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US 2017/0361370 A1Published application
Lockbolt tool nose assembly
AssigneeGage Bilt, Inc.
InventorBruce T. Godfrey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a nose assembly with integrated anvil and puller to assist in swaging a collar to a lockbolt type fastener. The nose assembly has a sidewall defining a hollow axially extending interior and an open terminal end, hollow axially extending interior having a first interior diameter, and an annular recess of a second interior diameter greater than the first interior diameter. A puller is slidably displaceable relative to the holder sidewall. The puller is configured with opposing sets of teeth for gripping a lockbolt pintail and to close grippingly on the lockbolt pintail when the puller is axially displaced relative to the holder sidewall sufficiently to draw a head portion of the puller at least partially out of the recess and into the first interior diameter length.
Claims12
A nose assembly for a lockbolt installation tool, the nose assembly comprising:
- an elongate tubular holder having a sidewall defining a hollow axially extending interior and an open terminal end, the sidewall defining along its length a first interior diameter, and, proximate the open end, an annular recess of a second interior diameter greater than the first interior diameter;
- an elongate hollow and generally cylindrical puller coaxially disposed within the hollow interior, and axially slidably displaceable relative to the holder sidewall;
- the puller having an annular head portion of a diameter that fits into the holder when aligned therewith;
- the puller having at least two axially extending slots formed therein to create radial resilience in the head portion, the head portion configured to be in a normally open condition while disposed in far annular recess, and capable of transitioning to a closed condition upon application of a radial force, with the radial resilience transitioning the head portion back to the open condition when the radial force is removed;
- the puller head portion being configured with opposing sets of teeth for gripping a lockbolt pintail;
- and
- the gripping teeth and head portion being sized and configured to close grippingly on the lockbolt pintail when the puller is axially displaced relative to the holder sidewall sufficiently to draw the head portion at least partially out of the recess and into the first interior diameter length.
4 more elements
A nose assembly for a lockbolt installation tool, the nose assembly comprising:
- a main body having a hollow axially extending interior;
- an anvil secured to the main body, the anvil having a hollow axially extending interior, the anvil comprising a swage portion, a recess portion and a retraction portion, the recess portion being disposed between the swage portion and the retraction portion, the recess portion having an interior diameter that is greater than an interior diameter of the swage portion and an interior diameter of the retraction portion;
- a puller comprising a shaft portion and a head portion, the head portion having a larger outer diameter than the shaft portion, the head portion movable between a normally open condition and capable of transitioning to a closed condition upon application of a radial force, a radial resilience transitioning the head portion back to the open condition when the radial force is removed;
- and
- the puller slidably disposed in the hollow axially extending interior of the main body and in the hollow axially extending interior of the anvil, the puller able to move within the hollow axially extending interiors between an extended position and a retracted position, in the extended position the head portion of the puller is disposed in the recess portion of the anvil with the head portion in the normally open condition, and in the retracted position the head portion of the puller is disposed in the retraction portion of the anvil with the head portion in the closed condition.
2 more elements
A method for installing a lockbolt, the method comprising:
- providing a lockbolt installation tool with a nose assembly comprising:
- an elongate tubular holder having a sidewall defining a hollow axially extending interior and an open terminal end, the sidewall defining along its length a first interior diameter, and, proximate the open end, an annular recess of a second interior diameter greater than the first interior diameter,
- an elongate hollow and generally cylindrical puller coaxially disposed within the hollow interior, and axially slidably displaceable relative to the holder sidewall,
- the puller having an annular head portion of a diameter that fits into the holder when aligned therewith, and
- the puller head portion being configured with opposing sets of teeth for gripping a lockbolt pintail;
- placing over the lockbolt installation tool over lockbolt such that the open terminal end abuts a collar encircling the lockbolt with the lockbolt pintail disposed between the gripping teeth and;
- gripping the pintail with the lockbolt installation tool by retracting the puller relative to the sidewall such that the puller moves away from the open terminal end;
- swaging the collar by continuing the retraction of the puller, thereby drawing the collar into an anvil portion the lockbolt installation tool;
- separating the pintail from lockbolt by continuing the retraction of the puller;
- removing the lockbolt installation tool from the collar by extending the puller relative to the sidewall such that the puller moves toward from the open terminal end, thereby causing the pintail to press against lockbolt;
- and
- releasing the pintail from the puller by continuing the extension of the puller towards the open terminal end until the puller is disposed in the recess portion.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.