Devices for enabling navigation of a crawler vehicle along an airfoil-shaped body, such as a helicopter blade, in a low-cost fashion with high reliability, especially for swept configuration blades. Using the natural tendency of vacuum adherence devices to adhere to changing surface contours, the crawler vehicle can adhere itself to airfoil-shaped structures in a way that allows the crawler vehicle to easily translate along an airfoil-shaped body while accommodating extreme variations along the surface of the airfoil-shaped body. The crawler vehicle can be designed to eliminate any trailing edge follower wheel, which simplifies the crawler's ability to accommodate trailing edge protrusions, such as trim tabs.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Vacuum adhering apparatus for automated maintenance of airfoil-shaped bodies


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2016-04-05


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    G01D MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE , Anzeigen oder Aufzeichnen in Verbindung mit Messen allgemein / B64F GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT , Boden- oder Flugzeugträgerdeckeinrichtungen besonders ausgebildet für die Verwendung in Verbindung mit Luftfahrzeugen



    Vacuum-Adhering Apparatus for Automated Inspection of Airfoil-Shaped Bodies

    HAFENRICHTER JOSEPH L / GEORGESON GARY E | European Patent Office | 2020

    Free access

    Vacuum-adhering apparatus for automated inspection of airfoil-shaped bodies with improved surface mounting

    HAFENRICHTER JOSEPH L / GEORGESON GARY E | European Patent Office | 2021

    Free access

    Fan-propelled surface-adhering apparatus for automated maintenance operations

    HAFENRICHTER JOSEPH L / GEORGESON GARY E | European Patent Office | 2022

    Free access

    NON-DESTRUCTIVE SCANNING DEVICE FOR AIRFOIL-SHAPED BODIES

    JACK DAVID A / BLANDFORD BENJAMIN M / GEORGESON GARY | European Patent Office | 2023

    Free access

    Mechanisms for deploying and actuating airfoil-shaped bodies on unmanned aerial vehicles

    GETTINGER JONATHAN DAVID | European Patent Office | 2020

    Free access