| 摘要 |
A support apparatus 1 is connected to a hand held puller device 3 for cold expanding a sleeve (41 fig. 4) in a bore (43 fig. 4) which may be formed in a surface of a composite aircraft wing structure. The support apparatus 1 may comprise four roller ball feet 15, a circular base 17 carrying a rotatable circular plate 19 upon which is mounted a column 21, along which a carriage 25 may slide in grooves 23. The carriage 25 may carry a lockable, slideable grooved arm 31 upon which is mounted a gimbal 33 for carrying the device 3. The support apparatus 1 is arranged to counter-balance the weight of the device 3 for example with a counter-weight 24, connected to a flexible member such as at least one chain 27 passing over a pulley 29. The support apparatus 1 is arranged such that device 3 is manoeuvrable to a user-determined position and is supported in the user-determined position, enabling the vertical position of the device 3 to be adjusted without the user needing to lift the full weight of the device. Once approximately aligned the support device may allow the puller device 3 to align itself with the bore (43 fig. 4) during actuation before it pulls a mandrel through the sleeve (41 fig. 4). |
