Abstract: A method and apparatus for engine piston installation in which robots are used for the entire engine piston installation process. A first robot equipped with a stuffing gripper and force control picks up a piston with a connection rod, detects the piston ring presence, squeeze the rings, find the engine cylinder bore, and stuffs the piston into the cylinder bore. A second robot can be used to load and unload the engine block, hold the block and position it to the location, and indexes the crankshaft into the proper orientation for each cylinder bore. A set of tools either fixed on a stationary station or on a third robot is used to guide the piston connecting rod, transport and place on the connecting rod cap, and fasten the cap onto the connecting rod. The piston connecting rod guiding process may be omitted in piston stuffing for some types of engines.

Abstract: A hand-held tool has a leading edge which is inserted into a price channel and which has a tag exit port defined therein to be located in the price channel when in use and a trailing edge having a tag entrance port defined therein and into which a flexible tag is inserted. A bore connects the entrance port to the exit port and a flexible tag is forced through the entrance port, through the bore and out of the exit port to be positioned in the price channel.

Abstract: A piston-ring-installing device including a base (110) having a through-hole (111); and a guide member (120) disposed in the through-hole and fixed to the base, for positioning a piston in the vertical direction while receiving a head of the piston that is suspended downwardly in the vertical direction, and guiding a piston ring while widening a diameter of the piston ring by an outer peripheral surface of the guide member. A piston pressing member (130) is disposed above the base and supported movably toward a concave part (121b) of the guide member. The piston pressing member has a tapered inner wall surface (131) that is widened downwardly so as to come into contact with an edge of an upper end of the piston. A driving mechanism (140) is disposed on the base, and the driving mechanism is operable to drive the piston pressing member at least in the vertical direction. Also provided is a ring feeding mechanism (150) that feeds the piston ring placed on the guide member upwardly.

Abstract: An installation device includes an extruding mechanism that horizontally extrudes a piston ring, positions the piston ring and, after extruding, is driven downwardly and then returned to a waiting position; a ring holding mechanism that has a guide passage for guiding the piston ring, that is driven so as to move close to and apart from a piston in one direction perpendicular to the extruding direction, and that is capable of defining an insertion hole for insertion of the piston; a ring diameter extending mechanism that extends the diameter of the piston ring, that is driven to enter and leave the guide passage of the ring holding mechanism, and that is reversely driven to a position for defining a part of the guide passage when the diameter-extended state of the piston ring is released; and a piston holding member that holds the piston at a predetermined position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for installing a piston over a lip seal on a shaft includes a cylinder or primary force and a weight member or secondary force. The primary force and secondary force are coupled by a resilient member, which will permit the secondary force to retract from the assembly process when the force needed to complete the assembly is above a predetermined value.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of assembling a modular internal combustion engine. The modular engine includes a cast crankcase having an open top and a closed bottom, a mid-plate, and an extruded cylinder bore block. A pre-assembled crankshaft with bearings, connecting rods, and pistons with piston rings are all placed through the open top crankcase. The mid-plate partially houses the assembled components over top the crankcase as the connecting rods and pistons extend through and above. Next, the piston rings are simultaneously compressed and the cylinder block is located over the pistons. The pistons with piston rings are inserted into cylinder bores through the bottom surface of the cylinder block and the assembly is completed. This method is performed with the help of a fixture for compressing and positioning the piston rings.

Abstract: A tool and method is provided for the installation of radial seals such as for example O-rings into radial grooves. The tool and method can be used to install an O-ring into a dovetailed groove of an items such as a valve stem. The tool includes a first part having a first face at an angle relative to a plane in which the plane lies and a second part having a second face opposed to the first face and that a second opposite angle relative to the plane in which the seal lies. Compressing the first and the second part towards the two faces together squeezes the seal and urges it into the groove.

Abstract: A piston-pin lock-ring-insertion tool has a ring-insertion tube (1) in ring-insertion relationship to a ring pusher (2). The ring-insertion tube has an inside periphery with a press-close taper (8) that is tapered inwardly from a ring-feeder end (6) to a ring-guide bore (9) that is cylindrical uniformly intermediate the press-close taper and a ring-insertion end of the ring-insertion tube. The ring-insertion end (7) of the ring-insertion tube has a perpendicularity surface (10) that is adapted for alignment of the ring-guide bore and a piston-pin bore (4) in a crankshaft-engine piston (5). The ring pusher has a pusher taper (26) with a pusher head (12) adapted for being buttressed against a side of lock ring (3) for pushing the lock ring from a major diameter to a minor diameter of the press-close taper proximate a circumferential entrance to the ring-guide bore. The ring pusher has a slide rod (13) that is oppositely disposed end-to-end from the pusher head.

Abstract: A method for fitting a cylinder assembly into an internal combustion cylinder housing includes the steps of gripping the connected rod-pin-piston assembly with a gripper or clamp and lowering the connected rod-pin-piston assembly, gripped by the gripper or clamp, onto the head surface of the engine cylinder. The connected rod-pin-piston assembly is then inserted into the engine cylinder being thrust by an actuator passing through the gripper or clamp.

Abstract: An assembly tool for insertion of engine piston/rod assemblies into an engine cylinder includes a frame, a support arm pivotally carried on the frame, an insertion cylinder carried by the support arm and including an extendable insertion rod having an end adapted to engage a piston in position for insertion; a positioner for positioning the support arm in an insertion position with the rod end engaging a piston; and a control for actuating the insertion rod to insert a piston/rod assembly into the cylinder. Various additional features of an exemplary embodiment are also disclosed.

