MOUNTING ATTACHMENT FOR STRUCTURAL STRINGERS

Abstract: A support attachment for structural stringers includes a strap having a hook portion at one end shaped to engage an edge of a stringer and a normally free end. The strap's surface has a plurality of upstanding engaging elements extending substantially along its entire length. Also included is a body having a hook portion shaped to engage another edge of a stringer. The body has a central portion and a pair of parallel spaced-apart guidewall portions which extend outwardly away from one side of the central portion to form a guide channel. A surface portion of the body, having a plurality of mating upstanding engaging elements, extends outwardly away from the opposite side of the central portion. A guide avenue through the central portion provides a pathway for guiding the strap's free end from between the guidewall portions to the surface portion. Respective hook portions of the strap and body may engage opposite edges of a stringer and may be secured thereto by passing the free end of the strap through the guide avenue and drawing the respective engaging elements into engaging juxtaposition while the strap is in tension. A supporting means on the central portion allows other devices or members to be attached thereto and, thus, supported on the stringer.

Description: Technical Field The present invention relates to a mounting assembly attachable to a stringer of a type having spaced apart flanges each with edges, comprising: a strap having a first end portion including a hook engageable over the edge of a first flange of the stringer, said strap being of a length to extend laterally across the stringer, an inner surface having a plurality of upstanding flexible engaging elements, and a second end portion; a mounting member having a base positionable against the stringer, said base including a hook engageable on the edge of the second flange of the stringer, a guide avenue for the strap, and an outer surface having a plurality of upstanding flexible engaging elements; said strap being of sufficient length, and said engaging elements being so positioned to permit connecting engagement of the strap and the mounting member in their assembled state. Such a mounting assembly is known from the United States Patent No. 4,353,519. Background Art United States Patent No. 4,353,519, granted October 12, 1982, to Patrick M. Bogart, and assigned to The Boeing Company, discloses two different ways of securing a mounting member to a stringer, each of which employs a pair of hooks engageable on flange portions of the stringers and a mechanism between the hooks which is operable to draw the hooks into tight clamping engagement with the flanges. In these prior art attachments, a ratchet-type clamping mechanism is used. In order to move or adjust these prior art attachments, it is necessary to pry a ratchet pawl from its engaged position. Prying on the pawl may cause it to crack and break, thereby causing the attachment member to be unusable and creating undesirable waste. United States Pat. No. 3,913,876, granted October 21, 1975, to William E. McSherry, discloses another type of mounting attachment. This attachment member is secured by fasteners inserted through mounting holes or by pressure-sensitive adhesive. Because drilling through the flanges of a stringer may affect structural stress performance, attachment by this method is not acceptable. The use of an adhesive requires that the securing means be destroyed when the attachment member is removed for repositioning. United States Patent No. 4,700,432, granted October 20, 1987, to Michael P. Fennell, describes a bundling device comprising a two-part strap member, one part of which has attachment hooks, and the other part of which has attachment loops. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly of the type descriped in the preamble of claim 1, which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and which is stronger and more durable than the prior art devices. It is a further object of the invention to provide such mounting assembly capable of securing objects firmly to a structural stringer, but which is removable or repositionable without damage or destruction thereof. Disclosure of the Invention According to the invention, these objects are achieved in that the engaging elements of the connecting surfaces are hooks and loops, respectively, and are readily securable and detachable in face-to-face relation, and particularly resistant to separation by forces parallel to their plane of engagement, and in that they are positioned adjacent the hook of the mounting member. Preferred embodiments of the mounting assembly according to the invention are described in the dependent claims 2-6. Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following description and drawing which have been set out in detail for the purpose of complete disclosure, without intending to limit the scope of the invention which is set forth in the appended claim. Brief Description of the Drawing In the drawings which accompany the description of the invention presented herein, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views, and wherein: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of the body component of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of the strap component of the invention; Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the strap partially inserted through the transverse opening in the central portion of the body; Fig. 4 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of the invention attached to a portion of an aircraft structural stringer; and Fig. 5 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention attached to an aircraft structural stringer shown in cross-section. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention Referring now to the drawing, and first to Fig. 1, therein is shown a preferred embodiment of the body 10 of a support attachment. Shown in Fig. 2 is a preferred embodiment of the strap 12 of a support attachment. One surface 14 of the strap 12 consists of a multiplicity of small loops made of filamentary material, the material being stiff enough so that the loops project outwardly from the face of the strap 12. The loops may be woven or knitted onto the surface of a fabric substrate, which together form the strap 12. At a first end 16 of the strap 12 is a hook member 18. The hook member 18 is shaped to engage an edge of an aircraft structural stringer. In preferred form, the hook member 18 is molded of a thermoplastic material and the first end 16 of the strap 12 is integrally molded or encapsulated therein. The second end 20 of the strap 12 is a normally free end. The body 10 includes a hook member 22 which is also shaped to engage an edge of a stringer. Extending outwardly from a central portion 24 of the body 10 are a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart guidewall portions 26, 28. Extending outwardly from the opposite side of the central portion 24 is a surface portion 30 which includes a multiplicity of upstanding filamentary hook elements. In preferred form, the surface portion 30 is the outward surface of the hook member 22. The upstanding filamentary hook elements may be formed onto a fabric substrate and then attached to the surface portion 30 by adhesively attaching the fabric substrate thereto or by encapsulating the fabric substrate in molten thermoplastic material as the body 10 is formed. The hook elements of the surface 30 are engageable with the loop elements of the strap surface 14. Preferably, the interengaging elements are those incorporated in fastening tapes sold commercially under the trademark VELCRO® by Velcro Corp., New York, New York. The hook element of the body surface 30 may be woven or knitted onto a fabric substrate and then attached to the body 10 or may be integrally formed therein. It is to be appreciated that the hook elements and loop elements may be interchanged, so long as respective surfaces 14, 30 bear complementary engaging elements. A transverse opening 32 is formed through the central portion 24 of the body 10. The opening 32 is sized to allow the strap's second end 20 to be guided between the guide walls 26, 28, through the opening 32, and positioned adjacent the body surface 30, as shown in Fig. 3. The guide walls 26, 28 form a guide avenue with the base portion 29 of the body 10. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the strap hook 18 and the body hook 22 may be positioned to engage respective opposite edges 34, 36 of a stringer 38. The support attachment may be securely mounted on the stringer 38 by passing a sufficient portion of the strap 12 through the opening 32, placing the strap 12 into tension and drawing the engaging elements of the strap surface 14 into engaging juxtaposition with the engaging elements of the body surface 30. The body 10, particularly the central portion 24 and the guidewall members 26, 28, are formed of a sufficiently rigid material to provide a supporting span across the channel 40 of the stringer 38. At the central portion 24 of the body 10 is located a supporting means 42 which may include an interally-threaded bore 44. Devices or members to be supported on a stringer 38 may be attached to the supporting means 42 which will, in turn, support the devices or members on the stringer 38.

