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US 5,688,426 AGranted
Hybrid metal webbed composite beam
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsBrad L. Kirkwood, Michael M. Stepan, Paul J. Patt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid metal webbed composite beam includes a metal I or T web section and a composite cap formed over and adhered to the I or T web. The beam incorporates advantages of metals and composites in modern aerospace construction allowing thermoplastic welding of the beam to skins while having the strength of metal.
Claims17
A hybrid metal webbed composite beam, comprising:
- (a) a T section metal web having at least one spar cap flange;
- (b) a fiber-reinforced composite attached to the flange to provide a faying surface for connecting the beam to a wingskin with an adhesive bond or weld.
A method for making a hybrid metal webbed composite beam, comprising the steps of;
- (a) forming metal sheet stock to define a web and flange
- (b) attaching a fiber-reinforced composite to the flange to define a composite spar cap with a faying surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.