The Boeing Company

Elise Rae Ermitano Castorina

Gabriel Zane Forston

William Thomas Kline

Scott Edward Krajca

Erik Lund

Nicholas Boroughs

Thomas Dean Wilson

Bruno Zbinden

Dalton C Bergan

Matt Christner

Joseph Fount Warren, Jr

Systems and methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures are disclosed herein. The systems include a sheet-locating structure that has a support surface and a support surface edge. The systems further include a separation device, a conveyance structure, and a layup surface. The methods include locating a sheet of composite material on a first support surface and translating the sheet of composite material such that a first portion of the sheet is supported by the first support surface and a second portion of the sheet extends past the support surface edge. The methods also include separating the second portion of the sheet from the first portion of the sheet to form a strip of composite material. The methods further include conveying the strip of composite material onto a layup surface and repeating the methods to form the radius filler from a plurality of strips of composite material.

Systems and methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures

Devices and methods for handling uncured radius fillers are disclosed. The devices, i.e., radius filler transport tools, generally are configured to load a radius filler from above, to index the radius filler to a desired location (e.g., a cavity), and to downwardly unload (e.g., drop) the radius filler at the desired location. Radius filler transport tools comprise at least two trough portions, coupled together to form a trough to carry the radius filler, and a plurality of hanger assemblies configured to transversely span the trough. The radius filler transport tool may have a transport state, where the trough and the hanger assemblies are in closed states, a load state, where the trough is in the closed state and at least one hanger assembly is in an open state, and an unload state, where the trough is in an open state and the hanger assemblies are in closed states.

Devices and methods for handling radius fillers

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Shoreline, WA, United States of America

Elise Rae Ermitano Castorina