The Boeing Company

Matthew Lee Prendergast

Nicholas J Brimlow

Arthur E Whitson, Jr

Gregory W Swanson

Ryan J O'Connor

James T Johnstone

Charles Michael Richards

William Scott Ballantine

The present disclosure provides an aircraft security door as well as methods, systems and apparatus for handling an aircraft security door. In one implementation, a method for installing an aircraft security door onto an aircraft is disclosed. The method includes transferring the aircraft security door to an aircraft service stair, supporting the aircraft security door by a bridge crane coupled to the aircraft service stair, positioning the aircraft service stair in proximity to a fuselage of the aircraft adjacent to an opening in the fuselage, positioning the aircraft security door relative to the opening using the bridge crane, and securing the aircraft security door to the opening.

Aircraft security door and method and apparatus for security door handling

Washers for indicating imbalanced loading and methods of making the same are disclosed herein. An example washer includes an outer conical wall having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and an inner conical wall concentric with the outer conical wall. The inner conical wall is spaced apart from the outer conical wall. The inner conical wall has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The inner conical wall defines a central bore through the washer. The washer also includes an end wall between the second ends of the outer conical wall and the inner conical wall, such that a cavity is formed between the outer conical wall, the inner conical wall, and the end wall. An opening to the cavity is formed between the first ends. A viscoelastic material is disposed in the cavity that can protrude from the opening.

Washers for indicating imbalanced loading and methods of making the same

A fastener accessory includes a fastener body and a sacrificial radio frequency (RF) tag. A dielectric substrate of the tag is affixed to a contact surface of the fastener body. An RF antenna trace is connected to or printed on the substrate. The antenna trace transmits an RF response signal when energized by an external RF tracking circuit. The substrate is plastically deformed by an installation force to prevent transmission of the response signal. A method for locating the fastener body within a search area includes exciting a receiver trace of the tag using an interrogation signal, frequency-modulating an interrogation frequency using an RF modulating circuit, transmitting a response signal at a response frequency via a transmitting antenna trace of the tag, and detecting the response signal using an RF tracking circuit to locate the fastener body within the search area.

Location of fastener accessory using sacrificial RF tag

Methods and systems for supporting and/or positioning mechanical components or tools, the methods and system employing work stands that have a moveable base, a vertical support member disposed on the moveable base, a support platform attached to an upper end of the vertical support member via a support coupling that permits independent rotational movement of the support platform, a plurality of extendable arms that are each pivotally coupled at a lower end to the vertical support member and pivotally coupled at an upper end to the support platform, and each extendable arm can be independently and controllably extended and retracted. The work stands further include a controller for controllably extending and retracting the extendable arms to position the support platform in a desired orientation, and a user input coupled to the controller and configured so that a user employing the controller can position the support platform in the desired orientation.

Methods and systems for supporting and positioning mechanical components or tools

Methods of performing assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, systems for performing desired assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, and mobile work stations useful for such systems and methods, where the mobile work stations include a work platform, including an accessway providing access to the work platform; and a moveable base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks that can adjustably raise and lower the work platform.

Method and system for aircraft assembly and maintenance

A device to detect a presence of a tool by responding to a remote RFID reader. The device includes a body that forms an interior space therein with the body having a window into the interior space. An RFID tag is positioned within the interior space. A biasing member is positioned within the interior space to apply a first force in a first direction to the RFID tag. A magnet is positioned within the interior space and is configured to apply a second force in a second direction to the RFID tag when the body is in the presence of the tool. The RFID tag is movable between first and second positions within the interior space. One of the first and second positions including the RFID tag aligned with the window. The other of the first and second positions including the RFID tag positioned away from the window.

Growing community of inventors

Covington, WA, United States of America

Matthew Lee Prendergast