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| United States Patent | 4437805 |
| Link to this page | http://www.wikipatents.com/4437805.html |
| Inventor(s) | Smith; Walter J. (Waco, TX) |
| Abstract | A unique two-part fastener consisting of a pin and a tubular member adapted
to be set by a tool having a set of jaws to grip the pin and a swaging
anvil for swaging the collr onto the pin and in which the pin has a set of
substantially identical annular grooves formed along a major portion
thereof and in which the set of annular grooves provide combination
grooves some of which function as locking grooves and a selected one which
functions as a breakneck groove and in one form the fastener including a
second set of grooves of a different construction which function only as
pull grooves; the first set of grooves provide a unique relationship with
a swaged portion of the tubular member so that as the fastener is set, the
pin will break off in a preselected one of the combination grooves within
the outer end of the tubular member; the second set of grooves provide a
construction which is compatible with a known type jaw structure on the
tool. In another form the latter grooves are constructed such that a jaw
structure can simultaneously grip both the first and second set of grooves
without loss of effectiveness. |
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Title Information  |
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Drawing from US Patent 4437805 |
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Multigrip fastener |
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| Publication Date |
March 20, 1984 |
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| Filing Date |
January 26, 1981 |
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| Parent Case |
RELATED PATENTS AND PATENT APPLICATION
The present invention is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 26,652 filed Apr. 3, 1979, for Multigrip Fastener, now abandoned
which in turn was a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 899,591, filed Apr. 24, 1978, for Multigrip Fastener and which issued
into U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,943 on June 24, 1980. |
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Title Information  |
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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. In a two piece fastener for fastening a plurality of workpieces together
with the workpieces having a thickness varying from a determinable minimum
to a determinable maximum thickness, comprising a pin member having a head
and a shank portion having a plurality of grooves thereon and a tubular
member adapted to be swaged into locking engagement with a predetermined
number of the grooves on the shank portion of the pin member by means of a
tool having a swaging anvil adapted to engage the tubular member and
gripping means adapted to grip a gripping portion of the shank portion,
the gripping means including a plurality of jaw members having a plurality
of teeth with a preselected pitch, the tool being actuable to apply a
relative axial tensile force between the pin member and the tubular member
whereby the tubular member is swaged into the predetermined number of the
grooves on the shank portion of the pin member, the improvement comprising
said pin member with at least said predetermined number of said
combination grooves being annular combination locking and breakneck
grooves, each of said predetermined number of said combination grooves
being defined by first and second radially outwardly diverging sidewalls,
said first sidewall being positioned closer to said head than said second
sidewall, a selected one of said combination grooves being located at a
predetermined location proximate the outer end of the tubular member and
adapted to receive the material of the tubular member as it is swaged onto
the shank portion whereby the shank portion will fracture at said selected
one of the grooves, any one of said combination grooves being capable of
functioning as said selected one of said combination grooves when located
at said predetermined location while said pulling tool exerts the relative
axial tensile force on said pin member, said gripping portion of the shank
portion located at the end opposite side head and having a plurality of
different grooves adapted to be gripped by the gripping means of the tool,
said different grooves having a shape different from that of said
combination grooves whereby said different grooves will not effectively
function as a breakneck groove, said combination grooves and said
different grooves having the same pitch as said preselected pitch whereby
said teeth can engage both said combination grooves and said different
grooves separately or simultaneously said combination grooves and said
different grooves having substantially no transition portion at the area
of their juncture such that the last of said combination grooves and the
first of said different grooves are separated by said preselected pitch.
2. The fastener of claim 1 with said combination grooves providing a
preselected grip range from the determinable minimum to the determinable
maximum such that the tubular member will be swaged substantially only
into said combination grooves for workpieces within said grip range and
the gripping means will substantially engage only said different grooves
for workpieces within said grip range the depth and height of said
combination grooves and said different grooves being selected relative to
each other to permit said teeth to generally engage both said combination
grooves and said different grooves simultaneously.
