Paintless film edge sealing tool
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorWilliam S. Grant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for securing an edge of a paintless type film gore. A fluid sealant material is beaded along the edge of the gore using a bead striping apparatus. The striping apparatus comprises a serrated wheel rotatably coupled to a housing which contains the fluid sealant. The sealant is transferred to the wheel and subsequently is transferred the gore edge as the wheel is rolled.
Claims8
An apparatus for applying a sealant bead to an edge of a paintless film, said apparatus comprising:
- a wheel having an outer periphery configured with serrations of a predetermined depth;
- a wheel housing having a slot for rotatably mounting said wheel;
- a reservoir having an inner portion for conducting a sealant to said wheel and coupled to said wheel housing;
- and
- an applicator integral with said wheel housing and cooperable with said reservoir for dispensing said sealant on said outer periphery of said wheel;
- and
- said wheel housing further including a sleeve adapted to slide over an outer portion of said reservoir, said sleeve enabling an operator to vary the dispense rate of said applicator by varying the distance between said outer periphery of said wheel and said applicator.
A sealant bead application apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of wheels each having an outer periphery configured with serrations of a predetermined depth;
- a wheel housing having a plurality of slots each for rotatably mounting a respective one of said plurality of wheels;
- and
- a reservoir having a inner portion for conducting a sealant material to said plurality of wheels, wherein said wheels apply said sealant to a circular edge of a paintless film;
- and
- an applicator for each of said plurality of wheels, wherein said applicator is configured to dispense said sealant material on said outer periphery of each respective wheel, wherein said applicator is located a distance from a respective wheel outer periphery;
- and
- said wheel housing further comprises an adjustment means for enabling an operator to vary said distance between said applicator and said respective wheel outer periphery, and wherein a dispense rate is increased as said distance is increased.
A device for applying a circular stripe of striping material about a rotational axis, the device comprising:
- a central reservoir having an inner portion adapted to store a striping material;
- a housing coupled to a first end of said central reservoir, said housing comprising;
- a plurality of wheel stripe assemblies, each of said wheel stripe assemblies having a rotatably mounted stripe wheel with an outer periphery and having a secondary reservoir for receiving the striping material from said central reservoir and dispensing the striping material to said stripe wheel outer periphery, wherein all of said wheel stripe assemblies are located on said housing about a center line which is perpendicular to a plane of said housing, and all said wheel stripe assemblies are located on said housing an equal distance from said center line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.