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

Claim 10:
11. A method of positioning a composite charge onto a forming tool using a composite charge positioning assembly, the method comprising:
positioning a first charge support arm of the composite charge positioning assembly relative to a forming surface of the forming tool;
positioning a second charge support arm of the composite charge positioning assembly relative to the forming surface of the forming tool;
placing the composite charge onto a first surface of the first charge support arm of the composite charge positioning assembly and a second surface of the second charge support arm of the composite charge positioning assembly; and
lowering the first charge support arm and the second charge support arm toward the forming tool so that the composite charge is placed in contact with a portion of a forming surface of the forming tool,
further comprising a step of 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 step of locking the forming tool between the first charge support arm assembly and the second charge support arm assembly comprises moving the second charge support arm assembly along a base of the composite charge positioning system such that a footing of the forming tool is restrained by the first charge support arm assembly and the second charge support arm assembly.