The Boeing Company

Edward O Jorgenson

Jack William Mauldin

Albert L Hametner

William R Schell

Mark D Gilcreest

Elton R Rice

Paul J Cecil

Roger G Rae

Brian S Hughey

Benjamin S Northup

John M Padmos

Daniel R Healy

A method of forming a weld on a work piece is disclosed. The method may include creating an internal cavity along the work piece and extending a conduit having an exit orifice into the internal cavity such that the exit orifice may be positioned adjacent to the weld to be formed. The method may further include supplying a purge gas to the conduit, the purge gas being carried through the conduit and pushed out of the exit orifice so as to displace undesirable gasses away from the weld to be formed and then subsequently forming the weld.

Integrated gas purge path for welded sandwich structure

To prepare a surface with a surface preparation device, an apparatus including a mount, a platform, and a suspension system is utilized. The mount supports and positions the surface preparation device. The platform moves the apparatus. The suspension system is disposed between the mount and the platform and controls an amount of force pressing the mount towards the surface. The suspension system and mount are operable to position the surface preparation device in contact with the surface.

Surface preparation device and method

An automated tube trimming system accurately trims tubes to the correct height and angle. The tube trimming system is a combination of an automated trimming saw and a unique spherical tube clamping system. A spherical clamp having a fixed clamp section and an internal swivel portion is used to clamp a tube at an appropriate angle for cutting in an automated tube trimming saw. The spherical clamp may be tightened onto the tube at an angle appropriate to provide the correct mating cut to easily weld to a second mating tube section or fitting. Conventional methods cut perpendicular to the direction of the tube, thereby requiring time consuming and labor intensive grinding and deburring. The ability to provide accurate and simple formation of trimmed tubes may be useful in a wide variety of industries where the movement of air and fluid through tubes is performed.

Automated tube trimming system

An automatic tube tee forming and trimming system uses a single apparatus for milling a hole in a tube, pulling a forming die through the milled hole, and face trimming the resulting pullout joint to the desired height. The forming die is pulled out through the hole via a universal driver which is simply attached to the drawbar without requiring any twisting to lock the assembly. The system may automatically conduct each of the steps once the tube is loaded into the apparatus. The apparatus completes the tube tee forming and trimming process in a relatively small cell, without the need to travel out to another factory area, within a relatively short period of time, and with minimal use of manual labor.

Automated tube tee forming and trimming system

Growing community of inventors

Auburn, WA, United States of America

Edward O Jorgenson