The Boeing Company

James B Weathers

Jeffrey Wayne Weathers

Harry Kendall Warden

Zachary S Hopkins

Shawn E Mills

Rodney H Jones

Murray S Edmondson

A friction weld plug includes a gasket and a stud. The stud includes a nose configured to be inserted into a first hole formed within a wall. The nose includes a cavity having female threads. The stud also includes a shoulder extending radially from the nose and including a groove configured to contain the gasket. The friction weld plug also includes a spacer including a second hole and a fastener including male threads. The fastener is configured to be inserted through the second hole, into the first hole, and into the cavity such that the male threads and the female threads form an attachment that presses the spacer against a first side of the wall and presses the gasket against a second side of the wall that is opposite the first side, thereby forming a seal between the gasket and the second side of the wall.

Friction weld plug

A collet assembly, for an umbilical plate that connects a vehicle to a ground station prior to a launch of the vehicle, includes an active decoupler. The active decoupler includes a pin. A cuff has a central opening. The pin passes through the central opening. A plurality of fingers are pivotally coupled to the cuff. A plurality of levers are pivotally coupled to the plurality of fingers and the pin.

Collet assembly of an umbilical plate that couples a launch vehicle to a ground station

A system and method include a simulation control unit configured to receive structural data regarding a structure to be formed. The simulation control unit performs a virtual forming simulation to determine a feasibility of forming the structure based on the structural data. In response to the simulation control unit determining that the structure can be feasibly formed based on the structural data, the simulation control unit outputs a forming plan for forming the structure based on the structural data.

System and method for forming an integrally-stiffened, curved metallic panel

Disclosed herein is an attachment system, for providing a component mounting location, that comprises a laminated structure and a bracket. The bracket comprises an interface surface configured to interface with a first side of the structure, and a through hole open at the interface surface. A shear stud of the attachment system comprises a projection, shaped to pass through the hole of the structure and engage the through hole of the bracket, and a seal region, positioned to interface with a second side of the structure to form a seal with the second side of the structure. The attachment system additionally comprises a fastener comprising a head and a shaft, the shaft being shaped to pass through the through hole in the bracket and engage the shear stud to secure the shear stud relative to the bracket thereby reducing shear at the fastener.

Structural interface hardware for cryogenic tanks

Provided are toroidal support structures and assemblies comprising these structures. A toroidal support structure comprises one or more side panels forming a tubular ring and one or more floor panels forming a planar ring. These rings define the toroidal shape of the structure. The structure also comprises multiple isolating linear support components connected to a top edge of the tubular ring. During installation of the structure, the isolating linear support components are attached to a mounting base for supporting the structure relative to the base, while providing thermal isolation to the rings and preventing their mechanical distortion. As such, a toroidal support structure can be attached to various types of mounting bases, such as a cryogenic tank of a spacecraft. Both rings provide supporting and mounting surfaces for equipment, cables, and pipes, while the toroidal opening allows external components to protrude through the support structure.

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Madison, AL, United States of America

James B Weathers