Abstract: A temporary fastener and method, the fastener having a cylindrical sleeve and a sleeve head thereon, the region where the sleeve and sleeve head mate having a plurality of local protrusions thereon, with a stem passing through the sleeve head and sleeve and having an enlarged stem head adjacent the end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve head for pulling relative to the sleeve head to cause the enlarged stem head to form a blind side head on the sleeve and to cause the local protrusions to make depressions in an outer edge of the hole, and to pull through the sleeve and sleeve head to expand the sleeve into a tight fit in the workpieces. The protrusions make indentations in the edge of the hole in the adjacent workpiece to provide increased resistance to spinning when the temporary blind rivet is drilled out for a permanent fastener.

Abstract: A temporary fastener or temporary blind rivet having a cylindrical sleeve and a sleeve head thereon, the region where the sleeve and sleeve head mate having a plurality of local protrusions thereon, with a stem passing through the sleeve head and sleeve, the stem having an enlarged stem head thereon adjacent the end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve head, the stem for pulling relative to the sleeve head to cause the enlarged stem head to form a blind side head on the sleeve, to pull the workpieces together, to cause the local protrusions to make depressions in, and to fill the depressions in, an outer edge of the hole in the adjacent workpiece, and to pull through the sleeve and sleeve head to expand the sleeve into a tight fit in the hole in the workpieces. The protrusions make indentations in the edge of the hole in the adjacent workpiece to provide increased resistance to spinning when the temporary blind rivet is drilled out for a permanent fastener.

Abstract: A method including forming a first layer comprising a non-hexavalent chromium chemical conversion coating on a metal surface; and forming a second layer on the first layer through a sol gel process. An apparatus including a metal component having at least one surface; a first layer comprising a chemical conversion coating on the at least one surface; and a second layer derived from a sol gel composition on the first layer.

Abstract: Blind fasteners and methods of manufacture. The blind fasteners each have a sleeve with a sleeve head thereon and a stem having a stem head thereon. The stem extends through the sleeve from an end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve head with the stem head adjacent the end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve head. The sleeve has a non-uniform wall thickness to cause the sleeve to buckle outward against a blind side surface of a work piece to form a blind side head when the stem is pulled relative to the sleeve head to set the fastener in a work piece, the work piece having a thickness which may range from a predetermined minimum grip to a predetermined maximum grip. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Various coatings and methods of coating fasteners are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of coating includes applying a chromate coating to a fastener. In other embodiments, the method may include deoxidizing an aluminum fastener, etching the fastener, deoxidizing the fastener a second time, applying a chromate coating to the fastener, and dying the fastener.

Abstract: Various coatings and methods of coating fasteners are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of coating includes applying a chromate coating to a fastener. In other embodiments, the method may include deoxidizing an aluminum fastener, etching the fastener, deoxidizing the fastener a second time, applying a chromate coating to the fastener, and dying the fastener.

Abstract: A method including forming a first layer comprising a chemical conversion coating on a metal surface; and forming a second layer on the first layer through a sol gel process. An apparatus including a metal component having at least one surface; a first layer comprising a chemical conversion coating on the at least one surface; and a second layer derived from a sol gel composition on the first layer.

Abstract: Two piece tack rivets and method of forming holes for permanent fasteners. The tack rivets have a stem with a head on one end and a grooved region adjacent the other end, and a locking collar for fitting over the grooved region of the stem for deforming into the grooved region of the stem on applying a setting force between the locking collar and the stem. Once the rivet is set, the rivet may be later drilled out with a drill larger in diameter than the head of the stem. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method including forming a first layer comprising a chemical conversion coating on a metal surface; and forming a second layer on the first layer through a sol gel process. An apparatus including a metal component having at least one surface; a first layer comprising a chemical conversion coating on the at least one surface; and a second layer derived from a sol gel composition on the first layer.

Abstract: Automatic feeding blind rivet guns and method facilitating rapid installation of blind rivets with good freedom of movement of the operator. The blind rivet guns receive a carrier holding a substantial plurality of blind rivets in close side by side proximity and automatically sequentially loads and sets the blind rivets in response to operator control. The blind rivets are preferably supplied on an inexpensive disposable plastic carrier ready for use with the rivet installation gun. The installation gun itself is pneumatically powered, though other sources of power, such as electrical power, could be used.

