Abstract: A tool for attaching a support member formed with a hook member and a bendable tab member to a support post formed with a plurality of slots is disclosed. The tool is provided with a handle portion having an arcuate bending finger at one end and which is pivotally connected to a reaction finger having planar bearing surfaces. In use the reaction finger is placed in the slot in which the hook member is received and then the bending finger is inserted into the slot in which the tab member is received. Force is then applied to the handle portion which is applied to the tab member through the bending finger and which reacts through the reaction finger.

Abstract: A storage system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a support member formed with a first leg providing a track surface and a second leg extending at a generally right angle thereto and providing a guide surface. The second leg member is formed with a plurality of connecting means, one at each end of the support member, for securing the support member to adjacent support posts. The connecting means includes a hook member formed on the second leg and a tab member also formed on the second leg and forming an angle greater than 90.degree. with the portion of the second leg located between the hook member and the tab member. To assemble the storage system, the hook members are first engaged with slots in an adjacent pair of posts and the support member is then rotated so that the tab members pass into other slots in the post members. Thereafter, each of the tab members is bent toward the hook member so that it forms an angle less than 90.degree.

Abstract: A meter for determining stiffness or torque gradient including, in one embodiment, a deflectable coupling connected between an output shaft and a power input shaft, sensing means for developing two separate series of signals representative of the displacement of the input and output shafts respectively, a comparator for determining from the two series of signals a function of the stiffness or torque gradient and, in another embodiment, including a single shaft having an input end and an output end, transducer means associated with the shaft for developing a signal representative of the torque being applied through the shaft, sensing means for developing a signal representative of the displacement of the shaft, and comparator means for determining from the two signals a function of the stiffness or torque gradient.

Abstract: A blind fastener assembly includes, in one embodiment a pin, an expander and a sleeve. The pin and expander may include, in one configuration, mating threads for drawing the sleeve axially over the expander toward the blind side of a workpiece, or the pin may be a pull-type wherein the portion of the pin opposite from the blind side end has pull grooves which are adapted to be gripped by a conventional pull gun. The sleeve is a tubular member with a portion of its length having a normal radial thickness and a portion having reduced radial thickness comprising a reduced outer diameter over a portion of its axial length and a counter-bore along the same axial length adjacent one end of the sleeve. The expander extends through aligned holes in the workpieces and has a tapered nose surface proximate the reduced thickness portion of the sleeve.

Abstract: A quick-acting fastener assembly for securing a hinged cover to a storage box wherein the components of the fastener assembly are retained on the box and cover respectively when the fastener is not secured. The fastener assembly is self-actuatable without the need for any external tool, and the component parts are not loose and free to rattle in an unsecured position. The assembly includes a hollow stud member which has screw threads at both ends thereof, a securing nut assembly on one end, an adjusting nut assembly on the other end and a spring. The stud member is slidingly mounted through an opening in the box and includes a tab member carried thereon which restricts rotation of the stud relative to the box and also restricts axial movement of the stud in one direction. One end of the stud includes multiple lead threads which cooperate with the securing nut assembly to fasten the cover.

Abstract: In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein a lift apparatus includes a load carriage movable along a mast member by a hoist means including a cable supporting the load carriage and connected to a drive means. Also included is a safety brake including brake means operative to apply a braking force between the load carriage and the mast member and for supporting the load carriage on the mast member when the brake means is in its operative condition. In accordance with the invention, the brake means is controlled through an operating member which is actuated by either a first or second actuating means, each of which is independent of the other. The first actuating means is arranged to operate the brake means if the cable supporting the load carriage fails and the second actuating means is arranged to operate the brake means in response to an over-speed condition created by other failures in the hoist means.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to a fastener assembly and method of using same to preload a joint including a plurality of adjacent workpieces having aligned openings formed therein. The fastener assembly includes a pin member having an enlarged head and a shank located within the aligned openings in the workpieces and further includes a collar member having a deformable outer portion and a relatively hard inner portion located about a portion of the shank such that the inner portion is directly adjacent the shank portion. Also formed on the shank is a thread configuration adapted to cooperate with a complimentary thread configuration for snugging the workpieces together with a relatively light preload. After the joint has been snugged together, the collar member is crimped causing axial flow of material in the outer portion which reacts to stretch the pin member and induce a desired preload in the joint.

Abstract: A storage system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a support member formed with a first leg providing a track surface and a second leg extending at a generally right angle thereto and providing a guide surface. The second leg member is formed with a plurality of connecting means, one at each end of the support member, for securing the support member to adjacent support posts. The connecting means includes a hook member formed on the second leg and a tab member also formed on the second leg and forming an angle greater than 90.degree. with the portion of the second leg located between the hook member and the tab member. To assemble the storage system, the hook members are first engaged with slots in an adjacent pair of posts and the support member is then rotated so that the tab members pass into other slots in the post members. Thereafter, each of the tab members is bent toward the hook member so that it forms an angle less than 90.degree.

