Fastening end effector
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHarinder Singh Oberoi, Kevin Marion Barrick, Yuanxin Charles Hu, Melissa A. Johnson, Laura Carolyn Foster
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fastening end effector is presented. The fastening end effector comprises a hammering insertion die translatable into and out of a housing of the fastening end effector along a longitudinal axis of the fastening end effector; and grippers positioned circumferentially around the hammering insertion die to hold a head of a fastener against the hammering insertion die, the grippers independently moveable relative to the hammering insertion die.
Claims20
A fastening end effector comprising:
- a hammering insertion die;
- grippers positioned circumferentially around the hammering insertion die to hold a head of a fastener against the hammering insertion die, the grippers independently moveable radially relative to the hammering insertion die;
- and
- the hammering insertion die and the grippers together translatable into and out of a housing of the fastening end effector along a longitudinal axis of the fastening end effector.
A method comprising:
- extending a hammering insertion die and attached grippers together through and out of a housing of a fastening end effector along a longitudinal axis of the fastening end effector, the hammering insertion die and the grippers together translatable into and out of the housing of the fastening end effector along the longitudinal axis of the fastening end effector;
- and
- moving the grippers positioned circumferentially around the hammering insertion die inward towards the hammering insertion die to hold a head of a fastener against the hammering insertion die, the grippers independently moveable radially relative to the hammering insertion die.
A fastening end effector comprising:
- a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a hammering system translatable along the longitudinal axis, the hammering system comprising:
- a hammering insertion die, grippers positioned circumferentially around the hammering insertion die to hold a head of a fastener against the hammering insertion die, the grippers independently moveable radially relative to the hammering insertion die, and a force application mechanism, wherein the hammering insertion die and the grippers are together translatable into and out of a housing of the fastening end effector along the longitudinal axis.
A method of fastening a structure, the method comprising:
- retracting a fastener into a housing of a fastening end effector along a longitudinal axis of the fastening end effector, the fastener held by grippers against a hammering insertion die of the fastening end effector, the grippers positioned circumferentially around the hammering insertion die to hold a head of the fastener against the hammering insertion die, the grippers independently moveable radially relative to the hammering insertion die;
- normalizing the fastening end effector relative to a structure;
- and
- inserting the fastener into the structure by extending the fastener and the hammering insertion die and the grippers through and out of the housing of the fastening end effector along the longitudinal axis, the hammering insertion die and the grippers together translatable into and out of the housing along the longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.