US 11,685,552 B2
Fractional pulse assembly line
Jeffrey Alan Truess, Mukilteo, WA (US); and Richard Calawa, Mukilteo, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/524,072.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/123,324, filed on Dec. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0177161 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B64F 5/50 (2017.01); B64C 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 5/10 (2017.01) [B64F 5/50 (2017.01); B23P 2700/01 (2013.01); B64C 1/069 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
17. A system for performing work on a fuselage section, the system comprising:
a series of plates configured to be sequentially affixed along a length of the fuselage section;
a track; and
work stations disposed along the track;
wherein drive units at the track are configured to form a frictional fit with the plates, and to iteratively advance the fuselage section along the track in a process direction with pauses between advancement of the fuselage section;
wherein indexing elements at the track are configured to engage with indexing elements at the plates during the pauses;
wherein the work stations include tools configured to perform work on the fuselage section when the fuselage section is paused.