Contour retention in segmented fuselage assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160531-B2
Application number	US-201615189872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for enforcing contours onto parts of an aircraft. One embodiment is a method for enforcing a contour onto aircraft parts. The method includes removably attaching segmented ring details to aircraft skin details, attaching stringers to skin details to create skin assemblies, positioning skin assemblies at a support structure defining a contour, and fastening frames to the skin assemblies to create a panel. The method also includes removably installing a spreader section onto the panel to complete assembly of a brace prior to removal of the panel, transporting the panel while the brace enforces the contour, attaching the brace to braces for other panels to form a barrel section of a fuselage for an aircraft while the brace enforces the contour, and removing the brace from the barrel section after the barrel section has been formed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
removably attaching segmented ring details to aircraft skin details;
attaching stringers to the skin details to create skin assemblies;
positioning the skin assemblies at a support structure defining a contour;
fastening frames to the skin assemblies to create a panel;
removably installing a spreader section onto the panel to complete assembly of a brace comprising the segmented ring details and the spreader section;
transporting the panel while the brace enforces the contour;
attaching the brace to other braces for other panels to form a barrel section of a fuselage for an aircraft, while the brace enforces the contour; and
removing the brace from the barrel section after the barrel section has been formed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the contour is defined by a support structure that holds the skin details in position with respect to each other, and the brace enforces the contour regardless of whether the support structure holds the panel to the contour.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
attaching the brace comprises:
attaching a segmented ring assembly of the brace to the skin details to enforce the contour onto each skin detail; and
attaching a spreader bar of the brace to the segmented ring assembly at endpoints of an arc defined by the panel, thereby enforcing the contour onto a combination of skin details in the panel.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:
attaching the brace comprises attaching struts between the spreader bar and the segmented ring assembly.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
placing holes in the panel at locations where the panel will attach to the segmented ring assembly.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein:
the ring assembly comprises multiple ring details, and the method further includes attaching each of the ring details to a different skin detail of the panel to enforce the contour.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
attaching the stringers and the frames to the panel comprises orienting the stringers perpendicular to the frames.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
attaching the panel to the other panels comprises forming skin lap joints between panels.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:
forming a skin lap joint comprises overlapping panels, and driving multiple rows of rivets into the overlapped panels.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
attaching braces from each of the panels together prior to forming the skin lap joints.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
selecting the brace from multiple types of braces based on a location of the panel within the barrel section.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
attaching the barrel section to another barrel section.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:
attaching the brace comprises attaching the brace to each of the skin details without directly attaching the brace to a support structure that arranges the skin details into the contour.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Payne James Steven

Classifications

• B64C2001/0081

  from metallic materials · CPC title

• B64C1/068 Primary

  Fuselage sections · CPC title

• B64C1/12 Primary

  Construction or attachment of skin panels · CPC title

• B64F5/0036

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64F5/10

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title