Nose landing gear rigging alignment tool holding fixture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696148-B2
Application number	US-201514701151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Method and apparatus for providing an alignment indication for a nose landing gear of an aircraft. The apparatus includes surfaces that abut certain features of the nose landing gear. When the surfaces of the fixture and the features of the nose landing gear abut, the fixture is aligned with the nose landing gear and oriented such that a coherent light source emits a coherent light beam that impinges on an alignment scale. The coherent light beam can be sufficiently small that a mechanic or other user can discern the alignment of the nose landing gear to within one or two degrees. After the nose landing gear has been moved to a centered position, control rigging that communicates steering inputs from pilots to a hydraulic actuation system can be adjusted so that the steering inputs are also centered.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing an alignment indication between two components, wherein a first component is movable relative to a second component, the apparatus comprising:
a first surface that includes a first curved surface that matches a first curved feature of the first component;
a second surface that matches a second feature of the first component, wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged at an angle to one another;
a laser operable to emit a coherent laser light beam, wherein the laser is arranged relative to the first surface and the second surface such that the coherent laser light beam impinges on an alignment scale on the second component when the first surface is arranged on the first feature and the second surface is arranged on the second feature; and
a polarizing filter disposed on the laser and in the path of the coherent laser light beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third surface that matches a third feature of the first component, wherein the third surface is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the third surface can be moved to the second position to contact the third feature after the first surface is arranged on the first feature and the second surface is arranged on the second feature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic element that provides a magnetic field, wherein the first component includes a ferrous element such that a magnetic force between the magnetic element and the ferrous element holds the apparatus relative to the first component when the apparatus is operatively positioned with respect to the first component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are comprised of Delrin.

5. A steering alignment fixture for a steerable nose landing gear of an aircraft, wherein the steerable nose landing gear includes a non-steerable portion and a steerable portion operable to rotate about the non-steerable portion, wherein the steerable portion includes a torsion link configured to transmit steering torque from an actuator to a wheel, and wherein the non-steerable portion includes an alignment scale, the steering alignment fixture comprising:
a body that includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface includes a first curved surface that matches a curved feature of a torsion member of the landing gear, wherein the first curved surface is configured to rest on the curved feature of the torsion link of the landing gear, and wherein the second surface is configured to abut a first side-facing feature of the torsion link;
a laser operable to emit a coherent laser light beam, wherein the laser is arranged relative to the body such that the coherent laser light beam impinges on the alignment scale when the first surface of the body rests on the torsion link and the second surface abuts the first side-facing feature of the torsion link; and
a polarizing filter disposed on the laser and in the path of the coherent laser light beam.

6. The steering alignment fixture of claim 5 , wherein the body includes a third surface, wherein the third surface is configured to abut a second side-facing feature of the torsion link, and wherein the third surface opposes the second surface.

7. The steering alignment fixture of claim 6 , wherein the second surface is an outward-facing surface configured to abut a first inward-facing side-facing feature of the torsion link, and wherein the third surface is an outward-facing surface configured to abut a second inward-facing side-facing feature of the torsion link.

8. The steering alignment fixture of claim 5 , further comprising a magnetic element arranged in the body, wherein the torsion link includes a ferrous pin such that a magnetic force between the magnetic element and the ferrous pin holds the body relative to the torsion link when the body is operatively positioned relative to the torsion link.

9. The steering alignment fixture of claim 5 , wherein the body is comprised of Delrin.

10. A method for aligning a nose landing gear of an aircraft, comprising:
arranging an alignment fixture tool on a torsion link of the nose landing gear such that a first surface of the alignment fixture rests on a first feature of the torsion link and a second surface of the alignment fixture abuts a first side-facing feature of the torsion link;
activating a coherent light source arranged relative to the alignment fixture such that a coherent light laser beam emitted by the coherent light source passes through a polarizing filter and impinges on an alignment scale on the nose landing gear;
adjusting the nose landing gear such that the coherent light laser beam impinges on a center indication on the alignment scale; and
upon the coherent light laser beam impinging on the center indication, adjusting rigging between hydraulic actuators controlling rotation of the nose landing gear and at least one nose wheel steering input such that the at least one nose wheel steering input is substantially centered.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the alignment fixture tool after the at least one nose wheel steering input is substantially centered.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising polarizing the coherent light beam before the coherent light beam impinges on the alignment scale.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising securing the alignment fixture tool to the torsion link.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein securing the alignment fixture tool to the torsion link comprises moving a magnet in the alignment fixture tool into proximity with a ferrous pin associated with the torsion link.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein arranging the alignment fixture tool on the torsion link further includes arranging a third surface of the alignment fixture such that it abuts a second side-facing feature of the torsion link, wherein the third surface opposes the second surface.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Crow Jr John Wesley

Classifications

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• G01B11/275 Primary

  for testing wheel alignment · CPC title

• B64C25/50 Primary

  Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping · CPC title