Grumman Aerospace Corporation

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Robert E Anderson

Charles A Parente

Leonard M Poveromo

An acoustic liner jet engine inlet barrel is formed from a perforated permeable skin, a honeycomb core, and a solid facesheet, each of which is formed in a one-piece configuration such that at most only a narrow single fore-to-aft splice, or no spice at all, is present in the finished product. The acoustic modal content remains unaffected, thus preserving a high degree of liner effectiveness, increasing the total active acoustic area of the barrel while decreasing its weight, and increasing its durability.

One-piece engine inlet acoustic barrel

An acoustic liner jet engine inlet barrel is formed from a perforated permeable skin, a honeycomb core, and a solid facesheet, each of which is formed in a one-piece configuration such that at most only a narrow single fore-to-aft splice, or no splice at all, is present in the finished product. The acoustic modal content remains unaffected, thus preserving a high degree of liner effectiveness, increasing the total active acoustic area of the barrel while decreasing its weight, and increasing its durability.

A technique is provided for removing foam mandrel material from a stiffener section of a composite structural member as is employed in lightweight aircraft skin structures. The technique involves the direct pressure glass bead blasting of the mandrel material. By mounting a blasting nozzle within a rubber hose of larger diameter, an airstream containing glass beads may be directed outwardly through the nozzle while evacuating pressure is created in an annular passageway between the hose and the nozzle to evacuate mandrel foam particles as well as spent glass beads. The result is a clean channel within the stiffener section.

Foam tooling removal method

The invention relates to an expansion fastener device that secures two interlocking members together. The device includes a parallelepiped receptacle having slits along opposite ends. The receptacle is inserted through the interlocking members and triple wedges are driven into the receptacle. The triple wedges includes a first wedge having tapers in the vertical direction and its insertion into receptacle causes only vertical expansion of the receptacle. A pair of horizontally tapered wedges are inserted into the receptacle alongside the first wedge and they cause only horizontal expansion of the receptacle. Utilization of the invention reduces stress points as created by conventional rivets.

Interlocking structural members employing triple interfitting wedge

The invention relates to a joint for aircraft wing skins which have previously been connected to support substructures by rivets or other mechanical fasteners which create stress points and leakage points when aircraft wings are filled with fuel. The invention utilizes interleaved plies of a composite fabric to mechanically interlock the wing skin and support substructure. Use of the invention increases the structural integrity of the connection joint between wing skin and support substructure.

Interleaved tab assembly for connecting structural members

A wing skin is usually mounted to a support structure by using metal fasteners which cause high stress points and potential leakage points. The invention utilizes projections formed in a wing skin to mate with recesses formed in a support substructure which, when positioned together, form interdigitations which prevent sliding displacement of the wing skin. A plurality of sliding bars transversely pass through the interdigitating sections to maintain an interlocking relation. The transversely oriented bars enable the use of the invention with contoured wing skin structures.

Interlocking structural members employing transverse locking means

The invention relates to an expansion fastener device that secures two interlocking members together. The device includes a parallelepiped receptacle having slits along opposite ends. The receptacle is inserted through the interlocking members and wedges are driven into the receptacle to cause its expansion in horizontal and vertical directions. This secures the members together along relatively large shear areas thereby decreasing the possibility of shear damage to the members.

Interlocking structural members employing transverse locking wedges

A wing skin is usually mounted to a support structure by using metal fasteners which cause high stress points and potential leakage points. The invention utilizes a wing skin structure fabricated from fabric strips with projections formed in the wing skin to mate with recesses formed in a support substructure thus forming interdigitations which prevent sliding displacement of the wing skin. A sliding bar passes through the interdigitating sections to maintain an interlocking relation.

Interlocking structural members utilizing overlying composite strips

The invention relates to an expansion fastener device that secures two interlocking members together. The device includes a parallelepiped receptacle having slits along opposite ends. The receptacle is inserted through the interlocking members and double wedges are driven into the receptacle. The double wedges includes a first wedge having tapers in the vertical direction and its insertion into receptacle causes only vertical expansion of the receptacle. A second horizontal tapered wedge is received with a horizontal tapered opening formed in the first wedge to cause independent expansion of the recess in the horizontal direction.

Interlocking structural members employing transverse locking double

In the past wing skin structures have been connected to support substructures by means of rivets or other mechanical fasteners which create stress points and leakage points when aircraft wings are filled with fuel. The present invention utilizes a support substructure having tabs which interleave between plies of a wing skin to mechanically interlock the wing skin and support substructure. The wing structure and support substructure may be fabricated from aircraft composite materials.

Structural connector utilizing tabbed support substructure

An aircraft cowl, and in particular a translating cowl, used as a component of a thrust reverser, formed of at least one one-piece bondment cured in a single operation. Preferably, a one-piece inner bondment and a one-piece outer bondment fastened together at a joining region. The bondments have constant density cores and tapered closures. Acoustically absorbing materials are part of the lay up for one of the bondments and are integrally cured therein.

Advanced composite aircraft cowl

A wing skin is usually mounted to a support structure by using metal fasteners which cause high stress points and potential leakage points. The invention utilizes projections formed in the wing skin to mate with recesses formed in a support substructure thus forming interdigitations which prevent sliding displacement of the wing skin. A sliding bar passes through the interdigitating sections to maintain an interlocking relation.

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Huntington Station, NY, United States of America

Robert E Anderson