GB2588658A

GB2588658A - Aircraft assembly tool

Info

Publication number: GB2588658A
Application number: GB1915840.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: McKenna Nigel; Falvey Thomas; Jones Ben
Original assignee: Airbus Operations Ltd
Current assignee: Airbus Operations Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-31
Filing date: 2019-10-31
Publication date: 2021-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-31
Also published as: GB201915840D0; GB2588658B

Abstract

An aircraft wing assembly typically includes control surfaces such as flaps. The support mechanism for a flap may include a guide called a cam plate 11, arranged to support a roller. An assembly tool 13 for positioning the cam plate comprises a main body 14 having a sleeve 15 at one end portion and a protrusion 16 at the other end. The sleeve incorporates a cavity adapted to receive the cam plate. The sleeve has a datum surface. Points on this datum surface are spaced from the tip of the protrusion by respective predetermined amounts. In-use, with the cam plate located in the sleeve cavity, the tool is moved until the protrusion touches a surface 12 of the rib, such that the datum surface is spaced a predetermined distance from the tip of the protrusion and at a predetermined orientation. Use of this tool automatically brings the cam plate into a required position for fitting to the wing assembly where ordinarily accurate positioning of the cam plate 11 during assembly of an aircraft wing can be problematic due to tolerance stack up.

Description

AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY TOOL

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] This invention relates to a tool arranged to facilitate assembly of a guide to an aircraft flight control surface mechanism, such as a flap assembly.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A typical aircraft is shown in Figure 1 and indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The aircraft 1 comprises a fuselage 2. wings 3a, 3b, engines 4 and a tail 5. The wings 3a, 3b include flight control surfaces that allow the pilot to adjust and control lift. For example, a plurality of slats 6 may be provided on the leading edges of the wings which, when deployed, reduce the stalling speed of the aircraft. Another type of flight control surface is a flap, typically provided on the trailing edge of each wing. The aircraft of Figure 1 has four such flaps 7a-7d, two on each wing. When the flaps 7a-7d are deployed, they extend out and deflect down, and increase the effective curvature of the wing. To assist in deploying the flaps 7a-7d, tracks are provided to guide the flaps. The tracks are covered by fairings 8, which streamline the flap track mechanisms.

[0003] Part of the wing 3b, including its inboard flap 7c is shown in the schematic drawing of Figure 2. In this drawing, the tracks 9 that help to guide the flap between stowed and deployed positions in use are shown without their respective fairings. The outboard end portion of the flap 7c i.e. the end portion furthest from the fuselage 2 has a support mechanism comprising a roller 10 and a cam plate 11. In use, as the flap 7c is moved between its deployed and stowed positions, the roller 10 rotates passively on the cam plate 11. When the flap 7c is in its stowed position, the roller 10 is normally spaced from a surface 12 on the wing assembly, which surface typically forms part of a rib of the wing box (not shown in this drawing). The gap between the roller 10 and surface 12 is indicated at "A" in Figure 2. In use, the motion of the flap 7e may cause the gap "A" to close so that the roller 10 contacts the rib surface 12. The arrangement of roller 10, cam plate 11 and rib surface 12 provides support for the end portion of the flap 7c, helps to guide the flap into its deployed and stowed positions and reduces vibration of the flap during flight. Therefore, the correct positioning of the cam plate 11 is critical for the proper functioning of the flap mechanism.

[0004] Accurate positioning of die cam plate 11 during assembly of an aircraft wing can be problematic due to tolerance stack up. The accumulation of tolerances in a complex aircraft assembly makes it difficult to predict the optimum position of the cam plate. It has been proposed to use a jig assembly comprising a series of clamps, but such a proposal is unwieldy, time consuming and has been found to give no better results than positioning the cam plate "by eye".

[0005] Another proposal has been to eccentrically mount the roller 10 so that its position can be adjusted to compensate for tolerance build-up. However, there are instances where the tolerance stack is not completely offset by this mechanism.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THF. TECHNOLOGY

[0006] The invention provides an aircraft assembly tool arranged to be used to fit a flight control surface guide to a component of a wing assembly, the tool comprising a sleeve having a cavity adapted to receive the guide and a protrusion having a tip, wherein there is a predetermined relationship between the tip of the protrusion and a datum surface of the cavity.

[0007] What is meant by the term "predetermined relationship" is that points on the datum surface are spaced from the tip of the protrusion by respective predetermined amounts, such that the datum surface is spaced a predetermined distance from the tip of the protrusion and at a predetermined orienifflion.

