Patent ID: 7387147

Claim:
An apparatus for inserting a reinforcing fiber into a composite laminate material for reinforcement of the composite laminate material, comprising: a housing having spaced guide members defining a feed path for a composite laminate material through the apparatus, the laminate material having opposite first and second surfaces, the guide members configured to contain the laminate material as it is conveyed along the feed path; an elongated pathway deposition device configured to form a pathway through the laminate material in the feed path, the pathway deposition device being oriented in a first direction along a fiber insertion axis extending at an angle to the feed path towards the first surface of a laminate material in the feed path, the deposition device having a front tip, a body portion, and a rear end and being moveable relative to the guide members between a first position in which the front tip is spaced from the first surface of the laminate material and a second position in which the pathway deposition device extends across the feed path and through the composite laminate material in the feed path to form a pathway; an elongated fiber insertion element oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the fiber insertion axis towards the second surface of the laminate material, the fiber insertion element having a front end facing the second surface of the laminate material contained in the feed path and a rear end; the fiber insertion element being moveable relative to the guide members between a first fiber insertion position spaced from the second surface of the laminate material in the feed path and a second fiber insertion position extending across the feed path and through a pathway formed by the pathway deposition device in the laminate material contained in the feed path; a fiber bundle feed mechanism configured to supply a length of fiber bundle to the fiber insertion element in one of the fiber insertion positions; a first drive mechanism configured to drive one of the pathway deposition device and the guide members whereby the pathway deposition device is moved between the first and second positions; a second drive mechanism configured to drive one of the fiber insertion element and the guide members, whereby the fiber insertion element is moved between the first fiber insertion position and the second fiber insertion position; and a release mechanism configured to release the fiber bundle from the fiber insertion element in the second fiber insertion position, whereby the fiber insertion element can be withdrawn from the laminate material while the length of reinforcing bundle remains in the laminate material.