Abstract: A process for superplastically forming a tube of superplastic material to make a part includes sealing both ends of the tube with end caps to provide a sealed enclosed volume within the tube. At least one of the end caps has a connection that communicates between the enclosed volume and a gas line for connection to a gas management system for controlling forming gas pressure inside the enclosed space. The tube is inserting in a die and the connection is coupled to a gas supply line from said gas management system for supplying forming gas under pressure to said enclosed volume. The die and the tube are heated to the superplastic forming temperature for said material, and gas is introduced from the gas management system for pressurizing the enclosed volume with pressurized forming gas and for expanding the tube against the internal surfaces of the die.

Abstract: A high security lock includes a shackle having two ends and a lock body having openings for receiving the ends of the shackle. A latch in the lock body has a catch movable into engagement with the shackle for securing at least one end of the shackle in the body. The latch is releasable to allow the one end of the shackle to move clear of the body to open the lock. The shackle is made of a shape memory effect alloy having a characteristic that its yield strength increases when work is impressed on it, so that cutting or breaking the shackle with common tools is more difficult and time consuming than with other shackle materials. The lock thus provides a level of security substantially superior to conventional locks.

Abstract: A process for bending a thermoplastic skinned honeycomb core panel includes clamping a planar portion of the panel between upper and lower platens to hold the panel against movement parallel to the plane of the planar portion. A linear band of a face sheet on one side of the panel is heated with a heater bar to soften resin in the face sheet and disbond adhesive holding the face sheet to the honeycomb core. The heater bar is lifted away from the face sheet, forming the linear band into a bubble separated away from the honeycomb core. A distal leg of the panel, outboard of the clamped portion, is bent around a heated anvil along an axis parallel to the linear band to form a bend having an inside radius, with the bubble coinciding with the inside radius. The bubble collapses around the inside radius and forms an overlapping flap of face sheet material.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for fabricating wing panels from a plurality of elongated wing planks attached together with splice stringers along adjacent longitudinal edges and stiffened with stringers parallel to each other and to the splice stringers includes a fixture having a series of headers on which the planks can be assembled and held at the desired curvature with attachment devices for holding the planks as assembled on the fixture. An elevator supports the fixture in an elongated pit for precise adjustment in a generally vertical direction of the fixture and the assembled wing planks. A stringer positioning device is mounted along one longitudinal edge of the pit for positioning a stringer loaded thereon against the assembled wing planks accurately in accordance with the wing design. A downwardly opening yoke having two arms depending from a top cross member is suspended over the pit on a support structure.

Abstract: A hybrid tool serves as a form on which constituent materials are applied for bonding or curing into a part in a desired configuration. It also serves as a holder for the bonded or cured materials in the originally applied position during subsequent machining. The hybrid tool is made by fabricating a face sheet of composite material having a facing surface configured to the reverse of a desired shape of one surface of a part to be made on the tool. The actual part will be laid up on the facing surface, cured while on the tool, and even trimmed before release. Base structure of the tool holds the facing surface of the face sheet in the desired shape, and includes ground-engaging pads that define an "A" datum plane. The tool aligns a reference plane of the face sheet parallel to the datum plane. A substantially continuous groove in the face sheet, used for trimming the part, opens in the facing surface.

Abstract: A building frame resistant to earthquakes, wind loads, fire, insects and rot includes a peripheral frame wall made of side wall frame modules bolted together along adjacent edges, and end wall modules bolted together along adjacent edges and to the ends of the connected side wall modules. The side wall frame modules are constructed of rectangular steel tubing jig welded together off site at precisely 90.degree. angles so that the assembled building frame is square and true. Diagonal bracing is built into selected side and end wall modules as required for the desired degree of wind resistance. Trusses for supporting a roof on the peripheral wall, also made of rectangular steel tubing, are assembled and welded, and the trusses and wall modules are trucked to the building site.

