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US 4,149,449 AGranted
Method for shaping an airfoil
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsEugene J. Malinowski, Raymond J. Zyck
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsEugene J. Malinowski, Raymond J. Zyck
Estimating the term…
An improved method and apparatus are utilized to shape the leading and trailing edges of a tapered airfoil having twisted ad bowed major side surfaces. To compensate for taper, a rotatable forming tool is moved inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the airfoil as the tool is moved through a working stroke along an edge of the airfoil. To compensate for the bowed side surfaces, the forming tool is pivoted in such a manner as to maintain its axis of rotation perpendicular to an arcuately curved edge being shaped by the tool. To compensate for twist, the airfoil is rotated about its central axis to maintain a major side surface of the airfoil in abutting engagement with a positioning or locating roller disposed adjacent to the edge forming tool. The locating roller rolls along a major side surface of the airfoil to position the edge portion of the airfoil and the forming tool relative to each other as the forming tool moves along the twisted edge.
A method of shaping an airfoil having major side surfaces interconnected by an arcuately bowed and longitudinally extending edge portion, said method comprising the steps of rotating a forming tool about a central axis of the forming tool, engaging the arcuately bowed edge portion of the airfoil with the rotating forming tool throughout the length of the arcuately bowed edge portion of the airfoil by effecting relative movement between the airfoil and the rotating forming tool, maintaining the rotating forming tool in continuous engagement with the arcuately bowed edge portion of the airfoil during said step of effecting relative movement between the airfoil and the rotating forming tool, and at least partially compensating for the bowed configuration of the longitudinally extending edge portion of the airfoil by pivoting the rotating forming tool about a second axis extending transversely to the central axis of the rotating forming tool to vary the angular orientation of the central axis of the rotating forming tool relative to a straight line extending between opposite ends of the arcuately bowed edge portion of the airfoil while performing said step of effecting relative movement between the airfoil and the rotating forming tool.
A method of shaping a longitudinally extending and arcuately bowed edge portion of an airfoil, said method comprising the steps of rotating a forming tool about a first axis, moving the rotating forming tool along the longitudinally extending edge portion of the airfoil, and maintaining the first axis perpendicular to an arcuately bowed central axis of the edge portion of the airfoil by pivoting the forming tool about a second axis extending transversely to the first axis as the rotating forming tool moves along the longitudinally extending edge portion of the airfoil.
A method of shaping an airfoil having a pair of longitudinally extending edge portions and a pair of major side surfaces extending between the longitudinally extending edge portions, said method comprising the steps of engaging a first one of the longitudinally extending edge portions of the airfoil with a rotatable forming tool, moving the forming tool along the first edge portion while rotating the forming tool about its central axis, and maintaining the forming tool in a predetetermined spatial relationship with the first edge portion of the airfoil as the forming tool moves along the first edge portion by engaging one of the major side surfaces of the airfoil at a location adjacent to the forming tool with a positioning member disposed in a predetermined spatial relationship with the forming tool, changing the location where the positioning member engages the one major side surface of the airfoil by moving the positioning member along the one major side surface of the airfoil with the forming tool as the forming tool moves along the first edge portion of the airfoil, and maintaining the positioning member in abutting engagement with the one major side surface of the airfoil at a location adjacent to the forming tool as the positioning member moves along the one major side surface of the airfoil with the forming tool.
A method of shaping at least one of a pair of longitudinally extending edge portions of a longitudinally tapered airfoil having twisted and bowed major side surfaces extending between the edge portions of the airfoil, said method comprising the steps of engaging the one edge portion of the airfoil with a rotatable forming tool, moving the forming tool along said one edge portion of the airfoil while simultaneously therewith rotating the forming tool about its central axis, varying the distance between the central axis of the forming tool and a longitudinal axis of the airfoil to compensate for the tapered configuration of the airfoil as the forming tool moves along the one edge portion of the airfoil, varying the angular orientation of the central axis of the rotating forming tool relative to a straight line extending between opposite ends of the one edge portion of the airfoil to compensate for the bowed major side surfaces of the airfoil during movement of the forming tool along the one edge portion of the airfoil, and effecting relative movement between the airfoil and the forming tool in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the one edge portion to compensate for the twisted major side surfaces of the airfoil during movement of the forming tool along the one edge portion of the airfoil.
A method of shaping an edge portion of airfoil having twisted major side surfaces and a longitudinal central axis which extends through tip and root end portions of the airfoil, said method comprising the steps of rotating a forming tool about a first axis extending transversely to a longitudinal central axis of the airfoil, moving the rotating forming tool along a path disposed adjacent to the airfoil, and maintaining the rotating forming tool in continuous engagement with the edge portion of the airfoil as the forming tool moves along the path while at least partially compensating for the twisted major side surfaces of the airfoil by rotating the airfoil about its longitudinal central axis which extends through the tip and root portions of the airfoil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.