The Boeing Company

Eric Joseph Stern

Ryan Lee Hanks

Jared Lee Bolin

Christopher H Swallow

Keith A Young

Amy Marie Helvey

Randolph B Hancock

Thomas L Talley

David P Heck

Ricky L Martin

A method and apparatus for operating an aircraft. The aircraft is flown. A skin panel is held on a support structure. The support structure has flanges on a number of edges of the support structure, the flanges being substantially orthogonal to the edges. The support structure also has openings into the support structure substantially orthogonal to the flanges. First connecting structures on clips are connected to the flanges and positioned such that an opening in each clip is aligned with one of the openings in the support structure. The skin panel is positioned such that the clips are received in holes in the skin panel. Fasteners are attached to the second connecting structures such that the support structure holds the skin panel.

Aircraft skin attachment system

A cutting tool incorporates a body terminating in cutting edges distal from a chuck mount and having an axial bore for reduced mass to raise the natural frequency of the tool. In certain of the embodiments, the body is preformed from a steel or carbide blank into a cylindrical pipe forming the hollow bore prior to grinding of the cutting edges. Filling of the bore with a light weight polymer to further absorb vibration can also be employed.

Increased process damping via mass reduction for high performance milling

Techniques and apparatuses to provide vibration reduction of a workpiece when performing machining operations are disclosed. In various embodiments, a machine tool includes a shank having at least one end configured for engagement with a machine operable to rotate the shank. A cutting portion has a diameter defined by features used to remove material from a workpiece. The cutting portion is coupled to the shank. A vibration reduction dampener may be located between the shank and the workpiece.

Workpiece vibration reduction

A cutting tool includes a tool body having proximal and distal ends and defining a central axis. The tool body includes a shank portion and a fluted portion. The shank portion may be configured to be rotatably engageable to a milling machine. The fluted portion may include a plurality of teeth disposed about a circumference thereof and being formed at a radius relative to the central axis. In one embodiment, the teeth may be divided into first and second tooth sections with the teeth in the second tooth section being formed at a reduced radius relative to the teeth in the first tooth section.

Variable diameter cutting tool

An assembly may include at least two structures having angled edges disposed adjacent to one another forming a first gap between the at least two structures. A plurality of angled joining members may be linear friction welded adjacent to one another between the adjacent angled edges of the at least two structures in the first gap. A second gap may be disposed between the plurality of linear friction welded angled joining members. At least one hole may be disposed at a location of the second gap. The at least one hole may extend into and between adjacent edges of the welded angled joining members, and may extend into and between the adjacent angled edges of the at least two structures. A plug member may be rotary friction welded at least partially into the at least one hole.

Solid state joining method for continuous structures

The present application is directed to a process for forming a machined part. The process comprises providing a substrate and depositing a rough part on the substrate. One or more sacrificial supports are deposited adjacent to the rough part on the substrate. All or a portion of the one or more sacrificial supports and a portion of the rough part are removed. Additional embodiments are directed to aircraft part assemblies, and aircraft parts made by the above process.

Method for machining using sacrificial supports

Under one step of one embodiment of a solid state method for joining structures, angled edges of at least two structures are disposed adjacent to one another. In another step, a plurality of angled joining members are disposed adjacent to one another between the adjacent angled edges of the at least two structures. In still another step, the angled joining members are welded between the adjacent angled edges of the at least two structures. In yet another step, at least one hole is formed into and extended between adjacent edges of the welded angled joining members. In an additional step, a plug member is forced at least partially into the at least one hole.

A method of holding a billet of material () to a machining table () includes determining a first set of outer dimensions of a component () to be machined. The billet of material () is selected in response to the first set of outer dimensions to have a second set of outer dimensions. Dimensions of the second set of outer dimensions are approximately equal to or greater than corresponding dimensions of the first set of outer dimensions. Multiple tabs () are attached to the billet of material (). The tabs () are rigidly fixed to the machining table (). A machining system () includes a controller () that determines a first set of outer dimensions of a component () to be machined. A tab-forming mechanism () generates multiple tabs () that are configured to be rigidly fixed to a machining table (). An attachment mechanism () couples the tabs () to a billet of material (), which has a second set of outer dimensions having the same relation to the first set of outer dimensions previously stated.

Growing community of inventors

Valmeyer, IL, United States of America

Eric Joseph Stern