The Boeing Company

John Suarez

Eric Rehder

Dale H Waterman

John Steven Frost

Kristina I Kassem

Jonah C Huffman

Robert E French

Paul F Thieben, Jr

Bradley G Weiskittel

Daniel W Campbell

Ryan C Polito

Methods for forming thin wall tubing into a tightly-coiled helical duct comprise selecting a thin wall tube with an outside tube diameter and a wall thickness that is less than 15% of the outside tube diameter; and bending the thin wall tube to form the tightly-coiled helical duct so that an outside duct diameter of the tightly-coiled helical duct is less than four times the outside tube diameter.

Centrifugal air separator coil manufacturing methods

A feedthrough for feeding signals through a panel having opposite sides includes first and second parts. The first part can include a first body configured to be disposed in a first portion of an opening in a panel, a first lumen disposed within the first body, and a first engagement area comprising a first contact area. The second part can include a second body configured to be disposed in a second portion of the opening in the panel, a second lumen disposed within the second body, and a second engagement area configured to engage the first contact area, wherein engaging the first contact area with the second engagement area causes deformation of the first part, the second part, or both to hold the first part and the second part within the opening such that the first lumen and the second lumen are disposed generally concentrically with each other. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.

Two-part snap-together feedthroughs

Tightly-coiled helical ducts for centrifugal air separators may be formed with the tools and methods disclosed herein. A helical coil toolset includes a helically grooved mandrel and an entry block. The helical groove of the mandrel has a small helix inside diameter relative to a width of the helical groove. The entry block has a guide channel to guide a tube to the helical groove and a mandrel channel to receive the mandrel. Methods include forming tubing into a tightly-coiled helical duct by filling a tube with fine particles, positioning the tube in the helical groove of a helically grooved mandrel, fixing the tube relative to the mandrel, assembling an entry block around the tube and around the mandrel, and bending the filled tube around the helically grooved mandrel into the tightly-coiled helical duct by rotating the mandrel relative to the entry block.

Centrifugal air separator coil manufacturing tools and methods

A feedthrough for feeding signals through a panel having opposite sides includes first and second parts. The first part can include a first body configured to be disposed in a first portion of an opening in a panel, a first lumen disposed within the first body, and a first engagement area comprising a first contact area. The second part can include a second body configured to be disposed in a second portion of the opening in the panel, a second lumen disposed within the second body, and a second engagement area configured to engage the first contact area, wherein engaging the first contact area with the second engagement area causes deformation of the first part, the second part, or both to hold the first part and the second part within the opening such that the first lumen and the second lumen are disposed generally concentrically with each other.

A fluid coupling includes inner and outer members capable of rotating relative to each other. The inner member includes an inner member interior wall centered about a coupling axis, and a first inner member seal wall centered about the coupling axis and spaced radially outwardly from the inner member interior wall to define a first gap between the inner member interior wall and the first inner member seal wall. The outer member has an outer member exterior wall centered about the coupling axis and surrounding the first inner member seal wall, and a first outer member seal wall centered about the coupling axis and spaced radially inwardly from the outer member exterior wall. The first outer member seal wall is disposed in the first gap to form a labyrinthine seal passage between the inner and outer members.

Rotary fluid coupling

A device locates an apparatus to the center of a hole in a structure. The device includes a hub adapted to have the apparatus mounted thereon and a plurality of locator elements spaced around the hub which extend at least partially into the hole. Means coupled with the locator elements and the hub are used to displace the locator elements outwardly into engagement with the edges of the structure and to move the hub into axial alignment with the center of the hole.

Method and device for locating hole center

An extraction apparatus () for the removal of a riveted fastener () from a structure () includes a shaft () and a cutting element (). The cutting element () is mechanically coupled to the shaft () and is configured to cut a portion of the riveted fastener (). The shaft () and the cutting element () are configured for insertion through an inner channel () of the riveted fastener (). A method of replacing the riveted fastener () from the structure () includes inserting the extraction apparatus () through the inner channel (). The extraction apparatus () is rotated. A portion of the riveted fastener () that extends through the structure () is removed. A head () of the riveted fastener () is also removed from the structure.

Riveted fastener extraction apparatus and method

An extraction apparatus () for the removal of a riveted fastener () from a structure () includes a shaft () and a cutting element (). The cutting element () is mechanically coupled to the shaft () and is configured to cut a portion of the riveted fastener (). The shaft () and the cutting element () are configured for insertion through an inner channel () of the riveted fastener (). A method of replacing the riveted fastener () from the structure () includes inserting the extraction apparatus () through the inner channel (). The extraction apparatus () is rotated. A portion of the riveted fastener () that extends through the structure () is removed. A head () of the riveted fastener () is also removed from the structure ().

Growing community of inventors

Mission Viejo, CA, United States of America

John Suarez