Aircraft fuselage constructed of aircraft fuselage sections screwed together
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKris G. Guerquin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft fuselage is constructed of a plurality of cylindrical semi-monocoque fuselage sections that are each constructed with mirrored screw threads on either their interior or exterior surfaces. The screw threads of adjacent fuselage sections are secured together end-to-end by a sleeve having complementary screw threads. The sleeve is positioned between adjacent fuselage sections that are held against rotation, but are free to move in translation towards each other. The sleeve is engaged with the screw threads of the adjacent fuselage sections and is rotated, causing the adjacent fuselage sections to move toward each other and into secure engagement in response to the rotating sleeve.
Claims20
An aircraft fuselage comprising:
- a first fuselage section, the first fuselage section having a length with a forward end and an opposite rearward end, a first screw thread on the first fuselage section adjacent the rearward end, the first screw thread spiraling around the first fuselage section;
- a second fuselage section, the second fuselage section having a length with a forward end and an opposite rearward end, a second screw thread on the second fuselage section adjacent the forward end, the second screw thread spiraling around the second fuselage section;
- a sleeve, the sleeve having a length with a forward end and an opposite rearward end, screw threading on the sleeve, the screw threading on the sleeve mating with the first screw thread on the first fuselage section and the screw threading on the sleeve mating with the second screw thread on the second fuselage section, the screw threading on the sleeve securing together the first and second fuselage sections.
An aircraft fuselage comprising:
- a cylindrical first fuselage section, the first fuselage section having a length with opposite forward and rearward ends, the first fuselage section having a circular rearward edge at the rearward end, a first screw thread on the first fuselage section adjacent the rearward edge, the first screw thread spiraling around the first fuselage section in a first direction;
- a cylindrical second fuselage section, the second fuselage section having a length with opposite forward and rearward ends, a circular forward edge at the second fuselage section forward end, a second screw thread on the second fuselage section adjacent the forward edge of the second fuselage section, the second screw thread spiraling around the second fuselage section in a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being opposite;
- and,
- a cylindrical sleeve, the sleeve having a length with opposite circular forward and rearward edges, a first screw thread on the sleeve adjacent the sleeve forward edge, the first screw thread on the sleeve being complementary to and mating with the first screw thread on the first fuselage section securing the sleeve to the first fuselage section, and a second screw thread on the sleeve adjacent the sleeve rearward edge, the second screw thread on the sleeve being complementary to and mating with the second screw thread on the second fuselage section securing the sleeve to the second fuselage section, the sleeve securing the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section.
A method of making an aircraft fuselage comprising:
- constructing a cylindrical first fuselage section with the first fuselage section having a first screw thread that spirals around the first fuselage section;
- constructing a cylindrical second fuselage section with the second fuselage section having a second screw thread that spirals around the second fuselage section;
- securing the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section with a cylindrical sleeve having screw threading on the sleeve that mates with the first screw thread on the first fuselage section and mates with the second screw thread on the second fuselage section and secures together the first and second fuselage sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.