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:
Sep. 09, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 06, 2001
Glen P. Cork, Wichita, KS (US);
Ronald G. Lane, Wichita, KS (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining a shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body, such as a strut torque box, and a second body, such as a torque box skin, is disclosed. The strut torque box is marked with a plurality of retro-reflective markers at the desired locations needing to be shimmed. The positions of the markers are measured using digital photogrammetry equipment yielding a plurality of measured points. The measured points define a surface of the first body. The locations of the measured points are transformed relative to a surface of the second body to yield a profile of the shape of the shim. The present method and apparatus have the advantage of considerably reducing the labor required for manual shim measurement using gauges by allowing multiple shim points to be measured simultaneously and without the pre-assembly of the strut torque box and torque box skin.