Ball device for setting blind riverts
AssigneeEmhart Inc.
InventorsWilliam D. Hylwa, Charles F. Smart, Donald P. Viscio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball device for setting blind rivets is provided. The device features one or more rows of balls of at least three balls per row, and a taper section which cooperates with the balls to grip the mandrel of the blind rivet. Upon movement of the taper section, the balls dig into the mandrel to grip, and consequently pull the mandrel in the desired direction. The device features a longer life than similar devices utilizing jaws to grip the mandrel.
Claims26
A riveting apparatus comprising:
- a rivet having a head and a body;
- a mandrel having a first end and a second end, the first end being in contact with the body of the rivet;
- a nosepiece having an aperture, the head of the rivet being positionable to abut the nosepiece and the second end of the mandrel being positionable through the aperture of the nosepiece;
- a substantially frusto-conically tapered internal surface coaxially aligned with the aperture of the nosepiece;
- a structure having an elongated and substantially hollow first section, the structure further having a second section with a plurality of passages, the structure being axially biased toward the tapered internal surface;
- the second end of the mandrel being positionable inside a portion of the structure;
- and
- a set of rotatable members located in the passages of the structure, abutting force of the rotatable members against the tapered internal surface operably causing the rotatable members to move toward an axial centerline of the structure and engage corresponding portions of the mandrel, movement of the tapered internal surface and the structure away from the nosepiece and rivet causing breakage of the mandrel at a predetermined location prior to breakage of the mandrel portions corresponding with the rotatable members.
A riveting apparatus comprising:
- a nosepiece having an aperture remaining at a fixed size during a rivet setting operation;
- a housing axially movable relative to the nosepiece during the rivet setting operation;
- a substantially frusto-conically tapered internal surface coaxially aligned with the aperture of the nosepiece, the internal surface being secured to the housing such that the internal surface always moves with the housing during use;
- a structure having an elongated and cylindrical first section, the structure further having a substantially frusto-conically tapered external second section with a plurality of passages, the structure being axially biased toward the tapered internal surface;
- and
- a set of rotatable members located in the passages of the structure, abutting force of the rotatable members against the tapered internal surface operably causing the rotatable members to move toward an axial centerline of the structure, some of the rotatable members being offset from each other along an advancing and retracting axis.
A method of setting a blind rivet with a mandrel using a tool having an internally tapered surface, a draw bar and multiple rotatable members, the method comprising:
- (a) engaging the mandrel with the draw bar;
- (b) moving the internally tapered surface away from the rivet;
- (c) contacting the rotatable members against the internally tapered surface;
- (d) contacting the rotatable members against adjacent first portions of the mandrel;
- (e) deforming the rivet by the draw bar pulling the mandrel;
- and
- (f) severing a second portion of the mandrel prior to severing of the first portions of the mandrel by the rotatable members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.