Todd W Newkirk

Address:

8761 Renfrew St, Powell, OH 43065

VIN:

1FMZK05137GA04043

Make:

FORD

Model:

FREESTYLE

Year:

2007

US Patent:

7968021, Jun 28, 2011

Filed:

Jul 31, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/831800

Inventors:

Casey Grant Litaker - Southlake TX, US
Todd Leland Newkirk - Hurst TX, US
Joshua Joseph Doyon - Dallas TX, US

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

F16D 1/00

US Classification:

264 361, 264 3622, 264487

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to the incorporation of a substructure into tooling for constructing composite structures in order to control thermal expansion of the tooling during aerospace manufacturing processes. Substructure, such as headers and/or gussets is added to the tooling to constrain the growth of the laminate expansion and/or control the diametric growth of the tool during the curing cycle. The thickness of the face-sheet of the tooling also may be reduced in order to further reduce the effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the tooling.

US Patent:

57294623, Mar 17, 1998

Filed:

Aug 25, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/519460

Inventors:

Todd L. Newkirk - Hurst TX
Mitchell C. Holman - Savannah GA

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Savanah GA

International Classification:

G06F 1900

US Classification:

36446803

Abstract:

A method is disclosed for constructing a complex tool surface for use in an age forming process. In one embodiment, the method comprises eight steps. Those steps are (1) modeling a flat panel as a set of finite elements, (2) modeling a rigid tool having a complex tool surface, (3) assigning material characteristics expressed as creep strain to each of the finite elements of the flat panel, (4) modeling the flat panel constrained to the rigid tool in an age forming process to produce a simulated age formed panel, (5) comparing the simulated age formed panel to an actual component and determining the differences, (6) modifying the rigid tool model to eliminate the differences determined in the comparison step, (7) repeating steps 4 and 5 with the modified rigid model until the differences fall within acceptable tolerances; and (8) constructing a tool for use in an age forming process in accordance with the modified rigid model.