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US RE29,444 EGranted
Fastener tool
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorRobert H. Alexander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool including a fastener rotating output member and mechanism for indicating if a fastener rotated by said output member has been tightened to a prescribed torque and/or for providing an indication of the length of time for which the fastener was tightened.
Claims27
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- an output member adapted to have a fastener engaging member attached thereto;
- a motor;
- means drive-connecting said motor to said output member;
- means for supplying operating energy to the motor;
- torque responsive means operable as the fastener being tightened reaches a selected torque to concomitantly produce a signal to indicate that the fastener has been tightened to the selected torque and to interrupt the flow of operating energy to the motor;
- and means activatable by the signal generated by the signal generating means to provide on or in the proximity of the fastener which has been tightened a visual indication of the reaching of the selected torque by the fastener.
3 more elements
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a housing;
- a fastener rotating output member rotatably supported from said housing;
- means in said housing for rotating said output member;
- and torque responsive means in said housing which is operable when the fastener being tightened has reached a selected torque to produce an electrical signal to indicate that the fastener was tightened to the selected torque, said signal generating means comprising a switch and means for actuating said switch when said selected torque is reached and the means for actuating said switch comprising an actuator movable toward and away from said switch, means biasing said actuator away from said switch, passages through which an operating fluid can flow to said actuator to move it toward said switch against the force exerted by said biasing means and thereby actuate said switch, and means for so controlling the flow of fluid through said passages to said switch actuator that the actuator is displaced to actuate the switch when said selected torque is reached.
1 more element
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a fastener rotating output member;
- means for rotating said output member;
- and means operable when the fastener being tightened has reached a selected torque to produce one signal to indicate that the fastener has been tightened to the selected torque and a second signal indicative of the length of time for which the output member was rotated, said second signal thereby providing a differentiation between properly and improperly tightened fasteners.
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a fastener rotating output member;
- means for rotating said output member;
- torque responsive means operable when the fastener being tightened has reached a selected torque to terminate the rotation of the output member and prevent further tightening of the fastener;
- and means operable to produce a signal indicative of the length of time for which the output member was rotated, said signal thereby providing a differentiation between properly and improperly tightened fasteners.
1 more element
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a housing, a fastener rotating output member rotatably supported from said housing;
- a pneumatic motor in said housing;
- means drive-connecting said motor to said output member;
- means for supplying operating fluid to said motor;
- means for generating a signal;
- and means for both shutting off the supply of fluid to the motor and actuating the signal generating means when a fastener being tightened has been tightened to a selected torque, said signal generating means comprising means providing a path through which the operating fluid can flow to generate a pneumatic signal and a fluid actuatable valve means movable between first and second positions in which it respectively interrupts and permits the flow of fluid through said path.
3 more elements
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a housing;
- a fastener rotating output member rotatably supported from said housing;
- a pneumatic motor in said housing;
- means drive-connecting said motor to said output member which comprises means operable beginning with the exertion of a rotation resisting force by the fastener being tightened to brake and thereby reduce the speed and absorb the kinetic energy of the rotating drive component(s) of the tool and thereby keep said energy from being applied to and overtightening the fastener engaged by the output member;
- means for supplying operating fluid to said motor;
- means for generating a signal, and means for both shutting off the supply of air to the motor and actuating the signal generating means when a fastener being tightened has been tightened to a selected torque.
3 more elements
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a housing, a fastener rotating output member rotatably supported from said housing;
- a pneumatic motor in said housing;
- means drive-connecting said motor to said output member;
- means for supplying operating fluid to said motor;
- means for generating a signal;
- and means for both shutting off the supply of air to the motor and actuating the signal generating means when a fastener being tightened has reached a selected torque, said signal generating means comprising flow means through which the operating fluid can flow to generate a pneumatic signal, a fluid actuatable valve means movable between a first position in which said valve means permits flow of the pneumatic fluid to said motor and inhibits the flow of said fluid to said flow means and a second position in which said valve means terminates the flow of the pneumatic fluid to the motor and removes the inhibition on the flow of the fluid through the flow means, and means for effecting the movement of the valve means from the first to the second of the positions thereof when said selected torque is reached.
3 more elements
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a housing;
- a fastener rotating output means rotatably supported from said housing;
- a pneumatically activatable marking means for providing on or in the proximity of the fastener being tightened a visual indication of the reaching of a selected torque by the fastener, said marking means being housed at least in part in said rotatably supported output means;
- a pneumatic motor in said housing;
- means drive-connecting said motor to said output means;
- means for supplying operating fluid to said motor, flow means through which operating fluid can flow to activate said marking means;
- valve means operable when actuated to both shut off the supply of operating fluid to the motor and effect a flow of fluid through said flow means;
- and means for automatically actuating said valve means when the fastener being tightened has reached the selected torque.
5 more elements
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a fastener rotating output member;
- means for rotating said output member;
- means operable to terminate the rotation of the output member when a fastener being tightened has been tightened to a selected torque;
- and means operable concomitantly with the rotation of the output member for measuring the length of time for which said member is rotated in tightening the fastener to the selected torque and for thereby providing a signal indicative of whether the output member has been rotated for a length of time which will result in the fastener being properly tightened to make a satisfactory joint.
1 more element
A tool for tightening fasteners comprising:
- a fastener rotating output member;
- means for rotating said output member;
- means operable to terminate the rotation of the output member when a fastener being tightened has been tightened to a selected torque;
- and means which is operable when the fastener has been tightened to said torque for providing an indication of whether the output member has been rotated for a length of time which will result in the fastener being properly tightened to make a satisfactory joint.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.