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

Claim 15:
16. A method of positioning a composite charge onto a forming tool using a composite charge positioning assembly, the method comprising steps of:
moving the forming tool to the composite charge positioning assembly;
placing the forming tool between a first charge support arm assembly and a second charge support arm assembly of the composite charge positioning assembly;
locking the forming tool between the first charge support arm assembly and the second charge support arm assembly;
placing the composite charge onto a first surface of a first charge support arm of the first charge support arm assembly and a second surface of a second charge support arm of the second charge support arm assembly; and
placing the composite charge in contact with a portion of a forming surface of the forming tool,
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 first charge support arm assembly and the second charge support arm assembly.