Abstract: Composite fasteners joining panels together are installed by a tool that grips the end of a fastener stem and exerts a pulling force which causes a rotating forming die to advance toward the fastener. The rotating die is pressed against the fastener to frictionally heat and deform a tail of the fastener to create an upset head. A sensing device stops the movement of the forming die and controls the size of the upset head. A portion of the stem extending from the fastener is then pulled away by a pulling force on the stem. Preferred dimensional relationships of said upset head are disclosed, together with various fastener constructions.

Abstract: A rotating anvil having a cavity in the shape of a desired upset head is urged against the tail of a composite fastener protruding through a workpiece and the tail is heated and deformed into an upset head sufficiently larger than the fastener shank to prevent the fastener from being withdrawn from the workpiece.

Abstract: A composite fastener which provides up to 70 KSI in shear strength in a 1/4 inch shank diameter and includes several layers having long parallel carbon fibers embedded in resin. The layers are pressed together and heated to form a panel. The panel is cut into bars which are then machined into rods, used to form threaded or unthreaded composite shear pins. The fibers in adjacent layers are angled with respect to one another to provide maximum shear strength in a particular direction. The head of the shear pin is preferably marked to indicate the orientation of maximum shear strength.

Abstract: A composite threaded collar is fabricated from a panel consisting of multiple layers of fiber reinforced tape, bonded together to form a rigid composite structure. The tape comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending continuous fibers that are joined together by a suitable bonding agent. The stack of properly oriented tape layers is heated while a compressive load is applied, followed by cooling. The rigid panel thus formed is then cut, tapped and machined to form the desired configuration of the collar. A twist off driving portion of the collar will shear between tape layers at an annular notch at a predetermined torque.