The Boeing Company

Hussmann Corporation

Steven J Burpo

Neal A Froeschner

David J Sundquist

Trevor Lee Howard

Michael P Renieri

Eric Eldon Deck

Nicholas B Segobiano

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Steven Matthew Gunther

Roger W Engelbart

James Rodney Fox

John Cleveland Waldrop, Iii

Charles Richard Prebil

Roland A Ares

Terry A Sewell

Zachary Benjamin Renwick

Wayne G Schaeffer

James Frederick Ackermann

Michael Patterson Johnson

Ryan Joseph Merriman

James M Ogonowski

Allyson Antonio

Gary D Renieri

Christopher C Eastland

David John Sundquist

Dyrk L Daniels

James F Ackermann

A drape forming apparatus includes a forming tool having a first forming surface and a second forming surface nonplanar with the first forming surface. A tray is spaced apart from the forming tool and is configured to pivot about a hinged end from a first position to a second position under an applied force such that a distal end moves away from the forming tool. A first side of the tray faces a first heat source when the tray is in the first position, and a second heat source is disposed at a second side of the tray. A device for use in forming the composite structure includes a standoff and the tray, and a heat source is secured to the second side of the tray. A method of forming a composite structure includes heating both sides of the composite material with the first and second heat sources.

Drape forming apparatus and device, and method of forming a composite structure

A composite structure includes a base structure, a core disposed on the base structure, the core having a non-uniform contour relative to the base structure, a layered cover material disposed on the base structure covering the core, the layered cover material conforming to the non-uniform contour of the core and having at least one overlay ply, each of the at least one overlay ply having at least one slit cut through fibers of the respective overlay ply, and at least one cover ply having a shape that spans the at least one slit, and being configured to transfer a load across the at least one slit.

Method of producing cored composite parts

A drape forming apparatus for use in forming a composite structure. The apparatus includes a forming tool including an upper forming surface and at least one side forming surface that extends from the upper forming surface. The forming tool receives at least one layer of composite material over the upper forming surface. The apparatus also includes a flange forming device including a tray coplanarly aligned with the upper forming surface when in a first operating position. The tray is configured to receive a flange portion of the at least one layer of composite material. A pressurized bladder extends over the forming tool and the tray. The pressurized bladder is configured to induce a first force against the tray such that the tray rotates about a pivot line, and such that the flange portion is withdrawn from the tray and draped over the at least one side forming surface.

Apparatus and method of forming a composite structure

A system includes a bladder configured to deform to at least partially surround a draping tool. The bladder has a pattern configured to distort as the bladder deforms. The system also includes an imaging device configured to generate image data of a sequence of images of the pattern of the bladder as the bladder deforms about the draping tool.

System and method associated with drape forming

A drape forming apparatus for that includes a forming tool including an upper forming surface and a side forming surface extending from the upper forming surface. The forming tool receives a layer of composite material over the upper forming surface. The apparatus includes a flange forming device including an upper plate, a lower plate, and a receiving slot defined therebetween. The receiving slot receives a flange portion of the layer of composite material, and the flange forming device is translatable relative to the forming tool such that the flange portion of the layer of composite material is withdrawn from the receiving slot and draped over the side forming surface. The apparatus includes a pressurized bladder that extends over the forming tool and the upper plate. The pressurized bladder forces the flange portion against the side forming surface as the flange forming device translates relative to the forming tool.

A collapsible, coiled mandrel, for use in co-curing of a hollow carbon-epoxy structure such as a stringer in aircraft construction, is made of a coil having an outer coil shape resistant to external compression forces when used as a mandrel during lay-up and curing, and is collapsible when an end of the coil is pulled along its longitudinal axis so that it can be easily removed after curing and discarded.

Collapsible, coiled mandrel

A beaded composite panel is fabricated using composite plies. An opening is formed in each of plies, and each ply is laid up on a bead feature and drawn down over the bead feature in the area of the opening so as to widen the opening into a gap allowing the ply to conform to the contour of the bead feature. Patches are fabricated and placed on the plies overlying over the openings. The laid-up plies are compacted and cured.

