The Boeing Company

Joseph D Anderson

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Daniel M Rotter

Brad Andrew Coxon

Stephen Lee Metschan

Richard V Phillips

Arvid J Berg

Stephen Keith Kirchmeier

Jennifer Sue Noel

Henry Macias

Kimberlee Madden

Paul Elfes Nelson

Brian Gregory Robins

Shane Edward Arthur

Patrick B Stone

Jonathan Y Ahn

Matthew Benjamin Moore

Don J Russell

Paul Chih-Yung Chang

Joseph Jay Pruss

Jason Warner

Scott Allen Boner

Eugene H Jeppesen

Michael David Collier, Sr

David Jon Herman

Christopher Ralph Brown

Ricardo Andreas Fritzke

Austin B Ball

Conduit coupling devices comprise a body configured to be selectively attached to engage an outer surface of a conduit; and an elongate connecting member extending from the body or configured to selectively extend from the body. Systems comprise at least two conduit coupling devices. Methods comprise attaching a first conduit coupling device to a first conduit; attaching a second conduit coupling device to a second conduit; operatively attaching the first conduit coupling device to the second conduit coupling device; translating the first conduit coupling device and the second conduit coupling device toward each other to operatively position the first conduit relative to the second conduit; and clamping the first conduit to the second conduit.

Conduit coupling devices, systems for coupling conduits together, and methods of coupling conduits

A fastener includes a sleeve, a pin, and a visual indicator. The sleeve includes a tubular body. The pin includes a shank. At least a portion of the shank of the pin is configured to extend through the tubular body of the sleeve and to facilitate deformation of a portion of the tubular body into a bulb in response to a force applied to the tubular body of the sleeve by the shank of the pin. The visual indicator is configured to provide a visual verification of correct formation of the bulb.

Fasteners with visual indication of correct installation and method for fastening

Methods and systems for assembling containerized aircraft as complete aircraft. The methods comprise removing aircraft components from shipping container(s), unloading the aircraft components from shipping fixture(s), removing tooling comprising aircraft component positioning structure(s) from the shipping container(s), loading aircraft component(s) onto aircraft component positioning structure(s), positioning the aircraft components in aircraft component installation positions, positioning the aircraft component(s) using the aircraft component positioning structure(s), and attaching the aircraft components to assemble the complete aircraft. The systems comprise aircraft components configured to be loaded into shipping container(s) in a shipping arrangement, unloaded from the shipping arrangement and attached to at least one other aircraft component to assemble the complete aircraft; shipping fixture(s) configured to support the aircraft components in the shipping arrangement, and tooling configured to facilitate assembly of the aircraft components and comprising aircraft component positioning structure(s) configured to position aircraft component(s) in aircraft component installation position(s).

Systems and methods for assembling containerized aircraft

Systems and methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure are disclosed herein. The methods include operatively attaching a charge of composite material to a flexible substrate to define an initial conformation for a composite-substrate assembly and locating the composite-substrate assembly and a layup mandrel proximal to one another. The methods further include pressing the composite-substrate assembly against an outer surface of the layup mandrel to deform the composite-substrate assembly to a final conformation. The methods also include affixing the charge of composite material to the outer surface of the layup mandrel and releasing the charge of composite material from the flexible substrate while retaining the charge of composite material on the outer surface of the layup mandrel. The systems include the flexible substrate, the layup mandrel, and an assembly deformation structure that is configured to press the composite-substrate assembly against the outer surface of the layup mandrel.

Systems and methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure

Systems and methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure on an outer surface of an inner mold line layup mandrel. The systems and methods include receiving a plurality of ply kits, assembling the plurality of ply kits to form a skin segment that defines a portion of the skin, and affixing the skin segment to the outer surface of the layup mandrel. The assembling includes transferring a respective ply kit of the plurality of ply kits to a non-planar transfer tool, compacting the respective ply kit on the non-planar transfer tool, and repeating the transferring and the compacting for each ply kit in the plurality of ply kits to form the skin segment.

Methods of assembling a stiffened composite structure include loading, with a stiffener loading tool, a respective stiffener from a supply of stiffeners onto an inner mold line layup mandrel; repeating the loading to load a plurality of stiffeners onto the inner mold line layup mandrel; and following the repeating, affixing a respective skin segment from a supply of skin segments to the plurality of stiffeners loaded on the inner mold line layup mandrel to form at least a portion of the stiffened composite structure. Systems for assembling stiffened composite structures include a supply of stiffeners; an inner mold line layup mandrel; and a stiffener loading tool configured to load the respective stiffener onto the inner mold line layup mandrel.

Systems and methods for assembling stiffened composite structures

Systems and methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure are disclosed herein. The methods include operatively attaching a charge of composite material to a flexible substrate to define an initial conformation for a composite-substrate assembly, deforming the composite-substrate assembly to an intermediate conformation that is different from the initial conformation, affixing the charge of composite material to an outer surface of a layup mandrel, and releasing the charge of composite material from the flexible substrate while retaining the charge of composite material on the outer surface of the layup mandrel. The systems include the flexible substrate, an assembly deformation structure that is configured to deform the composite-substrate assembly from the initial conformation to the intermediate conformation, and the layup mandrel that receives the charge of composite material.

Methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure

Tools for forming a corrugated structure from a pliable blank include a plurality of forming blocks that laterally move relative to each other, a compaction mechanism configured to selectively conform the pliable blank to the forming blocks, and a block translating mechanism configured to reconfigure the tool from a pre-formed configuration to a post-formed configuration, in which the forming blocks are positioned closer together than when the tool is in the pre-formed configuration. Associated systems, methods, and apparatuses also are disclosed herein.

Systems, tools, and methods for forming corrugated structures and apparatuses including corrugated structures

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Joseph D Anderson