3. In a two piece fastener for fastening a plurality of workpieces together
with the workpieces having a thickness varying from a determinable minimum
to a determinable maximum thickness, comprising a pin member having a head
and a shank portion having a plurality of grooves thereon and a tubular
member adapted to be swaged into locking engagement with a predetermined
number of the grooves on the shank portion of the pin member by means of a
tool having a swaging anvil adapted to engage the tubular member and
gripping means adapted to grip a gripping portion of the shank portion,
the gripping means including a plurality of jaw members having a plurality
of teeth with a preselected pitch, the tool being actuable during an
actuating stroke to apply a relative axial tensile force between the pin
member and the tubular member whereby the tubular member is swaged into
the predetermined number of the grooves on the shank portion of the pin
member, the improvement comprising said pin member with at least said
predetermined number of said combination grooves being annular combination
locking and breakneck grooves, a selected one of said combination grooves
being located at a predetermined location proximate the outer end of the
tubular member and adapted to receive the material of the tubular member
as it is swaged onto the shank portion, whereby the shank portion will
fracture at said selected one of said combination grooves, any one of said
combination grooves being capable of functioning as said selected one of
said combination grooves when located at said predetermined location while
said pulling tool exerts the relative axial tensile force on the pin
member, said gripping portion of the shank portion located at the end
opposite said head and having a plurality of different grooves adapted to
be gripped by the gripping means of the tool, said different grooves
having a shape different from that of said combination grooves, whereby
said different grooves will not effectively function as a breakneck
groove, said combination grooves providing a preselected grip range from
the determinable minimum to the determinable maximum such that the tubular
member will be swaged substantially only into said combination grooves for
workpieces within said grip range and said teeth of the jaws of the
gripping means will substantially engage only said different grooves for
workpieces within said grip range, said combination grooves and said
different grooves having the same pitch as said preselected pitch whereby
said teeth can engage both said combination grooves and said different
grooves separately or simultaneously where the workpieces are outside said
grip range or the tool requires a plurality of actuating strokes said
combination grooves and said different grooves having substantially no
transition portion at the area of their juncture such that the last of
said combination grooves and the first of said different grooves are
separated by said preselected pitch, the depth and height of said
combination grooves and said different grooves being selected relative to
each other to permit said teeth to generally engage both said combination
grooves and said different grooves simultaneously.
4. The fastener of claim 3 with the gripping means of the tool comprising a
plurality of jaws and with said maximum allowable grip range being
selected to be approximately the distance from the point of engagement of
the swaging anvil with the tubular member to the beginning of said jaws.
5. The fastener of claim 4 with said different grooves extending for a
length approximately equal to the sum of said maximum allowable grip range
plus the effective length of the jaws.
6. The fastener of claim 4 with said different grooves extending for a
length approximately equal to the sum of said maximum allowable grip range
plus the effective length of the jaws plus a length equal to approximately
no more than the diameter of the shank portion.
7. In a two piece fastener for fastening a plurality of workpieces together
with the workpieces having a thickness varying from a determinable minimum
to a determinable maximum thickness, comprising a pin member having a head
and a shank portion having a plurality of grooves thereon and a tubular
member adapted to be swaged into locking engagement with a predetermined
number of the grooves on the shank portion of the pin member by means of a
tool having a swaging anvil adapted to engage the tubular member and
gripping means adapted to grip a gripping portion of the shank portion,
the gripping means including a plurality of jaw members having a plurality
of teeth with a preselected pitch, the tool being actuable during an
actuating stroke to apply a relative axial tensile force between the pin
member and the tubular member whereby the tubular member is swaged into
the predetermined number of the grooves on the shank portion of the pin
member, the improvement comprising said pin member with at least said
predetermined number of said grooves being annular combination locking and
breakneck grooves, each of said predetermined number of said combination
grooves being defined by first and second radially outwardly diverging
sidewalls, said first sidewall being positioned closer to said head than
said second sidewall and forming a predetermined included angle with a
radial plane extending transversely through said shank a selected one of
said combination grooves being located at a predetermined location
proximate the outer end of the tubular member and adapted to receive the
material of the tubular member as it is swaged onto the shank portion,
whereby the shank portion will fracture at said selected one of said
combination grooves, any one of said combination grooves being capable of
functioning as said selected one of said combination grooves when located
at said predetermined location while said pulling tool exerts the relative
axial tensile force on the pin member, said gripping portion of the shank
portion located at the end opposite said head and having a plurality of
different grooves adapted to be gripped by the gripping means of the tool,
said different grooves having a shape different from that of said
combination grooves whereby said different grooves will not effectively
function as a breakneck groove, said different grooves having third and
fourth radially outwardly extending sidewalls, said third sidewall being
inclined generally in the direction of said first sidewall and with said
fourth sidewall being at an angle similar to that of said second sidewall,
said combination grooves providing a preselected grip range from the
determinable minimum to the determinable maximum such that the tubular
member will be swaged substantially only into said combination grooves for
workpieces within said grip range and said teeth of the jaws of the
gripping means will substantially engage only said different grooves for
workpieces within said grip range, said combination grooves and said
different grooves having the same pitch as said preselected pitch without
interruption therebetween whereby said teeth can engage said combination
grooves and said different grooves separately or simultaneously where the
workpieces are outside of said grip range or the tool requires a plurality
of actuating strokes, said teeth having groove engaging surfaces extending
generally at an angle similar to that of said second and fourth sidewalls
the depth and height of said combination grooves and said different
grooves being selected relative to each other to permit said teeth to
generally engage both said combination grooves and said different grooves
simultaneously.
