Abstract: A method for reconfiguring a jig for supporting an elongated workpiece to enable the jig to support two different configurations of the workpiece. The jig has a multiplicity of clamps for holding the workpiece, each clamp mounted at the top of a clamp post and each clamp post supported on a pillar mounted on a fixed solid base. The jig is configured by sliding the posts along slides on the pillars to a first position at which the posts can be placed to position the clamps at the correct elevation to support the workpiece at a first configuration position, and inserting a pin through aligned pairs of holes in each of the clamp post and the pillar to prevent the post from sliding from the first position relative to the pillar. The weight of the clamp post and clamp are counterbalanced with a fluid cylinder connected at one end to the clamp post, and connected at the other end to the pillar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing panels and major airplane fuselage sections, including a reconfigurable fixture that holds panels for routing and drilling by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination holes drilled into the parts and subassemblies and making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinate of the dimensions and contour of the assembly.

Abstract: A workcell for making parts in a vertical orientation from rigid sheet material capable of self-support on edge includes a plurality of CNC machines for performing machining operations on said sheet material in a vertical orientation. The CNC machines receive machine control data from a cell controller which, in turn, receives nest order packages from a factory system. The parts data from which the factory system constructs the nest order packages comes from the original engineering parts definition in a central data storage system which is the ultimate parts design authority of the assembly for which the parts are to be made. The rigid sheet material is transferred in a vertical orientation to and between the CNC machines in at least one automated handling cart. The cart has a transfer mechanism for transferring sheets of the rigid sheet material on edge between the cart and the CNC machines.

Abstract: A planar composite panel is constructed from two resin-impregnated fiber face sheet covering and bonded to the two sides of a honeycomb core element and a surrounding border element made of rigid foam board. The two planar faces of the rigid foam board are embossed with a pattern of indentations in the form of interlinked equilateral triangles which are sufficiently deep and close together to provide escape paths for volatiles generated inside the panel during curing of the resin in the face sheets by which the face sheets are bonded to the honeycomb core element and the foam board, to prevent the development of excessive pressure between the face sheets that otherwise would interfere with the bonding.

Abstract: A fastener feed system for selecting a fastener needed for a particular fastening location from a fastener storage area and delivering the fastener to a workpiece where the fastener is to be installed includes a tray having a floor and a grid partition arrangement defining a multiplicity of cells for holding single fasteners in a vertical orientation and a delivery tube for conveying the fasteners, selected and extracted from the tray, to a fastener inserting device for inserting the fasteners into holes in the workpiece. A suction head, attached to the proximal end of the delivery tube, contacts a top edge of the grid partition arrangement and applys suction to a selected cell to suck the fastener in the cell through the suction head and into the delivery tube. An X-Y motive device is provided for positioning the suction head over the selected cell.

Abstract: A method of making a large airplane structure from a plurality of subassemblies. The method comprises drilling coordination holes in selected components which are made for accurate assembly of the subassemblies, and that will be located on the subassemblies in a position to be used to accurately position the subassemblies relative to each other so the spatial relationships between key features of the subassemblies as defined by the coordination holes make the subassemblies self-locating and intrinsically determinate of the final contour and configuration of the large airplane structure, independent of tooling. The drilling of coordination holes in the selected components is done using an end effector carried by a precision computer controlled robot that is directed to the drilling locations using a digital dataset taken directly from original digital part definition records.

Abstract: A clamp structure for holding a workpiece in a vertical position, and which is reconfigurable to enable manufacture of an opposite hand version of the workpiece, includes a plurality of pillars mounted on a fixed solid base and a clamp post on each of the pillars having a top end on which is mounted a clamp. An air cylinder has one end connected to the pillar and an opposite end connected to the clamp post. The air cylinder is connected to a source of air pressure for pressurizing the air cylinder to a pressure sufficient to substantially counterbalance the weight of the clamp post and clamp. A pair of holes in structure mounted on the pillar, and a pair of holes in structure mounted on the clamp post are alignable in pairs for two heights of the clamp for two different configurations of the workpiece, so the clamp structure can be used to clamp two different configurations of the workpiece.