Abstract: An airplane fuselage panel including a sheet having peripheral edges routed on routing surfaces, while the sheet is held immobile on a fixture, using a routing end effector carried by a precision computer controlled robot that is directed to the routing surfaces using a digital dataset taken directly from digital engineering part definition records. The sheet has coordination holes drilled while on the fixture using a drilling end effector carried by the precision computer controlled robot that is directed to drilling locations using the digital dataset taken directly from the digital engineering part definition records to accurately locate the hole locations relative to the peripheral edges.

Abstract: A method of making an expanded metal sandwich structure includes cleaning at least two metal superplastic core sheets to remove metal oxides and residues that would interfere with diffusion bonding of the sheets. The core sheets are placed face-to-face and a gas pressure line fitting is inserted between one edge and is welded into place. The fitting has a through bore through which gas can flow under pressure into the space between the core sheets. The core sheets are pressed together and laser welded together into a core pack along lines which will form junction lines between the core sheets when the core pack is superplastically expanded. The core pack and the two metal face sheets having superplastic characteristics are each chemically cleaned, and the face sheets are placed over and under the core pack.

Abstract: A tubular part formed by superplastic forming has a tubular structure made of superplastic material having a tubular wall with an outside surface like an inside surface of a die against which the tubular wall was superplastically formed by heating to superplastic forming temperature, and injecting the forming gas through connectors in end portions of the tubular structure, sealed against escape of forming gas from the tubular structure, to inflate the tubular structure against the inside surface of the die. Two open ends at opposite ends of the tubular wall are made by cutting off the end portions of the tubular structure. An integral projecting pull-out in the tubular wall for connection to a connecting tube is formed simultaneously with the tubular wall against a concave shape on the die.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for electromagnetically forming the end of an electrically conductive 2024 aluminum tube onto an end fitting includes energizing a main coil around a field concentrator movable into an opening in the main coil. The field concentrator has a wide circumferential flange that narrows down to an inner radial web having an axial channel through the center. The field concentrator is split horizontally into two halves, so the top half can be removed for insertion of the tube end and the end fitting. The end fitting has a tubular body that fits snugly into the end of the tube. A pair of carriages mounted on rails clamp the tube, and a gripper holds the end fitting in the proper position in the tube end. The carriages carry the field concentrator, and the tube with its end fitting positioned in the center of the field concentrator web, into the coil where a magnetic field generated by the coil and concentrated by the field concentrator forms the end of the tube onto the end fitting.

Abstract: An infinitely variable hydrostatic transmission includes a radial piston pump having outwardly opening pump cylinders containing radial pump pistons, and a radial piston motor, arranged concentrically around the pump, having inwardly opening motor cylinders containing radial motor pistons. Fluid passages in the transmission intermittently connect the pump cylinders and the motor cylinders in a closed fluid flow circuit. A flexible cam ring is radially interposed between the pump and the motor in load bearing relation to the pump pistons on an inside surface of the cam ring, and in load bearing relation to the motor pistons on an outside surface of the cam ring. An input shaft is coupled in torque driving relation to the pump, and an output shaft is coupled in torque driven relation through a commutator plate to the cam ring. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the cam ring to a desired radial profile to set the transmission to a desired transmission ratio.

Abstract: A process of establishing valid statistical dimensional tolerance limits for designs of detail parts that will enable accurate prediction of an economically acceptable degree of non-conformance of a large flexible end item assembly, having a set of predetermined dimensional tolerances, made from the detail parts, wherein the detail part tolerances are enlarged substantially compared to tolerances that would be necessary using an arithmetic "worst case" approach to remain within the end assembly tolerances while remaining within preestablished stress limits of the parts. A preferred assembly sequence for assembling the parts into the assembly is selected and validated. Locations, numbers and size of coordination features to be machined in said detail parts are selected, by which the parts are located relative to each other and fastened together to form the assembly.

Abstract: A system for loading parts to a workpiece clamp-up position on a floor assembly jig that holds the parts in position for fastening together into a large mechanical structure includes a frame mounted on slides adjacent to the floor assembly jig, and a mounting structure for temporarily mounting the parts on the frame. A powered lifting mechanism such as a crane lifts the parts onto the frame and then the frame can be slid laterally toward the clamp-up position on a floor assembly jig to position the parts for easy transfer onto the jig.