8. The fastener of claim 7 with said different grooves having a crest of
smaller shank diameter than the crest of said combination grooves and
having a root of a larger shank diameter than the root of said combination
grooves. |
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Claims  |
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Description  |
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fasteners and more specifically
to two piece fasteners which are adapted to be utilized in securing a
broad range of material ticknesses.
In some applications it would be desirable to use a two piece fastener of
the type employing a pin having combination locking and breakneck grooves
and a tubular member adapted to be swaged thereto and in which any of
these grooves is capable of functioning as a breakneck so as to enable a
single fastener to be utilized over a broad range of material thicknesses.
One problem with such a fastener is providing a structure in which the pin
break will occur repeatedly and consistently in a desired one of the
combination grooves.
This is accomplished by the present invention which utilizes a pin having a
unique combination groove geometry. In addition, it is believed that the
use of a selective relative hardness between the pin and associated
tubular member further assists in the proper functioning of the fasteners.
In the present invention, an axially directed force generated by the
swaging of the tubular member into a preselected one of the combination
grooves is utilized at a preselected groove which force when combined with
a pulling force applied via a plurality of jaws by an installation tool
will provide a combined tensile force at the selected groove thereby
fracture will occur and hence that groove when selected functions as a
breakneck. The groove geometry includes a pair of radially outwardly
diverging sidewalls defining each groove, each of which sidewall forms a
different angle with respect to a radial plane extending transversely
through the pin member and controlled radius portions interconnecting
adjacent end portions thereof.
Because of the unique contour of the combination grooves, conventional jaw
structures in the installation tool may in some cases have reduced life
and hence a modified jaw structure having teeth with a contour more
closely matching that of the combination grooves may be desirable;
however, in some cases it would be advantageous to be able to utilize
tools with existing jaw structures. Thus in one form of the invention the
end portion of the pin is provided with a plurality of pull grooves which
are contoured differently from the combination grooves and which are
adapted for use with existing jaw structures.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved two piece fastener
having combination locking and breakneck grooves which extend along the
shank portion of the pin a distance at least equal to the length of the
shank portion less the minimum material thickness for which such fastener
is to be used. This invention thereby enables a single fastener to be
utilized to secure materials having a wide variety of total thicknesses.
This feature affords substantial cost savings to users of such fasteners
both by reducing the number of different fasteners required to be
purchased and carried in their inventory as well as increasing product
reliability by reducing the likelihood of a fastener with an inappropriate
gripping range being inadvertently used. In one form of the invention an
end portion of the pin is provided with a plurality of pull grooves of a
shape different from that of the combination grooves with the pull grooves
being adapted for use with existing jaw structures.
It is common to have a straight, annular land portion located between pull
grooves and locking and breakneck grooves, (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,531,048 to
L. C. Huck issued Nov. 21, 1950). Such a land also appears in the
improvement of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 26,652 (supra) i.e.
element 120 of FIGS. 6 and 7 (also shown in the present application). In
addition the combination grooves of application 26,652 (supra) are of a
different shape and of a different pitch than the pull grooves. This
structure precludes the teeth of a jaw structure from effectively engaging
the combination grooves, the pull grooves or engaging both simultaneously.
