Patents by Inventor Ralph Luhm
Ralph Luhm has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20130047411Abstract: A temporary fastener and method, the fastener having a cylindrical sleeve and a sleeve head thereon, the region where the sleeve and sleeve head mate having a plurality of local protrusions thereon, with a stem passing through the sleeve head and sleeve and having an enlarged stem head adjacent the end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve head for pulling relative to the sleeve head to cause the enlarged stem head to form a blind side head on the sleeve and to cause the local protrusions to make depressions in an outer edge of the hole, and to pull through the sleeve and sleeve head to expand the sleeve into a tight fit in the workpieces. The protrusions make indentations in the edge of the hole in the adjacent workpiece to provide increased resistance to spinning when the temporary blind rivet is drilled out for a permanent fastener.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: ALLFAST FASTENING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Publication number: 20120034045Abstract: A temporary fastener or temporary blind rivet having a cylindrical sleeve and a sleeve head thereon, the region where the sleeve and sleeve head mate having a plurality of local protrusions thereon, with a stem passing through the sleeve head and sleeve, the stem having an enlarged stem head thereon adjacent the end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve head, the stem for pulling relative to the sleeve head to cause the enlarged stem head to form a blind side head on the sleeve, to pull the workpieces together, to cause the local protrusions to make depressions in, and to fill the depressions in, an outer edge of the hole in the adjacent workpiece, and to pull through the sleeve and sleeve head to expand the sleeve into a tight fit in the hole in the workpieces. The protrusions make indentations in the edge of the hole in the adjacent workpiece to provide increased resistance to spinning when the temporary blind rivet is drilled out for a permanent fastener.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2010Publication date: February 9, 2012Applicant: ALLFAST FASTENING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Publication number: 20040240963Abstract: A two piece tack rivet includes a stem and a locking collar. The stem has a head at a first end, a grooved stem region extending from an opposing second end toward the first end, and a cylindrical section between the head and the grooved stem region. The cylindrical section includes a plurality of spin prevention embellishments such as knurls or spline-like surface textures. The cylin spin prevention embellishments may be adapted to provide positive engagement in a hole in a work piece. The locking collar is hollow and adapted to be deformably joined to the grooved stem region. The locking collar may include a flange adapted to bear against an adjacent surface of the work piece.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2004Publication date: December 2, 2004Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 6772500Abstract: Two piece tack rivets and method of forming holes for permanent fasteners. The tack rivets have a stem with a head on one end and a grooved region adjacent the other end, and a locking collar for fitting over the grooved region of the stem for deforming into the grooved region of the stem on applying a setting force between the locking collar and the stem. Once the rivet is set, the rivet may be later drilled out with a drill larger in diameter than the head of the stem. Various embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2001Date of Patent: August 10, 2004Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Publication number: 20030093890Abstract: Two piece tack rivets and method of forming holes for permanent fasteners. The tack rivets have a stem with a head on one end and a grooved region adjacent the other end, and a locking collar for fitting over the grooved region of the stem for deforming into the grooved region of the stem on applying a setting force between the locking collar and the stem. Once the rivet is set, the rivet may be later drilled out with a drill larger in diameter than the head of the stem. Various embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2001Publication date: May 22, 2003Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Publication number: 20030082025Abstract: Fasteners for fastening adjacent workpieces, and methods and apparatus for installing them. The fasteners include a shank having a head on one end. In one form, the other end may include a counterbore, with the outer end of the counterbore deflected inward to form an inward taper on the end of the shank, facilitating the entry of the shank into the hole in the work pieces. In another form, the other end of the shank may simply be formed with a chamfer. The fasteners also contain a stem having a head located adjacent the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled to expand and tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. While applicable to both temporary fasteners and some permanent fasteners, configurations disclosed particularly for temporary fasteners can allow use of a high strength material for the shank, allowing temporary fastening of larger parts and/or with fewer temporary fasteners than with prior art temporary fasteners.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2002Publication date: May 1, 2003Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 6519997Abstract: Automatic feeding blind rivet guns and method facilitating rapid installation of blind rivets with good freedom of movement of the operator. The blind rivet guns receive a carrier holding a substantial plurality of blind rivets in close side by side proximity and automatically sequentially loads and sets the blind rivets in response to operator control. The blind rivets are preferably supplied on an inexpensive disposable plastic carrier ready for use with the rivet installation gun. The installation gun itself is pneumatically powered, though other sources of power, such as electrical power, could be used.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: February 18, 2003Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventors: Ralph Luhm, Magin Puig