Abstract: A method of attaching a support member formed with a hook member and a bendable tab member to a support post formed with a plurality of slots is disclosed and comprises the steps of engaging the hook member in a slot on the post member such that a portion of the hook member underlies the outer surface of the post member, rotating the support member so that the tab member is inserted in another slot on the post member and applying a bending force to the tab member to bend the tab member toward the hook member such that the tab member also underlies the outer surface of the post member. Simultaneous with applying the bending force a reaction surface is provided in the slot in which the hook member is engaged so that the bending force reacts through the reaction surface and the post member.A tool usable in the above described method comprises a handle portion having an arcuate bending finger at one end and which is pivotally connected to a reaction finger having planar bearing surfaces.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to a tightening system for tightening an assembly including a threaded fastener including a wrench for applying torque and imparting rotation to the fastener. Associated with the wrench is a control system including measuring means for developing a first signal representative of the angular displacement of the fastener. A second signal representative of a constant incremental time is introduced along with the first signal to gradient calculating means which develops a signal representative of the slope or gradient of an angular speed vs. angular displacement curve which could be plotted for the particular assembly being tightened. When the gradient signal falls to a predetermined percentage of a maximum previously stored gradient signal, at the yield point of the assembly or some similarly significant point characterized by a significant change in slope on the angular speed vs.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to a tightening system including a wrench for applying torque to a fastener system. Associated with the wrench is a control system including measuring means for developing a first signal representative of the torque applied to the fastener. A second signal representative of a constant incremental time is introduced along with the torque signal into gradient calculating means which develops a signal representative of the slope of a torque-time curve which can be plotted for the particular fastener system being tightened. When the gradient signal falls to a predetermined percentage of the maximum previously stored gradient signal, at the yield point of the fastener system or some similarly significant point on the torque-time curve, a control signal is generated stopping the tightening of the fastener.

Abstract: A method and fastener assembly for preloading a joint wherein a pin having a shank and a head at one end is disposed with the shank portion passing through aligned apertures of a plurality of workpieces to be joined. The shank portion of the pin extends beyond the surface of the workpiece and is provided with an irregular surface configuration. A deformable collar having an initially smooth surfaced internal bore is disposed about the pin and snugged against the adjacent workpiece by a removably positioned means placed in abutting relationship against the free surface of the collar to lightly clamp the joint assembly together to remove free play in the joint.

Abstract: A method of counting small parts by feeding the parts in bulk to discharge a stream of parts into a separating region leading to a plurality of outlet channels, the separating region including spaced rods capable of spatially distributing the parts in a random manner over the outlet channels as the parts fall through the separating region and cascade from rod to rod, counting the number of parts passing through each outlet channel and adding together the corrected numbers of parts passing through all the channels.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed herein relate to a tightening system comprising a wrench for rotating and applying torque to a fastener system, means for developing a signal representative of the torque being applied and means for developing a signal representative of the rotation. A control system is operatively associated with the wrench for determining which of the two signals is increasing faster. If the torque signal is increasing faster than the rotation signal, the control system modifies the rotation signal by increasing it until it corresponds to the torque signal, but cannot decrease the modified rotation signal when the increase of the torque signal is less than the increase of the rotation signal. When the increase of the torque signal decreases relative to the modified rotation signal, the control system develops a decision-making signal which is processed to develop a control signal when a yield point of the fastener system is detected.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed herein relate to a tightening system comprising a wrench for rotating and applying torque to a fastener system, means for developing a signal representative of the torque being applied and means for developing a signal representative of the rotation. The signals are compared and the total rotation signal is increased when the torque signal is increasing at a faster rate than the rotation signal so that the rotation signal corresponds to the torque signal. When the torque signal decreases relative to the rotation signal the rotation signal cannot decrease and a decision-making signal is developed which is processed to develop a control signal when a yield point of the fastener system is detected.

Abstract: A rotation resistant nut having an internally threaded nut body and having a portion of the exterior surface of the nut body provided with an irregular configuration. The rotation resistant nut is adapted to be used as an insert-type nut and upon installation of the nut into a round hole in a workpiece having a diameter smaller than the major diameter of the nut, the workpiece deforms the nut body so that the internal threads of the nut become distorted to create a prevailing torque locking characteristic between the internal threads of the nut and a cooperating threaded male fastener.

Abstract: A tightening system for tightening a fastener is disclosed herein and includes a wrench for tightening the fastener, a control system for shutting off the wrench when the fastener has been tightened to a predetermined condition and a quality control system including apparatus for determining the condition of the fastener at the predetermined condition and for also checking the operation of the system during the tightening cycle. Accordingly, an easily discernible and meaningful signal can be provided indicating that the tool has functioned properly and that the joint has been tightened to the predetermined condition.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to a fastener assembly and method of using same to preload a joint including a plurality of adjacent workpieces having aligned openings formed therein. The fastener assembly includes a pin member having an enlarged head and a shank located within the aligned openings in the workpieces and further includes a collar member having a deformable outer portion and a relatively hard inner portion located about a portion of the shank such that the inner portion is directly adjacent the shank portion. Also formed on the shank is a thread configuration adapted to cooperate with a complimentary thread configuration for snugging the workpieces together with a relatively light preload. After the joint has been snugged together, the collar member is crimped causing axial flow of material in the outer portion which reacts to stretch the pin member and induce a desired preload in the joint.

Abstract: A meter for determining stiffness or torque gradient including, in one embodiment, a deflectable coupling connected between an output shaft and a power input shaft, sensing means for developing two separate series of signals representative of the displacement of the input and output shafts respectively, a comparator for determining from the two series of signals a function of the stiffness or torque gradient and, in another embodiment, including a single shaft having an input end and an output end, transducer means associated with the shaft for developing a signal representative of the torque being applied through the shaft, sensing means for developing a signal representative of the displacement of the shaft, and comparator means for determining from the two signals a function of the stiffness or torque gradient.

Abstract: A thread forming and vibration resistant fastener having a shank with at least a portion of its length provided with an external thread. At least a portion of the thread has an irregular surface configuration on both of its flanks in the form of a plurality of serrations. The serrations are shaped as teeth, when viewed along a cylinder concentric with the longitudinal axis of the fastener, with the teeth extending inwardly from adjacent the crest of the thread portion to a termination inwardly of the pitch diameter thereof.