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, 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: 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: The indicating device is adapted to be installed on a platform on a headlamp frame with a slip fit and, once installed, is automatically locked into place. The indicating device includes a bubble level having a vial which is molded integrally with a base adapted to be assembled with a spring metal retaining bracket with a slip fit. The retaining bracket includes cantilevered legs with free end portions which resiliently engage the upper side of the base to enable an adjusting screw to tilt the vial upwardly and downwardly to various positions relative to horizontal.

Abstract: A vehicle pedal assembly which includes a pedal extending in spaced position over a foot platform and with the pedal being movable up and down for respective control of the vehicle and/or of implements mounted on the vehicle. The operator can press down or lift up on the pedal, while resting his heel on the platform, and he can actuate the pedal in either the up or down direction for vehicle traction control, with one pedal, and for control of the implements mounted on the vehicle, with another pedal.

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 novel quick release fastener system for efficient and reliable attachment, disengagement and reattachment of one or more work pieces secured by the fastener system. The fastener system includes a bolt and a nut. The bolt includes a shank with a head on one end with a leading end on the shank opposite the head. The nut has a wall which generally defines a bore having opposed edges which define a slot at least partially extending through the wall. Displacement structures are provided on the nut which provide a mechanical advantage in translating rotary and axial forces into circumferential and radial forces. Threads are provided on at least the nut for promoting axial displacement for engaging and disengaging the displacement structures. Threaded engagement and disengagement of the displacement structures deform or release the wall of the nut resulting in displacement of the opposed edges of the wall. In one embodiment the nut includes a constricting gripper which is threadedly engaged with a driving body.

Abstract: An assembly for forming a joint includes a stud joined to a plate. The stud includes a shank portion and a stem portion which extends from one end of the shank portion. The stem portion has a multi-lobular configuration thereon which is formed from a plurality of rounded lobes, each pair of lobes being interconnected to each other by a rounded flute. The plate has an aperture therethrough which has a multi-lobular configuration thereon which corresponds in shape to the multi-lobular configuration of the stem portion. To form the joint, the stem portion is inserted through the aperture such that a portion of the stem portion extends beyond the upper surface of the plate. The extending portion is then riveted to the plate to cause the extending portion to deform and uniformly expand to form a bloom or head and to secure the stud to the plate. The stem portion expands within the aperture to fully fill the aperture when the extending portion is being deformed.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for use in manufacturing a fibrous preform with a narrow channel flange includes a foraminous preform screen (12), a fiber nozzle (28) that blows a stream of chopped fibers onto the screen (12) and binder nozzles (32) that spray binder into the fiber stream. Air blown from air nozzles (30) helps guide the fibers and a ducted fan (26) helps draw and hold them onto the screen (12). The screen (12) is formed with a narrow channel flange (16) having a shape identical to the narrow channel flange of the fibrous preform to be manufactured. The screen's flange (16) has a channel floor (36) extending laterally outward from the screen's main body (14) and a channel outer wall (38) projecting perpendicularly away from the channel floor (36) toward the fiber nozzle (28). A hinge (40) connects the channel floor (36) to the channel outer wall (38). To allow the nozzles to deposit a more uniform layer (42) of fibers, the outer wall (38) is rotated outward to lie parallel with the channel floor (36).

Abstract: A molded motor vehicle instrument panel made of a thermoplastic material has an integral air bag deployment door for a passenger side air bag that is defined by a tear seam and is normally retained by an integral flexible mounting/hinge flange to a part of the vehicle structure when the seam is torn by the inflating air bag and wherein this flange then bends to allow the door to swing open to allow deployment of the air bag through an opening in the instrument panel while retaining same to the vehicle structure as the door is then free of the instrument panel. At very low temperatures, a portion of the air bag door can break away from the mounting/hinge flange because of plastic embrittlement at these low temperatures and the high bending stresses encountered at this juncture.

Abstract: A novel smelting process and furnace for the economical recovery of vanadium, in the form of ferrovanadium alloy, from oil ashes and/or coal ashes while producing non-hazardous slag for safe and inexpensive disposal in landfill areas. A preferred embodiment of the present process involves the steps of (a) mixing the waste ashes with a contained or added carbon source, such as coal, and a binding material, such as cement; (b) pelletizing the mixture; (c) feeding the pellets, optionally together with steel scrap, through a vertical preheater shaft furnace into a slag pool; (d) impinging fuel gas jets upon the surface of the slag layer to heat and circulate the slag and to burn the carbon added to the pellets, generating additional heat, to produce a layer of molten ferrovanadium alloy at the bottom of the molten pool, covered by a protective layer of molten slag, (e) withdrawing the valuable molten ferrovanadium alloy for use, and (f) withdrawing the molten slag for safe disposal in landfill areas.