Thus in another form of the invention, the pull grooves and combination
grooves are of the same pitch and the straight annular land portion
between the different grooves is eliminated. At the same time, the pull
grooves and combination grooves are aligned to accept the jaws such that
in an occasional improper grip situation or in a situation where a setting
tool requires more than a single stroke to set the fastener, the teeth of
the jaws can effectively accept both types of grooves simultaneously.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become
apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned view of a fastener in accordance with the
present invention shown in operative relation to a pair of workpieces and
having an installation tool in initial engagement with the fastener;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectioned view of a portion of the
fastener pin of FIG. 1 illustrating the groove geometry of the present
invention, the section being taken along an axial plane;
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are a sequence of views each similar to FIG. 1 but
illustrating the installation sequence from initial swaging of the tubular
member through completed swage and pin break;
FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned view of a modified form of fastener of the
present invention shown with workpieces of a maximum combined thickness
and with a portion of an installation tool;
FIG. 7 is a partially sectioned view of the modified form of fastener of
FIG. 6 shown with workpieces of a minimum combined thickness and with a
portion of an installation tool;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectioned view of the portion of the
fastener pin of FIG. 6 shown in the circle designated by the numeral 8 and
illustrating the groove geometry of pull grooves on the pin;
FIG. 9 is a partially sectioned view of a different form of fastener of the
present invention shown with workpieces having a combined thickness
outside of a desired grip range and with a portion of an installation
tool;
FIG. 10 is a partially sectioned view of the different form of fastener of
the present invention shown with the workpieces of a maximum combined
thickness within the desired grip range and with a portion of an
installation tool;
FIG. 11 is a partially sectioned view of the different form of fastener of
the present invention shown with workpieces of a combined thickness just
outside of the desired grip range and with a portion of an installation
tool;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectioned view of the portion of the
fastener pin of FIG. 10 shown in the circle designated by the numeral 11a
and illustrating the groove geometry of the combination grooves and pull
grooves; and
FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view similar to that of FIG. 12 depicting a
modified pull groove shape.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof,
there is illustrated a fastener indicated generally at 10 in accordance
with the present invention and comprising a pin member 12 having a head 14
provided on one end thereof and an elongated shank portion 16.
Shank portion 16 has a plurality of substantially identical annular
combination locking and breakneck grooves 18 extending along substantially
the entire length thereof and may include a relatively short smooth
cylindrical portion 19 immediately adjacent the juncture with head 14.
While smooth cylindrical portion 19 is illustrated as being relatively
short, it may extend up to a length equal to a predetermined minimum total
material thickness with which fastener 10 is to be used. Thus, grooves 18
will extend along the length of shank 16 from a point greater than this
predetermined minimum thickness. Each of grooves 18 is defined by radially
outwardly diverging sidewalls 20 and 22 which are connected at their
radially inner ends by a generally concave radiused portion 24. The
radially outer end of sidewall 20 is interconnected with the radially
outer end of sidewall 22 of the next adjacent groove 18 by a generally
convex radiused portion 26 and, in like manner, a substantially identical
convex radiused portion 26 also connects the radially outer end of
sidewall 22 with sidewall 20 of the next adjacent groove 18.
As best seen with reference to FIG. 2, sidewall 20 is disposed at a
substantially smaller angle 28 relative to a radial plane 30 extending
transversely through the shank portion 16 than the angle 32 formed between
sidewall 22 and radial plane 30. It has been found that the present
invention provides satisfactory results when angle 28 is approximately
20.degree. and angle 32 is approximately 45.degree..
