Rivet setting machine
AssigneeNewfrey LLC
InventorJoseph Karl Schlafhauser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rivet setting machine is provided. In another aspect, a linear displacement sensor directly senses and detects a position of a rivet-setting punch relative to a nosepiece of a rivet setting machine. A further aspect provides a control system and software instructions for sensing the relative position of a punch and nosepiece used by a programmable controller to determine and monitor a rivet setting position without use of a force sensor, motor current/voltage sensor, or a rotation sensor.
Claims35
A rivet setting machine comprising:
- a rivet;
- a nosepiece;
- a feeder operably supplying the rivet to the nosepiece;
- a punch linearly moving from a retracted position to an advanced position through the nosepiece;
- and
- a linear displacement sensor positioned adjacent to the nosepiece directly sensing the location of the punch relative to the nosepiece during setting of the rivet.
A rivet setting machine comprising:
- a rivet;
- a nosepiece including a bore longitudinally extending therethrough, the nosepiece being movable to a workpiece-contacting position prior to or during rivet setting;
- a punch linearly retracting and advancing through the bore of the nosepiece;
- a linear displacement sensor directly sensing location of the punch relative to the nosepiece;
- and
- a programmable controller determining the linear punch displacement relative to the nosepiece during the rivet setting based on an output from the linear displacement sensor but without force sensing, rotation sensing or current/voltage sensing.
A rivet setting machine comprising:
- a self-piercing rivet;
- a nosepiece;
- a punch linearly moveable in the nosepiece to set the rivet;
- a housing surrounding at least part of the punch;
- a die always being aligned with the punch during punch movement;
- a frame coupling the die to the housing;
- a handle coupled to at least one of the frame and the housing allowing for hand-held portability of at least the nosepiece, punch and die;
- a single sensor detecting a linear displacement of the punch relative to the nosepiece;
- and
- a programmable controller monitoring a rivet setting position of the punch based on an output from the single sensor.
A control system for a rivet setting machine, the control system comprising:
- a sensor sensing a linear displacement of a rivet setting punch relative to a nosepiece of the rivet setting machine;
- a programmable controller determining an actual location of the punch relative to the nosepiece based on only the sensor;
- and
- an actuator having its energization controlled by the programmable controller, the programmable controller causing the actuator to position the punch in a desired rivet setting location relative to the nosepiece as monitored through an output of the sensor.
A method for setting a self-piercing rivet, the method comprising:
- advancing a punch relative to a nosepiece;
- contacting the nosepiece against a workpiece;
- detecting the relative position of the punch relative to the nosepiece using a single detector located adjacent to the nosepiece in at least one punch condition;
- automatically controlling the location of the punch relative to the nosepiece in order to set the self-piercing rivet, based on an output from the detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.