Abstract: The present invention comprises aluminum solid rivets and methods of manufacturing aluminum solid rivets for aircraft and other demanding applications to provide rivets with high strength and excellent driveabiltity while improving the rivets resistance to fatigue and stress corrosion cracking. In accordance with the method, an aluminum rivet blank approximately the same diameter as the head of the finished rivet is used. This rivet blank is forced into a die to extrude the tapered region and the shank of the finished rivet. The fabrication process provides more uniform cold working at the junction of the shank and the tapered region of the rivet, and better orients the flow lines in this region. The process also can provide a superior surface finish, and may be suitable for use in wet wing fabrication without further processing for improved surface finish. Alternate embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process. The tightly engaged shank prevents the fastener from rotating during the drilling operation.

Abstract: A blind rivet fastener which has a bulb forming collar that is assembled by sliding the collar down the shank of the fastener stem. The bulb collar is seated adjacent to the head of the stem. The stem has a shoulder and a pull portion that extend through the inner channel of a sleeve. The sleeve, shoulder and stem head are typically inserted into the matching holes of two workpieces. The sleeve has a head located at an accessible side of the workpieces and an opposite chamfered end located at an inaccessible "blind" side of the workpieces. The fastener is installed by holding the sleeve while pulling the shoulder through the sleeve channel. The stem head pushes the bulb collar, which engages the chamfered end of the sleeve. The bulb collar has an inwardly tapered end which bends the sleeve in a radially outward direction. The deformed end and sleeve head secure the sleeve to the workpieces.

Abstract: A rivet which has a flat crown that extends from the head of a rivet. The rivet is typically installed into a workpiece hole which has a countersink. The head has a frusto-conical section that extends from a rivet shank and a cylindrical section that extends from the frusto-conical section. The frusto-conical section sits within a countersink of the workpiece hole. Extending from a top surface of the head is a crown which has a flat end face and a tapered portion that extends from the end face to the top head surface. The crown has a diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the head. The flat end face is approximately 0.5 times the diameter of the shank. The crown has a diameter that is approximately 1.25 times the shank diameter. The rivet is deformed by a hammer and an anvil so that the crown becomes flat and the rivet fills the hole of the workpiece.

Abstract: An expandable head rivet for sealing applications and the like having improved inspectability after setting. The rivet has an axially extending shank, a first substantially cylindrical section and a second tapered section between the first section and the shank, all generally conforming to the hole and counterbores in the workpiece. The face of the rivet head has a raised central section having a substantially flat surface perpendicular to the axis of the rivet of a cross sectional area between 50 and 110% of the cross sectional area of the shank of the rivet. Upon setting of the rivet in the workpiece, the head end of the rivet is flattened and radially expanded to tightly engage the cylindrical counterbore.

Abstract: An expandable head rivet for sealing applications and the like having improved inspectability after setting. The rivet has an axially extending shank, a first substantially cylindrical section and a second tapered section between the first section and the shank, all generally conforming to the hole and counterbores in the workpiece. The face of the rivet head has a raised central section having a substantially flat surface perpendicular to the axis of the rivet of a cross sectional area of at least a substantial percentage of the cross sectional area of the shank of the rivet. Upon setting of the rivet in the workpiece, the head end of the rivet is flattened and radially expanded to tightly engage the cylindrical counterbore.

Abstract: A locking apparatus for blind fasteners providing improved yield and fatigue performance of the blind fasteners is disclosed. The locking apparatus utilizes a locking collar which will slide over the fastener stem and within the tubular rivet sleeve of the fastener without preforming into the locking groove on the stem. The locking collar is formed so that upon the pulling of the stem during installation of the blind fastener, specially formed tapered regions in the locking collar then adjacent the locking groove on the stem cause the region of the locking collar immediately thereabove to be encouraged tightly inward against the locking groove to provide a particularly tight fit in the locking groove. In an alternate embodiment, the locking collar is formed so that upon pulling of the stem during installation of the blind fastener, a specially formed locking collar buckles inward to pack tightly into the locking groove.

Abstract: A temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process. The tightly engaged shank prevents the fastener from rotating during the drilling operation.

Abstract: A method for creating a hole for a permanent fastener that replaces a temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The temporary fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The temporary fastener has an inner channel that extends through the shank from the head to the opposite end. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and is expanded to tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process.