Stringer alignment tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623987-B2
Application number	US-201514713657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for aligning stringers. A tool comprises an index feature, a body, a number of legs, and a biasing member. The index feature indicates a centerline of an enclosure. The body has a longitudinal axis running substantially parallel to the centerline of the enclosure. The number of legs is moveably associated with the body. The biasing member contacts the body. The biasing member biases the number of legs towards a selected position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool comprising:
an index feature indicating a centerline of an enclosure;
a body having a longitudinal axis running substantially parallel to the centerline of the enclosure;
a number of legs moveably associated with the body; and
a biasing member that contacts the body, wherein the biasing member biases the number of legs towards a selected position.

2. The tool of claim 1 further comprising:
a casing containing a portion of the body, wherein a remainder of a portion of the body forms an interactive feature.

3. The tool of claim 2 , wherein interacting with the interactive feature causes the number of legs to move relative to the body.

4. The tool of claim 2 , wherein interacting with the interactive feature actuates the biasing member.

5. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the casing contains a number of cavities, and wherein each of the number of cavities has a respective stop for the body.

6. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the casing includes a removal portion that aids in removal of the tool from the enclosure.

7. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the casing includes a profile designed to fit within the enclosure.

8. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the index feature is a component of the casing.

9. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the body has a number of wedge grooves, and wherein each of the number of legs has a respective protrusion that is associated with a respective wedge groove of the number of wedge grooves.

10. The tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the number of legs has an end with a rounded shape.

11. The tool of claim 1 further comprising:
a number of adapters associated with the number of legs.

12. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member biases the number of legs to move outward from the body.

13. A tool comprising:
a casing having an index feature;
a body having number of wedge grooves within the casing and an interactive feature outside of the casing;
a number of legs movable relative to the body, wherein each leg of the number of legs has a respective protrusion that interacts with a respective wedge groove of the number of wedge grooves; and
a biasing member associated with the body and configured to bias the number of legs outward from the body.

14. The tool of claim 13 , wherein the casing has a removal portion that aids in removal of the tool from an enclosure.

15. The tool of claim 13 further comprising:
a number of adapters associated with the number of legs.

16. A method comprising:
inserting a first tool into a first stringer, the first tool comprising: a first index feature indicating a centerline of the first stringer, a body having a longitudinal axis running substantially parallel to the centerline of the first stringer, a number of legs moveably associated with the body, and a biasing member that contacts the body, wherein the biasing member biases the number of legs towards a selected position;
inserting a second tool into a second stringer; and
comparing the first index feature of the first tool to a second index feature of the second tool.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein comparing the first index feature of the first tool to the second index feature of the second tool comprises determining a distance between the first index feature and the second index feature.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
determining if the first stringer and second stringer are in alignment using the distance between the first index feature and the second index feature.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
adjusting a location of the first stringer or a location of the second stringer if the first stringer and the second stringer are not in alignment.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
interacting with an interactive feature of the first tool after determining if the first stringer and second stringer are in alignment using the distance between the first index feature and the second index feature; and
removing the first tool from the first stringer while interacting with the interactive feature.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Alhussaini Mohammed A
• Gehlsen Paul Ronald

Classifications

• B64C1/064

  Stringers; Longerons · CPC title

• B64F5/0081 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01B5/25

  for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• B64C3/182

  Stringers, longerons · CPC title

• B64F5/40 Primary

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title