Abstract: A piston insertion machine for inserting piston assemblies into respective cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The piston insertion machine eliminates the need for individually lifting and inserting the piston assemblies into the respective cylinders. The piston insertion machine includes a barrel assembly for holding the piston assembly. A first set of components pivot the piston barrel assembly (and thus the piston assembly) from an upright position to a horizontal position. Another component inserts the piston assembly into the cylinder of the engine block.

Abstract: A piston ring compressor having position sensors for aligning a piston assembly with a cylinder of an engine block. The position sensors enable a piston assembly to be properly aligned with the cylinder prior to inserting the piston assembly into the cylinder without damaging either the piston assembly or the cylinder. The position sensors are linear variable distance transducer which are used to align the centerline of the piston ring compressor with the centerline of the cylinder.

Abstract: The piston ring compressor tool system comprises a compression skirt. The skirt has an interior surface and an exterior surface. It also has an upper edge and a lower edge. The tool system has a hollow, generally tapered, cylindrical tubular form and is further configured in a shape of an upper frustroconical funnel. The funnel forms a planar inlet within the interior of the upper edge. The funnel further forms a lower cylindrically shaped outlet within the interior of the lower edge. The outlet is parallel to the plane of the inlet and is for discharging the piston and ring assembly into a bore. The compression skirt has a generally outwardly curved upper horizontal portion. The lower horizontal portion is generally plumb to the plane of the opening of the lower edge. The middle horizontal area is a transition area between the radian outward curve of the upper horizontal portion and the generally plumb surface of the lower horizontal portion.

Abstract: A tool to remove a retaining ring at least partially received in a groove of a cylinder has a handle lever constructed to engage the open end of the cylinder and a claw lever having a hooked end or claw constructed to be received at least partially underneath the retaining ring with the claw lever pivotally connected to the handle lever permitting relative movement between the two levers. The pivotal connection between the handle lever and claw lever permits them to be separated and joined together in a scissor-like fashion to facilitate engaging the claw with the retaining ring. When engaged with the retaining ring, the tool is pivoted about the cylinder to displace the claw and thereby displace the retaining ring inwardly and upwardly of the groove to remove it from the cylinder. The tool permits easy and non-destructive removal of the retaining ring and requires relatively low force and a relatively low level of skill to remove the retaining ring from the cylinder.

Abstract: A tool for dismounting a bicycle pedal crankarm from a crankshaft. A bicycle crankshaft has a mounting end and the crankarm has a crank mount having a bore therethrough having on one end a socket mounted on the crankshaft mounting end. The tool includes a puller and a handle. The puller comprises a housing having a column bore therein and having a proximal end and a distal end having screw threads adapted for mating attachment with internal screw threads in the crank mount bore. A column comprised of a piston and a rolling bearing is contained in the column bore and reciprocally slidable therein. The handle is pivotally connected to the puller and pivotable 180.degree. between an attachment position and a dismount position. Pivotal movement of the handle between an attachment position and a dismount position when the housing is attached to the crankarm mount moves a cam that moves the column against the crankshaft mounting end to dismount the crankarm.

Abstract: Piston-ringing apparatus comprises a tubular piston nest member for receiving each piston to locate the piston groove in a predetermined ring-receiving position, a plurality of ring cartridges positionable one at a time in alignment with the piston nest member. The aligned ring cartridge is engaged to the piston nest member to permit transfer of rings from the ring cartridge to the piston nest member and disengage the aligned ring cartridge when empty of rings. The stack of rings on the cartridge is moved by opposing fingers toward the piston groove to position an endmost ring residing on the nest member in the groove of each successive piston received in the nest member while the aligned ring cartridge is engaged thereto. A fiber optic switch is provided for directing a light beam tangentially through the piston groove to determine whether a ring is positioned therein. The switch provides a finger motor drive signal to stop feeding of a ring to the piston groove when a ring is present in the piston groove.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a stuck lantern ring from the packing chamber of a valve assembly. The apparatus includes a guide collar which can be fixedly secured to the valve stem at a position above the packing chamber. The guide collar includes a plurality of equally spaced guide holes for guiding a drilling instrument used to form threaded openings in the lantern ring. After the holes are formed in the stuck lantern ring, thread connectors are inserted through the guide holes in the guide collar and are engaged with the threaded holes in the lantern ring. When the valve stem is raised, the removal tool applies a lifting force to the stuck lantern ring to lift the lantern ring out of the packing chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for machining the exterior peripheral surface of piston rings for internal combustion engines, particularly piston rings having a transverse shape other than circular, for example, oval or elliptical. A jig arrangement usable with the apparatus is adapted to temporarily deform the workpieces in order to produce exterior surfaces having a conical taper.

Abstract: A tool is provided for seating "O" rings in flanged pipe. An "O" ring positioning plate is held between two parallel facing plates. A flexible "O" ring support band is mounted in the tool and holds the "O" ring tightly against an arcuate cut in the lower surface of the "O" ring positioning plate. A support member is included to support the tool on the pipe's flange.

Abstract: A tool is provided for positioning an "O" ring in a seating groove cut into the face of a section of flanged pipe. The tool includes a set of two adjustable tongs to grasp the "O" ring. The tongs are held in a fixed position by a pair of parallel facing plates. Bolts running through the parallel facing plates also run through a verticle plate of a support member which secures the tool to the flange.

Abstract: A device for the centered clamping of an annular workpiece or workpiece stack formed of a plurality of annular workpieces, to hold the same in position for the machining of the inner faces thereof, includes first and second axially aligned clamping rings for engaging opposite, radially extending end faces of a workpiece or workpiece stack positioned in a space between the clamping rings; a centering cylinder surrounding the space and having a lead-in chamfer at one edge thereof; and a clamping arrangement for moving the two clamping rings relative to one another.