Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21J—FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES
  • B21J15/00—Riveting
  • B21J15/02—Riveting procedures
  • B21J15/022—Setting rivets by means of swaged-on locking collars, e.g. lockbolts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21J—FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES
  • B21J15/00—Riveting
  • B21J15/10—Riveting machines
  • B21J15/16—Drives for riveting machines; Transmission means therefor
  • B21J15/20—Drives for riveting machines; Transmission means therefor operated by hydraulic or liquid pressure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21J—FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES
  • B21J15/00—Riveting
  • B21J15/10—Riveting machines
  • B21J15/28—Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23P—METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
  • B23P19/00—Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes
  • B23P19/04—Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes for assembling or disassembling parts
  • B23P19/06—Screw or nut setting or loosening machines
  • B23P19/069—Multi-spindle machines

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to a tool, and more particularly to an installation system for installing advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt.
• fasteners are known and understood in the relevant art to fasten structures to one another.
• threaded fasteners such as nuts, bolts, screws, and the like
• deformable fasteners such as rivets and deformable threaded systems
• specially configured among numerous other types of fasteners such as adhesives and welding operations.
• An installation tool is adapted to install advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt.
• the installation tool includes a frame, a tool mount affixed to the frame by a secondary actuator, and a pair of arms, each of the pair of arms having a proximal end pivotally affixed to the tool mount and a fastening tool disposed at a distal end.
• Each fastening tool includes a grooved portion configured to affix to corresponding annular pull grooves of the U-bolt, a limit switch configured to indicate when the grooved portion is in alignment with the corresponding annular pull grooves, and a swaging anvil.
• the installation tool also includes a hydraulic system configured to pull the grooved portion of the fastening tool and to cause the swaging anvil to swage a sleeve into a lock grooved portion of the U-bolt and a controller configured to operate the secondary actuator and the hydraulic system based at least in part on a state of the limit switch of each of the pair of arms.
• the controller is configured to prevent the hydraulic system from operating unless each limit switch of each of the pair of arms indicates that the grooved portion of the associated arm is in alignment with the corresponding annular pull grooves of the U-bolt.
• the secondary actuator is a linear actuator and the controller is configured to move the tool mount via the linear actuator based on a determination that at least one limit switch indicates that the grooved portion is not in alignment with the annular pull grooves.
• the user input includes a command to activate the hydraulic system.
• the installation tool further includes a restrictor plate configured to limit a horizontal movement of each of the pair of arms.
• a control system for an installation tool of fasteners onto a U-bolt includes a first actuator configured to adjust a position of the installation tool with respect to the U-bolt and a second actuator configured to adjust a vertical position of a tool mount disposed within a body of the installation tool.
• the control system also includes a plurality of limit switches each configured to indicate an alignment status of an associated grooved portion of the installation tool with corresponding annular pull grooves of the U-bolt, a hydraulic system configured to pull the grooved portions of the installation tool and to cause swaging anvils of the installation tool to swage sleeves into lock grooved portions of the U- bolt, and a controller configured to operate the first actuator, the second actuator, and the hydraulic system based at least in part on a user input and a state of the plurality of limit switches.
• the controller is configured to prevent the hydraulic system from being activated unless each of the plurality of limit switches indicates that the associated grooved portion is in alignment with the corresponding annular pull grooves of the U-bolt.
• the controller is configured to move the tool mount via the second actuator based on a determination that: (a) at least one of the plurality of limit switches indicates that the associated grooved portion is not in alignment with the corresponding annular pull grooves; and (b) at least one of the plurality of limit switch indicates that the associated grooved portion is in alignment with the corresponding annular pull grooves.
• the user input is received by the controller from a user interface.
• the user input includes a command to activate the hydraulic system.
• the controller is configured to activate the hydraulic system, responsive to the user input, based on a determination that the limit switch of each of the pair of arms indicates that the associated grooved portion is in alignment with the corresponding annular pull grooves.
• FIG. 1A, IB, 1C, ID, and IE are cross-sectional views of an advanced fastener for use with the installation system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
• FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a U-bolt in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
• FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a tool for installing advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
• FIG. 5A and 5B are, perspective and cross-sectional views respectively, of a tool for installing advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
• FIG. 5C is a top view of a restrictor plate of a tool for installing advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a system for controlling the operation of a tool for installing advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 5 A and 5B perspective and cross-sectional views respectively, of a tool 500 for installing advanced fasteners onto a U-bolt in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure are shown.
• the tool 500 includes one or more pairs of arms 510 that are pivotally affixed to a tool mount 502 by a joint 504.
• the joints 510 are configured to allow the arms 510 to freely swing in multiple directions to allow a user to align a fastening tool at the distal end of the arm 510 with a U-bolt.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=89942137

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2023
  • 2023-07-25 AU AU2023325779A patent/AU2023325779A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-07-25 WO PCT/US2023/028539 patent/WO2024039494A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-07-25 EP EP23855301.0A patent/EP4572902A4/de active Pending
  • 2023-07-25 JP JP2025508505A patent/JP2025532469A/ja active Pending

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events