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:
May. 07, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 12, 2001
Shawn Frehner Brown, Tacoma, WA (US);
George Eric Bible, Kent, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
A portable multi-axis drilling machine includes a drill mounted between a pair of 2-axis positioning devices each of which translates along X and Y axes. The positioning devices are spaced apart along a Z axis of the machine and are mounted in a frame that has a workpiece-engaging side provided with a pair of index cylinders that receive spherical tool balls mounted on the workpiece surface so as to fix the position and orientation of the machine relative to the workpiece. The frame also has swiveling feet on the workpiece-engaging side that pivot as needed to accommodate complex contoured workpiece surfaces. Rotational movement of the drill is effected by differentially translating the two positioners, and translational X and Y movements are effected by synchronously translating the positioners.