Mobile pressure tool for rotor blade processes
AssigneeSikorsky Aircraft Corporation
InventorsRyan Lehto, David W. Littlejohn, Sven R. Lofstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure tool for rotor blade repair including a mobile support system including a support surface, a first bladder support assembly including a first inflatable bladder fixedly mounted to the support surface, a second bladder support assembly including a second inflatable bladder pivotally mounted relative to the support surface, and an activation mechanism operatively coupled to the second bladder support assembly. The activation mechanism is operable to selectively shift the second bladder support assembly relative to the first bladder support assembly. A fluid delivery system is operable to direct a fluid into each of the first inflatable bladder and the second inflatable bladder.
Claims15
A pressure tool for rotor blade repair comprising:
- a mobile support system including a support surface;
- a first bladder support assembly including a first inflatable bladder fixedly mounted to the support surface;
- a second bladder support assembly including a second inflatable bladder pivotally mounted relative to the support surface;
- an activation mechanism operatively coupled to the second bladder support assembly, the activation mechanism being operable to selectively shift the second bladder support assembly relative to the first bladder support assembly;
- and
- a fluid delivery system operable to direct a fluid into each of the first inflatable bladder and the second inflatable bladder.
A method of repairing a rotor blade comprising:
- rolling a pressure tool mounted to a cart to the rotor blade;
- positioning the rotor blade between a first bladder support assembly fixedly mounted relative to the cart and a second bladder support assembly pivotally mounted relative to the cart;
- closing the second bladder support assembly over the rotor blade;
- and
- applying pressure to the rotor blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.