Abstract: A nut feeding method and apparatus for an automatic assembly machine includes a carrousel for carrying a large supply of nuts on vertical feed rods hanging from a rotating head from which the nuts can be fed to a nut runner. A shaft projects on an axis of rotation from the rotating head, and a drive mechanism rotates the shaft to rotate the carrousel about the axis of rotation. The body of the apparatus has a sliding surface adjacent the lower end of the rods around which a lower nut on each rod slides in a circular path as the carrousel rotates. A nut on one of the rods can pass through an opening, when selectively uncovered by a movable plug, in the sliding surface at one radial position on the circular path for feeding to the nut runner. A nut channel beneath and communicating with the opening conveys the nut to a nut loading station. An air cylinder moves a nut feed pin to feed the nut to the nut driver socket in the nut driver.

Abstract: A method of upsetting rivets with an electromagnetic riveter having a flat, high amperage capacity coil which impells the driver against the rivet, and attaining a short stroke for the coil, includes positioning the coil in contact with the face of the driver on one side of the coil, and in contact with a conductive transducer on the other side of the coil. A recoil mass is positioned on the side of the transducer opposite to its face in contact with the coil, and firm face contact is established between the transducer and the recoil mass. Hard mechanical contact is established between the coil, the driver, and the die, and a pulse of high amperage current is delivered to the flat coil through a power lead to generate a repulsive force between the coil and the transducer. The the force is transmitted from the coil, through the driver to the die to deliver a single, high power, short stroke impulse against the rivet to upset the rivet.

Abstract: A method of cooling the coil of an electromagnetic riveter includes bringing a transducer into contact with the coil and transferring heat from the coil to the transducer by conduction. The heat is removed from the transducer by unconditioned plant air blown across a set of fins in the sides of the transducer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing panels and major airplane fuselage sections, including a reconfigurable fixture that holds panels for routing and drilling by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination holes drilled into the parts and subassemblies and making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinate of the dimensions and contour of the assembly.

Abstract: An instrument having a transducer and a sensor that are mounted on the exterior surface of a liquid container or tank. The transducer is tuned by electronic signals to the mechanical resonant frequency of the liquid container or tank. The sensor converts the mechanical vibrations into dynamic electrical signals using electronic components. A phase detector and feedback circuitry force the transducer to track the resonant frequency of the tank as liquid is removed from the tank. The signal output of the feedback control circuitry is converted to display the amount of liquid remaining in the tank. The resonant frequency of the liquid container is a measure of the total mass of the container. This includes the tare weight of the container plus the weight of the liquid in the tank. At resonance the amplitude response of the tank is much larger than the noise of the environment. As the intelligence of the instrument to interpret changes in liquid volume is a function of frequency, this adds to the noise immunity.

Abstract: An end effector adapted for attachment to and accurate positioning by a robot is provided for positioning a right angle shaped workpiece at a desired position against a panel and drilling a pair of accurately located positioning holes through the workpiece and the panel. The end effector includes a rear plate having a conventional tool connector and adapter that can be grasped and manipulated by the robot. A frame is cantilevered on the rear plate and supports a shuttle mounted on horizontal linear bearings for lateral motion of the shuttle. A pair of vertical bearings on the shuttle supports two horizontal support plates for vertical motion on the shuttle. A drill and an inserter are mounted on the support plates for lateral motion with the shuttle, and for vertical motion on the shuttle.

