1. Title of the invention
Removal/Installation Tool for Switch/Circuit Breakers of a Fighter Aircraft.

2. Field of invention

The electrical boxes of a supersonic fighter aircraft consists of Circuit Breakers/ switches that need to be torque tightened upon installation / tightening to the bus bar. This invented tool is used during modification/repair of electrical boxes in the fighter aircraft. The inventors fabricated the removal / installation tool by using resources available in-house (fabricated the tool with available material) and adapted the tool with an 8 mm socket welded to it to facilitate the tightening of the fasteners to the specified torque.

3. Use of invention

The above tool is extensively useful and facilitate requirement of torque tightening of the fasteners. During Upgrade of the fighter aircraft, the electrical boxes need to be modified incorporating the modified Circuit Breakers / Switches. No specific tool was available to carry out the torque tightening of the fasteners in these CB's / Switches to the specified torque. Earlier Circuit ; Breakers / Switches were installed by the OEM supplied removal/installation tool and tightened to the maximum by manual mode (hand tightened).

Fabrication of this tool by using the in-house resources (fabricated the tool with available material) and modifying the tool with an 8mm socket welded on it to facilitate the torque tightening easily and ensuring that no fasteners are over tightened. The team fabricated two types (Type a & b) of the tool as shown in

Fig-1. The above, tool was put in to operation on the specified aircraft during electrical boxes modification and found to be satisfactory and also ensured that uniformity of torque tightening of the fasteners was automatically ensured.

4. Prior art

The earlier tool provided by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) was not meeting the specific requirement. During Upgrade of the aircraft, the electrical

boxes need to be modified with new Circuit Breakers / Switches. No specific tool available for the torque tightening of these Circuit Breakers/Switches. The Circuit Breakers/Switches were installed by OEM supplied removal/installation tool and hand tightened. Moreover it was causing fatigue to technicians who were involved in the activity.

5, Draw backs of prior art

Length of the previous removal/installation tool was less or not sufficient for the task. Since torque tightening was done with hand, to gain access for the hand, the already installed units in the aircraft had to be removed. This resulted in increased cycle time of activity.

6. Comparison between prior art and present invention

In the previous art it was not possible to apply specific torque as desired and also this was carried out only based on the human experience, there was a need to remove and install few of the units in the bay for gaining access.

In the present invention, the tool was adapted with an 8 mm socket welded to it thereby increasing the length of the tool. With the present invention, sufficient torque could be applied without removing any of the adjoining units installed in the aircraft.

7. Aim of the invention

The electrical boxes of a fighter aircraft consists of Circuit Breakers/ Switches which needs to be torque tightened upon installation / tightening to the bus bar. Aim of the invention was to develop an effective and efficient Removal/ Installation Tool by using resources available in-house. The invented removal/installation tool could be used to provide specified/stipulated torque while removing and installing the Line Replacement Units (LRU). The invented tool reduces the fatigue to technicians during removal/Installation of Circuit Breakers/Switches on the aircraft.

8. Summary of the present invention

The electrical boxes of a supersonic fighter aircraft consists of circuit breakers/ switches which needs to be torque tightened during installation. This invented tool is used during the modification/repair of electrical boxes in the fighter aircraft. The inventors fabricated the Removal/Installation tool by using in-house resources (fabricated the tool with readily available material) and adapted the tool with an 8 mm socket welded "to it to facilitate the torque tightening.

9. Brief description of drawings

Fig.1 Newly invented Removal/Installation Tool.

Fig.2 Removal/Installation Tool after modification.

Fig.3 Cross section of the modified Removal/Installation Tool.

Fig. 4 Usage of Removal/Installation Tool.

Fig. 5 Modified Removal/Installation Tool.

10. Statement of invention

Fabrication of the removal / installation tool by using in-house resources (fabricated the tool with available material) and adapted the tool with an 8 mm socket welded on it to facilitate torque tightening. The technical team fabricated two types of above mentioned tool as shown in Fig-1. The above tool was put in to operation on a fighter aircraft during electrical boxes modification and found to be user friendly.

11. Detailed description of invention

The electrical boxes of a fighter aircraft consists of circuit breakers/ switches which needs to be torque tightened during installation / removal to the bus bar. This invented tool is used during the modification/repair of electrical boxes in the fighter aircraft. The inventors fabricated the Removal7 Installation tool by using in-house resources (fabricated the tool with available material) and adapted the tool with an 8 mm socket welded to it to facilitate torque tightening. The tool is made
up of alloy Steel. This has helped to reduce Man Hours required for this activity and avoids under/over tightening when carried out by hand. This invention significantly reduces the fatigue to the operator while performing removal/installation activity.

Claims

We claim

1. The Removal / Installation tool used for the removal/installation of Switch/Circuit
Breakers of Line Replaceable Units (LRU) in a Supersonic Fighter Aircraft and it's design.

2. An 8 mm socket welded to the tool to facilitate torque tightening.