Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method for the manufacture of aircraft engine cylinder barrels to prevent their premature failure due to hairline cracks or specks thought to be caused by caustic stress corrosion cracking during black oxide treatment. Machined aircraft cylinder barrels immersed into a black oxide chemical bath composed of a solution containing about 60% sodium hydroxide, about 0% sodium nitrate, and about 40% sodium nitrite most effectively prevents specks and hairline cracks. Since residual stresses from machining also contribute to the probability that specks or hairline cracks will occur during black oxide treatment, the maximum selected number of cylinder barrels essentially free of detectible specks or hairline cracks determines the maximum number of cylinder barrels to be machined on a given set of tool bits.

Abstract: Apparatus for maintaining a vehicle screen (12) supported with respect to a vehicle by a gasket (16, 24), said screen (12) comprising first (22) and second (27) edge regions wherein said gasket (16, 24) has a first conduit (20) means having an opening (21) proximate to said first edge region (22) and second conduit (25) means having an opening (26) proximate to said second edge region (27) and wherein the apparatus further comprises supply apparatus coupled to said first conduit means (20) for supplying a liquid thereto and collection apparatus coupled to said second conduit (25) means for collecting said liquid.

Abstract: Members of an assembly, a first of which has an aperture and a second of which is of deformable sheet-like material, are fastened together by piercing and deforming the second member using a punch and die to provide a pierced aperture having a peripheral wall of helical form analogous to a screw-thread, assembling the members together with the apertures aligned, inserting a tubular fastener having a head and a shank into the apertures so that the head abuts a face of the first member and the shank extends through the second member, and then expanding at least part of the shank within the pierced aperture of the second member and thereby causing the peripheral wall of the pierced aperture to impress a helical peripheral groove into the external surface of the shank of the fastener. The shank can be expanded by pulling a tapering mandrel head into or through it.

Abstract: A fastener installation tool installs fasteners of the type in which a part of the fastener is broken off during the installation process. The tool has collection means for collecting broken off fastener parts during operation of the tool. The collection means (34) is removably connectable to the tool. A safety device in the tool is responsive to the collection means being connected to the tool or being not connected to the tool. The safety device (64,68,72) allows further operation of the tool only when the collection means is connected to the tool.

Abstract: Riveting apparatus of the type in which an elongated mandrel, having an enlarged head at one end and loaded with a plurality of the tubular rivets forming a column of rivets on the mandrel, is gripped by gripping mechanism at or near the end remote from the head, and reciprocated relative to an abutment (32), by relative reciprocation between the gripping means (43) and the abutment, the rivets in the column being fed forwardly along the mandrel so that the leading rivet nearest the mandrel head is positioned between the mandrel head and the abutment (32) and can then be set by moving the mandrel rearwardly relative to the abutment (32) so as to draw the head of the mandrel through the bore of the rivet while the rivet is supported by the abutment (32), includes pneumatically operated rivet-feeding mechanism for feeding rivets forwardly along the mandrel, a valve mechanism for shutting off the supply of air to the rivet feeding mechanism thereby to disable it, and the valve mechanism is responsive to the pres

Abstract: In a fastener installation tool which is pneumatically powered to instal a blind rivet or bolt by a relative pulling action, a pneumatic/hydraulic intensifier (12, 13) is included to actuate hydraulically the pulling stroke of a head piston (22) which provides the relative pulling action. It is desirable to design such tools so that they have increased levels of safety for the persons using and operating them. In such a tool, there is provided a safety device including a valve for disabling the supply of air to one side of a pneumatic piston and cylinder device (15) and a push-rod (51) operative connected to the valve and extending along the inside of the air supply conduitThe push rod normally contacts the displaceable end (43) of the cylinder when the displaceable end is in its safe position so as to operate the valve to allow the supply of air to the pneumatic chamber.

Abstract: In a fastener installation tool, return of a head piston (22) is effected by the application of air under pressure to the rear side of the piston. The end of the head cylinder body on the rear side of the piston is provided with a removable end member (34) which is displaceable away from a position in which it is safely secured to the head cylinder body (14). Also, the tool further includes a safety device in the form of air vent means (64) which, if the end member is displaced beyond a predetermined amount, opens to vent air under pressure from the head cylinder body on the rear side of the head piston (22), thereby preventing the return of the head piston and thus the further operation of the tool.

Abstract: A method of riveting two metal sheets together including the steps of inserting the shank of a blind rivet through superposed oversized holes in the sheets, and deforming the parts of the sheets immediately surrounding the apertures by compression between the blind head and the preformed head of the rivet when the rivet is placed. The holes are oversized to allow for manufacturing and assembly tolerances, and deformation of the sheets provides interengagement between the sheets and substantially increases their resistance to slipping sideways relative to each other.

Abstract: In a fastener installation tool, a hydraulically actuated head piston (22) is actuated on its power stroke to install a fastener, and has return means for returning the head piston independently of the hydraulic arrangement. The tool also has a pneumatic hydraulic intensifier (12,13) for providing the hydraulic actuation above mentioned. The hydraulic intensifier has a hydraulic cylinder and a piston rod reciprocable in the hydraulic cylinder, and is provided with a seal (54) for sealing between the end of the piston rod and the wall (39) of the cylinder as the piston rod is driven into the cylinder. The seal is separate from the piston rod and is supported on the end face of the piston rod so as to allow radial movement of the end of the piston rod with respect to the seal. The seal may be provided by an assembly which comprises a substantially rigid support member (57) and an annular flexible sealing member (54). The latter contacts both the end face of the piston rod and the annular sealing member.

Abstract: A riveting apparatus which includes an elongated mandrel, a mandrel gripping mechanism, a mechanism for feeding rivets forwardly along the mandrel, and an abutment provided by a plurality of members, and a control system including an actuation device such that, upon actuation by an operator of the actuation device, the control system controls the riveting apparatus so that the rivet feeding mechanism is activated and deactivated, the abutment members are closed or opened, and the mandrel gripping mechanism is activated or deactivated, with a time delay between each step, to enable rapid removal and replacement of the mandrel.