Gulf & Western Manufacturing Company

Multifastener Corporation

Novo Products, Inc.

O & S Manufacturing Company

Jon M Smallegan

William H Trudeau

Donald R Gaines

Dale H Goodsmith

Harold T Woods

A simplified reliable fastener installation apparatus or head assembly particularly suitable for installing self-attaching pierce or clinch nuts. The head assembly includes a stationary base plate for attachment to a die shoe and a mating relatively moveable member. The moveable member, which may be formed from a single block of metal, includes intersecting transverse passages, including a first passage receiving fasteners for installation and a plunger passage. The head portion of a T-shaped plunger is retained by the base plate and the plunger leg portion is telescopically received in the plunger passage of the moveable member. The moveable member is retained to the stationary member, stabilized and guided by guide bolts which are threadably attached to the base member and parallel to and spaced equidistant from the plunger.

Fastener installation apparatus

A sealed bearing prepacked with lubricant, and provided with a sealing shell press-fitted over the bearing outer member or housing. The sealing shell has a radially disposed end flange holding the terminal flange of a bellows seal made of elastomeric material and having another end in the form of a garter flange resiliently engaged with the peripheral surface of the inner member of the bearing. Preferably, the sealing shell is made of two half-shells, for facility of assembly.

Prelubricated sealed bearings

A nut installation apparatus or head and controls for installing self-attaching nuts, such as pierce nuts, in a panel, without the requirement of a large forming die press assembly. The apparatus includes a nut anchor, which holds the first or end nut stationary, a relatively movable die member, opposite the nut anchor, which supports the panel and a resiliently supported nut guide having a passage receiving nuts in bulk or strip form. The panel is biased into contact with the end nut in the nut guide, by the movable die, to install the nut in a panel. The moveable die is impelled toward the nut anchor by means of a two stage piston assembly having a first stage which supplies pressure limited to the elastic limit of the panel, and a second stage which supplies sufficient pressure to pierce the panel with the end nut. A sensor and switching mechanism is integrated with the apparatus controls to assure proper installation of the nut and prevent damage to the apparatus. The nut anchor is of generally L-shape configuration to provide a rugged construction, to stop-forward movement of the nut along the nut passage and to retain the nut in a fixed aligned position during installation. The apparatus controls contain a dual palm button starter which requires simultaneous actuation by the operator's palms or thumbs, preventing the operator's limbs from coming in contact with the apparatus during use. Where the nuts are in strip form, the apparatus first severs the end nut from the strip and then attaches the nut in the panel, in a separate step.

Nut installation apparatus, method and controls

The fastener installation head and bolster assembly of this invention is particularly adapted to assure constant installation pressure for fasteners installed in a reciprocating press die, such as pierce and clinch nuts. The fastener installation head includes a plunger supported on one die platen, a movable housing member which receives the fasteners to be installed, reciprocably supported on the plunger, and a die member supported on the opposed die platen, opposite the movable housing plunger passage. The bolster assembly includes a fluid pressure ram operably supporting the plunger between the plunger and the die platen having a source of constant fluid pressure and a plunger release which permits the plunger to recede when the press tonage exceeds the preferred fastener installation force.

Fastener installation tool and bolster assembly

A nut installation apparatus or head for installing self-attaching nuts, such as pierce nuts, in a panel, without the requirement of a large forming die press assembly. The apparatus includes a nut anchor, which holds the first or end nut stationary, a relatively movable die member, opposite the nut anchor, which supports the panel and a resiliently supported nut guide having a passage receiving nuts in bulk or strip form. The panel is biased into contact with the end nut and nut guide, by the movable die, to install the nut in a panel. Where the nuts are in strip form, the apparatus first severs the end nut from the strip and then attaches the nut in the panel, in a separate step. A unique sensor is provided to assure proper installation.

Nut installation apparatus and method

An apparatus for drying articles of apparel having a centrifugal blower associated with a housing for providing a flow of air through several tubes extending from the housing. The articles are disposed at the output portion of the tubes for drying the wet articles from the inside out. The improvement in the drying apparatus is a pocket formed at the inlet of each of the tubes. These pockets are formed, at least in part, by a wall portion which diverges relative to the flow of air from the blower. This wall continues to form a wall portion which is generally disposed transversely to the flow of air. These pockets capture a portion of the flow of air from the blower and direct the air flow into each of the tubes.

Article dryer

A lamp control circuit having a heater and thermistor coupled between the illumination sensitive device and the control electrode of an SCR or triac for providing a time delay between the detection of a change in illumination and the switching of the SCR or triac.

Lamp control circuit using heater/thermistor time delay

A replacement torque rod assembly for field and maintenance installation which includes ball joint assemblies, each having a housing rod extending therefrom to position in butting relation after being cut to a dimension to span a predetermined distance for assembly and a telescoping sleeve overlying the abutting ends and welded to said ends to provide a rigid torque rod for field installation.

Replacement torque rod assembly

A bearing assembly for a ball and socket type joint of the type using split bearing inserts interposed between a ball and a socket which includes interdigitally engaged bearing inserts installed in the assembly under the pressure of an elastic memory ring to provide the bearing load and a wear take-up, including clearance openings for lubricant dimensioned and positioned to coincide with access grooves to insure lubricant distribution.

Bearing assembly for a ball and socket joint

A resilient coupling assembly having a housing with a generally cylindrical bore therein, a shank with a generally cylindrical portion received in the bore, and a bushing of an elastomeric material interposed between the housing and the cylindrical portion of the shank. A plurality of circumferentially spaced bearing inserts are interposed between the housing and the cylindrical portion of the shank and each received in a bearing retainer passage extending generally radially through the bushing.

Heavy duty resilient coupling assembly

A ball joint assembly having a ball stud member received in a socket member. The ball of the stud member is retained in a recess in the socket member by a main bearing ring, a pair of wear rings, and a pair of load rings. A lubricating grease is supplied to the interface of the ball of the stud member with the bearing and wear rings by a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves extending generally axially across the bearing and wear rings. The grooves in the wear rings communicate with lubricant reservoirs defined by the housing member in cooperation with a cover and a flexible seal member adjacent opposed polar regions of the ball of the stud member.

Ball joint assembly

A ball joint assembly having a ball stud member received in a socket member. The ball of the stud member is retained in a recess of the socket member by a bearing ring urged to bear on the ball by a pair of elastic load rings. A seal received on the socket member defines a lubricant reservoir which is supplied with grease through a grease fitting carried by the socket member. A plurality of passages defined in part by various grooves in the load ring and portions of the bearing ring interconnect the lubricant reservoir, grease fitting and interface of the bearing ring with the ball of the stud member.

Lubricatable ball joint assembly

A method and apparatus for assembling a hollow rubber bushing between two radially spaced elements of a bearing. The final space to be occupied by the bearing is considerably smaller than the 'at rest' dimension of the bushing. It is necessary to provide a radial compression during movement of the inner member into the proper position. The apparatus provides for a positive support for the outer bearing member and a positive but retractable support for the bushing, the retractable support being cammed away from the center of the assembly as the carrying element for the inner bearing member is forced through the bushing while expanding the bushing radially to receive the inner bearing member.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Jon M Smallegan