Panel trimming system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJames N. Buttrick, Alan Ray Merkley, Philip Marten Wright
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One side of an access panel is trimmed while an opposite side of the panel is secured in an opening between skin sheets on the underside of an aircraft wing. The trimming apparatus includes a frame secured to one of the skin sheets with a rail extending along an edge of the opening and a trim saw assembly slideable along the rail. The frame can be secured in position by several vacuum cups, and can include index flanges engageable against an edge of the opening for precise positioning of the rail and the trim saw assembly carried thereby.
Claims11
A combination, the combination comprising:
- a structure having an opening, the opening having first and second edges disposed opposite each other;
- a panel having a first side secured adjacent to the first edge of the opening and a second side opposite the first side;
- and
- an apparatus for trimming the panel, said apparatus comprising
- a frame including a vacuum cup mounting the frame adjacent to the second edge of the opening, the frame having an elongated rail extending generally parallel to the second edge of the opening, the frame including an index flange in predetermined position relative to the rail and engaged against the second edge of the opening, and a trim saw assembly moveable along the rail to trim the second side of the panel so that the panel fits closely in the opening.
A combination, the combination comprising:
- an aircraft wing having an underside including an opening, the opening having first and second spanwise extending edges disposed opposite each other,
- an access panel having a first side secured adjacent to the first edge of the opening and a second side opposite the first side;
- a frame mounted adjacent to the second edge of the opening, the frame having an elongated rail extending generally parallel to the second edge of the opening, the frame including an index flange in predetermined position relative to the rail, the index flange being in engagement against the second edge of the opening and positioning the rail relative to the second edge;
- and
- a trim saw assembly moveable along the rail to trim the second side of the access panel to fit closely in the opening in the underside of the wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.