Guide assembly
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMichael D. Katzenberger, Ike C. Schevers, Anthony P. Slade, David L. Fritsche, James A. Hammond, JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guide assembly comprises a frame assembly, a plurality of clamping assemblies, and a head assembly. The clamping assemblies may be mountable to the frame assembly for attaching the frame assembly to a structure. The head assembly may be mountable to the frame assembly and may include a tool coupled to the head assembly. The tool assembly may be axially movable relative to the head assembly to cause the tool to exert a down force on the structure when the frame assembly is attached thereto.
Claims12
A guide assembly, comprising:
- a frame assembly including:
- first and second arms each having a clamping assembly mounted thereto for attaching the frame assembly to a structure;
- and
- a swivel mechanism interconnecting the first and second arms and being configured such that an orientation of the first and second arms is adjustable relative to one another;
- and
- a head assembly mounted to the frame assembly and including:
- a tool sleeve threadably coupled to the head assembly;
- and
- a tool removably coupled to the tool sleeve and being axially movable relative to the head assembly during rotation of the tool sleeve in a manner causing the tool to exerts a down force on the structure when the frame assembly is attached to the structure.
A guide assembly for engaging a fastener mounted in a structure, comprising:
- a frame assembly having first and second arms;
- a swivel mechanism interconnecting the first and second arms and being configured such that an orientation of the first and second arms is adjustable relative to one another;
- a plurality of clamping assemblies mountable to the first and second arms for clamping the frame assembly to a structure, each one of the clamping assemblies being adjustably orientatable relative to the first and second arms to which the clamping assemblies are mounted;
- a head assembly mountable to the frame assembly and having a removable tool attached thereto, the tool being axially movable relative to the head assembly to cause the tool to exert a down force on the structure when the frame assembly is clamped to the surface;
- and
- an alignment mechanism including a spherical bearing for adjusting an orientation of the tool relative to the frame assembly.
A method of drilling a fastener hole in a structure, comprising the steps of:
- attaching a guide assembly to a structure, the guide assembly including a first arm, a second arm, and a head assembly mounted to an end of the first arm;
- threadably engaging a tool sleeve to the head assembly;
- inserting a drill guide into the tool sleeve;
- adjusting, using a swivel mechanism, an angular orientation of the second arm relative to the first arm;
- clamping the first arm to the second arm using the swivel mechanism;
- aligning the drill guide substantially with a predetermined hole location;
- and
- drilling the fastener hole at the predetermined hole location.
A method of engaging a fastener mounted in a structure, comprising the steps of:
- attaching a guide assembly to the structure, the guide assembly including a first arm, a second arm, and a head assembly mounted to an end of the first arm, the head assembly having a tool sleeve coupled to a spherical bearing, the tool sleeve being axially movable relative to the spherical bearing, the guide assembly;
- adjusting, using a swivel mechanism, an angular orientation of the second arm relative to the first arm;
- clamping the first arm to the second arm using the swivel mechanism;
- inserting a drill guide in the tool sleeve;
- aligning the tool sleeve with the fastener by rotating the spherical bearing;
- drilling an engagement hole in the fastener;
- removing the drill guide from the tool sleeve;
- installing a drive member in the tool sleeve;
- coupling a tool to an end of the drive member;
- engaging the tool to the engagement hole;
- and
- moving the tool sleeve axially relative to the spherical bearing such that the tool applies a down force on the fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.