The Boeing Company

Devin Knowles

Max Urban Kismarton

Stanley W Stawski

Francis E Andrews

A method of manufacturing a cured composite structure includes inserting a plurality of radius filler segments into a radius cavity extending along a length of an uncured composite base member to form an uncured structural assembly. The plurality of radius filler segments are placed in end-to-end arrangement within the radius cavity and each having opposing segment ends and being formed of a thermoplastic material. The method additionally includes heating the structural assembly at least to a base member cure temperature that causes the segment ends of end-to-end pairs of the plurality of radius filler segments to fuse together and form a continuous radius filler element that extends along the length of the composite base member. The method also includes allowing the structural assembly to cure to form a cured composite structure.

Composite structure having thermoplastic radius filler

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for determining a position of a first part relative to a second part. The first part is movable relative to the second part. The apparatus comprises a magnetic position indicator and a magnetic field sensor. The magnetic position indicator is non-movably fixed to the first part and comprises a plurality of magnetic field sources positioned along a length of the magnetic position indicator. Each magnetic field source of the plurality of magnetic field sources generates a magnetic field having a unique magnetic signature. The magnetic field sensor is non-movably fixed to the second part and configured to detect the unique magnetic signatures of the magnetic fields generated by the plurality of magnetic field sources of the magnetic position indicator.

Apparatus, system, and method for determining a position of a part

A hybrid carbon/fiberglass structural component or beam for an aircraft is constructed with layers of strips of glass fibers interspersed with layers of strips of unidirectional carbon fibers where the carbon fibers are oriented only in alignment with or along the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam thereby adding strength and stiffness to the beam while reducing weight and manufacturing costs.

Growing community of inventors

Kenmore, WA, United States of America

Devin Knowles