Self-Indexing Nut Plate
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsLowell Scott James, Jeffry Glen Bickford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft comprises a secondary support structure and a nut plate engaging the secondary support structure. The nut plate includes at least one locator protrusion engaging a mounting hole in the secondary support structure to constrain motion of the nut plate along the secondary support structure. The nut plate further includes means for additionally constraining motion of the nut plate away from the secondary support structure.
Claims13
An aircraft having a fuselage, at least one wing assembly, at least one secondary support structure defining at least one mounting hole, and at least one propulsion engine, the aircraft comprising:
- a spanner bar having a mounting surface and return flanges;
- and
- a nut plate engaging the secondary support structure, the nut plate including a body having an internally threaded bore, at least one locator protrusion engaging a mounting hole in the secondary support structure to constrain motion of the nut plate along the secondary support structure, and means for additionally constraining motion of the nut plate away from the secondary support structure,
- wherein the means for additionally constraining motion includes first and second resilient finger tabs cantilevered to the body and extending outward from the body and the first and second resilient finger tabs releasably engaging the return flanges.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a spanner bar having a surface with an alternating pattern of mounting holes and lands;
- and a nut plate engaging the spanner bar, the nut plate including:
- a body having a mounting surface and an internally threaded bore accessible from the mounting surface, the mounting surface being in contact with the spanner bar;
- at least one protrusion extending from the mounting surface, each protrusion engaging one of the mounting holes to constrain motion of the nut plate along the spanner bar;
- and
- means for engaging the spanner bar to constrain motion of the nut plate away from the spanner bar without cooperation of mounting hardware.
A nut plate configured to engage a thin gauge member having a base and return flanges, the base having an alternating pattern of holes and lands, the nut plate comprising:
- a body having a mounting surface and an internally threaded bore accessible from the mounting surface;
- a locator protrusion configured to extend from the mounting surface and into one of the holes;
- and
- first and second resilient finger tabs cantilevered to the body and extending outward from the body, the first and second resilient finger tabs being configured to releasably engage the return flanges to constrain motion of the nut plate away from the base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.