[0008] The invention facilitates fitting of the cam plate to the wing assembly as, during the fitting process, the tool automatically brings the cam plate into the correct required position without the operator having to perform any measurements. The simplicity of the tool means that it is intuitive to use and does not require any time-consuming and laborious processes or apparatus.

[0009] Preferably, the sleeve includes at least one window. This allows an operator to check that the guide is properly located in the tool during an installation process.

[0010] Advantageously, biasing means are provided and arranged to urge the guide towards the datum surface of the cavity. The biasing means may comprise at least one (and preferably an array of) spring plungers.

[0011] The tool preferably includes a clamp to reduce movement of the guide with respect to the tool during installation. The clamp preferably has a clamping plate arranged to be extendable through an aperture in the sleeve.

[0012] Optionally, the protrusion is arranged to be selectively moveable between different predetermined positions Each position of the protrusion corresponds to a different respective predetermined relationship between the tip of the protrusion and a datum surface of the cavity. This allows the guide to be installed to a component of a wing assembly regardless of whether a so-called wear plate is included on the component.

[0013] A fastener may be provided to locate the protrusion in its selected position and to prevent the protrusion from inadvertently being moved out of this position.

[0014] The tool may be provided with a handle, which may be formed as an aperture in the main body. A handle facilitates manipulation of the tool during an installation process. Forming the handle as an aperture provides a weight saving.

[0015] The invention further provides a method of using the tool in an aircraft assembly process comprising the steps of: inserting a guide in the sleeve of the tool; moving the tool and guide into a position where the protrusion contacts a component of the wing assembly; and affixing the guide in that position.

[0016] When the tool has a moveable protrusion, the method further comprises the step of moving the protrusion into a selected position.

[0017] The step of affixing the guide preferably further comprises the steps of: marking the location on the guide of an aperture formed in a component of the wing assembly; forming a corresponding aperture in the guide; and affixing the guide by means of a fastener extending through the aperture in the component of the wing assembly and the aperture in the guide.

[0018] Preferably, the guide comprises a cam plate arranged, in use, to support a roller for a moveable flight control surface. The moveable flight control surface may comprises a flap on the trailing edge of an aircraft wing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective drawing of an aircraft; Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the wing assembly of the aircraft of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a rapid prototype tool constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 is a side view showing the tool of Figure 3 in use; Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method of using the tool of Figures 3 and 4; Figure 6a is a front view of an alternative tool constructed according to the invention in use, in a first position; Figure 6h is a rear perspective view of the tool of Figure 6a in use; Figure 7 is a front view of the tool of Figures 6a and 6b in usc in a second position; Figure 8 is a sectional view of part of the tool of Figures 6 and 7 in use in the first position; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the front of the tool of Figures 6 to 8, with part of the tool removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY

[0020] An assembly tool constructed according to the invention is shown in Figure 3. The tool 13 comprises a main body 14 having a sleeve 15 at one end portion and a protrusion 16 projecting from the other end portion. The sleeve IS comprises a cavity in the tool, adapted to receive a cam plate 11, as is shown in Figure 4. The dimensions and shape of the cavity correspond to part of the exterior contours of the cam plate 11, in particular the upper surface of the cam plate that that supports the roller 10 in use. The cam plate 11 is insertable in the sleeve 15 by relative sliding movement between the cam plate and the tool 13. An opening 17 is provided in the sleeve 15 to function as a window so that an operator on the assembly line can see that the cam plate 11 is properly in position in the tool 13, with its upper surface in intimate contact. with the corresponding contour of the cavity and its tip abutting the closed end 15a of the sleeve. The upper edge of the sleeve's cavity and its dosed end arc datum surfaces of the tool 13. A hand grip 18 is also provided to help the operator manipulate the tool 13 and assist in moving the cam plate 11 into its proper position.

[0021] The use of the tool in an assembly operation will now be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Firstly, the operator temporarily anchors the cam plate 11 to part of a fork strut on the wing assembly (not shown) by attaching a fastener through an aperture 19 located at one end of the cam plate. The cam plate 11 is rotatably mounted at this anchor/pivot point. The operator then takes the tool 13 and slides the sleeve 15 over the cam plate 11 until the tip of the cam plate touches the closed end 15a of the sleeve. Then the operator simply rotates the tool 13 upwardly, as indicated by the arrow, until the tip of the protrusion 16 contacts the surface 12, which is shown here on a rib 20 of the wing assembly. This is the correct position of the cam plate 11 with respect to the rib surface 12. The protrusion 16 provides a single point of contact between the tool 13 and the rib surface 12, so there can be no uncertainty that the tool, and hence the cam plate 11, is in the required position. The position and extent of the protrusion 16 with respect to the location and orientation of the datum surfaces of the sleeve 15 provide a single unambiguous position and orientation of the cam plate 11 with respect to the rib surface 12. The relationship between the datum surfaces of the sleeve 15 and the protrusion 16 is established from a master CAD model.

