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US 8,801,502 B2Granted
In-situ airfoil contouring tool
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHenry Ng, Daniel O'Reilly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool for in-situ airfoil contouring is provided. The tool has a pathway for an airfoil edge wherein the edge movement is limited and further wherein the edge is exposed to a grinding structure having a preselected profile shape therein. The tool makes this contouring process available for airfoils without the necessity of removing the airfoils from, for example, an aircraft engine.
Claims17
An airfoil edge contouring tool, comprising:
- a housing having a pathway for an airfoil;
- a grinding structure having a desired shape of an airfoil edge;
- a guide bearing which follows said airfoil edge and limits motion of said grinding structure in a first dimension;
- an edge guide which allows motion of said grinding structure in a second dimension;
- said edge guide being a first wheel and a second wheel.
2 more elements
An airfoil edge contouring tool, comprising:
- a housing having a location with an exposed grinding wheel, said exposed grinding wheel having a preselected shape for an edge of an airfoil;
- a guide bearing which limits pivoting of said grinding wheel on said edge of said airfoil, said guide bearing being exposed from said housing and wherein said guide bearing rotates;
- an edge guide allowing guided movement of said grinding wheel along said edge of said airfoil.
An airfoil contouring tool, comprising:
- a housing having a motor therein and a grinding wheel operably connected to said motor;
- a guide bearing limiting at least one of rotation or lateral motion of said grinding wheel relative to said airfoil edge in a first direction;
- an airfoil edge guide which guides movement of said tool along said airfoil edge in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction;
- said edge guide being a first wheel and a second wheel;
- said grinding wheel having a desired airfoil profile shape.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.