the entire periphery of a mixture of uncured resin and fibers wherein first and second opposing surfaces of the mixture are defined, the bleeder material being gas permeable; first and second films adapted to be disposed adjacent to the first and second opposing surfaces of the mixture, each of the first and second films being perforated therethrough to permit passage of the uncured resin; a first gas permeable material layer disposed adjacent to and extending beyond the periphery of the first film and in contact with the bleeder material about the entire periphery of the mixture; a second gas permeable material layer disposed adjacent to and extending beyond the periphery of the second film and in contact with the bleeder material about the entire periphery of the mixture, wherein a vacuum applied to the bleeder material is distributed throughout the first and second gas permeable material layers and is applied to the mixture through the first and second films, and wherein a sub-assembly is defined by (i) the bleeder material, (ii) the first and second gas permeable material layers, and (iii) the first and second film layers; a gas impervious bag sealed about the sub-assembly; and first and second rigid plates clamped about the gas impervious bag with the first and second rigid plates spanning the first and second opposing surfaces of the mixture and terminating over the bleeder material.