Abstract: A composite plastic article having a foam core between reinforced plastic skin layers is made by placing foam spacers, a lower reinforcement preform, a foam core and an upper reinforcement preform on a lower mold part. An upper mold part is then mated with the lower mold part in a partially closed position to form a sealed mold cavity containing the foam spacers, reinforcement preforms and the foam core with fill spaces provided adjacent exterior surfaces of the reinforcement preforms. A low viscosity resin is then injected into the fill spaces while the mold parts are held in the partially closed position. The mold parts are then moved to a fully closed position. This distributes the resin across the exterior surfaces and forces the resin into the preforms so that the resin thoroughly penetrates throughout the interstices of the preforms and bonds to the foam core.

Abstract: An automotive interior trim part (10) is made by molding a substrate retainer layer (16), forming a skin layer (12) and forming an intermediate layer (14). The intermediate layer (14) is formed from a plurality of clusters of entangled high melt and low melt kinked fibers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PET layer is blown into a partially closed mold that has the skin and retainer positioned in each mold die. The mold undergoes induced vibrations to promote tightening of the packed clusters. The mold is then fully closed to compress the PET fibers into full density. Heated air is then blown into the mold to soften the low melt fibers to adhere them to the retainer layer and skin. Cool air is then blown into the mold to resolidfy the clusters and form the intermediate layer into its molded shape.

Abstract: A system and method of passive ranging for a luminous target employs a prior knowledge and a present measurement of its electromagnetic spectrum during a target acquisition procedure and, subsequently, during analysis of the spectrum to determine the effects of atmospheric attenuation on various parts of the spectrum. Relative attenuation of various spectral components by the atmosphere is indicative of target range.

Abstract: A rivet system (10) locks separate parts (12, 14) of an assembly (13) together on a support fixture (20) with the clamping devices (28); which prevents release of the parts (12, 14) from the fixture (20) until a required number of rivets (51) have been counted. A rivet setting tool (50) provides insertion of the rivets (51) between the parts (12, 14), and which disposes spent rivet mandrels (62) through a vacuum tube (58) to be sensed and counted. A controller (100) automatically locks the parts in the support fixture and counts the sensed mandrels (62) to allow release of the assembly (13) only upon a predetermined count of mandrels (62).

Abstract: A novel sealing device is used to seal an adjustor mechanism which is used to adjust the position of a movable headlamp component housed within a sealed stationary component in a headlamp arrangement. The stationary component has an opening through a rear wall for insertion of the adjustor mechanism therethrough. The adjustor mechanism includes a housing connected to the stationary component and an adjusting screw member. A shank of the adjusting screw member extends from the housing and extends through the opening in the stationary component wall and into the interior of the stationary component. The novel sealing device of the present invention includes a flexible, elastomeric shroud member having a body portion; a forward sealing structure for sealedly attaching the body portion to the shank of the adjusting screw member; and a rearward sealing structure for sealedly attaching the body portion to the opening in the stationary component.

Abstract: A cover assembly for concealing an air bag restraint system in a vehicle passenger compartment has an underlying support and air bag door substrate. The door substrate is held in the closed position by flexible tabs that are disposed in a slot at the confronting edge of the support. When the air bag inflates, it engages the door substrate and pushes the tabs out of the slot to release the door substrate. The door substrate then swings open rupturing the covering to provide an opening through the cover assembly for deployment of the air bag.

Abstract: A wheel cover is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings corresponding in number and arrangement to the wheel studs of a vehicle wheel. A decorative cap member is provided in each opening for threaded engagement with external screw threads of the vehicle's lug nuts to secure the wheel cover on the wheel. A retainer member is mounted on the inner end of each cap member presenting a radially outwardly extending shoulder that prevents the cap members from being separated from the wheel cover once installed. The retainer members further act between the cap members and their lug nuts in such manner as to hold the cap members securely but releasably against unthreading from the lug nuts during normal use.

Abstract: A reaction canister of a PSIR airbag system includes a U-shaped body closed at its ends by a pair of end plates. Mounting slots are formed in the end plates and cooperate with a pair of associated latching devices for mounting the canister on a cross-car beam of a vehicle.