| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080237442 | MULTI-RING SYSTEM FOR FUSELAGE BARREL FORMATION - An aircraft fuselage barrel ( | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080244888 | Method and Apparatus for Installing Fasteners - Apparatus for installing fasteners in a workpiece is mounted for computer controlled movement over the workpiece surface. The apparatus includes all of the tools, fasteners, drives and controls on-board that are needed to operate autonomously, without external connections. The apparatus may also include an on-board power supply for powering the tools, drives and controls. A supply of fasteners is held in an on-board replaceable cassette. An on-board fastener transferring device transfers individual fasteners from the cassette to the tools. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080295314 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AN INSTRUMENTED FASTENER - An instrumented fastener (e.g., a “tack” fastener) includes one or more light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) configured to produce a light beacon that includes encoded information regarding the instrumented fastener (e.g., part number), wherein the direction of the light beacon can be used to align external and/or internal assembly systems to the instrumented fasteners. The light beacon may be activated automatically, or via an instruction received from an external system. Once aligned, the assembly system may, for example, proceed with installing permanent fasteners between neighboring tack fasteners. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20090026321 | MORPHING AIRCRAFT WITH TELESCOPIC LIFTING AND CONTROL SURFACES - A morphing aircraft includes a lifting body and a telescopic lifting or control surface, such as a wing, coupled to the lifting body. The lifting surface is deployable between extended and retracted positions relative to the lifting body and configured such that, when disposed in the extended position, the flight characteristics of the aircraft correspond to those of a low-speed, high-lift aircraft, and when disposed in the retracted position, the flight characteristics of the air-craft correspond to those of a high-speed, low-lift aircraft, the lifting surface is disposed entirely within the lifting body, and an outboard end surface of the lifting surface blends continuously into an outer mold line surface of the lifting body. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090112925 | INTELLIGENT FASTENER INSTALLATION SYSTEM - One embodiment of a fastening apparatus may include at least one of a fastener and a collar having a code with information regarding the fastener and/or collar. The code may be communicated to one or more databases of a computer. The fastener and/or collar may be tightened, located, maintained, and/or inspected according to the code and/or database information. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090120562 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOW-BULK TOUGHENED FABRICS FOR LOW-PRESSURE MOLDING PROCESSES - A method and apparatus for manufacturing. A fiber layer and a porous bonding layer are formed to form a unidirectional lay-up of fibers. The lay-up of fibers is heated under pressure to form a unidirectional composite tape of desired thickness to substantially maintain the fibers in a desired configuration. The unidirectional composite tape is slit to a desired width, and the slit unidirectional composite tape is loaded into a multiaxial fabric machine. A first layer is built from the composite tape in the multiaxial machine, and a second layer is built from the composite tape on the first layer at a predetermined angle from the first layer in the multiaxial machine. The first and second layers are consolidated to form a composite fabric in a continuous process. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090287352 | ROBOTIC SYSTEM INCLUDING FOLDABLE ROBOTIC ARM - A system includes an end effector, a robotic wrist for orienting the end effector; and a robotic arm for positioning the end effector. The robotic arm is foldable into a stack. The robotic wrist is mounted to a last link of the robotic arm. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100071192 | ELECTROMAGNETIC CLAMPING DEVICE - An apparatus may comprise a permanent magnet unit, an end effector, and an electromagnetic clamping device. The end effector may be capable of performing workpiece operations. The electromagnetic clamping device may have an activated state and a deactivated state. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100217437 | AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY SYSTEM - An apparatus comprises a plurality of mobile robotic machines, a wireless communications system, and a motion control system. The plurality of mobile robotic machines may be capable of moving to a number of locations in an assembly area and performing operations to assemble a structure in the assembly area. The wireless communications system may be capable of providing communications with the plurality of mobile robotic machines within the assembly area. The motion control system may be capable of generating position information for the plurality of mobile robotic machines in the assembly area and communicating the position. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20110010007 | AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC PLATFORM - The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may comprise a number of robotic platforms, a wireless communications system, and a computer system. The number of robotic platforms may be configured to move to a number of locations in an assembly area and interact with a number of robotic devices. The wireless communications system may be configured to provide communication with the number of robotic platforms and the number of robotic devices within the assembly area. The computer system may be configured to exchange information with the number of robotic platforms and the number of robotic devices using the wireless communications system. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110018182 | Electromagnetic Clamping System for Manufacturing Large Structures - An apparatus comprises a housing, a core located in the housing, a coil unit associated with the core and located in the housing, and a backing plate made of a high-permeability material. The apparatus may be used for generating high clamping forces between materials that are interposed between the core and the backing plate such that manufacturing operations can be carried out. The core has a cross section with an elongate shape. The coil unit is configured to generate magnetic fields and has the elongate shape. | 01-27-2011 |