[0022] As the tool 13 and cam plate 11 are rotated upwardly, the upper end portion of the cam plate slides into a slot in a bracket 21 on the rib 20. The bracket 21 has two apertures 22a, 22b in it, arranged one above the other. When the cam plate 11 is in its correct position, the operator inserts a pen or other marker into each of the apertures 22a, 22h in turn and marks the cam plate. The operator then removes the cam plate 11 from its anchor point and from the assembly tool 13, drills holes at the marked locations on the cam plate and then returns the cam plate to the slot on the bracket 21 until the drilled holes on the cam plate align with the apertures 22a, 22b. The operator then inserts fasteners through the apertures 22a, 22b and drilled holes so that the cam plate is fixed in its correct position with respect to the rib 20.

[0023] The inventors have made use of the advances in rapid prototyping in order to design and manufacture a test tool of the present invention. It is anticipated that the final version of the tool will be constructed from cast or stamped metal that is better able to withstand the rigours of an industrial environment.

[0024] Such an industrial tool 23 is shown by way of example in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive. The tool 23 comprises a main body 24 having a sleeve 25 and a protrusion 26 as before. However, there are several main differences between this tool and the one shown in Figures 3 and 4. It should be noted that any one of these alternative features, or any combination of these features, may be used to construct an assembly tool according to the invention.

[0025] The sleeve 25 is formed by producing a cavity 24a in the main body 24 of the tool 23, over which a plate 24b is attached by means of suitable fasteners, for example countersunk screws. The sleeve 25 is sized to allow for variability in the dimensions of the cam plate 11. which variability is typically caused by application of paint and/or coatings of various thicknesses to the cam plate. An elongated recess 25c is provided in the sleeve 25, as shown in Figure 9. During application of paint or coatings to a cam plate 11, the paint or coating has a tendency to build up on the region of the upper surface of the cam plate closer to the tip. The recess 25c corresponds to this region on the cam plate 11 so that, when the cam plate is inserted in the tool 23, any build-up of paint in that region does not interfere with the correct location of the upper surface of the cam plate against the datum surfaces -namely, the closed end 25a of the sleeve and the upper edge of the sleeve's cavity 25b, both of which are shown in Figure 9.

[0026] In this embodiment, the sleeve 25 does not have one large window but instead has a plurality of smaller windows 27 in its front and rear surfaces. These are provided to give certainty to the operator that the cam plate 11 is in its correct position, intimately contacting the datum surfaces 25a and 251i.

[0027] Several resilient plungers in the form of ball plungers 28 are provided along the lower edge of the cavity of the sleeve 25. Each ball plunger 28 comprises a ball held within a cylinder that also contains a spring; the spring is arranged to urge the ball outwardly. In use, the hall plungers 28 push against the lower surface of the cam plate 11 and urge it upwardly and into intimate contact with the datum surface 25b of the sleeve 25. Thus, the ball plungers 28 help to ensure that the cam plate 11 occupies its correct position against the datum surfaces in the tool 23.

[0028] A clamp in the form of a toggle clamp 29 is provided on one side of the tool 23. The toggle clamp 29 comprises a lever latch 30 and a clamping plate 31. The latch 30 is fixed to an external surface of the sleeve plate 24b and the damping plate 31 is arranged to extend through an aperture 32 in the sleeve. In use, movement of the latch 30 causes the clamping plate 31 to engage with the cam plate 11, thereby further preventing relative movement between the cam plate 11 and the tool 23 during an assembly process.

[0029] The surface 12 on the rib 20 may comprise the surface of the rib itself; alternatively, a wear plate 33 may be attached to the rib. The protrusion 26 at the upper end portion of the main body 24 of the tool 23 is rotatable to one of two positions, so that one of two tips 26a, 26b protrudes from the main body 24 of the tool. The tips 26a, 26b are shown in detail in Figure 8. Each tip 26a, 26b corresponds to different respective distances between the tip and points on the datum surfaces in the cavity of the sleeve 25. The tip of each protrusion 26a, 26b has a different respective predetermined relationship with the datum surfaces 25a, 25b of the cavity. In this embodiment, two tips are described, but of course a protrusion having several tips, each having a specific predetermined relationship with respect to the datum surfaces, may be employed.

