Abstract: A fastening system for securing structural members such as C-channels for buildings, bridges and the like and including a fastener construction for securing the structural members through spaced flanges or plates at locations where there is limited support between such flanges or plates with the fastener as installed having a member providing substantially direct, columnar support between the spaced flanges or plates.

Abstract: In general a torque controlled blind bolt for securing workpieces is shown and which blind bolt has a core pin with a blind side head and a plurality of threads and a nut adapted to be threaded onto the pin threads; the blind bolt which has a main sleeve structure and an expandable blind side sleeve structure is set by torque applied between the pin and nut which causes the expandable sleeve to be expanded by the pin head and to thereby form a load bearing blind head; the blind fastener includes a grip adjuster structure which defines a cavity having a depth selected to define the grip range of the fastener with the grip cavity generally located externally of the workpieces; an anti-rotation structure is formed between the pin head and the expandable sleeve structure to inhibit relative rotation in response to the torque applied between the nut and the pin.

Abstract: A tool for use in installing fasteners in workpieces is disclosed. The tool includes a pintail bore which includes a passage extending through the nose assembly, the piston, and the back cap. An air channel connected to a supply of pressurized air is connected to the pintail bore. An air restriction mechanism blocks the flow of air out the nose of the tool and a pintail retaining device prevents detached pintails from exiting out the nose of the tool. Thus, pressurized air flowing through the air channel carries detached pintails out the pintail bore to a pintail collection chamber.

Abstract: In general a blind fastener for securing workpieces is shown and which blind bolt has a core pin with a blind side head and a plurality of threads or locking grooves and a nut adapted to be threaded onto the pin threads; the blind bolt which has a main sleeve structure and an expandable blind side sleeve structure is set by a relative axial force applied to the pin which forces the expandable sleeve structure against the main sleeve structure causing the expandable sleeve to expand and form a load bearing blind head; the blind fastener includes a grip adjuster structure which defines a cavity having a depth selected to define the grip range of the fastener with the grip cavity generally located externally of the workpieces; the core pin head acts on the expandable sleeve and main sleeve structures to cause a frangible portion in the grip adjuster structure to shear and receive the main sleeve structure after which the blind head engages the blind side of the workpieces, with none of the clamp load developed b

Abstract: A hand held, hydraulically actuated installation tool installs multi-pieced fasteners having fastener components including a pin and a collar and/or sleeve by applying a relative axial force therebetween by a nose assembly which has a jaw structure for gripping the shank of the pin and an anvil for engaging the collar or sleeve and for severing a pintail portion of the shank after completion of the installation. A power cylinder housing is provided having a cylinder housing section and an integrally formed handle section with hydraulic passageways extending through the handle with internal parting to the cylinder housing. While the nose assembly can be readily installed and removed, the anvil member can be selectively rotated when the nose assembly is installed.

Abstract: A tool for use in installing fasteners in workpieces is disclosed. The tool includes a piston cylinder and a piston slidably disposed within the piston cylinder which defines a forward piston chamber and a return piston chamber within the piston cylinder. Pressurized hydraulic fluid is utilized to deploy the piston. An air return chamber is defined in part by the return piston chamber and comprises chambers configured within a handle of the tool. A supply of pressurized air is connected in fluid communication with the air return chamber. A one-way valve is positioned between the pressurized air and the air return chamber.

Abstract: A panel fastener having a turning knob which is attached to a stud in a positive locking relationship. The stud has a shaft with an enlarged stud head and a deformable lip at one end and a threaded region at the opposite end. The hollow cylindrical knob has an interior annular ridge extending radially inwardly from the inside surface of the knob thereby defining an opening through the knob. The stud extends through the ridge opening and the stud head rests on one surface of the ridge and the lip extends from the stud head through the ridge opening and is deformed to engage the ridge to permanently attach the knob to the stud. The stud head has protrusions extending radially from its circumference which positively engage a similarly shaped recess in the knob. The knob is made of a composite material that resists cracking during assembly and reduces corrosion during use.

Abstract: An installation tool installs multi-pieced fasteners having fastener components including a pin and a collar and/or sleeve by applying a relative axial force therebetween by a nose assembly which has a jaw structure for gripping the pin and an anvil for engaging the collar or sleeve. A first resilient spring structure is provided to exert an actuating bias on the jaw structure for gripping the pin while a second resilient, spring structure is provided to absorb shock loads experienced by the nose assembly during installation; the first and second resilient, spring structures are constructed to operate substantially independently of each other. A series of openings are provided at the forward end of the nose assembly to define a structure for expelling dirt and debris which would otherwise be trapped therein.

