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US 8,292,216 B1Granted
Wing lift system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorWilliam Elmer Rumberger, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus may be present for moving a wing. A plurality of lifting assemblies may be attached to a first plurality of channels in a ring associated with the wing of an aircraft. A plurality of base assemblies may be attached to a plurality of fittings with a second plurality of channels associated with a fuselage of the aircraft. The plurality of lifting assemblies may be moved away from the plurality of base assemblies using a plurality of biasing systems such that the ring may move away from the fuselage.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of lifting assemblies configured to be attached to a first plurality of channels in a ring associated with a wing of an aircraft, a lifting assembly in the plurality of lifting assemblies comprising a lifting bracket having a member configured to extend through a channel in the first plurality of channels and a cap configured to engage the member to secure the lifting bracket to the channel in the ring;
- a plurality of base assemblies configured to be attached to a plurality of fittings with a second plurality of channels associated with a fuselage of the aircraft;
- and
- a plurality of biasing systems configured to move the plurality of lifting assemblies away from the plurality of base assemblies such that the ring moves away from the fuselage.
1 more element
A lifting system to lift a rotatable wing away from a fuselage of an aircraft, the lifting system comprising:
- a plurality of lifting assemblies configured to be attached to a first plurality of channels in a ring associated with the rotatable wing of the aircraft in which a lifting assembly in the plurality of lifting assemblies comprises a lifting bracket having a member configured to extend through a channel in the first plurality of channels and a cap configured to engage the member to secure the lifting bracket to the channel in the ring;
- a plurality of base assemblies configured to be attached to a plurality of fittings with a second plurality of channels associated with the fuselage of the aircraft in which a base assembly in the plurality of base assemblies comprises a base structure having a cavity configured to receive a fitting in the plurality of fittings, a plate configured to be connected to the base structure such that the base assembly is connected to the fitting, and a number of fasteners configured to connect the plate to the base structure;
- a plurality of hydraulic lift units configured to move the plurality of lifting assemblies away from the plurality of base assemblies such that the ring moves away from the fuselage;
- a hydraulic pump configured to be attached to the plurality of hydraulic lift units and to send fluid into the plurality of hydraulic lift units to move the plurality of lifting assemblies away from the plurality of base assemblies such that the ring moves away from the fuselage;
- a plurality of measurement units configured to measure a displacement between the plurality of lifting assemblies and the plurality of base assemblies;
- and
- a locking system configured to reduce a rotation of the ring while the plurality of lifting assemblies is attached to the first plurality of channels in the ring associated with the rotatable wing of the aircraft, the plurality of base assemblies is attached to the plurality of fittings with the second plurality of channels associated with the fuselage of the aircraft, and the first plurality of channels is aligned with the second plurality of channels in which the locking system comprises a plurality of pins configured to be placed through the first plurality of channels attached to the plurality of lifting assemblies corresponding to the second plurality of channels in the plurality of base assemblies.
4 more elements
A method for moving a wing, the method comprising:
- attaching a plurality of lifting assemblies to a first plurality of channels in a ring associated with the wing of an aircraft;
- attaching a plurality of base assemblies to a plurality of fittings with a second plurality of channels associated with a fuselage of the aircraft while the first plurality of channels is unaligned with the second plurality of channels in the plurality of fittings associated with the fuselage of the aircraft;
- and
- moving the plurality of lifting assemblies away from the plurality of base assemblies using a plurality of biasing systems such that the ring moves away from the fuselage.
1 more element
A method for lifting a wing away from a fuselage of an aircraft using a wing lift system, the method comprising:
- rotating a ring associated with the wing of the aircraft to align a first plurality of channels in the ring with a second plurality of channels in a plurality of fittings associated with the fuselage of the aircraft;
- attaching a plurality of lifting assemblies to the first plurality of channels in the ring associated with the wing of the aircraft while the first plurality of channels is unaligned with the second plurality of channels in the plurality of fittings associated with the fuselage of the aircraft in which a lifting assembly in the plurality of lifting assemblies comprises a lifting bracket having a member configured to extend through a channel in the first plurality of channels and a cap configured to engage the member to secure the lifting bracket to the channel in the ring;
- attaching a plurality of base assemblies to the plurality of fittings with the second plurality of channels associated with the fuselage of the aircraft while the first plurality of channels is unaligned with the second plurality of channels in the plurality of fittings associated with the fuselage of the aircraft in which a base assembly in the plurality of base assemblies comprises a base structure having a cavity configured to receive a fitting in the plurality of fittings;
- a plate configured to be connected to the base structure such that the base assembly is connected to the fitting;
- and a number of fasteners configured to connect the plate to the base structure;
- and
- moving the plurality of lifting assemblies away from the plurality of base assemblies using a plurality of hydraulic lift units such that the ring moves away from the fuselage in which a hydraulic pump is configured to be attached to the plurality of hydraulic lift units and to send fluid into the plurality of hydraulic lift units to move the plurality of lifting assemblies away from the plurality of base assemblies such that the ring moves away from the fuselage.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.