# US 8,782,867 B2 · Assembly device provided with a visual reference mark and method for the assembly thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,782,867 B2 - Document ID: US8782867B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/508,039 - Filed: 2010-11-09 - Published: 2012-09-06 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-11-09 - Assignees: Lisi Aerospace - Applicants: Florent Verdier - Inventors: Florent Verdier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8782867B2 ## CPC - F16B 5/025: {specially designed to compensate for misalignement or to eliminate unwanted play} - F16B 2200/95: with markings, colours, indicators or the like - Y10T 29/49764: with testing or indicating - Y10T 29/49778: with aligning, guiding, or instruction - Y10T 29/4978: Assisting assembly or disassembly - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A device (1; 20; 51) for assembling pre-bored (15) elements (2; 3), the elements together having a reference thickness (18) that may vary up to an actual maximum thickness (40), may include a male element (4; 21; 52) having a shank (6; 22; 54) extending in a thread (11; 27) or swaging grooves (59), an external surface (12; 28; 60) having a height (13; 61) equal to a height (14) of the shank, chosen so as to correspond to at least the actual maximum thickness (40) of the elements to be assembled, wherein the external surface has a visual reference mark (16; 35; 63), located at a distance (17) of a lower limit (9; 34; 57), or extending over a distance (17) from a lower limit up to an upper limit (42A; 42B; 65) toward the head. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for assembling pre-bored elements by an assembly device, the elements together having a reference thickness that may vary within a predetermined range between an actual minimum thickness and an actual maximum thickness, the device comprising a male element extending along an axis and comprising a shank extending, at a first end, in a head, and at a second end, via a shoulder, in a thread or swaging grooves, an external surface intended to be in contact with a bore, having a height equal to a height of the shank, chosen so as to correspond to at least the actual maximum thickness of the elements to be assembled, and including a grip range selected to be at least equal to the predetermined range, said external surface having a visual reference mark, said reference mark being located at a distance of a lower limit, or extending over a distance from a lower limit up to an upper limit toward the head, said distance being, at a maximum, the grip range of the device, said method comprising the following steps: fully inserting the assembly device into the bore, visually verifying that an edge, formed by a circular intersection between the bore and a bottom surface, is both above a lower limit of the external surface, and below the visual reference mark or an upper limit of said reference mark. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the visual reference mark has at least one circular groove and fully inserting into the bore the assembly device with the at least one circular groove. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the external surface is that of the shank of the male element, the lower limit of the visual reference mark takes the form of the start of the shoulder, and visually verifying the edge is above the start of the shoulder. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a sleeve capable of accepting the shank of the male element within it, the external surface is that of the sleeve, the lower limit of the visual reference mark takes the form of a lower end of the sleeve, and fully inserting the assembly device into the sleeve and visually verifying the edge is above the lower end of the sleeve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the distance of the visual reference mark is 90% of the grip range and including fully inserting the assembly device having the distance of 90% of the grip range into the sleeve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the visual reference mark has at least one axial groove and including fully inserting the assembly device having the at least one axial groove into the sleeve. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the visual reference mark has a coating of a color that is different than the color of the external surface and/or different than the color of the bottom surface of one of the elements located on the side where a nut is tightened or a swage collar is swaged and including fully inserting the assembly device having the coating into the sleeve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the coating is a bright color of paint and including fully inserting the assembly device having the bright color coating into the sleeve. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the visual reference mark has a mechanical, laser, or chemical marking that alters the surface state of the external surface and including fully inserting the assembly device having the marking into the sleeve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance of the visual reference mark is 90% of the grip range and including fully inserting the assembly device having the distance of 90% of the grip range into the bore. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the visual reference mark has at least one axial groove and including fully inserting the assembly device having the at least one axial groove into the bore. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the visual reference mark has a coating of a color that is different than the color of the external surface and/or different than the color of the bottom surface of one of the elements located on the side where a nut is tightened or a swage collar is swaged and including fully inserting the assembly device having the coating into the bore. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the coating is a bright color of paint and including fully inserting the assembly device having the bright color coating into the bore. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the visual reference mark has a mechanical, laser, or chemical marking that alters the surface state of the external surface and including fully inserting the assembly device having the marking into the bore. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1, 2) A method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, comprising a further step of tightening a nut on the thread or swaging a swage collar on the swaging grooves.