Method and system for aircraft assembly and maintenance
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMatthew Lee Prendergast, Nicholas J. Brimlow, Arthur Eugene Whitson, Jr., Charles Michael Richards, William Scott Ballantine, James T. Johnstone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of performing assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, systems for performing desired assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, and mobile work stations useful for such systems and methods, where the mobile work stations include a work platform, including an accessway providing access to the work platform; and a moveable base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks that can adjustably raise and lower the work platform.
Claims22
A method of performing desired assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, comprising:
- positioning a mobile work station adjacent the aircraft, where the mobile work station includes
- a work platform including an accessway providing access to the work platform;
- and
- a base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks that can adjustably raise and lower the work platform, and including a plurality of wheels that permit the mobile work station to be positioned adjacent the aircraft;
- stabilizing and/or leveling the mobile work station by deploying one or more jack stands of the wheeled base;
- aligning the work platform with an exterior structure to be serviced on the aircraft with the one or more platform jacks;
- performing the desired assembly or maintenance on the exterior structure to be serviced from the work platform;
- moving the mobile work station away from the aircraft;
- and
- lowering the work platform on the base using the one or more platform jacks, wherein the accessway includes a fixed length non-extensible stairway connecting the wheeled base to the work platform.
A system for performing assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, comprising:
- a mobile work station;
- the mobile work station including
- a work platform including an accessway providing access to the work platform;
- and
- a wheeled base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks that can adjustably raise and lower the work platform, wherein the accessway includes a fixed length non-extensible stairway connecting the wheeled base to the work platform.
A mobile work station, including:
- a work platform including a self-leveling access stair;
- wherein the work platform includes a side structure on each of two opposing sides of the work platform, and a roof structure coupled to each of the two side structures, and lowerable guard rails on each of two opposing open sides;
- a wheeled base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks to adjustably raise and lower the work platform;
- and one or more jack stands to level and/or stabilize the mobile work station by leveling and/or stabilizing the wheeled base;
- and
- an adjustable work stand, disposed upon the work platform, and configured to support a selected aircraft component.
A mobile work station, including:
- a work platform including a self-leveling access stair;
- wherein the work platform includes a side structure on each of two opposing sides of the work platform, and a roof structure coupled to each of the two side structures, and lowerable guard rails on each of two opposing open sides;
- a wheeled base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks to adjustably raise and lower the work platform;
- and one or more jack stands to level and/or stabilize the mobile work station by leveling and/or stabilizing the wheeled base;
- and
- a plurality of loading arms adjacent a lower edge of an opening formed by the work platform, the roof structure, and two side structures, the plurality of loading arms being configured to receive an aircraft component that is delivered through the opening by a forklift.
A system for performing assembly or maintenance on an aircraft, comprising:
- a mobile work station;
- the mobile work station including a work platform including an accessway and access stair providing access to the work platform and lowerable guard rails on each of two opposing open sides of the work platform;
- a wheeled base supporting the work platform with one or more platform jacks that can adjustably raise and lower the work platform, and
- an adjustable work stand, disposed upon the work platform, and configured to support a selected aircraft component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.