Another important aspect of the present invention resides in the provision
of the convex radiused portions 26 and concave radiused portions 24. It
has been found that consistent results have been achieved with pin members
having a shank diameter of approximately 0.25 inches when the concave
radiused portions 24 have a radius no less than around 0.005 inches and
are preferably in the range of from around 0.005 to about 0.010 inches. It
has also been found that consistent results are achieved with such pin
members when the convex radiused portions 26 have a radius less than
around 0.010 inches. The selection of radii for portions 24 and 26 as
noted promotes consistency in operation. As the pin diameter increases,
the preferred range for concave radiused portion 24 will also increase in
a substantially linear relationship maintaining a ratio in the range of
approximately 50:1 to 50:2. Similarly with respect to the convex radiused
portion, the allowable maximum radius may also increase in a substantially
linear relationship to increasing diameter such that the ratio of pin
diameter to convex radius is approximately a maximum of 50:2.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3 through 5, it is seen that fastener 10 is
designed to be inserted in aligned openings 34 and 36 provided in a pair
of members 38 and 40, respectively, which are to be joined by fastener 10.
A tubular member 42 in the form of a generally cylindrically shaped collar
is placed on shank portion 16 with flanged end portion 44 thereof being
brought into engagement with member 40. As shown, shank portion 16 is of a
length substantially greater than the total thickness of members 38 and 40
plus the axial length of collar 42 thereby providing an end portion 46
also having combination grooves 18 which grooves may be engaged by jaws 48
of pulling tool 50.
Pulling tool 50 is of conventional construction having a swaging anvil 52
extending outwardly from the nose portion 54 of the tool 50; the jaws 48
are adapted to be moved rearwardly relative to anvil 52 as shown in the
drawings. Anvil 52 of pulling tool 50 has a central frusto conically
shaped opening 58 provided therein having a first relatively sharply
tapered inner portion 60 and second tapered inner portion 62. It has been
found that an anvil in which portion 60 is provided with a taper of
approximately 31.5.degree. relative to the axis thereof and extending
inward a distance of about 0.090 inches and portion 62 is provided with a
taper of approximately 7.degree. relative to the axis thereof produces
satisfactory results in setting fasteners of the present invention.
Actuation of pulling tool 50 will cause jaws 48 to engage and grip a
predetermined number of combination grooves 18 and thereby exert a pulling
or tensioning force upon pin 12 and against collar 42. During the initial
stages of the pulling action, anvil 52 exerts an oppositely directed force
on collar 42 thereby causing members 38 and 40 to be drawn into mutual
engagement.
Thereafter, as best seen in FIG. 3, portion 60 of anvil 52 begins to deform
or cause the outer end portion 56 of collar 42 to be extruded into a
preselected one 18a of combination grooves 18. This initial deformation
causes a locking action to occur between collar 42 and pin 12. Thereafter,
continued movement of jaws 48 cause anvil 52 to move along collar 42
thereby causing the collar material to flow into combination grooves 18b,
c, d, e and possibly others approaching members 38 and 40 as well as
continuing to compress the collar material which has been swaged into
groove 18a.
Because of the defined groove configuration, the continued compression and
flow of the collar material into groove 18a causes an axially directed
localized force to be exerted on sidewall 20 as a portion of the collar
material experiences a backward extrusion or flowing to the right as seen
in the drawings into the next outwardly disposed groove 18f. The axial
component of swaging or material flow force developed by this continued
compression and flow of the collar material in combination with the axial
tension exerted by the pulling action of the jaws 48 will cause groove 18a
to function as a breakneck with end portion 46 of pin 12 breaking thereat.
As illustrated, groove 18a is desirably the outermost groove which is
first filled with collar material.
As previously mentioned, concave radiused portion 24 is selected so as to
provide an area of predetermined controlled stress concentration which
facilitates fracture thereby enabling the present invention to repeatedly
control the desired groove at which portion 46 of shank 16 separates.
Also, radiused convex portion 26 operates to facilitate metal flow into
groove 18a thereby assisting in providing control of the selection of the
groove at which fracture occurs.
The relative hardness of collar 42 with respect to pin 12 has also been
found to be a contributing factor in the operation of the present
invention in producing a commercially acceptable joint. A collar having
too high a hardness relative to a given pin hardness will not provide
sufficient metal flow to enable the generation of axial forces from metal
flow within groove 18a. An excessively soft collar may operate to produce
satisfactory pin breaking action but the resulting joint may then have
insufficient strength to be commercially acceptable or practical. It has
been found that with pin members 12 fabricated from steel and having a
hardness in the range of approximately 15R.sub.C to 25R.sub.C a collar
having a hardness in the range of approximately 45R.sub.B to 65R.sub.B
produced satisfactory results.
