Methods and apparatus to hold a stack of discs
Methods and apparatus to hold a stack of discs are disclosed. An illustrated example disc stack holder is used to hold, move and/or store a stack of annular aircraft brake discs.
This disclosure relates generally to a holder of a stack of discs and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus to hold, move and/or store a stack of annular aircraft brake discs.
BACKGROUNDThe use of carbon-carbon composite brake discs in aircraft brakes, which have been referred to in the art as carbon brakes, is well known in the aerospace industry. Carbon-carbon composite brake discs are manufactured by aircraft wheel and brake manufacturers using a variety of manufacturing methods. These methods generally require lengthy fabrication and densification methods.
In recent years, increasing quantities of carbon-carbon aircraft brake discs have been manufactured by the aircraft wheel and brake manufacturers. For example, a manufacturer can produce annually between fifty thousand to one hundred thousand brake discs. The processing of such large numbers of carbon-carbon aircraft brake discs requires multiple instances of handling the discs, generally, in small groups (e.g., a stack of about thirty discs). A known technique for handling a stack of brake discs utilizes a set of rods that extend through the center openings of the discs in the stack, to lift and move the stack to different locations. However, when the set of rods carrying the stack of brake discs cannot be suspended from a hoist, hook or other device for supporting the rods, the discs must be unloaded for temporary storage and then restacked on the rods for a subsequent movement of the stack. The unloading and restacking of the brake discs as they move through various manufacturing operations results in excessive and wasted handling time that does not add value to the manufacturing of finished brake discs.
The example disc stack holders disclosed herein are particularly well-suited for holding, moving, and storing a stack of carbon-carbon composite aircraft brake discs. However, the example disc stack holders disclosed herein may be utilized to hold, move and/or store a stack of various types of discs or articles of manufacture. Therefore, while the examples disclosed herein are described in connection with aircraft brake discs in the aerospace industry, the teachings of this disclosure may also be applicable to a variety of manufacturing or transporting activities for different types of materials in different industries.
As can be seen in
In
Referring now to
A releasable clamp 140 is disposed about the plate positioning member 122. A selectively operable compression device 160 is connected with the movable plate 130, as illustrated in
In the example of
The disc stack holder 100 is then inserted through the stack of discs 170 by inserting the connectors 102 through the central apertures 171 of the individual discs of the stack of discs 170. At this point, the movable plate 130 is located toward the upper disc stack holder end 106 such that the movable plate 130 may not engage a top disc 178 of the stack of discs 170. Further, the laterally extending feet 108 of the connectors 102 are inwardly directed during this insertion procedure. When the laterally extending feet 108 of the connectors 102 are located below the inner diameter rim 175 of the opening 173 in the setter plate 172, the laterally extending arms 112 at the tops of the connectors 102 are used to manually rotate the connectors 102 so the feet 108 extend radially outward from the plate positioning member 122 and under the rim 175.
After the feet 108 have been rotated to extend below the rim 175 of the setter plate 172, the movable plate 130 is moved into engagement with the spacers 176 on the top disc 178.
To further ensure that the stack of discs 170 is securely captured between the movable plate 130 and the setter plate 172, the selectively operable compression device 160 is activated. In particular, each toggle lever 166 is moved to the substantially horizontal position illustrated in
The disc stack holder 100 of the illustrated example may be moved, set on the floor, and/or stored as a self-contained unit that will not fall or tip over due to the shifting of loose discs in the stack of discs 170. For example, a hoist can be attached to the hoist ring 120 and the disc stack holder 100 moved to another location, set on the floor, and the hoist detached without the disc stack holder 100 falling over due to shifting of the stack of discs 170.
When the stack of discs 170 is to be removed from the disc stack holder 100, the procedures described above are reversed. Each toggle lever 166 is moved to a non-horizontal position to permit the movable plate 130 to move toward the mounting plate 150. This movement of plate 130 reduces or eliminates both the separation distance A and the compressive foce applied to the stack of discs 170. The thumb tabs 148 of the releasable clamp 140 are moved away from the recess 149A of the window 149 to disengage the rings 144 from the plate positioning member 122 and simultaneously release the movable plate 130 for further movement away from the stack of discs 170. After moving the movable plate 130 away from the stack of discs 170, the laterally extending arms 112 of the connectors 102 are rotated so that the feet 108 extend radially inwardly towards the plate positioning member 122. The disc stack holder 100 may then be lifted up and moved away from the stack of discs 170 such that the connectors 102 are extracted from the central apertures 171 of the stack of discs 170.
