Fatigue Technology, Inc.

Joy Sarah Ransom

Leonard F Reid

Eric T Easterbrook

Charles M Copple

Timothy Howard Johnson

Mark R Weiss

James Ryunoshin Ross

Michael A Landy

Roger T Bolstad

Doug R Bakken

Richard Z Jarzebowicz

Doug Glenn

Ethan Lake

A nut plate assembly includes a nut retainer and a bushing for expanding a tubular body of the retainer. The retainer assembly is used to cold work an opening of a workpiece in order to fix the nut retainer assembly relative to the workpiece. A nut can be snapped into the retainer. A method of installation includes passing a mandrel through the bushing to radially expand the bushing into a tubular body of the retainer. The tubular body is compressed between the workpiece and bushing as the bushing is displaced radially causing corresponding radial displacement of the tubular body. The expanded bushing applies pressure to the tubular body for a desired fit between the nut retainer and workpiece.

Modular nut plate assemblies and methods of using the same

A split sleeve (96) is seated in a fastener hole (10) in the web (8) of a rail section (2). The tapered portion (26) of a mandrel (20) is firmly seated in the hole (10) inside the sleeve (96). A puller mechanism jaw (40) and a nosecap (78) are moved downwardly over the projecting rear end portion of the mandrel (20) to position the rear end portion in aligned U-shaped slots (50, 84) in the jaw (40) and nosecap (78). During the downward movement, guide surfaces (72) carried by the jaw (40) guide a chamfer (32) on the mandrel (20) into seating engagement with a tapered surface (56) on the jaw (40). The guide surfaces (72) may be formed by cylindrical pins (70) received into angled openings (58) in the jaw body. The front surface (88) of the nosecap (78) securely abuts the Web (8). With the mandrel ( 20) seated and the nosecap (78) abutting, the jaw (40) is moved rearwardly to pull the mandrel (20) through the hole (10) and cold expand the hole (10).

System for cold expanding holes in rail sections

The present invention provides a method of installing a grommet within an opening in a wall of composite material. An opening (10) is formed in a wall of composite material (12). A countersink (20) is formed at one end of the opening (10). A grommet (22) is placed into the opening (10). A split sleeve (28) is placed on the small diameter portion (30) of a mandrel (32) which is attached to a power puller (36). The mandrel (32) with the split sleeve (28) is placed through the opening (10) and a grommet (22). The power puller (36) is then operated to pull the mandrel (32) back through the opening (10) and the grommet (22) thereby expanding the split sleeve (28) which in turn provides for the radial expansion of the grommet (22). During the radial expansion of the grommet (22), ends of fibers (16) are forced into the surface of the grommet (24 ). After the mandrel (32) has been pulled all the way through the split sleeve (28) both it and the split sleeve (28) are removed from the grommet (22). This leaves the grommet (22) securely fastened within the opening (10) in the composite wall (12).

Method of installing a grommet in a wall of composite material

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Joy Sarah Ransom