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Publication number: 20010052178Abstract: The present invention comprises aluminum solid rivets and methods of manufacturing aluminum solid rivets for aircraft and other demanding applications to provide rivets with high strength and excellent driveabiltity while improving the rivets' resistance to fatigue and stress corrosion cracking. In accordance with the method, an aluminum rivet blank approximately the same diameter as the head of the finished rivet is used. This rivet blank is forced into a die to extrude the tapered region and the shank of the finished rivet. The fabrication process provides more uniform cold working at the junction of the shank and the tapered region of the rivet, and better orients the flow lines in this region. The process also can provide a superior surface finish, and may be suitable for use in wet wing fabrication without further processing for improved surface finish. Alternate embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2001Publication date: December 20, 2001Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 6267684Abstract: The present invention comprises aluminum solid rivets and methods of manufacturing aluminum solid rivets for aircraft and other demanding applications to provide rivets with high strength and excellent driveabiltity while improving the rivets resistance to fatigue and stress corrosion cracking. In accordance with the method, an aluminum rivet blank approximately the same diameter as the head of the finished rivet is used. This rivet blank is forced into a die to extrude the tapered region and the shank of the finished rivet. The fabrication process provides more uniform cold working at the junction of the shank and the tapered region of the rivet, and better orients the flow lines in this region. The process also can provide a superior surface finish, and may be suitable for use in wet wing fabrication without further processing for improved surface finish. Alternate embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1998Date of Patent: July 31, 2001Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 5689873Abstract: A temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process. The tightly engaged shank prevents the fastener from rotating during the drilling operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1996Date of Patent: November 25, 1997Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 5599147Abstract: A blind rivet fastener which has a bulb forming collar that is assembled by sliding the collar down the shank of the fastener stem. The bulb collar is seated adjacent to the head of the stem. The stem has a shoulder and a pull portion that extend through the inner channel of a sleeve. The sleeve, shoulder and stem head are typically inserted into the matching holes of two workpieces. The sleeve has a head located at an accessible side of the workpieces and an opposite chamfered end located at an inaccessible "blind" side of the workpieces. The fastener is installed by holding the sleeve while pulling the shoulder through the sleeve channel. The stem head pushes the bulb collar, which engages the chamfered end of the sleeve. The bulb collar has an inwardly tapered end which bends the sleeve in a radially outward direction. The deformed end and sleeve head secure the sleeve to the workpieces.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1995Date of Patent: February 4, 1997Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 5580202Abstract: A rivet which has a flat crown that extends from the head of a rivet. The rivet is typically installed into a workpiece hole which has a countersink. The head has a frusto-conical section that extends from a rivet shank and a cylindrical section that extends from the frusto-conical section. The frusto-conical section sits within a countersink of the workpiece hole. Extending from a top surface of the head is a crown which has a flat end face and a tapered portion that extends from the end face to the top head surface. The crown has a diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the head. The flat end face is approximately 0.5 times the diameter of the shank. The crown has a diameter that is approximately 1.25 times the shank diameter. The rivet is deformed by a hammer and an anvil so that the crown becomes flat and the rivet fills the hole of the workpiece.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 1995Date of Patent: December 3, 1996Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: 4919576Abstract: A locking apparatus for blind fasteners providing improved yield and fatigue performance of the blind fasteners is disclosed. The locking apparatus utilizes a locking collar which will slide over the fastener stem and within the tubular rivet sleeve of the fastener without preforming into the locking groove on the stem. The locking collar is formed so that upon the pulling of the stem during installation of the blind fastener, specially formed tapered regions in the locking collar then adjacent the locking groove on the stem cause the region of the locking collar immediately thereabove to be encouraged tightly inward against the locking groove to provide a particularly tight fit in the locking groove. In an alternate embodiment, the locking collar is formed so that upon pulling of the stem during installation of the blind fastener, a specially formed locking collar buckles inward to pack tightly into the locking groove.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 1988Date of Patent: April 24, 1990Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventors: John A. Louw, William H. Owens, Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: RE39582Abstract: A temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process. The tightly engaged shank prevents the fastener from rotating during the drilling operation.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2002Date of Patent: April 24, 2007Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm
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Patent number: RE38664Abstract: A method for creating a hole for a permanent fastener that replaces a temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The temporary fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The temporary fastener has an inner channel that extends through the shank from the head to the opposite end. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and is expanded to tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1999Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.Inventor: Ralph Luhm