The Boeing Company

Other

David L Wagner

Peter D McCowin

Darrell Darwin Jones

Warren Giles Wiedmeyer

Matthew K Lum

Noel A Spishak

Daniel L Nydegger

David M Kozy

Kin Yip Wong

William R Schell

Oldrich Fryc

Dennis M Cordy

Alfred E Walter, Jr

Thomas E Armstrong

Thomas Dee Hall

Vincent T Olson

Leslie A Anderson

Joseph A Appleton

Richard R Trujillo

Eric J Selby

Ronald J Smith

Birger O Anderson

Donald E Bixler

Douglas L Boob

Homer R Burrous

Joseph J Vaxmonsky

Wayne P Chaffey

Douglas J Boob

D Bruce Thomas, Jr

Thomas D Bruce Jr

An aqueous tube cleaning system as described herein can be utilized to clean a plurality of tubes having different lengths. The system includes a tower assembly having a wash chamber that houses the tubes during the cleaning cycle. The tower assembly is held in a horizontal load/unload position for loading and unloading of the tubes. The system rotates the tower assembly into a vertical cleaning orientation to accommodate cleaning with cleaning and rinse solutions, which flow through and around the tubes using the force of gravity. After rinsing and draining, the tower assembly is rotated back to the horizontal position for unloading.

Cellular aqueous tube cleaning system and method

A one-piece barrel assembly cart includes a right assembly cart base connected with a left assembly cart base and at least three stabilizer rings that are attached to the assembly cart base. The one-piece barrel assembly cart may be used to stabilize a tapered cured composite barrel, for example the large fuselage barrel of the aft section of a large new generation aircraft, such as a 7E7 Boeing airplane. A modular assembly cart includes at least two identical modules. Each of these modules includes a cart base and a stabilizer ring. The diameter of the inner surface of the stabilizer ring may vary as needed. Other modules including a fuselage support may be added. By providing modular assembly carts any shape and size of a one-piece composite barrel may be stabilized after curing of the composite material.

One-piece barrel assembly cart

A guided vehicle relocation device has a frame. The frame has an opening to allow one or more wheels of a vehicle to enter an interior area of the frame. At least one drive mechanism is coupled to the frame. The drive mechanism engages the wheel of the vehicle, rotating the wheel of the vehicle to move the vehicle. A control panel is coupled to the frame and to the at least one drive mechanism. The control panel is used for controlling operation of the guided vehicle relocation device.

Guided airplane relocating device

An end effector (30) adap ttachment to and accurate positioning by a robot is provided for positioning a channel-shaped workpiece (10) at a desired position and drilling an accurately located positioning hole in the work piece, even if the workpiece is curved or has a compound contour. The end effector (30) includes a conventional speeder assembly (68) with a taper that can be grasped by the robot and rotated for transfer of torque to the speeder assembly. A flange base (54) is attached to the speeder assembly (68) and has a central opening to accommodate a drill bit (67). A housing assembly (50) is slidably mounted around the flange base (54) through a linear bearing (109). An index shaft (32) is slidably mounted partially within the housing assembly (50) through a second linear bearing (110). A collet (36) is concentrically mounted slidably about the index shaft (32). The collet (36) is adapted to expand radially when it is forced over a wider portion (34) of the index shaft (32). The radial expansion of the collet (36) provides the necessary force to position the channel-shaped workpiece (10).

Self-centering end effector

The present invention constitutes an apparatus for assembling multiple electrical contacts and filler elements into an electrical connector. The apparatus includes a filler assembly for automatically installing filler elements into the holes within the electrical connector which are to be unoccupied by electrical contacts, and a guide assembly which is functional for assisting the operator in manually inserting the electrical contacts into the correct holes within the connector by providing a visual indication of the holes into which the contacts should be inserted. The filler and guide assemblies operate on connectors held into position on a turntable-like indexing plate which allows the connectors to be rotated alternatively into position with respect to each of the assemblies. The filler assembly includes one or more filler element inserter tools which are adapted for inserting filler material from strands of such material into the holes within the connectors so as to form installed filler elements.