Abstract: A process for seating a tight-fitting headed fastener in a hole in a workpiece so that the head of the fastener contacts the surface of the workpiece. The process includes inserting a distal end of the fastener, opposite its headed end, into the hole so that the distal end is tightly wedged into the hole and the headed end of the fastener is spaced from the workpiece surface. A driver of an electromagnetic impulse actuator is extended into contact with the fastener head, and the position of the driver when it is in contact with the fastener head is sensed and recorded to determine how far the fastener must be driven into the hole to seat the fastener head against the workpiece surface. A desired off-set distance of the driver from the fastener head is calculated which will result in seating of the fastener when the electromagnet impulse actuator is actuated, but will not cause excessive impact of the fastener head with the workpiece surface.

Abstract: A method high security locking includes inserting a shackle having two ends into a lock body having openings for receiving the ends of the shackle. A latch in the lock body has a catch that snaps into engagement with the shackle for securing at least one end of the shackle in the body. The latch may be released to allow the one end of the shackle to move clear of the body. to open the lock. The shackle is made of a shape memory effect alloy having a characteristic that its yield strength increases when work is impressed on it, so that cutting or breaking the shackle with common tools is more difficult and time consuming than with other shackle materials. The lock thus provides a level of security substantially superior to conventional locks.

Abstract: An end effector storage station that stores end effectors in a horizontal and cantilevered position, each end effector being stored in a known location in space relative to a robotic manufacturing tool. The storage station comprises a plurality of storage cells, wherein an end effector holder is installed within each of the said storage cells. The storage station further including and end effector transport cell that includes an end effector transport cart and transport cart lift to accurately position the transport cart and attached end effector holder to a known and predetermined location in space.

Abstract: A gun barrel for a gun has an elongated tube with an axial bore extending completely through the tube from the breech end to the muzzle end. The tube and the contact surface in the axial bore, which contains propellant gasses behind the projectile and engages the projectile while guiding it toward the target, are made of Nitinol having a transition temperature lower than the lowest ambient temperature at which a gun with the barrel is designed to be operated, or of a Nitinol formulation consisting essentially of 60% nickel and 40% titanium. A first sleeve may be mechanically coupled to the barrel tube by shape memory contraction thereon to prestress the barrel tube in compression.

Abstract: An improved drilling device for drilling normal holes in a workpiece surface is carried and positioned by an automatic control arm. The improved drilling device includes a compliant drill head generally comprising a drill housing and a pressure foot. The pressure foot for contacting the workpiece surface is connected to the drill housing at a universally swiveling joint. The drill housing encloses a drill drive means that advances and rotates a drill tool about a drill axis. Both the pressure foot and the drill housing have axial chambers and holes for permitting the drill tool to advance to the workpiece surface. Linear gauges mounted to the drill housing probe the orientation of the pressure foot relative to the drill housing.

Abstract: A hydraulic machine having a continuously variable displacement includes a vane rotor having a plurality of radial vanes thereon and a connection for a torque transmitting shaft driven by a prime mover such as an engine or an electric motor. A cam ring is supported in a position surrounding the vane rotor and has an interior surface facing the vane rotor. The interior surface and the vane rotor define between them a working volume swept by the vanes. The cam ring has flexible portions therearound capable of flexing radially when inwardly directed radial forces are exerted thereon to change the shape of the swept volume within the cam ring. A control mechanism in the housing has an adjustable force generating device bearing against a force exerting member engaged with the cam ring for exerting a squeezing force on the ring to distort the cross-sectional shape of the cam ring and the swept volume within the cam ring.

Abstract: An airplane fuselage including a plurality of individual subassemblies having components that are aligned using coordination holes. The components include an assembly of panels, a plurality of stringer clips, a plurality of frame members, shear ties, and a floor grid made of a plurality of crossmembers. The coordination holes are drilled in selected components and are located at positions on the subassemblies to accurately align the subassemblies relative to each other so the spatial relationship between key features of the subassemblies make them self-locating and intrinsically determinant of the final contour and configuration of the airplane fuselage, independent of hard tooling.