Patent ID: 11951698
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method of positioning a composite charge onto a forming tool using a composite charge positioning assembly, the method comprising steps of:
placing the composite charge onto a first surface of a first charge support arm of the composite charge positioning assembly and a second surface of a second charge support arm of the composite charge positioning assembly;
placing the composite charge in contact with a portion of a forming surface of the forming tool; and
locking the forming tool between a first charge support arm assembly and a second charge support arm assembly, wherein the first charge support arm assembly comprises the first charge support arm, and wherein the second charge support arm assembly comprises the second charge support arm,
wherein the first charge support arm assembly and the second charge support arm assembly are used to both restrain the forming tool and position the composite charge,
wherein the step of placing the composite charge onto the first surface of the first charge support arm comprises indexing a first edge of the composite charge using an indexing structure, moveable along the first charge support arm.