Apparatus for use in assembling electrical connectors

A method for forming a leak free container, such as a paper cup, including a sidwall having a lap joint and a bottom wall connected to the sidewall by means of a bottom wall lap joint incorporating a portion of the sidewall lap joint wherein the method includes the step of applying caulking material, at a predetermined location, to one of the blanks forming the bottom and sidewall which location is selected to insure sealing of any void volume formed adjacent the sidewall lap joint within the bottom wall lap joint. Preferably, the caulking material will be a hot melt adhesive and will be employed in a cup making process involving the use of polyethylene coated paper stock. Careful control of the temperature, amount, location and viscosity of the hot melt during the lap joint forming process and of the heat and temperature used in the lap joint forming steps insure that the hot melt material ends up residing in precisely the appropriate location within the void volume. Also disclosed are a variety of cup designs in which the void volume is reliably caulked by means of the disclosed method. In the preferred design, the caulking material is placed exclusively in the exterior leg of a U-shaped void volume.

Caulking method for forming a leak free cup

A rivet manifold feed device (10) including a manifold body (12) that receives a rivet feed passageway (22). The manifold body (12) includes a plurality of rivet feed members or spools (14, 16, 18, 20), a plurality of air feed ports (84), and a plurality of rivet feed ports (82). A separate air feed port (84) and a separate rivet feed port (82) is positioned adjacent each respective feed spool. Each spool reciprocates back and forth between a first and a second position, wherein each spool includes a separate passageway (70, 72) that is in registration with the rivet feed passageway in each position. A rivet placed in one of the passageways (72) is delivered into the rivet feed passageway when a spool shifts into one of the positions and the air feed port adjacent that spool blasts the rivet downstream through the rivet feed passageway.

Rivet manifold feed device

A positive displacement pump (10) for precisely dispensing liquids through a dispensing tube (126) in which there is a pump body (12) having a shaft (18) fitted for reciprocating therein. Incremental adjusting nuts (24, 26) on an outer end (22) of the shaft limit the movement thereof in a pumping direction. There is a first friction clamp (46) pivotally mounted adjacent one of its ends on the other end (48) of the shaft and a second friction clamp (82) is pivotally mounted adjacent one of its ends on a member (80) fixed to the body (12) adjacent the other end (48) of the shaft (18). The other ends of the clamps (46, 82) have cylindrical openings (66, 92) in substantial alignment to receive a hardened, smoothly finished pump rod (102). The pump rod is precisely aligned in bushings (98, 100) secured to the pump body. There are springs (70) and (90) biasing the clamps between the pivotal mountings and the cylindrical openings against the direction of pumping. The shaft (18) when moved in the pumping direction moves the first clamp against its bias in the direction of pumping and maintaining its grip on the rod (102) and carries it in the direction of pumping to the extent permitted. At the same time the clamp (82) releases its grip on the rod to permit it to slide in the pumping direction. When the shaft (18) is reversed in direction, friction clamp (46) releases its grip and at the same time the friction clamp (82) maintains its grip on the rod (102) holding it from moving against the pumping direction. This arrangement effects a precise pumping motion so as to precisely dispense a required and predetermined quantity of liquid.

Pump for precisely dispensing liquids

An inflatable, self-supporting shelter particularly suited for survival use in remote, rugged terrain and evacuating injured victims includes inflatable floor and side panels and two opposing multi-layered, noninflatable end panels which cooperate to form an enclosed shelter. The floor and side panels each include an inner wall, outer wall and plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending strips therebetween. The strips, which are connected to both the inner and outer walls, have an 'I' shaped cross section and serve to divide the air space between the walls into a series of pneumatically interconnected cells and to rigidify the shelter when it is inflated. In one embodiment, the shelter is provided with pole receiving means to facilitate transporting the shelter as a litter, and fastening means securing the side panels and end panels to one another such that the shelter can be 'opened up' to provide quick and easy access to the victim.

Survival shelter

A rivet injector/rejector device (10) is provided for use with a riveting machine (12) having a plurality of rivet gripping fingers (120, 122). The device (10) includes a supporting member (16) fixedly mounted to the riveting machine (12). A tubular member (92) is provided for delivering a rivet (148) to the fingers (120, 122). The tubular member (92) is mounted to the supporting member (16) so that an end portion (118) of the tubular member may be moved downwardly relative to the fingers (120, 122). The end portion (118) is shaped so that as it moves downwardly it spreads the fingers thereby permitting a rivet to drop free therefrom.

