Net-shaped duct forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016256908-A1
Application number	US-201615062303-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 7, 2016
Priority date	May 28, 2008
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A duct-forming apparatus includes an apparatus frame, a forming piston assembly having a cylinder carried by the apparatus frame and a forming piston extendable from the cylinder. A duct-shaping assembly includes a form die having a form die interior and a forming surface provided in the form die interior; a forming assembly having a plurality of expandable forming sections provided in the form die adjacent to the forming surface; and a plurality of piston openings provided in the expandable forming sections, respectively, and adapted to receive the forming piston of the forming piston assembly. A duct-forming method is also disclosed.

First claim

1 . A duct-forming apparatus, comprising:
an apparatus frame; a forming piston assembly having a cylinder carried by said apparatus frame and a forming piston extendable from said cylinder; and a duct-shaping assembly comprising:
a form die having a form die interior and a forming surface provided in said form die interior;
a forming assembly having at least one expandable forming section provided in said form die adjacent to said forming surface; and
at least one piston opening provided in said at least one expandable forming section, respectively, and adapted to receive said forming piston of said forming piston assembly.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said expandable forming sections comprises a semi-solid medium.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus frame comprises an apparatus frame base, a plurality of vertical frame members extending from said apparatus frame base and a plurality of horizontal frame members carried by said vertical frame members, and wherein said cylinder of said forming piston assembly is carried by said horizontal frame members.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a support frame and wherein said apparatus frame is carried by said support frame.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a traversing apparatus extending through said apparatus frame and wherein said duct-shaping assembly is carried by said traversing apparatus.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said traversing apparatus comprises a platform base and a support platform carried by said platform base, and wherein said duct shaping assembly is carried by said support platform.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising at least one platform rail carried by said platform base and wherein said support platform slidably engages said platform rail.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said expandable forming sections of said forming assembly vary in hardness.

9 . A duct-forming apparatus, comprising:
an apparatus frame having a frame interior; a forming piston assembly having a cylinder carried by said apparatus frame and a forming piston extendable from said cylinder into said frame interior; and a duct-shaping assembly provided in said frame interior of said apparatus frame and comprising:
a form die having a form die interior and a forming surface provided in said form die interior;
a forming assembly having a plurality of expandable forming sections provided in said form die adjacent to said forming surface; and
a plurality of piston openings provided in said expandable forming sections, respectively, and adapted to receive said forming piston of said forming piston assembly.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said expandable forming sections comprises a semi-solid medium.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said apparatus frame comprises an apparatus frame base, a plurality of vertical frame members extending from said apparatus frame base and a plurality of horizontal frame members carried by said vertical frame members, and wherein said cylinder of said forming piston assembly is carried by said horizontal frame members.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a support frame and wherein said apparatus frame is carried by said support frame.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a traversing apparatus extending through said frame interior of said apparatus frame and wherein said duct-shaping assembly is carried by said traversing apparatus.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said traversing apparatus comprises a platform base and a support platform carried by said platform base, and wherein said duct shaping assembly is carried by said support platform.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising at least one platform rail carried by said platform base and wherein said support platform slidably engages said platform rail.

16 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said expandable forming sections of said forming assembly vary in hardness.

17 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A duct-forming apparatus for an aircraft part, comprising:
a support frame; an apparatus frame having a frame base, a plurality of spaced-apart vertical frame members extending from said frame base, a plurality of horizontal frame members carried by said vertical frame members and a frame interior defined by said frame base, said vertical frame members and said horizontal frame members; a traversing platform having a generally elongated platform base extending through said frame interior of said apparatus frame and a support platform slidably carried by said platform base; a forming piston assembly having a cylinder carried by said horizontal frame members of said apparatus frame and a forming piston extendable from said cylinder into said frame interior; and a duct-shaping assembly provided in said frame interior of said apparatus frame and comprising:
a generally cylindrical form die having a form die interior and a forming surface provided in said form die interior;
a forming assembly having a plurality of expandable forming sections provided in said form die adjacent to said forming surface; and
a plurality of piston openings provided in said expandable forming sections, respectively, and adapted to receive said forming piston of said forming piston assembly.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The duct-forming apparatus of claim 1 wherein the least one expandable forming section comprises at least two expandable forming sections that differ in hardness relative to each other.

24 . The duct-forming apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plurality of expandable forming sections comprises at least two expandable forming sections that differ in hardness relative to each other.

25 . The duct-forming apparatus of claim 21 wherein the plurality of expandable forming sections comprises at least two expandable forming sections that differ in hardness relative to each other.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hwang Peter K
• Zaballos Kenneth P

Classifications

• B21D22/125 Primary

  of tubular products · CPC title

• B21D37/14

  Particular arrangements for handling and holding in place complete dies · CPC title

• B21C37/06 Primary

  of tubes or metal hoses; Combined procedures for making tubes, e.g. for making multi-wall tubes · CPC title