It should be noted that in the present invention the tensile load required
to be applied by the installation tool to effect pin break of the fastener
when installed in combination with the tubular member will be lower than
the tensile load required to effect pin break thereof without the
cooperation of the tubular member.
Thus one feature of the present invention comprises the concepts of the
utilization of a pin having a plurality of similarly constructed grooves
which function both as locking and breakneck grooves and in which the
groove shape including the desired radiused portions provides a means
whereby any one of the grooves located at a selected location proximate
the outer end of the collar will function as a breakneck. In addition to
the above, a desired relative pin and collar hardness assists in producing
the desired result. This ability to consistently control the groove at
which fracture occurs enables a single fastener to be manufactured which
can accommodate a very broad range of material thicknesses.
It should also be noted that while the present invention has been described
with reference to a two piece fastener having a pin and swageable collar,
the principles are also applicable to fabrication of a blind fastener in
which tubular member 42 may be in the form of a cylindrical sleeve having
an outer portion adapted to be swaged to a pin in a manner similar to that
described above.
In some cases it may be desirable to utilize the present invention with
installation tools having jaws of a conventional structure and in the
embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 and end portion 200 is provided to
have a plurality of pull grooves 202 which are contoured differently than
the combination grooves 18 of FIGS. 1-5 and facilitate the use of jaws of
a conventional structure. For purposes of simplicity in the embodiment of
FIGS. 6 and 7, elements and portions similar to like elements and portions
in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 and performing similar functions have been
given the same numerical designations increased by `100's` i.e. workpieces
38 and 40 of FIGS. 1-5 become 138 and 140, respectively in FIG. 6.
Thus fastener 110 has a pin member 112 which now has an end portion 200
having a plurality of pull grooves 202 and an inner portion 204 having the
combination locking and breakneck grooves 118 (similar to grooves 18 of
FIGS. 1-5). The pull grooves 202 can be of a conventional structure such
as that generally shown in FIG. 8. Note that the pull grooves 202 are more
shallow that the combination grooves 118, i.e. crests 203 are not as high
as crests 126 and roots 205 are not as deep as roots 124. At the same time
the engaging teeth of jaws 207 are shaped similarly to pull grooves 202
resulting in a good match therebetween. The pull grooves 202 will not
provide the desirable locking and breakneck characteristics of combination
grooves 116 and therefore it is important that the collar 142 not be
swaged into the pull grooves 202; thus while the crests 126 of combination
grooves 118 are shaped and/or contoured to facilitate metal flow of the
collar 142 and the roots 124 are shaped and/or contoured to provide a
desired stress concentration, as previously described. The roots 205 of
pull grooves 202 are shaped to avoid an effective stress concentration of
the magnitude of that of grooves 118 and the crests 203 are not shaped to
facilitate metal flow; thus pull grooves 202 can be designed to optimize
the pulling function and the effectiveness of jaws 207. FIG. 6 therefore
illustrates the condition of maximum grip, i.e. combined thickness, T max,
for workpieces 138 and 140.
At the same time, since jaws 148 are shaped similarly to pull grooves 202
it is also important that the jaws 148 do not grip the pin member 112 at
the combination grooves 118. Thus FIG. 7, illustrates the condition of
minimum grip, i.e. combined thickness, T min, for workpieces 238 and 240.
It can be seen from FIG. 7 that the length of inner portion 204 with
combination grooves 118, in order to accommodate the minimum grip
condition, T min, will be at least equal to the sum of the minimum grip (T
min) plus the length (C.L.) of the collar 142, i.e. T min+C.L. Once having
determined the minimum grip, T min, the maximum grip (T max) will be
approximately equal to the minimum grip, T min, plus the distance (D)
measured from the point of engagement of the anvil 152 with the collar 142
to the forward face of the jaws 207. Now the length of inner portion 204
with combination grooves 118 in order to accommodate the maximum grip
condition, T max, will be approximately equal to the sum of the minimum
grip, T min, plus the length (C.L.) of collar 142 plus the anvil to jaw
distance (D) i.e. T min+C.L.+D. Thus the grip range for the fastener 110
will be from T min to T max (and will be approximately equal to the
distance D) and this grip range will be accommodated by one pin member 112
having an inner portion 204 with a length of (T min+C.L.+D). Note that in
the application of the above formulations, accommodation will be made for
the length of a transition portion 206 located between the combination
grooves 118 and pull grooves 202. The length of transition portion 206
will, of course, be maintained at a minimum.
