Feeder for swageable lockbolt collars and method of using same

A method of installing swagable collars onto shanks of lockbolts pre-located and extending from a work surface using a swaging tool with a nose assembly defining a tool axis, comprising the steps of:

• a. installing a feeder assembly on the swaging tool comprising a stationary assembly on the nose assembly, a lower assembly pivotally attached to the stationary assembly and adapted to carry a collar gripper and a magazine loaded with coaxially stacked annular collars biased for forward movement substantially parallel to the swaging tool axis toward the collar gripper, and an actuator mechanism having a pair of contact elements resiliently mounted for movement parallel to the tool axis and extending forwardly of the nose assembly for engagement with said work surface, and a pair actuator elements connecting said contact elements to said lower assembly to pivot said lower assembly about an axis orthogonal to the tool axis;
• b. loading a collar from the magazine into the collar gripper;
• c. using the swaging tool with the installed feeder assembly in alignment with the tool axis to place said collar onto a shank of a lockbolt;
• d. pressing the contact elements against the work surface adjacent the lockbolt shank to resiliently displace the actuator elements axially rearwardly of the swaging tool and pivot the lower assembly about said orthogonal axis;
• e. releasing the collar onto the lockbolt from the collar gripper to thereby allow a second collar to enter the collar gripper from the magazine;
• f. swaging the collar that is released onto the lockbolt shank;
• and
• g. pulling the swaging tool axially away from the work surface and the lockbolt to re-extend the actuator elements forwardly and pivot the lower assembly back into axis alignment with the tool axis.