Back to results
US 4,765,057 AGranted
Self-attaching fastener, panel assembly and installation apparatus
AssigneeMultifastener Corporation
InventorRudolph R. M. Muller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeMultifastener Corporation
InventorRudolph R. M. Muller
Estimating the term…
The present disclosure relates to self-piercing fasteners, such as studs, bolts or nuts, the method of attaching such fasteners to a panel and fastener installation apparatus, including the installation head and die button. The fastener includes a self-piercing and riveting annular wall which is driven into a panel supported against a die member by the installation head. The die member includes an annular die cavity surrounding a central projecting die portion which is telescopically receivable in the free open end of the fastener annular wall. The free end of the fastener annular wall includes a piercing surface which mates with a piercing surface at the outer edge of the projecting die portion to pierce a slug from the panel. The panel slug is then pressed into the opening in the annular fastener wall by the conical end of the projecting die portion and the free end of the annular wall is simultaneously deformed radially outwardly in the die cavity forming a rigid mechanical interlock with the pierced panel edge.
An installation apparatus installing self-attaching stud fasteners in a panel, said installation apparatus including an installation head having a plunger reciprocable in a plunger passage to install said fasteners in a panel supported opposite said plunger passage and a transfer means transferring fasteners from a source of fasteners to said installation head, said stud fasteners each including an elongated shank portion and a tubular riveting wall portion generally coaxially aligned with said shank portion having an internal diameter greater than the diameter of said shank portion, said transfer means including a flexible tube communicating with said source of fasteners and said tube including a stack of fasteners each having said elongated shank portion received in the adjacent fastener tubular wall portion, and said stack of fasteners being flexible for receipt through said flexible tube.
An installation apparatus for installing self-attaching elements in a panel, each self-attaching element including an annular barrel portion at one end and a generally coaxially extending portion including a free opposite end, said installation apparatus including a base member and a relatively movable spaced nose member, said nose member including a first passage receiving said self-attaching elements and communicating with a transverse plunger passage, a plunger having a free end movable with said base member and telescopically receivable through said plunger passage for driving one of said self-attaching elements therethrough into a panel located opposite said plunger passage, said plunger passage terminating in a conical exit passage, said conical exit passage comprising expandable radially inwardly biased members defining a generally continuous conical internal surface coaxially aligned with said plunger including a major diameter adjacent said plunger greater than the maximum diameter of said self-attaching elements and a minor diameter adjacent the outlet of said conical passage smaller than said maximum element diameter, said conical passage receiving said barrel portion end of said self-attaching elements from said first passage and said conical surface centering and supporting said self-attaching elements for installation in a panel by said plunger, said plunger having a bore in said free end configured to receive and align said free end of said self-attaching elements in said plunger passage, and upon receipt of a self-attaching element in said plunger conical exit passage said nose member movable relative to said plunger passage to first receive said self-attaching element free end in said plunger bore assuring accurate orientation and alignment of a self-attaching element ready for installation, and actuating means actuating said apparatus to relatively move said plunger through said plunger passage and said oriented self-attaching element through said plunger passage conical exit passage installing said self-attaching element in a panel.
An installation apparatus for installing self-attaching elements in a panel, each of said self-attaching elements including a body portion, an annular barrel portion at one end and a coaxially aligned stud portion adjacent the opposite end having a free end, said installation apparatus including a plunger passage and a plunger having a free end telescopically movable through said plunger passage for driving one of said self-attaching elements therethrough into a panel located opposite said plunger passage, said plunger passage terminating in a generally conical exit passage, said conical exit passage comprising expandable radially inwardly biased members defining a generally continuous conical internal surface coaxially aligned with said plunger including a major diameter adjacent said plunger greater than the maximum diameter of said self-attaching elements and a minor diameter adjacent the outlet of said conical passage less than said maximum element diameter, said conical passage receiving said barrel portion end of said self-attaching elements and said conical surface centering and supporting said self-attaching elements for installation in a panel by said plunger, said plunger having a bore in said free end configured to receive said free end of said self-attaching element stud portion, and upon receipt of a self-attaching element in said conical passage, said plunger movable relative to said conical passage to receive said self-attaching element stud portion free end in said plunger bore assuring accurate orientation of a self-attaching element ready for installation, and actuating means then actuating said apparatus to relatively move said plunger through said plunger passage and said oriented self-attaching element through said conical passage installing said oriented self-attaching element in a panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.