Emhart Inc.

James M Bradbury

David S Calkins

David J Banducci

Mark T Steiner

Peter C Thomas

Eymard J Chitty

Bill O'Connor

John O'Hara

A portable rivet setting system is provided with a modular design. The portable rivet setting system includes an electronic control module, a pneumatic control module, a rivet feeder device, an escapement mechanism and an umbilical assembly including a rivet setting tool each modularly designed. The modular design improves the ability to react to diagnosed problems and allows the replacement or substitution of a single module while the faulty module can be repaired. The easy replacement or substitution of a module greatly reduces the down time associated with repairing the rivet setting system and allows a user to remove and replace a module with limited technical capabilities.

Modular portable rivet setting tool

A rivet setting tool is provided including a pulling head and a jaw case connected to the pulling head such that the jaw case is driven by the pulling head to engage a rivet mandrel. Air is supplied to the pulling head to return the pulling head to its original position after a rivet has been set. A remote intensifier is provided including an air piston disposed in a piston chamber and a rod connected to the air piston and extending into a ram housing which is connected to a hydraulic passage which is connected to the pulling head. A first supply of pressurized gas communicates with a first end of the piston chamber and a second supply of pressurized gas communicates with a second end of the piston chamber for rapidly returning the air piston to the retracted position in combination with the air pressure applied to the pulling head. The second end of the piston chamber is vented to prevent to much pressure build up pushing the piston to the retracted position.

Air assisted fast return stroke for rivet setting tool

A rivet setting tool is provided with a cycle control whereby a pressure switch or pressure transducer enables the electronic logic controller to monitor tool hydraulic pressure. When the pressure reaches a predetermined threshold and subsequently drops below a second threshold valve the controller deduces that a rivet has been set and removes pressure from the tool so that the tool can be immediately reset, thus reducing the tools cycle time. Upon determining that a rivet has been set, a mandrel collection window is set. The controller monitors whether a mandrel is returned to the mandrel collection system prior to the expiration of the timed window, and if not, the controller provides a fault signal to the operator. Multiple windows are utilized so that more than one mandrel can be in the return tube at one time without delaying operation of rivet setting system. The pressure sensors can also be utilized to confirm that a rivet has been loaded into the rivet setting tool without the use of a rivet sensor.

Rivet setting tool cycle control

A rivet delivery device is provided for transferring a rivet from a rivet passage to a nose piece of a pulling head and jaw case mechanism. The rivet delivery device is air driven to extend forwardly of the rivet setting tool and rotates to present a rivet in front of the jaws and then transfers the rivet into the jaws. The angular rotation and stroke length of the rivet delivery device can be easily adjusted. A double-acting piston is driven in both directions by positive air pressure to extend and rotate the delivery device in front of the nose piece and returning the rivet delivery device after rivet transfer. The use of a double-acting piston greatly enhances the speed at which the, rivet delivery device can operate.

Growing community of inventors

Waterbury, CT, United States of America

James M Bradbury