US 5,469,610 AGranted

Fastening tool and fastener

OwnerCurtis C. Courian, Kenneth J. Courianinventors

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Abstract

A fastening tool inserts a self-penetrating fastener into workpieces and then sets the fastener in a manner similar to a blind riveting tool. The fastener has a stem, a mandrel connected to the stem, and a body surrounding a portion of the stem adjacent the mandrel. The body has an enlarged head at the end opposite the mandrel. The mandrel has a point for penetrating the workpieces. The fastening tool applies a force to the fastener, causing it to penetrate the workpiece. The fastening tool then pulls the stem in a direction away from the workpiece while restraining the body against movement relative to the workpiece. The mandrel expands the lower portion of the body radially as it is pulled into contact with the body, forming a second or blind head on the side of the workpiece opposite the fastening tool.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A self-penetrating fastening apparatus for installing in a workpiece a fastener having a fastener stem, a point for piercing said workpiece, and a fastener body surrounding a portion of said fastener stem, comprising:

a nosepiece having an end for contacting said fastener and a hollow bore for receiving said fastener stem;
a pulling head axially movable with respect to said nosepiece having grip means for frictionally engaging said fastener stem and retaining said fastener stem;
and
an actuator for applying an axial penetrating force to said nosepiece, said nosepiece carrying said point into contact with said workpiece for piercing said workpiece solely in response to said axial penetrating force, until said fastener body extends into said workpiece, said actuator adapted to drive said pulling head in an axial direction toward said workpiece for urging said grip means into frictional engagement with said fastener stem and for applying a pulling force to said grip means in a direction away from said workpiece while said nosepiece restrains said fastener body against movement relative to said workpiece.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.