Bead-stiffened composite parts

A collapsible, coiled mandrel, for use in co-curing of a hollow carbon-epoxy structure such as a stringer in aircraft construction, is made of a fiber stiffened with doping material that maintains an outer coil shape resistant to external compression forces when used as a mandrel during lay-up and curing, and is collapsible when an end of the fiber is pulled along its longitudinal axis so that it can be easily removed after curing and discarded. A method of fabricating a collapsible, coiled mandrel employs a mold with a shaped recess for forming a coil with a fiber wetted with a doping material fed in by an applicator, and rotating the applicator while backing it out to form the coil in the mold. In an alternative embodiment, a collapsible, coiled mandrel may be formed of a metal coil having a mandrel-shaped cross section and sleeved in a protective liner.

A mechanical pressure application system for applying a tailored pressure distribution to a plurality of structural components is provided. Each structural component has a first surface, and each first surface is configured to interface with the first surface of another of the structural components at a contact area. A base and at least one tooling block are configured to removably couple to the structural components. Each at least one tooling block includes a first surface configured to be positioned proximate at least one of the plurality of structural components. A second surface of each tooling block is configured to receive at least one forcing member. At least one biasing mechanism is configured to apply a predetermined load to the at least one forcing member, such that a force is transmitted from the at least one forcing member through the tooling block to a corresponding portion of the contact area.

System and method for applying pressure to structural components

An apparatus may comprise a nondestructive evaluation system and a cutting system. The nondestructive evaluation system may be configured to inspect a processed portion of a structure. The nondestructive evaluation system may be configured to determine whether an inconsistency is present in the processed portion. The nondestructive evaluation system may also be configured to generate information about a location of the inconsistency. The cutting system may be configured to cut a number of parts out of the processed portion of the structure in which the inconsistency may be at least substantially excluded from the number of parts.

Controlling cutting of continuously fabricated composite parts with nondestructive evaluation

Method of making bead-stiffened composite parts and parts made thereby

A method for forming complexly shaped composite laminate assemblies. A pair of dry fiber preforms are placed on a tool with a thin film adhesive layer therebetween. A vacuum bag encloses the preforms and the adhesive layer. The preforms are heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the adhesive to become viscous and to wet several plys of each of the preforms. The preforms are then allowed to cool slightly before resin is infused via a vacuum source through each of the preforms to thoroughly wet each of the preforms. The resulting joint formed at the bond line of the two preforms is stronger than what would be formed simply by adhering two otherwise completely formed preforms together because the dry fiber preforms, in connection with the heating of the preforms, allow wetting of several plys of each of the preforms at the joint area, rather than just the surface ply of each preform.

Vacuum assisted resin transfer method for co-bonding composite laminate structures

The invention provides an apparatus and method for testing the tensile load bearing properties of a sample of uncured prepreg composite material. The apparatus includes a housing comprising an internal cavity for receiving a sample to be tested. It also has a bladder and a block located at least partially within the housing such that inflating the bladder applies pressure to the prepreg sample by urging the block into the sample cavity, against the sample. In addition, the apparatus includes a heater for applying controlled heat to the sample and thermocouples for measuring sample temperature. Ends of the sample prepreg are accessible to jaws of a tensile load testing machine, and load is applied when the desired temperature and pressure are obtained.

Method and apparatus for testing uncured prepreg material

A refrigeration system having compressor, condenser, surge receiver and multiple evaporator means, and high side control means including gas defrost means for selectively defrosting the evaporator means with saturated refrigerant gas, a surge control valve for the surge receiver means, and other means for operating the surge control valve in response to differential high side pressures, liquid levels in the receiver means and/or gas defrost operations to regulate refrigerant pressures within the surge receiver means.

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St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Steven J Burpo