Rivet fastener and method of installing
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorRobert J. Diepeveen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fastener is provided for joining two components together, particularly advantageous with respect to aluminum components, in which a nut insert is secured within the components and a rivet is inserted into the nut. After insertion of the rivet into the nut, the rivet is offset to conform to the internal threads of the nut, and when a tool receiving bit is included on the outer face of the rivet, threaded removal of the rivet and disassembly of the components can be effected.
Claims9
A fastener for joining two components, at least one of which is fabricated from aluminum, comprising:
- means defining aligned apertures spanning the two components;
- a nut having a threaded inside diameter received in the aperture in one of the components, and mounted axially fixed with respect thereto;
- a rivet shell received in the nut within the inside diameter thereof and having an inside diameter concentric with the inside diameter of the nut and having a flange abuttingly engageable with the other of said components;
- and
- an elongated rivet mandrel received within the central inside diameter of the rivet shell and having a head portion having a larger outside diameter than the central inside diameter of the shell and operative to deform the rivet shell outwardly to effect threaded engagement with the nut and to urge the components together upon application of a predetermined force axial of the rivet mandrel.
A method of joining two components, comprising:
- forming a pair of aligned bores spanning the components;
- inserting a nut into the bores in axially fixed relationship with respect to the components;
- assembling a rivet having a shell and mandrel;
- inserting the rivet into the nut;
- and
- forming the rivet shell to threadingly engage the nut and to axially secure the two components between the nut and the rivet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.