Importance

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Abstract

An improved tape laying machine, more particularly an improved tape laying head assembly is provided for laying plastic tape onto a work surface to produce a reinforced plastic structure. The improvement provides means for transferring the vertical movement of at least one segment of a stacked plate segmented shoe presser member, of the head assembly, as it engages the work surface to a non-terminal segment of the stacked plate segmented shoe and a sensor means, e.g. a linear variable differential transformer, sensing the movement of the non-terminal segment to produce a signal related to the movement of the non-terminal segment that can be employed to control and direct the movement of the head assembly and/or presser member. The improvement of the invention produces a smooth shimless transition of the presser member onto the work surface, from a work surface non-engaging position, in a tape laying operation.

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First Claim