Engine installation systems and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560298-B2
Application number	US-202117505500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Jan 5, 2021
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

Engine installation systems and related methods. An engine installation system includes an adapter cradle and a transport dolly. The adapter cradle is configured to support the engine, and the transport dolly is configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to the adapter cradle to support the adapter cradle to facilitate transporting the adapter cradle and the engine across a ground surface. The adapter cradle is configured to be selectively coupled to each of the transport dolly and the vehicle. The adapter cradle is configured to pivot relative to the transport dolly or relative to the vehicle to transition between a transport configuration and an upright configuration. In examples, methods of installing an engine within an engine bay of a vehicle include positioning the engine beneath the engine bay, pivoting the engine relative to the vehicle, and lifting the engine into the engine bay.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine installation system for installing an engine within an engine bay of a vehicle, the engine installation system comprising:
a plurality of hinge fittings configured to be selectively and directly mounted to the vehicle;
an adapter cradle configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to the engine to support the engine;
a plurality of hinge fitting interfaces, each configured to be operatively coupled to the adapter cradle and configured to selectively and pivotally engage a respective hinge fitting of the plurality of hinge fittings to define a hinge fitting pivot axis; and
a transport dolly configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to the adapter cradle to support the adapter cradle to facilitate transporting the adapter cradle and the engine across a ground surface;
wherein the adapter cradle is configured to be selectively coupled to each of the transport dolly and the vehicle; wherein the adapter cradle is configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to the vehicle via the plurality of hinge fittings during operative use of the engine installation system; and wherein the engine installation system is configured such that:
(i) when the adapter cradle is operatively coupled to the transport dolly, the adapter cradle is configured to pivot relative to the transport dolly about a cradle pivot axis to transition the adapter cradle among a plurality of configurations defined between and including a transport configuration and an upright configuration; and
(ii) when the adapter cradle is operatively coupled to the vehicle, the adapter cradle is configured to pivot relative to the vehicle about the hinge fitting pivot axis to transition the adapter cradle among the plurality of configurations defined between and including the transport configuration and the upright configuration.

2. The engine installation system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of lifting rail assemblies configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to the adapter cradle to support the adapter cradle relative to the vehicle and to translate the adapter cradle into and out of the engine bay along a direction at least substantially parallel to a vertical direction; wherein the adapter cradle is configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle via the plurality of lifting rail assemblies during operative use of the engine installation system.

3. The engine installation system of claim 2 , wherein each lifting rail assembly of the plurality of lifting rail assemblies includes:
a respective lifting rail configured to be supported by the engine bay during operative use of the engine installation system;
a respective adapter mount subassembly operatively coupled to the respective lifting rail and configured to be selectively coupled to the adapter cradle; and
a respective lifting actuator operatively coupled to each of the respective lifting rail and the respective adapter mount subassembly and configured to selectively translate the respective adapter mount subassembly relative to the respective lifting rail to translate the adapter cradle in the direction at least substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

4. The engine installation system of claim 3 , wherein the adapter cradle includes a plurality of rail interfaces, each configured to selectively engage the respective adapter mount subassembly of a corresponding lifting rail assembly of the plurality of lifting rail assemblies to selectively couple the adapter cradle to the plurality of lifting rail assemblies; wherein the respective adapter mount subassembly of each lifting rail assembly of the plurality of lifting rail assemblies includes:
an adapter mount body operatively coupled to the respective lifting rail; and
an adapter mount fastener configured to selectively engage each of the adapter mount body and a respective rail interface of the plurality of rail interfaces to operatively couple the respective adapter mount subassembly to the respective rail interface.

5. The engine installation system of claim 4 , wherein each rail interface of the plurality of rail interfaces is configured to engage the respective adapter mount subassembly such that the rail interface is configured to translate relative to the adapter mount body along a direction at least substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the engine while the adapter cradle is operatively coupled to the plurality of lifting rail assemblies.

6. The engine installation system of claim 1 , wherein the transport dolly includes:
a dolly frame configured to support the adapter cradle;
a plurality of casters operatively coupled to the dolly frame and configured to facilitate transporting the transport dolly across the ground surface; and
one or more stability jacks configured to selectively retain the transport dolly in place relative to the ground surface during operative use of the engine installation system to install the engine within the engine bay.

7. The engine installation system of claim 1 , wherein the adapter cradle includes a lifting apparatus interface configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to a lifting apparatus and to receive a pivoting force from the lifting apparatus to pivot the adapter cradle relative to the transport dolly about the hinge fitting pivot axis while the adapter cradle is operatively coupled to the vehicle.

8. The engine installation system of claim 1 , in combination with the engine.

9. A method of utilizing the engine installation system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
positioning the engine beneath the engine bay;
subsequent to the positioning the engine beneath the engine bay, pivoting the engine relative to the vehicle; and
subsequent to the pivoting the engine relative to the vehicle, lifting the engine into the engine bay.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, prior to the positioning the engine beneath the engine bay, operatively coupling the engine to the adapter cradle of the engine installation system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the positioning the engine beneath the engine bay includes moving the transport dolly of the engine installation system along the ground surface to position the adapter cradle beneath the engine bay.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, prior to the pivoting the engine relative to the vehicle, operatively coupling the adapter cradle to the vehicle;
wherein the operatively coupling the adapter cradle to the vehicle includes operatively coupling each hinge fitting interface of the plurality of hinge fitting interfaces to a respective hinge fitting of the plurality of hinge fittings such that each hinge fitting interface of the plurality of hinge fitting interfaces is configured to pivot relative to the respective hinge fitting about the hinge fitting pivot axis.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pivoting the engine relative to the vehicle is performed while the engine is operatively coupled to the adapter cradle; and
wherein the pivoting the engine relative to the vehicle includes pivoting the adapter cradle relative to the vehicle about the hinge fitting pivot axis to transition the adapter cradle from the transport configuration to the upright configuration.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the engine installation system further comprises a plurality of lifting rail assemblies configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to the adapter cradle to support the adapter cradle relative to the vehicle and to translate the adapter cradle into and out of the engine bay along a direction at least substantially parallel to a vertical

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Frizzell Matthew James
• Flach Joseph Edward
• Wagner Richard Kurt
• Boyer Larry Paul

Classifications

• B66F9/065 Primary

  non-masted (mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00) · CPC title

• B64F5/10

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

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B66F3/24 Primary

  fluid-pressure operated (water-pressure machines F03B; hydraulic gearings F16H; cylinders, pistons F16J; fluid-pressure servomotors F15B) · CPC title

• B66F5/04

  with fluid-pressure-operated lifting gear · CPC title