The Boeing Company

Derek Mickelson

Scott Alan Ludwig

Hien T Bui

Alan Ray Merkley

Megan Elizabeth Bliss

Florante M Halili

Joel T Adriance

Christopher J Gray

Kealii M Ribao

During an assembly process for an aircraft, segments of the fuselage are fabricated separately prior to joining the segments together to form the complete fuselage. In order to ensure that abutting ends of the segments mate together correctly, a machining process is performed along the edges of the segments at their ends. A trim-tool assembly includes an indexing cart mounted to a track secured to a surface of the workpiece, where a setting on the indexing cart varies a distance between a centerline of the track and an edge of a workpiece. The trim-tool assembly further includes a tool cart mounted to the track and translatable along the track. The tool cart includes a process tool that performs a machining process on the workpiece at a fixed distance from the centerline of the track.

Track-aligned process tools and process of using

An apparatus for testing suction cups mounted on a track is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a base comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The apparatus further comprises ports penetrating the base from the first surface to the second surface and vacuum sensors pneumatically coupled to the ports. The ports in the base are arranged in a geometric pattern.

Apparatuses for testing suction cups mounted to a track

A countersinking device includes an internal bore positioner adapted for receipt by a bore defined by a workpiece. A driver rod engaged with the internal bore positioner extends outwardly of the bore through a bore opening. A centering chuck, engaged about and axially movable along the driver rod, is configured to engage the bore opening to cooperate with the internal bore positioner to align the driver rod along a longitudinal axis of the bore. A counterbore is engaged about the driver rod, opposite the centering chuck from the internal bore positioner. The counterbore is rotatable about and is configured to be axially advanced along the driver rod to engage the bore opening and countersink the bore. A countersink depth control arrangement is associated with the counterbore and cooperates therewith to countersink the bore to a predetermined depth. An associated method is also provided.

Countersinking device and associated method

An apparatus () for testing suction cups () mounted on a track () is disclosed. The apparatus () comprises a base () comprising a first surface () and a second surface () opposite the first surface (). The apparatus further comprises ports () penetrating the base () from the first surface () to the second surface () and vacuum sensors () pneumatically coupled to the ports (). The ports () in the base () are arranged in a geometric pattern ().

Apparatus and methods for testing suction cups mounted to a track

A back spotfacing system having a machining apparatus with a through-hole cutter tool. The tool has an elongate member movable to coaxially extend through a hole in a workpiece from a first side of the workpiece, the workpiece coupled to the apparatus. The tool has a cutter element pivotal between a stowed position on the elongate member, a contact position with an inner surface of the hole, and an extended position extending radially from the elongate member. In the extended position, the cutter element extends to machine and back spotface a surface on a second side of the workpiece opposite the first side. The system has a power system for powering the apparatus and tool, and a measurement system coupled to the apparatus for measuring one or more hole exit positions of the cutter element and one or more surface contact positions of the cutter element on the surface.

Growing community of inventors

Bothell, WA, United States of America

Derek Mickelson