Assuming a T min of 1/16" and collar length (C.L.) of 3/8" and an
installation tool 150 having a D dimension of 9/16", then with inner
portion 204 having a length of T min+C.L.+D=1/16"+3/8"+9/16" the fastener
110 will have a grip range of D or 9/16" and will be able to accommodate
workpieces having a combined thickness in the range of from 1/16" to 5/8",
i.e. with the 5/8" being the sum of T min plus D or 1/16"+9/16". A second
pin member to accommodate workpieces of greater combined thicknesses can
be readily determined by providing T min equal to 5/8" and then having T
max equal to 5/8"+9/16" (T min+D) or (1 3/16"; in the latter situation the
length of inner portion such as 204 would be T min+C.L.+D or
5/8"+3/8"+9/16" or 1 9/16". Note that the grip range still would be D or
in the example given would be 9/16". The above are by way of examples and
should be considered to be approximations.
In any case, where the total length of the pin 112 is to be minimized, the
length of the end portion 200 could be a fixed dimension and would not
vary with the grip range and would be approximately equal to the sum of
the D dimension plus the length JL of the jaws 207, i.e. D+JL. However,
for a minimum length pin, in situations where pull together of the
workpieces is contemplated then the length of end portion 200 should be
increased by between approximately one half to one times the nominal
diameter Dp of the pin member 112 and in that case the length of end
portion 200 would be generally fixed at a dimension of D+JL+(between 1/2
and 1).times.Dp.
Thus with the construction of a fastener 110 having a pin member such as
112 a single pin member can accommodate a wide grip range and conventional
jaw structures can be utilized. For a given grip range, use of
approximately the minimum length necessary for end portion 200 will result
in a reduction in the amount of material to be discarded after the
fastener is set, i.e. the length of the pin member 112 from the one groove
116 at which it severs to the end.
In the latter discussion, elements 114, 119, 134, 136, 144, 154, 156, 158
and 162 of FIGS. 6-8 are similar to and perform functions similar to their
lower numbered counterparts, i.e. 14, 19, etc. of FIGS. 1-5 and hence a
description of these elements has been omitted for purposes of simplicity.
In some situations it is possible to use a fastener 110 in an improper grip
condition in which the jaws 207 could possibly engage the combination
grooves 118 and/or the transition portion 206; improper selection of a
fastener 10 for the wrong grip condition could also result in jaws 207
being partially engaged in the pull grooves 202 and with the transition
portion 206 and/or the combination grooves 118. Since the shape and pitch
of the combination grooves 118 are different from those of the pull
grooves 202, damage to the jaws 207 could occur and improper setting of
the fastener 110 might result. The above can more readily occur in
installation tools which have a short stroke and which may require at
least two strokes to set the fastener 110 i.e. the jaws 207 will be
reciprocated such that after the first stroke they will be moved up along
the pin 112, closer to head 114 as the second stroke is initiated. The
consequences of the above can be minimized by utilization of a fastener
pin having pull grooves which are different from the combination grooves
but yet are compatible in pitch and shape whereby a jaw structure can
engage either pull grooves or combination grooves (or a combination of
both) and still be effective to set the fastener. Such a modified
structure is shown in FIGS. 9-12. For purposes of simplicity in the
embodiment of FIGS. 9-12, elements and portions similar to like elements
and portions in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 and performing similar
functions have been given the same numerical designations increased by
`200's` (by `300's` for those of FIGS. 1-5), i.e. pull grooves 202 of
FIGS. 6 and 7 become 402 in FIG. 9.
Thus fastener 310 has a collar 342 adapted to be swaged onto a pin member
312 which has an end portion 400 having a plurality of pull grooves 402
and an inner portion 404 having combination locking and breakneck grooves
318 (similar to grooves 18 of FIGS. 1-5). The pull grooves 402 are of a
modified structure (from conventional pull grooves 202) and in one form
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