Granted Patent B2

US 8,484,930 · App. 11/279,321 · Granted Jul 16, 2013

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A method of assembling a box-type assembly, the method comprising

providing a first section having a web and a pair of flanges and a second section having a web and a pair of flanges,

inserting a manufacturing pilot through a cupped-hole locator formed in the web of the first section,

positioning a first end of a spacer over the manufacturing pilot and over the cupped-hole locator of the first section, where the cupped-hole locator of the first section includes a lip structure that extends away from the first section and into the spacer,

engaging a second end of the spacer over a cupped-hole locator formed in the web of the second section, where the cupped-hole locator of the second section includes a lip structure that extends away from the second section and into the spacer,

securing the flanges of the first and second sections together, and

removing the box-type assembly from the manufacturing pilot.

2. A method of assembling a box-type assembly, the method comprising

providing a fixture assembly, including a number of pilots;

placing a first section, having a web, a pair of flanges and a number of holes with locators, onto the fixture assembly with the holes and locators fitting onto the pilots and the section flanges facing away from the fixture;

placing a spacer over each of the pilots and engaging the spacer with the locator of the respective hole in the first section, wherein the locator extends into the spacer;

placing a second section, having a web, a pair of flanges, and a number of holes with locators, onto the fixture assembly with the holes fitting onto the pilots and the section flanges facing toward the first section, and with the locator associated with the web of the second section extending into the second end of each spacer; and

securing the flanges of the first and second sections together.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the spacer includes indentations adapted to center the spacer on a respective pilot.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a ring is placed over the pilot before the spacer is placed over the respective pilot, to center the spacer on the pilot.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the locator comprises a cupped hole formed in the web of the respective section, where the cupped hole includes a lip structure that extends away from the respective section and into the spacer.

6. A box-type structural assembly comprising;

a first section having a web and a pair of flanges;

a second section having a web and a pair of flanges;

a first locator disposed on the web of the first section, and a second locator disposed on the web of the second section;

at least one spacer positioned by the first and second locators between the webs of the first and second sections, the spacer having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the spacer is positioned around the first locator and the second end of the spacer is positioned around the second locator;

wherein the locators comprise opposed cupped holes in the webs of the first and second sections, wherein each cupped hole is defined by a raw edge that has been cupped away from the respective web to form a lip structure that extends toward an opposing cupped hole, such that the cupped hole on the locator of the first section has a lip structure extending toward the locator of the second section and the cupped hole on the locator of the second section has a lip structure extending toward the locator of the first section;

wherein the lip structures of the cupped holes extend into void areas of the spacer; and

securing means for securing the flanges of the first and second sections together.

7. The box-type assembly of claim 6 wherein, the spacer comprises a cylinder with at least one inside diameter, wherein at least a portion of the at least one inside diameter is approximately equal to an outside diameter defined by the lip structure.

8. The box-type assembly of claim 7 wherein the spacer further comprises a plurality of indentations having the effect of reducing a portion of the inside diameter.

9. The box-type assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a ring disposed within a passage defined by the spacer.

10. The box-type assembly of claim 9 , wherein the spacer comprises a simple cylinder.

11. A box-type assembly comprising:

an outer frame section and an inner frame section, each frame section including a web and a pair of flanges, wherein the flanges of the frame sections are secured together to form an interior space;

an outer frame hole provided in the web of the outer frame section, and an inner frame hole provided in the web of the inner frame section and opposing the outer frame hole;

lip structures disposed around each of the holes, wherein the lip structures extend into the interior space and form a wall that defines at least a portion of the outer edges of the hole; and

a spacer having an interior spacer void and positioned between the frame sections and inserted around the lip structures such that the lip structures extend into the spacer void.

12. The box-type assembly of claim 11 , wherein the spacer has a plurality of indentations that reduce the dimensions of the spacer void.

Assignments (9)