Rivet injector/rejector device

A guide bar reciprocally movable at an inclined angle accepts a fastener in an upper leg of the guide bar when in a retracted position, moves that fastener past a stationary member and drops it onto a lower leg of the guide bar when in the extended position. A movable pin contacts the lower end of the fastener and acts as a reference when that pin is in the extended position. The guide bar when it is retracted is at a distance less than the length of the fastener from the reference point. If the fastener, which has a shallow recess on one end and a deep recess on the other end, has the shallow recessed end down that end will drop down when the pin is retracted. If the deep recessed end is down the fastener will rotate around the pin and drop the shallow recessed end down.

Escapement orienting mechanism

In a numerically controlled, gantry-type routing machine, a workpiece pressure-foot assembly is disposed crosswise over an elongate workpiece supporting bed for providing an effective hold-down force for stacked workpiece sheets. The hold-down force is applied to the workpiece stack at locations adjacent a router tool that is held and turned by a motor driven spindle assembly movably mounted on a gantry for orthogonally related lengthwise and crosswise movements with respect to the bed and workpiece. The pressure-foot assembly includes a pair of spaced parallel rails, pivotally supported about axes parallel to the rails, and a plurality of pressure-bearing rollers mounted on axes directly underlying each of the rails for supporting the rails, and accommodating travel of the assembly over the upper surface of the workpiece. The pair of rails and supporting rollers are arranged crosswise of the bed, paralleling the gantry, and underlying the spindle assembly. The opposed end portions of the pivoted rails are supportively connected to the adjacent sides of the gantry for movement with the gantry lengthwise of the bed. A gimbaled truck, including an associated chip pickup suction assembly, rides on the rails for travel crosswise of the bed, and is coupled to the spindle assembly by a fluid controlled actuator for exerting a downward pressure on the rails whenever the tool of the spindle assembly is moved into cutting engagement with the underlying workpiece. The rails and the pressure rollers are segmented along the rail length for independent vertical movement that enables downward pressure of the spindle assembly to be effectively transmitted via the truck, rails and pressure rollers to the workpiece stack in a localized area surrounding the tool for simultaneously routing of sheets in a numerically controlled two-dimensional pattern composed of successive or concurrent orthogonal movements of the spindle assembly.

Workpiece retaining pressure-foot assembly for orthogonally movable

A pneumatic impact gun having an accumulator and interlock system for rapidly dumping a predetermined amount of compressed air into a cylinder to thereby propel an associated piston toward an anvil for contact with a rivet to be upset. The interlock system prevents accidental firing of the gun until a normally open interlock valve is manually depressed. Thereupon, a trigger valve may be manually opened to permit compressed air from a source to open a main valve and charge the accumulator to a predetermined pressure. The air in the accumulator may then be rapidly dumped therefrom into contact with the piston. Additionally, a metering valve serves as an energy selector to permit selective charging of the accumulator for varying the resulting impact of the piston onto the anvil.

Pneumatic impact gun

A pneumatic impact gun having an accumulator and interlock system for rapidly dumping a predetermined amount of compressed air into a cylinder to thereby propel an associated piston toward an anvil for contact with a rivet to be upset. The interlock system prevents accidental firing of the gun until a normally open interlock valve is manually depressed. Thereupon, a trigger valve may be manually opened to permit compressed air from a source to open a main valve thereby charging the accumulator to a predetermined condition to allow rapid dumping of compressed air therefrom into contact with the piston. Additionally, a metering valve serves as an energy selector to permit selective charging of the accumulator for varying the resulting impact of the piston onto the anvil.

A process of forming an interference fit between a rivet and the perimeter of an aperture through which the rivet shank is inserted finds particular application in the aircraft industry where sheets of component materials are joined together as a sheet assembly by a plurality of rivets. The process utilizes a high energy impact gun which forms a button on one end of a rivet shank, the other end of the rivet shank protruding a predetermined distance from a sheet surface and prevented from longitudinal movement by a bucking bar. The impact gun is then activated against the other end to rapidly form a second button. The rivet shank is radially expanded during the riveting process to thereby swell against the perimeter of the rivet hole for compression stressing which serves to stress relieve the area adjacent to the hole during cyclic loading of a sheet assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Kent, WA, United States of America

David L Wagner