[0030] The position of the protrusion 26 is selected in dependence on the presence or absence of a wear plate 33. For example, in Figures 6a, 6b and 8, the wear plate 33 is present and so the protrusion 26 is arranged to occupy a first position in which the tip 26a extends from the main body 24 by a smaller extent. In Figure 7, the wear plate is absent and so the protrusion 26 is rotated to the second position in which the tip 26b extends from the main body 24 by a greater extent. The regions of the protrusion 26 adjacent the tips 26a, 26b, may be marked with words or symbols to indicate to the operator which of the tips should be employed. For example, the region adjacent the tip 26a is marked "WEAR PLATE INSTALLED", and the region adjacent tip 26b is marked "NO WEAR PLATE".

[0031[ The main body 24 of the tool 23 includes a hollow 24c, as shown more clearly in Figure 8. The hollow 24c is provided to allow lateral adjustment of the position of the protrusion 26 such that it is in line with the plane of the cam plate 11 in use. Thus, the same tool 23 can be used to install a cam plate 11 on the right hand wing assembly and the left hand wing assembly. The hollow 24c also allows the protrusion 26 to rotate freely between the first and second positions.

[0032] In order to ensure that the rotatable protrusion 26 indexes between its first and second positions only and no intermediate positions, a biased fastener in the form of a T-pin 34 is provided. The T-pin 34 is biased towards the rotatable protrusion 26 and is arranged to fit through apertures 35a, 35b on the protrusion via an aperture 38 extending through the main body 24 of the tool 23. By way of example, when the larger protrusion tip 26b is uppermost, the T-pin 34 is urged into the aperture 35a, and hence the T-pin prevents unwanted movement of the protrusion 26 from this selected position. When an operator wishes to then use the tool 23 to lit a cam plate 11 to a wing assembly having a wear plate 33, the operator simply pulls the T-pin 34, so that it disengages the aperture 35a. The operator then rotates the protrusion 26 until the smaller protrusion tip 26a is uppermost and the aperture 35b corresponds to the position of the main body aperture 38. The operator then reinstalls the pin in the apertures 35b, 38, thereby setting the protrusion 26 into this position.

[0033] In this embodiment, the handle for the user comprises an elongated aperture 37 in the main body 24 of the tool 23. This allows an operator to easily pick up and manipulate the tool. It also provides a reduction in weight compared with the tool of the first embodiment. Further variations to the tool may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

Claims

[0034] CLAIMS 1. An aircraft assembly tool arranged to be used to fit a flight control surface guide to a component of a wing assembly, the tool comprising a sleeve having a cavity adapted to receive the guide and a protrusion having a tip, wherein there is a predetermined relationship between the tip of the protrusion and a datum surface of the cavity.
2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, in which the datum surface comprises an edge of the cavity arranged, in use, to be in intimate contact with an upper surface of the flight surface control guide.
3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the sleeve includes at least one window.
4 A tool as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising biasing means arranged, in use, to urge the guide towards the datum surface of the cavity.
5. A tool as claimed in claim 4, in which the biasing means comprises a plurality of spring plungers.
6. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a clamp having a plate arranged to be extendable through an aperture in the sleeve.
7. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the protrusion is arranged to be selectively moveable between different respective predetermined positions.
8. A tool as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a fastener arranged to prevent the protrusion from moving out. of its selected predetermined position.
9. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a handle.
10. A tool as claimed in claim 9, in which the handle comprises an aperture in the main body.
11. A method of using a tool as claimed in any preceding claim in an aircraft assembly process, the method comprising inserting a flight control surface guide in the sleeve of the tool; moving the tool and guide into a position where the protrusion contacts a component of the wing assembly; and affixing the guide in that position.
12. A method as claimed in claim 11 when dependent on claim 7 or 8, further comprising the step of moving the protrusion into one of the predetermined positions.
13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or 12, in which the step of affixing the guide further comprises the steps of: marking the location on the flight control surface guide of an aperture formed in a component of the wing assembly; forming a corresponding aperture in the guide; and affixing the guide by means of a fastener extending through the aperture in the component of the wing assembly and the aperture in the guide.
14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, in which the guide comprises a cam plate arranged, in use, to support a roller for a moveable flight control surface.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the moveable flight control surface comprises a flap on the trailing edge of an aircraft wing.