Abstract: A pintail fastener installation tool includes a nose piston cylinder which surrounds a nose piston having a longitudinal bore which is aligned with a jaw opening of a nose assembly. The nose piston also has a venturi bore which meets the longitudinal bore at an angle. When connected to a source of pressurized air and enabled, the venturi bore creates a venturi effect which suctions detached pintails out of the nose assembly and piston into a container. The venturi bore may be disabled by a slide valve which separates the venturi bore from the air feed. The slide valve includes a ring which is positioned around the exterior of the nose piston cylinder. The slide valve is linearly slidable between an open position, which allows pressurized air to flow from the air feed to the venturi bore, and a closed position, which prevents air flow from the air feed to the venturi bore. A pintail container secured to the nose piston cylinder includes a slotted inner bottle and a slotted outer bottle with ribs.

Abstract: An improved automatic rivet feed apparatus which can be used as a retrofit to an existing power driven riveting tool or incorporated integrally into a riveting tool. A rivet strip holds each of the plurality of rivets at individual fixed positions on the rivet strip. Included is a rivet strip release hook which stops the rivets, as they are advanced one-by-one, at rivet pick-up point and releases each of the rivets from the rivet strip. A hand mounted on the end of a pneumatic ram grips the rivets at the rivet pick-up point, the hand having a biased latch to prevent slippage of the rivets. The pneumatic ram moves the rivet forward and rotates to place the rivet in alignment with the nose piece of the riveting tool. The pneumatic ram then retracts and inserts the mandrel of the rivet into the nose piece and returns to the rivet pick-up point to repeat the steps. A rivet pick-up mechanism is used to hold the rivet as it is released from the rivet strip and moved to the nose piece of the rivet strip.

Abstract: An automatic rivet feed apparatus which can be used as a retrofit to an existing power driven riveting tool or incorporated integrally into a riveting tool. A rivet strip holds each of the plurality of rivets at individual fixed positions on the rivet strip. Included is a rivet strip release hook which stops the rivets, as they are advanced one-by-one, at rivet pick-up point and releases each of the rivets from the rivet strip. A hand mounted on the end of a pneumatic ram grips the rivets at the rivet pick-up point. The pneumatic ram moves the rivet forward and rotates to place the rivet in alignment with the nose piece of the riveting tool. The pneumatic ram then retracts and inserts the mandrel of the rivet into the nose piece and returns to the rivet pick-up point to repeat the steps.

Abstract: A high strength, high clamp blind bolt for fastening structural workpieces, which blind bolt has a core pin with a blind side head and a plurality of locking grooves or threads, a high stand-off collar adapted to be swaged into the locking grooves or a nut adapted to be threaded onto the pin threads, a compression frangible main sleeve structure and an expandable, short fixed length blind side sleeve structure; the blind bolt is set by a relative axial force applied to the pin which forces the short blind sleeve structure against the main sleeve structure causing the blind side sleeve to expand and form a blind side structural load bearing blind head; the relative axial force can be applied by pulling in a swage configuration or by torque in a threaded configuration; the core pin head acts on the main sleeve structure to cause a frangible portion to shear and reduce the main sleeve structure length after which the blind head engages the blind side of the workpieces; the high stand-off collar is then swaged in

Abstract: A high strength blind bolt for fastening structural workpieces the blind bolt being of a swage type, pull type construction and having a pin member with a plurality of locking grooves, a main sleeve, an expandable sleeve and a collar adapted to be swaged into the lock grooves, the main sleeve having a tapered nose portion adapted to radially expand the expandable sleeve in response to the application of a preselected relative axial force applied between the pin member and the collar, the tapered nose portion being defined by a preselected small angle to limit the radial expansion of the expandable sleeve to provide a high strength blind head for engaging the adjacent, blind side of the structural workpieces and to initially clamp the structural workpieces together at a high clamp load and to provide a final high, residual clamp load upon swaging of the collar into the lock grooves of the pin member.

Abstract: A swage type fastener including a swageable collar member having a pintail member secured thereto to define a pintailed collar; the pintailed collar is operable to be secured to a stud or pin member by an installation tool which applies a relative axial force between the pintail member and collar member to cause a swage anvil to swage the collar member into a locking groove portion on the pintail member and then to sever the pintailed member from the installed collar member; the stud or pin member can have a gripping groove construction at its free end to grip the collar member at initial swage and relatively low swage loads and to resist the installation tool pulling the collar member into the swage anvil instead of swaging it onto the stud or pin member under the subsequently high swage loads.