The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 15, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1995
Paul E Ffield, Marysville, WA (US);
John W Schooff, Janesville, WI (US);
Steven C Van Swearingen, Edmonds, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
A method for reconfiguring a jig for supporting an elongated workpiece to enable the jig to support two different configurations of the workpiece. The jig has a multiplicity of clamps for holding the workpiece, each clamp mounted at the top of a clamp post and each clamp post supported on a pillar mounted on a fixed solid base. The jig is configured by sliding the posts along slides on the pillars to a first position at which the posts can be placed to position the clamps at the correct elevation to support the workpiece at a first configuration position, and inserting a pin through aligned pairs of holes in each of the clamp post and the pillar to prevent the post from sliding from the first position relative to the pillar. The weight of the clamp post and clamp are counterbalanced with a fluid cylinder connected at one end to the clamp post, and connected at the other end to the pillar. To reconfigure the jig, the pin is removed and the clamp post is moved along the pillar to a second position at which the clamps are positioned at the correct elevation to support the workpiece at a second configuration position. The pin is reinserting through a second pair of aligned holes in each pair of clamp post and pillar to prevent the post from sliding from the second position relative to the pillar.