Claims: A mounting assembly attachable to a stringer (38) of a type having spaced apart flanges each with edges (34, 36), comprising: a strap (12) having a first end portion (16) including a hook (18) engageable over the edge (34) of a first flange of the stringer (38), said strap (12) being of a length to extend laterally across the stringer (38), an inner surface (14) having a plurality of upstanding flexible engaging elements, and a second end portion (20); a mounting member (10) having a base (29) positionable against the stringer (38), said base (29) including a hook (22) engageable on the edge (36) of the second flange of the stringer (38), a guide avenue for the strap (12), and an outer surface (32) having a plurality of upstanding flexible engaging elements; said strap (12) being of sufficient length, and said engaging elements being so positioned to permit connecting engagement of the strap (12) and the mounting member (10) in their assembled state, characterized in that the engaging elements of the connecting surfaces are hooks and loops, respectively, and are readily securable and detachable in face-to-face relation, and particularly resistant to separation by forces parallel to their plane of engagement, and in that they are positioned adjacent the hook (22) of the mounting member (10). The mounting assembly of claim 1, characterized in that said strap hook (18) is made of a thermoplastic material and said first end portion (16) of said strap (12) is integrally molded therein. The mounting assembly of claim 2, characterized in that said strap hook (18) includes a rigid base portion, a lip spaced from and substantially parallel to said base portion, and an interconnecting portion therebetween, and said strap (12) extends ourwardly from the base portion in a substantially coplanar direction. The mounting assembly of any one of the claims 1-3, characterized in that said base hook (22) includes a brace portion extending substantially coplanar from said base, a lip spaced from and substantially parallel to an outward edge of said brace portion, and an interconnecting portion therebetween, and said outer surface (30) of said mounting member (10) is on said brace portion. The mounting assembly of claim 4, characterized in that said outer surface (30) is also on said interconnecting portion. The mounting assembly of any one of the claims 1-5, characterized in that said guide avenue includes side-walls (26, 28) forming a channel with the mounting member base (29).

Inventors: SHAULL, LAWRENCE M.
Applicants: THE BOEING COMPANY
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F16B2
IPC codes: F16B1, F16B2