Machine holding fixture for machining composite laminates on a rotor blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046460-B2
Application number	US-201916539408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2019
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A holding fixture includes a first blade support assembly and a second blade support assembly. The second blade support assembly is spaced at a distance from the first blade support assembly and includes a base plate removably mounted to a milling machine, an adjustable conic support connectable to the base plate via a spacer block, and a blade adjustment assembly movable to control a pressure applied by the blade adjustment assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of machining a laminate attached to a surface of a rotor blade comprising:
providing a first assembly for supporting a first portion of the rotor blade;
providing a second assembly for supporting a second portion of the rotor blade, the second assembly being spaced apart from the first assembly and including a base plate;
coupling the base plate to a milling machine;
attaching a conic support to a root end of the rotor blade;
mounting the conic support to the base plate;
positioning the rotor blade relative to the first assembly and the second assembly such that movement of the rotor blade is restricted and a first surface of the rotor blade including a first laminate is facing upwardly;
operating a blade adjustment assembly such that a block of the blade adjustment assembly is nested against an underside of the rotor blade; and
machining the first laminate to remove a desired portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positioning the rotor blade relative to the first assembly and the second assembly includes enclosing the rotor blade within a first contour support associated with the first assembly and a second contour support associated with the second assembly.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein attaching the conic support to the root end of the rotor blade includes inserting a plurality of support pins extending from the conic support into a blade spar of the rotor blade and adjusting the plurality of support pins to apply a pressure to opposite sides of the blade spar.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein mounting the conic support to the base plate includes fastening the conic support to a spacer block extending from an upper surface of the base plate.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the rotor blade from the holding fixture;
repositioning the rotor blade relative to the first assembly and the second assembly such that movement of the rotor blade is restricted and a second surface of the rotor blade including a second laminate is facing upwardly;
operating the blade adjustment assembly such that a block of the blade adjustment assembly is nested against an underside of the rotor blade; and
machining the second laminate to remove a desired portion.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Lofstrom Sven Roy
• Littlejohn David

Classifications

• B23Q3/063

  for holding turbine blades · CPC title

• B64F5/10 Primary

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

• B32B43/003

  Cutting · CPC title

• B32B2603/00

  Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades · CPC title

• B32B2605/18

  Aircraft · CPC title