Patent ID: 7166251

Claim:
An aircraft barrel lay-up assembly comprising: a barrel mandrel assembly defining a contiguous outer barrel lay-up surface forming a barrel mandrel circumference, said barrel mandrel assembly comprising: a minor barrel outer surface element movable between a minor barrel engaged position and a minor barrel disengaged position, said minor barrel outer surface forming a minority portion of said contiguous outer barrel lay-up surface when in said minor barrel engaged position, said minor barrel outer surface moving out of continuity with said contiguous outer barrel lay-up surface when in said minor barrel disengaged position; a major barrel outer surface clement movable between a major barrel engaged position and a major barrel disengaged position, said major barrel outer surface element coincident with and forming a majority of said contiguous outer barrel lay-up surface when in said major barrel engaged position, said major barrel outer surface having a first major barrel surface end and a second major barrel surface end moving together to reduce an effective major barrel outer surface circumference when in said major barrel disengaged position, said major barrel outer surface element moving into said major barrel disengaged position in response to said minor barrel outer surface element moving into said minor barrel disengaged position; and a composite ply assembly fanned around said barrel mandrel circumference, said composite ply assembly cured while coincident with said contiguous outer barrel lay-up surface to form a composite barrel element, said composite barrel element removable from said barrel mandrel assembly by way of moving said minor barrel outer surface element into said minor barrel disengaged position and said major barrel outer surface element into said major barrel disengaged position such that a sliding gap is formed between said major barrel outer surface element and said composite ply assembly.