Shaping of aerofoil edges
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsJames Robert WITHEY, Graeme RIGG, David Alan CARNELL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A portable device for shaping an edge of an aerofoil comprises a housing, a cutting tool mounted in the housing (the cutting tool having a cutting edge to remove material from the edge) and a plurality of guides mounted in the housing, so that in use the aerofoil engages with the guides to locate the edge of the aerofoil relative to the cutting edge and to permit movement of the housing in a cutting direction so as to remove material from the edge of the aerofoil. The device is characterised in that the cutting tool is mounted so that in use the cutting edge can move relative to the edge of the aerofoil in a direction generally perpendicular to the cutting direction.
Claims16
A portable device for shaping an edge of an aerofoil, the device comprising:
- a housing;
- a cutting tool mounted in the housing, the cutting tool having a cutting edge to remove material from the edge of the aerofoil;
- and
- a plurality of guides mounted in the housing, so that in use the aerofoil engages with the guides to locate the edge of the aerofoil relative to the cutting edge and to permit movement of the housing in a cutting direction so as to remove material from the edge of the aerofoil;
- the device characterised in that the cutting tool is mounted so that in use the cutting edge can move relative to the edge of the aerofoil in a direction generally perpendicular to the cutting direction.
A method of shaping an edge of an aerofoil, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a portable shaping device comprising a housing, a cutting tool having a cutting edge, and a plurality of guides;
- mounting the cutting tool in the housing so that the cutting edge can move relative to the edge of the aerofoil in a direction generally perpendicular to a cutting direction;
- locating the housing over the edge of the aerofoil so that the aerofoil engages with the guides and the edge of the aerofoil engages with the cutting edge;
- moving the device along the aerofoil in the cutting direction so as to remove material from the edge of the aerofoil and thereby to shape it.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.