Fuselage stuffing building and feeder lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189126-B2
Application number	US-201615244261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2013
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

Methods and means for reconfiguring an aircraft assembly plant that receives fuselages or fuselage sections via a public railroad system. In cases where the aircraft assembly plant comprises a first assembly line for installing (i.e., stuffing) equipment inside fuselages or fuselage sections and a second assembly line for installing equipment on exteriors of internally equipped fuselages or fuselage sections, both assembly lines being housed in the same building, the facility can be reconfigured by moving at least one fuselage stuffing operation of the first assembly line to an auxiliary building which overlies a railroad track connected to the public railroad system. The moved fuselage stuffing operations will be performed inside the auxiliary building while each fuselage or fuselage section is supported in an upright position on a respective railroad flat car.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for assembling an aircraft, comprising: a railroad track, a first work station disposed alongside a first section of said railroad track, a railroad flat car rollably mounted on said first section of said railroad track, and a fuselage or fuselage section carried by said railroad flat car, wherein said first work station comprises a first set of tools for installing internal components inside said fuselage or fuselage section.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a second work station disposed alongside a second section of said railroad track which is connected in sequence to said first section, wherein said second work station comprises a second set of tools for installing internal components inside said fuselage or fuselage section.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
a first building that houses said first and second work stations;
a second building located at a distance from said first building; and
an assembly line disposed inside said second building, wherein said assembly line comprises a plurality of additional work stations which are not disposed alongside any railroad track, wherein at least some of said additional work stations comprise tools for installing external components on said fuselage or fuselage section.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a fuselage fabrication facility disposed alongside said railroad track.

5. The system as 4 , further comprising a factory transport vehicle placed adjacent to said railroad track.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
a first plurality of cross rails on said railroad flat car; and
a second plurality of cross rails on said factory transport vehicle, wherein said first plurality of cross rails are configured to respectively align with said second plurality of cross rails when said railroad flat car is moved to a location adjacent said factory transport vehicle.

7. The system as recited 5 , further comprising a bridge crane spanning said transport vehicle.

8. The system as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
a first building that houses said first and second work stations; and
a second building located at a distance from said first building and configured to allow entry of said factory transport vehicle while said factory transport vehicle is carrying a fuselage or fuselage section.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a cradle system mounted on said railroad flat car, wherein said cradle system is configured to support said fuselage or fuselage section in an upright position.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a vehicle capable of pulling or pushing said railroad flat car.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein said vehicle is rollably mounted on said railroad track.

12. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein said vehicle is a ground vehicle.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Vogt Bill V
• Vogt Katherine S
• Hu Yuanxin Charles
• Burnett Gabriel A
• Stull Donald K

Classifications

• B61D3/187

  Details, e.g. bridges for floor connections · CPC title

• B23P2700/01

  Aircraft parts · CPC title

• B61B13/00

  Other railway systems · CPC title

• B23P21/004 Primary

  the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed · CPC title

• B64F5/10

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