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
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims22
A fastening end effector comprising:
- 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.
A method comprising:
- extending a hammering insertion die through a housing of a fastening end effector along a longitudinal axis of the fastening end effector;
- and
- moving 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.
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, and a force application mechanism.
20-25. (canceled)
A method of fastening a structure, the method comprising:
- retracting a fastener through 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;
- normalizing the fastening end effector relative to a structure;
- and
- inserting the fastener into the structure by extending the fastener and hammering insertion die through the housing of the fastening end effector along the longitudinal axis.
27-29. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.