Arconic Corporation

Alcoa Inc.

Howmet Aerospace Inc.

Alcoa Global Fasteners, Inc.

Huck Patents, Inc.

Fairchild Holding Corporation

Alcon Global Fasteners, Inc.

Pinheiro, Rodrigo

Koontz, Elaine

Haylock, Luke

Luke Haylock

Rodrigo Pinheiro

Frank J Cosenza

Hasim Mulazimoglu

Andreas Liebscher

Gregory Rizza

Manish Kamal

Edgar Frias

Liang Zeng

Wudhidham Prachumsri

Michael U March

Elaine Koontz

Curtis Lea

Ernest Marhenke

Pinheiro Rodrigo

Michael March

A method includes inserting a machining tool through a hole of at least one workpiece that includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and extends from the first surface to the second surface. The hole forms an inner wall. The machining tool includes a shaft and a cutting tip proximate to one end of the shaft. The cutting tip includes a cutting portion. The method includes positioning the cutting portion of the cutting tip to abut an edge of the hole. The edge is located at a junction of the second surface of the one of the at least one workpiece and the inner wall. The method includes forming a surface modification at the edge with the cutting tip. The method includes removing the machining tool from the hole. The method includes installing a fastener within the hole. The fastener engages the surface modification.

Blind fastener

A fastening system including a pin member and a key for engaging the pin member. The pin member includes a shank portion and a recess formed within an end face of the shank portion. The recess includes a plurality of splines and recesses that form first and second bearing surfaces oriented at angles. The key includes a key head having a plurality of splines and grooves that form first and second bearing surfaces oriented at angles. The plurality of splines and recesses of the pin member and the plurality of splines and recesses of the key are adapted to communicate with each other when tightening and loosening the pin member.

Asymmetric fastener recess and key

A locking member for a fastener, such as a nut or a collar, includes a shank portion and a flanged portion, a bore extending the shank portion and the flanged portion and including a first interior portion located within the shank portion and a containment cavity located within the flanged portion, and an inner wall defining the containment cavity. The containment cavity includes an inner diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the first interior portion of the bore. The inner wall of the containment cavity includes one or a combination of flat/linear surfaces, concave surfaces, and convex surfaces.

Fastener locking members

A fastener including a sleeve having an elongated portion, a head with a bearing surface, and an internal threaded portion, a core bolt disposed within the sleeve and having a head and a shank portion having an external threaded portion engageable threadedly with the threaded portion of the sleeve. An insert is disposed within the sleeve and surrounds a portion of the core bolt. A seal element is attached to the sleeve and juxtaposed with the bearing surface of the head of the sleeve. The fastener is adapted to be installed in a structure. The electrical contact of the fastener reduces the potential difference between it and the structure, which provides a direct path for continuous propagation of electromagnetic waves, reducing electromagnetic wave scattering and minimizing the electromagnetic signature.

Reduced electromagnetic signature of conforming conical seal fastener systems

A sleeve interference fastener including a conformable sleeve, wherein the conformable sleeve is comprised of at least one first material having a hardness of X, and a pin member, wherein the pin member is comprised of at least one second material having a hardness of Y, wherein X is sufficiently less than Y so that, in an installed position of an interference fit, at least a portion of the at least one first material of the conformable sleeve conforms to a contour of an inner surface of a hole of a composite structure so as to create a continuous electrical contact at an interface between the inner surface of the hole of the composite structure and the conformable sleeve.

Fasteners with conforming sleeves

A pin member for a fastener includes an elongated shank having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical shank portion having an outer surface, a head located at the first end of the elongated shank, the head including a bearing surface located on the bearing surface of the head, and a threaded portion located at the second end of the elongated shank. The pin member can be fully coated with a coating. A conformable seal element is attached to the pin member, which is adapted to fill the microscopic voids between the bearing surface of the head of the pin member and the surrounding structure under the axial load exerted by the fastener during installation. The seal element can be separate and distinct from the pin member. The seal element can be attached to the pin member for the sake of convenience, but the seal element can deform independently of the pin member and the surrounding structure in response to the forces exerted by the fastener.

Coated fasteners with conforming seals

A fastener adapted to be installed in a hole of a composite structure includes a sleeve, a pin member, and a locking member. The sleeve has an outer surface having an outer diameter. The outer surface of the sleeve is textured. The outer diameter of the tubular portion is less than an inner diameter of the hole of the structure. The pin member has a shank portion. The sleeve is adapted to expand radially over the shank portion of the pin member to form an interference fit between the outer surface of the sleeve and the hole of the structure so as to provide an installed position of the fastener. When the fastener is in the installed position, the texture of the outer surface of the tubular portion deforms to engage with voids of the composite material present on the inner surface of the hole.

Textured sleeves for fasteners

A fastener including a pin member with an elongated shank having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical shank portion having an outer surface, a head located at the first end of the elongated shank, the head including a bearing surface located on the underside of the head, and a threaded portion located at the second end of the elongated shank. The fastener includes a washer installed on the pin member against the bearing surface of the head of the pin member. The washer includes an outer surface and at least one dielectric gasket layer located on the outer surface of the washer.

Fasteners with dual skin depth washers

A pin member for a fastener includes an elongated shank having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical shank portion having an outer surface, a head located at the first end of the elongated shank, the head including a bearing surface located on the bearing surface of the head, and a threaded portion located at the second end of the elongated shank. Either or both of the bearing surface of the head or the outer surface of the cylindrical shank portion is coated with a coating and/or is textured. The coating may be tungsten, molybdenum, copper, or a refractory ceramic. The textured surfaces may include a surface roughness greater than 0.5 micron.

Fasteners with coated and textured pin members

A collar having a shank with an interior surface and an exterior surface. The exterior surface of the shank includes a first exterior surface extending from the first end to a first exterior inflection point, and a curvilinear exterior surface extending from the first exterior inflection point to a second exterior inflection point. The curvilinear exterior surface and an imaginary line extending from the first exterior inflection point to the second exterior inflection point form a first area that is sized and shaped to receive forward extrusion of the collar as the collar is being installed.

Variable wall thickness collar

A fastener assembly for installation within a work piece, the fastener assembly including a bolt, a retainer ring, and a housing that houses the retainer ring. The housing is positioned at and engages one side of the work piece, while the bolt is inserted into a hole of the work piece on an opposite side thereof. The retainer ring engages the bolt such that a plurality of pressure pads extending from a plurality of corresponding spring beam elements of the retainer ring reside in an annular groove of the bolt. The housing captivates the bolt onto the work piece, while providing a positive hold out of the bolt.

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Culver City, CA, United States of America

Luke Haylock