When an example disc stack holder 100 with a stack of discs 170 (e.g., see
The pallet assembly 200 with one or more disc stack holders 100 loaded with stacks of discs 170 may be transported by a vehicle) such as a fork-lift truck, to various locations at a manufacturing facility. As desired, a disc stack holder 100 may be removed individually from the pallet assembly 200 for processing of the stack of discs 170 on or off of the disc stack holder 100, or for storage of the stack of discs 170 with or without the disc stack holder 100. In a similar manner, the example pallet assembly 200 with one or more of the example disc stack holders 100 and stacks of discs 170 may be stored until further transport or processing of the discs is desired.
Although the above example process or method 300 has been described with reference to the flow chart illustrated in
The example methods and the example disc stack holders disclosed in herein provide advantages over prior methods and holders. For example, a stack of discs 170 may be captured or secured by the example disc stack holder 100 of
The example disc stack holder 100 illustrated herein also enables stacks of discs 170 to be transported easily and simultaneously. A disc stack holder 100 with a stack of discs 170 may be mounted or placed upon the example pallet assembly 200 such that a stanchion 204 of the pallet assembly 200 is received in the interior opening 124 of the positioning members 122. The pallet assembly 200 can carry multiple disc stack holders 100. The mounting of each disc stack holder 100 upon a stanchion 204 is aided by the guide 126 which receives and directs the end 206 of the stanchion to the interior opening 124 of the positioning member 122. Each disc stack holder 100 is supported independently by the pallet assembly 200. The pallet assembly 200 and disc stack holders 100 mounted thereon may be moved to various locations for further manufacturing of the discs or stored until required. The disc stack holders 100 may be removed from the pallet assembly 200 for storage or handling, either as individual disc stack holders or as a group, and the necessity of unstacking individual discs for storage or subsequent handling when the holder cannot be suspended by a hoist or other device, and then restacking the discs, is eliminated.
Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
Claims
1. An apparatus to hold discs, comprising:
- a top member;
- connectors extending from the top member;
- a plate positioning member extending from the top member; and
- a movable plate having a releasable clamp to engage the plate positioning member, and a selectively operable compression device to displace the movable plate to a compressive position.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guide associated with the plate positioning member.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide is generally funnel shaped.
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide is structured to direct the plate positioning member into engagement with a stanchion.
5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stanchion extends from a transport assembly.
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top member is at a first end of the apparatus and the connectors extend to a second end of the apparatus, and the releasable clamp may engage the plate positioning member between the first and second ends.
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plate positioning member extends to proximate the second end and has an associated guide proximate the second end.
8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selectively operable compression device is connected with the releasable clamp.
9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the selectively operable compression device includes at least one toggle operated clamp having a rod extending to the movable plate.
10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable plate defines a plurality of openings, the connectors and plate positioning member extending through respective ones of the openings.
11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of discs mounted about the connectors between the movable plate and a lower end of the apparatus.
12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the connectors includes a foot extending from the connector at a lower end of the apparatus, the at least one of the connectors being rotatable to vary the angular position of the foot.
13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of discs compressed between the movable plate and the foot of the at least one of the connectors.
14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an end plate engaged by the foot of the at least one of the connectors.
15. A method to hold a stack of discs, comprising:
- inserting a disc stack holder through central apertures in the discs;
- engaging the disc stack holder with a lower end of the stack of discs; and
- displacing a movable plate of the disc stack holder to a position adjacent a disc at an upper end of the stack of discs to substantially prevent movement of the discs relative to the disc stack holder.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising compressing the stack of discs between the movable plate and the lower end of the stack of discs.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein compressing includes operating a toggle clamp to displace the movable plate against the stack of discs.
18. A method as claimed in claim 15, farther comprising stacking the discs with spacers located between adjacent discs.
19. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising guiding the disc stack holder to a predetermined location on a transport assembly.
18. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transport assembly includes an extension to mate with a positioning member of the disc stack holder.
19. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising an end plate at the lower end of the stack of discs, the disc stack holder engaging the end plate.
20. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the discs are carbon-carbon composite discs.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 29, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 3, 2008
Inventor: James Jay Cress (Mishawaka, IN)
Application Number: 11/478,479
International Classification: B65D 85/30 (20060101);