Patent ID: 11931845
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
positioning a first strongback apparatus and a second strongback apparatus on a first tubular structure, wherein the first tubular structure is coupled to a second tubular structure, and wherein each strongback apparatus comprises:
an arcuate central body comprising a front end, a rear end, and a plurality of elongated members that connect the front end to the rear end, and
a plurality of actuators pivotably mounted to the plurality of elongated members, wherein the plurality of actuators are configured to move in a radially outward direction and comprise (i) proximal ends pivotably mounted to the plurality of elongated members and (ii) distal ends having vacuum suction cups;

after positioning the second strongback apparatus on the first tubular structure, longitudinally bisecting the first tubular structure into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section and the second section thereafter remain coupled to the second tubular structure;
operating a vacuum source to engage first vacuum suction cups of a first plurality of actuators of the first strongback apparatus with the first tubular structure;
while the first vacuum suction cups of the first plurality of actuators are engaged with the first tubular structure, controlling the first plurality of actuators to pull the first tubular structure away from the second tubular structure in the radially outward direction; and
while pulling the first tubular structure away from the second tubular structure in the radially outward direction, decoupling, with the first strongback apparatus, the first tubular structure from the second tubular structure.