Fastener assembly and tooling for installing the fastener assembly
OwnerNed C. Bowers, Russell Ortner +1inventors
InventorsNed C. Bowers, Russell Ortner, David Phillips
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus, including: an insert tool (300) with female threads (310) and a base (304) configured to abut a flat surface and thereby orient the female threads perpendicular to the flat surface; and a flaring assembly (400) having a mandrel (410) and a flare body (420). The mandrel has male threads (412) configured to cooperate with the female threads in the insert tool to advance the mandrel toward the insert tool. The flare body is configured to permit the mandrel to rotate relative to the flare body, to advance with the mandrel, and to flare a sleeve trapped between the insert tool and the flare body when advancing with the mandrel.
Claims23
An apparatus, comprising:
- an insert tool comprising female threads and a base end configured to abut a flat surface and thereby orient a helical axis of the female threads perpendicular to the flat surface;
- and
- a flaring assembly comprising a mandrel and a flare body, wherein the mandrel comprises male threads configured to cooperate with the female threads in the insert tool to advance the mandrel toward the insert tool;
- and wherein the flare body is configured to permit the mandrel to rotate relative to the flare body, to advance with the mandrel, and to flare a sleeve trapped between the insert tool and the flare body when advancing with the mandrel.
A fastener assembly, comprising:
- a cage comprising a base plate, a first wall that is cantilevered from an upper surface of the base plate, and a second wall that is cantilevered from the upper surface of the base plate, wherein the cage defines a channel between the first wall and the second wall;
- an insert comprising an internally threaded cylinder that is connected to a respective base, wherein the base of the insert is configured to rest in the channel and on the upper surface;
- a resilient retention device configured to trap the insert in the channel when the retention device is secured to the first wall and the second wall;
- a through hole disposed through the base plate, comprising a counterbore that is recessed from the upper surface, and configured to align with the internally threaded cylinder when the insert is trapped in the channel;
- and
- a stem comprising a hollow cylindrical shape and a flange at one end, wherein when the flange is disposed in the counterbore an opposite end of the stem protrudes from a bottom surface of the base plate.
A method of installing a fastener assembly to a structure, comprising:
- selecting a sleeve from a plurality of sleeves of differing lengths, wherein a length of the sleeve corresponds to a thickness of the structure;
- placing the sleeve into a through hole in a cage, wherein a first end of the sleeve and the cage cooperate to retain the first end of the sleeve in the through hole;
- placing an insert on the cage to trap the sleeve in the through hole in the cage;
- placing a second end of the sleeve in the hole in a structure so that the second end of the sleeve is positioned astride a countersink of the hole in the structure;
- installing a flaring assembly through the sleeve and into internal threads in the insert;
- flaring the second end of the sleeve radially outward and into the countersink by advancing the flaring assembly into the internal threads;
- and
- removing the flaring assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.