Segmented Gearbox Torque Assembly for Blind Fastener Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of accessing and torquing screw fasteners in restricted locations within complex mechanical assemblies, such as aircraft engines, due to limited wrench access and narrow bore diameters, is exacerbated by increased bolt circles and decreased axial web spacing, requiring difficult disassembly and high torque measurements.
Innovation Solution
A deep reach torque system comprising a modular rail assembly with a flexible, segmented gearbox assembly, including an aft, mid, and forward gearbox subassembly, and a telescoping rotatable axle, which facilitates access and securement of parts through a tubular-shaped part dispenser and radial motion gearbox, enabling high-torque operations in confined spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional socket wrench sets and hand operated wrenches are used to torque screw fasteners, then the fasteners can be secured, but wrench access becomes impossible or extremely difficult when structure or parts are installed in the vicinity of the fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into multiple segments including a telescoping shaft with articulated sections that can bend and extend. This segmentation allows the tool to navigate around obstacles and reach fasteners in confined spaces where conventional rigid wrenches cannot access
Solution Approach 2:
The tool incorporates dynamic elements including a telescoping shaft that can extend and retract, and an articulated joint that allows bending. This dynamic structure enables the tool to adapt its shape and length to reach fasteners in various configurations and confined spaces
2Ease of manufacture
If the factory installs structure or parts in the vicinity of accessible parts, then the assembly is complete, but removal, adjustment or reinstallation of the part becomes extremely difficult requiring disassembly of structure and/or machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented telescoping tool can navigate through and around installed structure and parts, allowing maintenance personnel to access fasteners without requiring disassembly of the surrounding structure or machinery
Solution Approach 2:
The tool's length and shape parameters can be changed dynamically through telescoping and articulation, allowing it to adapt to different access requirements and navigate around installed components without modifying the installed structure
3Volume of moving object
If aircraft or machine designers do not allow clearance for conventional wrench access, then the design is compact, but maintenance and service require difficult access to parts requiring torque
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic telescoping and articulating mechanism allows the tool to extend and bend to reach fasteners in compact spaces, maintaining the compact design while enabling maintenance access without requiring additional clearance space
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated joint allows the tool to move from a linear path to a bent path, effectively using three-dimensional space to reach fasteners that are not accessible in straight-line approaches, thereby maintaining compactness while improving accessibility
4Weight of moving object
If rotating components have decreased bore diameters, increased bolt circles, and decreased axial web spacing, then the rotor mass efficiency is optimized, but access to bolted joints becomes increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented telescoping tool can extend through narrow bore diameters and navigate the constraints of increased bolt circles and decreased axial web spacing, providing access to bolted joints in optimized rotor designs where conventional tools cannot reach
Solution Approach 2:
The tool's length and configuration parameters can be adjusted to match the specific geometry of the rotor component, allowing access to bolted joints in components with optimized but constrained dimensions
5Strength
If high torques are required for bolted joints, then the fastening is secure, but the high torque values and associated angles of turn must be measured and recorded throughout any removal, adjustment or reinstallation process
Solution Approach 1:
The tool replaces manual torque application and measurement with an integrated electric motor and control system that automatically applies precise torque and records the process, eliminating the need for manual measurement and recording equipment
Data Source
AI summary
A deep reach torque system comprises a modular rail assembly designed to receive a flexible, segmented gearbox assembly. The flexible segmented, gearbox assembly comprises an aft gearbox subassembly; a mid-gearbox subassembly; and, a forward gearbox subassembly. A method for installing a part at a blind part location within a machine comprises the steps of deploying a modular rail assembly within a bore of a machine at an intended position therein; deploying a flexible, segmented gearbox assembly on a pair of tracks of the modular rail assembly; positioning and aligning the flexible, segmented gearbox assembly with a blind part location; dispensing a part through a tubular-shaped part dispenser to a socket of a drive socket of a forward gearbox subassembly of the flexible, segmented gearbox assembly; and rotatably engaging the part with a blind part until the part is secured on the blind part.