Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Doris Andren Reis

Carl Andrew Reis

A technique and tool are provided for repairing damaged areas of honeycomb structures. The tool includes a plurality of rods axially translatable into the damaged area. Foam material is inserted about the rods and allowed to cure. The rods are later withdrawn leaving a porous core of material. Sleeves may be provided to receive and support the rods as they translate into the damaged area. The sleeves may remain in the damaged area after the rods are withdrawn into the sleeves.

Syntactic tunnel core

A drying tool for drying moisture present in cells of a honeycomb core. The tool includes an inflatable bladder compartment having a bendable exterior surface and a plurality of open-ended nozzles protruding from this exterior surface, with each nozzle having a passage in fluid communication with the bladder compartment. A connector element is connectible with a hot air source for delivering hot air into the bladder compartment for subsequent dispatch through the plurality of nozzles. Preferably, the nozzles are situated in a grid formation and are of a generally conical configuration. In use, the bendable exterior surface with the protruding nozzles is bowed or curved to generally configure to the exterior shape of the honeycomb core such that hot air is pinpointed in a grid pattern to drive heated air into the core and thereby cause circulation through the core cells for moisture evaporation.

Drying tool for honeycomb core

The present invention is embodied in an tool and method for structurally applying fiber stiffeners to a material. The tool inserts a plurality of fibers embedded in a transfer material through a hat stiffener and into a substrate and includes a first head, a second head, and a handle. The first head is defined by a roller having first edges and a center cutout. The cutout corresponds to the thickness of the transfer material. The second head is located at a distal end from the first head and is defined by a roller having second edges and a center groove. The groove corresponds to a thickness associated with guiding the tool along the corner of the hat stiffener. The first and second edges conform to the surface of the substrate. The center handle is coupled between the first head and second head for gripping. The first head is adapted to initially drive the fibers embedded in the transfer material through the hat stiffener and into the substrate. The second head is adapted to finally secure the fibers within the hat stiffener and the substrate.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

Doris Andren Reis