Method of disposing an aircraft workpiece on a stand by positioning in each of the vertical, longitudinal and transverse directions
A method of positioning an aircraft workpiece for maintenance. The method has the steps of: providing a stand for holding at least one aircraft workpiece during maintenance, the stand has a pair of longitudinally spaced apart uprights, an elongate, longitudinally oriented, vertically placeable spine connecting the pair of uprights, an elongate, laterally oriented spreader movably disposed on the spine, at least one laterally placeable slider movably disposed on the spreader and at least one fixture disposed on the slider, and being adapted to hold a workpiece in fixed relationship relative to an operator; adjusting the spine in a vertical direction to a desired first spine position; adjusting the spreader in the longitudinal direction to a desired first spine spreader position; and adjusting the corresponding slider in the transverse direction to a desired first slider position. When the fixture is in the desired vertical, longitudinal and transverse positions an operator removably disposes an aircraft workpiece in the corresponding fixture to be held in a desired position for maintenance.
1 . A method of positioning an aircraft workpiece for maintenance, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a stand for holding at least one aircraft workpiece during maintenance, the stand defining a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction perpendicular thereto and comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced apart uprights; a first elongate, longitudinally oriented, vertically placeable spine operably connecting the pair of uprights; an elongate, laterally oriented, longitudinally placeable first spine spreader translatably disposed on the first spine; a first slider, the first slider being translatably disposed on the first spine spreader; and at least one fixture disposed on the first slider, each at least one fixture being adapted to hold a workpiece in fixed relationship relative to an operator, the first spine spreader being selected from a kit comprising a plurality of spine spreaders, each spine spreader in the kit having the respective slider disposed thereon in a respective predetermined position;
adjusting the first spine in a vertical direction to a desired first spine position;
adjusting the first spine spreader in the longitudinal direction to a desired first spine spreader position;
adjusting the first slider in the transverse direction to a desired first slider position;
removably disposing an aircraft workpiece in the corresponding at least one fixture to be held in a desired workpiece position;
selecting a second spine spreader with a respective second slider thereon from the kit and disposing the second spine spreader on the first spine; and
translating the second spine spreader with the second slider thereon in the transverse direction to a desired second spine spreader position.
2 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
locking each slider in the respective predetermined position on the corresponding spine spreader with a friction brake operably associated with the corresponding slider; and
disposing the aircraft workpiece in a fixture disposed on the second spine spreader, whereby the aircraft workpiece is held in fixed position by two spaced apart fixtures.
3 . A method according to claim 2 further comprising the steps of:
performing maintenance on the aircraft workpiece; and
removing the aircraft workpiece from the stand.