Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Owen V Manning

Nicholas T Castellucci

David G Tureaud

A system is provided for repairing a planar sheet member which has a damaged region defined by a boundary. A generally planar repair assembly having an outer periphery initially spaced from the boundary of the damaged region is inserted into the damaged region so as to be coplanar with the sheet member. Thereupon, the repair assembly is enlarged until its outer periphery is generally adjacent to the boundary of the damaged region to be repaired. At the same time, a frangible wall in a container of the repair assembly positioned between a first compartment liquid filler material and a second compartment of liquid hardener chemically reactive with the filler material is broken such that the filler material and hardener intermix and react to form a resultant liquid repair material. The liquid repair material is then discharged from the container to fill voids between the outer periphery of the repair assembly and the boundary of the damaged region and to fixedly mount the repair assembly to the planar sheet member so as to plug the damaged region. When the liquid repair material hardens, the repair assembly becomes integrated with the sheet member. A first tubular handle serves to transport the repair assembly to the repair site and a second elongated handle associated with the first tubular handle serves to operate a mechanism within the repair assembly to enlarge its periphery, cause intermixing of the chemicals, and subsequently, their discharge. At the conclusion of the operation, the first and second handles are removed from the repair assembly for reuse.

Damage repair tool

A system is provided for repairing a planar sheet member which has a damaged region defined by a boundary. A generally planar repair assembly having an outer periphery initially spaced from the boundary of the damaged region is inserted into the damaged region so as to be coplanar with the sheet member. Thereupon, the repair assembly is enlarged until its outer periphery is generally adjacent to the boundary of the damaged region to be repaired. At the same time, a frangible wall in a container of the repair assembly positioned between a first compartment of liquid filler material and a second compartment of liquid hardener chemically reactive with the filler material is broken such that the filler material and hardener intermix and react to form a resultant liquid repair material. The liquid repair material is then discharged from the container to fill voids between the outer periphery of the repair assembly and the boundary of the damaged region and to fixedly mount the repair assembly to the planar sheet member so as to plug the damaged region. When the liquid repair material hardens, the repair assembly becomes integrated with the sheet member. A first tubular handle serves to transport the repair assembly to the repair site and a second elongated handle associated with the first tubular handle serves to operate a mechanism within the repair assembly to enlarge its periphery, cause intermixing of the chemicals, and subsequently, their discharge. At the conclusion of the operation, the first and second handles are removed from the repair assembly for reuse.

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Lake Forest, CA, United States of America

Owen V Manning