The Boeing Company

Other

David Paul Banks

Darrell Darwin Jones

Charles H Glaisyer

James N Buttrick, Jr

James Niemann Buttrick

Philip M Wright

Russell C McCrum

Ronald W Outous

Paul Elfes Nelson

Mark C Boberg

Terrence J Rowe

Harry E Townsend

Laurance N Hazlehurst

Bobby C Philpott, Jr

Kostadinos D Papanikolaou

John Richard Porter

Andrew Elmer Modin

Edoardo P Depase

Jesus Sanchez

Dennis Wayne Stewart

Peter D McCowin

Grant C Zenkner

Paul E Ffield

Paul Reuben Arntson

James C Murphy

Eric M Reid

Theodore Martin Boyl-Davis

Roger A Gage

Dan Dresskell Day

Alan Ray Merkley

Kenneth Paul Zaballos

Brent F Craig

Steven C Van Swearingen

Stephen Douglas Friddell

Howard J Van Laeken

John W Schooff

Paul Gregory Kostenick, Jr

Ronald M Olive

James Eric Brodhead

John M Pryor

John F Richards

Richard G Struve

Kostandinos D Papanikolaou

Paul C Chang

Kerri L Olson

Rinhold E Wilde

Melvin R Wiseman

Nancy J McGinnis

Dennis W Stewart

Bobby C Philpott

Alan R Merkley

Paul G Kostenick

Laurence N Hazelhurst

Darrel D Jones

A forming module for forming a composite laminate part over a tool is provided. The forming module comprises a base, a ply carrier control assembly adapted for controlling the position of a flexible ply carrier on which composite resin plies are mounted, and a head section mounted on the base and adapted for automatically forming the composite resin plies from the ply carrier onto the tool.

Method and apparatus for fabricating contoured laminate structures

A plurality of identical fabrication modules are linked together and configurable to fabricate any of a plurality of differing laminate structures in a family of structures having common features. Each of the fabrication modules is locally adapted to fabricate a section of the laminate structure on a corresponding tool. A controller controls and coordinates automated operation of the fabrication modules.

A method and apparatus for positioning an end effector relative to a structure. The apparatus may comprise the end effector and a sensor system. The end effector may be configured to perform an operation on the structure. The sensor system may have a plurality of sensors extending outward from the end effector.

System and method for positioning an automated assembly tool relative to a structure

A method and apparatus for installing a fastener in a surface of a structure. A crawler robot may comprise a first movement system and a second movement system. The first movement system may be configured to move the crawler robot and a track system along the surface. The second movement system may be configured to move the crawler robot along the track system on the surface.

Crawler robot and supporting platform

The apparatus comprises a housing and a plurality of complementary linking features. The housing has a first end, a second end, an opening in the first end, and a channel in communication with the opening. The channel extends into the housing towards the second end. The plurality of complementary linking features is located on a wall of the channel. The channel and the plurality of complementary linking features are capable of receiving and engaging a plurality of linking features for a gear.

Bevel gear removal apparatus

A tool that facilitates deburring interfaces in any stack orientation when access is limited to one side of the structure. The deburring blade has the capability to enter drilled holes and remove metallic burrs from mixed material interfaces regardless of stack orientation, i.e., metallic entrance or exit burrs within the stack. The blade design incorporates a slotted feature that hinges on a steel pin. The slot orientation is parallel to the metallic interface of the stackup. The resultant forces of metal material removal are reacted by the walls of the slot, allowing removal of metal material on either the front or back side of the blade tip.

Omni-directional deburring blade

A production system for manufacturing a workpiece comprises an index system including a plurality of index devices removably mounted on the workpiece at known longitudinally spaced locations therealong, and a longitudinally extending index member releasably engaged with at least two of the index devices such that a position and orientation of the index member are fixed relative to the workpiece by the index devices, the index member having position-indicating features distributed therealong. The production system further comprises a machine module mounted for longitudinal movement along the index member and operable to perform an operation, the machine module being operable to detect the position-indicating features on the index member and thereby determine a position of the machine module relative to the workpiece.

Production system and an associated index device for use as a reference feature

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for manufacturing multiple layer composite structures and structures containing components made of multiple layer composite structures, comprising dispensing layers of composite material, trimming each layer to its final shape as it is being dispensed, and positioning it properly with respect to prior layers in the part lay-up.

Composite material layup including trim-on-the-fly

An apparatus for evaluating a part may include a camera, a camera-holding member for holding the camera in place relative to the part being evaluated, and an indexing surface disposed in a fixed position relative to the camera-holding member. The camera may be positioned to take a simultaneous picture of both the indexing surface and the part in order to evaluate the part using the picture by comparing an indexing surface image with a part image.

Camera-holding apparatus for evaluating parts

Apparatus and method for composite material trim-on-the-fly

Indexing device for manufacturing system for aircraft structures and other large structures

A flexible rail machine tool couples temporarily to a structure by vacuum cups and positions a tool head at any desired point over an area. The toolhead can perform operations such as drilling, bolt insertion, and acquisition of dimension data. The flexible rail can conform to surface curvature in one or more axes. Tool head perpendicularity to the structure can be sensed and adjusted as needed. The as-attached position of the rail may be compensated for through coordinate transformation, allowing holes, for example, to be placed with substantial precision.

Flexible rail multiaxis machine tool and method

Manufacturing system for aircraft structures and other large structures

Growing community of inventors

Lake Stevens, WA, United States of America

David Paul Banks