Hand repair tool for curved surfaces
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJoseph T. Bloch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hand tool (20) useful in the repair of bodies having complex, compound curved surfaces. The tool (20) comprises an adjustable arm (40) mountable at one of its ends to a damaged surface area (15). The other end of the arm (40) is provided with a gimbal mount (50) supporting a cutter assembly (45) and a gripping ball (60) for rotating the tool (20) during use. The gimbal mount (50) and a plurality of orthogonally disposed springs 190 provides a means to ensure that the cutter assembly (45) can follow the contour of the surface area 5 and will be substantially perpendicular to the surface area (15) as the tool (20) is being rotated. A guide (55) provides additional forces to urge the cutter assembly (45) into a position substantially perpendicular to the surface area (15).
Claims13
A tool useful in the repair of damaged areas of a complex, compound curved surface, said tool comprising:
- means for attaching the tool to said surface;
- means carried by said attaching means capable of rotation with respect to said attaching means;
- means carried by said rotatable means capable of pivoting with respect to said rotatable means;
- an operating arm having one end carried by said pivotable means;
- a fixed ring disposed at the other end of said arm;
- an inner ring pivotable connected to said fixed ring;
- a mounting tube pivotably connected to said inner ring;
- a guide means carried by the lower portion of said tube and being capable of contacting said surface for biasing said cutter towards a position that is substantially perpendicular to said surface;
- a cutter assembly slidably carried by said tube, and
- means for urging said cutter assembly towards said surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.