The Boeing Company

Paul C Buehler

David G Jensen

David M Pett

Mark D Bumgardner

Curtis L Chamberlin

Ed Vallejos

Terry L Gesell

An apparatus comprises a housing, a clamping unit associated with the housing, a biasing system, and a length indicator. The clamping unit can be inserted through a hole in a structure into an interior of a nut that is positioned relative to a first surface of the structure. The clamping unit can engage the interior of the nut when a portion of the housing is positioned relative to a second surface of the structure. The first structure is substantially parallel to the second surface. The biasing system can bias the portion of the housing positioned relative to the second surface of the structure and the clamping unit towards each other, while the clamping unit is engaged with the interior of the nut. The length indicator can indicate a length of a bolt when the biasing system has biased the portion of the housing and the clamping unit towards each other.

Nut plate grip gage

A system, for installation of fastening systems to a structure, includes a fastening system installation specification, which includes dimensional and qualitative requirements for components of the fastening systems; and a tool. The tool includes an outer housing having an interior hollow, a gage surface, and a base surface, the base surface having a contact area that contacts the surface of the structure. An inner plug disposed within the interior hollow translates axially within the interior hollow. The inner plug has a sensing end that contacts a bolt of the fastening system and references the shank section of the bolt. The inner plug has an indicator end dimensioned to accept washers and nuts of the fastening system stacked on the gage surface. The inner plug has an indicator that provides installation information, according to either qualitative or dimensional requirements, about the components of the fastening system being installed using the tool.

Installation tool for aerospace fastening system

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Snohomish, WA, United States of America

Paul C Buehler