Composite article assembly systems and methods

Abstract

A composite article assembly arrangement includes mechanized assembly station tooling for supporting certain composite article assembly methodologies with a view toward a preferred lid assembly application. First assembly station tooling includes a stationary main base plate, opposed intermediate compactor plates, and opposed outer plates, which compactor plates and outer plates are movable relative to the stationary main base plate. One or more continuous webs bearing thermoformed first and second workpieces are directed through the mechanized assembly station tooling, which operates to both separate the first and second workpieces from the web(s) as directed therethrough and assemble the first and second workpieces in one clapping movement of the compactor plates and outer plates relative to the main base plate. Alternative assembly station tooling operates to direct first composite elements into assembled relation with stationary second composite elements for forming basic composites to which successive composite elements are similarly added.

1 . A two-piece lid assembly method, the two-piece lid assembly method comprising the steps of:
 axially aligning upper lid bodies and lower lid bodies within mechanized assembly station tooling along an assembly alignment axis;   directing the upper lid bodies and the lower lid bodies toward one another within the mechanized assembly station tooling along the assembly alignment axis; and   assembling the upper lid bodies with the lower lid bodies along the assembly alignment axis within the mechanized assembly station tooling thereby forming two-piece lid assemblies.   
     
     
         2 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 1  wherein the steps of:
 directing the upper lid bodies and the lower lid bodies toward one another within the mechanized assembly station tooling along the assembly alignment axis; and 
 assembling the upper lid bodies with the lower lid bodies along the assembly alignment axis within the mechanized assembly station tooling are performed in a single clapping movement of opposed tooling. 
 
     
     
         3 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 2  wherein the step of axially aligning upper lid bodies and lower lid bodies within the mechanized assembly station tooling along an assembly alignment axis occurs via at least one continuous web. 
     
     
         4 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 3  comprising the step of thermoforming upper lid bodies and lower lid bodies in spaced and alternating relation to one another upon the at least one continuous web. 
     
     
         5 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 4  comprising the step of directing the spaced and alternating upper lid bodies and lower lid bodies through a loop mechanism for axially aligning the upper lid bodies and lower lid bodies within the mechanized assembly station tooling. 
     
     
         6 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 1  comprising the step of directing the lower lid bodies and upper lid bodies into a stationary plate for enhancing axial alignment of the upper lid bodies and lower lid bodies during the step of assembling upper lid bodies with lower lid bodies along the assembly alignment axis. 
     
     
         7 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 6  comprising the step of directing at least two first select body formations into the stationary plate before directing a first of the at least two first select body formations into assembled relation with a singular second select body formation, the first and second select body formations being selected from the group consisting of the upper lid bodies and the lower lid bodies. 
     
     
         8 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 7  comprising the step of temporarily storing at least a second of the at least two first select body formations in the stationary plate. 
     
     
         9 . The two-piece lid assembly method of  claim 1  comprising the step of resiliently deforming a select body formation before the step of assembling upper lid bodies with lower lid bodies along the assembly alignment axis within the mechanized assembly station tooling, the select body formation being selected from the group consisting of the upper lid bodies and the lower lid bodies, the step of resiliently deforming the select body formation for adjustably enhancing upper lid body to lower lid body assembly. 
     
     
         10 . A multi-piece composite article assembly method, the multi-piece composite article assembly method comprising the steps of:
 providing a conveyor with multiple, axially alignable composite elements upon a first face of the conveyor, the first face facing a first direction;   directing the conveyor through a first loop mechanism such that the first face faces a second direction opposite the first direction;   axially aligning first and second composite elements within mechanized assembly station tooling along an assembly alignment axis;   directing the first composite element toward the second composite element within the mechanized assembly station tooling along the assembly alignment axis; and   assembling the first composite element with the second composite element along the assembly alignment axis within the mechanized assembly station tooling thereby forming a basic composite.   
     
     
         11 . The multi-piece composite article assembly method of  claim 10  comprising the step of twisting the conveyor for re-orienting the assembly alignment axis for successive elemental alignment. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-piece composite article assembly method of  claim 10  the steps of:
 directing the first composite element toward the second composite element within the mechanized assembly station tooling along the assembly alignment axis; and 
 assembling the first composite element with the second composite element along the assembly alignment axis within the mechanized assembly station tooling are performed by unidirectionally moving the first composite element along the assembly alignment axis toward a fixed second composite element. 
 
     
     
         13 . The multi-piece composite article assembly method of  claim 10  wherein the conveyor is a singular continuous web and the multiple, axially alignable composite elements are thermoformed in the continuous web. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-piece composite article assembly method of  claim 10  wherein sets of the multiple, axially alignable composite elements are positioned upon the first face of the conveyor in spaced and alternating relation to one another. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-piece composite article assembly method of  claim 10  comprising the step of directing successive composite elements into assembled relation with the basic composite within the mechanized assembly station tooling along successive assembly alignment axes for forming a complex composite. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-piece composite article assembly method of  claim 10  comprising the step of directing the first composite element through a first plate-based cavity for enhancing axial alignment of the first and second composite elements when assembling the first composite element with the second composite element along the assembly alignment axis within the mechanized assembly station tooling. 
     
     
         17 . A workpiece trimming method, the workpiece trimming method comprising the steps of:
 stacking a series of web sheets atop one another into a web sheet stack;   positioning the web sheet stack in adjacency to a shaft-receiving plate assembly, the shaft-receiving plate assembly comprising at least one shaft receiving aperture; and   directing at least one tubular shaft through the web sheet stack via the shaft-receiving aperture thereby trimming web-based workpieces from the series of web sheets and forming a stacked series of workpieces.   
     
     
         18 . The workpiece trimming method of  claim 17  wherein the stacked series of workpieces are linearly directed into the tubular shaft as the tubular shaft is directed through the web sheet stack, the tubular shaft for collecting the stacked series of workpieces. 
     
     
         19 . The workpiece trimming method of  claim 17  wherein the tubular shaft comprises external threads and the shaft-receiving plate assembly is outfitted with a thread-driving interface, the external threads being driven via the thread-driving interface for converting rotational motion to linearly directed motion and directing the tubular shaft through the web sheet stack.