Abstract: A machine for positioning clips in channel-shaped airplane fuselage stringers, and drilling holes in the stringers and clips, includes an elongated beam support having a box beam supported on five floor engaging legs and supporting a carriage assembly positioned on said beam and supported on bearings traveling along rails on the beam for longitudinal movement therealong. A motive mechanism, including a servomotor in the carriage and driving a pinion engaged with a rack fastened to the beam moves carriage longitudinally along the beam. An index mechanism including a fixed end stop at a known position indexes a stringer on the beam at a fixed reference position thereon. The stringer is centered under a drill by a centering mechanism mounted on the carriage, and a drill system drills a series of vertical holes along the channel floor of the stringer at locations specified in a digital product definition of said part.

Abstract: A free standing, self-supporting ceramic superplastic forming die assembly having a configuration that provides sufficient strength to resist a compressive load exerted by a press to hold a die lid on a die body against an oppositely directed force generated by gas at superplastic forming pressures within the die, and provides sufficient tensile strength, when under pressure of compressive loads exerted by the press to resist internal bursting force exerted by gas at superplastic forming pressures within the die, thereby making possible the use of a ceramic die for superplastic forming applications without the need of a surrounding containment pressure vessel.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission includes a pump (258) driven by an input shaft (256) against a wedge-shaped swashplate (260). Hydraulic fluid pressurized in the pump flows through ports (402) in a pump cylinder block (422) into kidney-shaped slots (406) in the swashplate (260), and from there flows into and pressurizes a series of cylinders (394) in a motor cylinder block (366). The pump and motor exert first and second components of torque on a swashplate (260) in the rotational direction on the input shaft (256), and the hydraulic system pressure in the swashplate slots exerts a third component of torque in the same direction on the swashplate (260). The third torque component is a product of the hydraulic system pressure and the differential area of the two ends of the high pressure slot (406P) at the narrow and thick sides of the wedge-shaped swashplate (260).

Abstract: A gas management system for delivering forming gas under a controlled pressure through a first portion of a piping network to a region of a forming die between a die lid and a blank to be formed in a superplastic forming machine includes a gas pressure regulator in the piping network and two control loops. The first control loop has a first pressure transducer communicating with the piping network downstream of the gas pressure regulator and operatively with the gas pressure regulator. The second control loop includes a pulse controller downstream of the first pressure transducer and a second pressure transducer communicating with the piping network downstream of the pulse controller and operatively with the pulse controller. The gas pressure regulator receives signals from a controller to adjust the pressure at which the gas pressure regulator opens to release gas through the pressure regulator.

Abstract: An apparatus for drilling lock wire holes in lock wire nuts includes a variable speed drill press mounted on a work bench and having a vertically movable drill quill supporting a rotating drill spindle on one end of which is mounted a drill chuck for holding and driving a drill bit for drilling a hole in the lock wire nuts. An N/C microprocessor is coupled to the drill press for controlling the vertical motion of the drill quill in a peck drill cycle. A nut holder, including a collet chuck having three jaw inserts is mounted in a chuck indexer for positioning the chuck in any of three 120.degree. angularly spaced positions about a central longitudinal axis through the chuck. A drill guide in each of said jaw inserts guides the drill bit at an angle against said faces of said nuts to drill lock wire holes through the nut lobes.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooling the coil of an electromagnetic riveter includes a transducer which is brought into intimate contact with the coil to transfer heat from the coil to the transducer by conduction. The transducer is cooled by unconditioned plant air blown across a set of fins in the sides of the transducer.

Abstract: A bushing installed in a bore with an interference fit is extracted concentrically from the bore using an elongated mandrel which is maintained coaxially on the bore centerline by a guide inserted in one end of the bore while the bushing is extracted from the other end of the bore. The force to press the bushing out of the bore is exerted by a pulling tool to which the mandrel is coupled, and that force is transmitted through the mandrel to the bushing by way of a collar attached to the mandrel. The force of the pulling tool exerted on the mandrel is reacted through an anvil attached to the barrel of the pulling tool and in contact with a cup having a cylindrical sidewall surrounding the bushing to be extracted and in contact with the side of the part opposite from which the bushing is being extracted from the bore.