Fatigue Technology, Inc.

Other

Mark R Weiss

Dean C Madden

Leonard F Reid

Timothy Howard Johnson

Jude H Restis

William A Skinner

David A Gorton

Alec K Hitchman

Eric T Easterbrook

Doug R Bakken

Tom G Poast

Charles M Copple

James Ryunoshin Ross

Michael A Landy

Richard Z Jarzebowicz

Joy Sarah Ransom

Doug Glenn

Todd L Thompson

Ethan Lake

Christian Gröver

Mark Wehrmeister

Timothy H Johnson

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 fastener assembly is installable in an opening of a workpiece and includes an outer member and a fastener. The fastener is movable through a passageway of the outer member. The fastener includes a mandrel and a stem. The mandrel is dimensioned to radially expand the outer member. The stem has an expansion portion and a propping portion. The expansion portion radially expands the outer member after the outer member has been expanded by the mandrel. The propping portion keeps the expanded outer member in an installed expanded configuration. The outer member and fastener are installed in a single operation to reduce installation time.

Installable assembly having an expandable outer member and a fastener with a mandrel

A dual bushing installation kit includes a first metal bushing and a second metal bushing. The first metal bushing can include a first body having first and second ends. The first and second ends are connected by a first outer surface having a first outer circumference and a first inner surface having a first inner circumference. The second metal bushing is defined by a second body having first and second ends. The first and second ends are connected by a second outer surface having a second outer circumference and a second inner surface having a second inner circumference. The second outer circumference is dimensioned to be substantially conforming with the first inner circumference such that the second bushing is closely receivable by a first opening of the first bushing. Both the second outer circumference and the first inner circumference can be expanded in an outwardly radial direction.

Double flanged bushings and installation methods

A fitting () is inserted into an opening () in a wall (). The fitting () includes a ring portion () where it extends through the opening (). It also includes one or two end portions () that extend axially outwardly from the ring portion (). The ring portion () has an inside diameter () that is smaller than the inside diameters of the end portion or portions (). The fitting () is positioned within the wall opening (). Then, an expansion tool is moved through the interior of fitting () for the purpose of expanding the ring portion (). The ring portion () is expanded to such an extent that it makes a tight fit with the opening (). Also, the degree of expansion may result in a cold working of the wall material surrounding the opening (). The expansion tooling only expands the ring portion () and does not exert a substantial expanding force on the end portions ().

Tubular metal fitting expandable in a wall opening and method of installation

A fitting is inserted into an opening in a wall. The fitting includes a ring portion where it extends through the opening. It also includes one or two end portions that extend axially outwardly from the ring portion. The ring portion has an inside diameter that is smaller than the inside diameters of the end portion or portions. The fitting is positioned within the wall openings. Then, an expansion tool is moved through the interior of fitting for the purpose of expanding the ring portion. The ring portion is expanded to such an extent that it makes a tight fit with the opening. Also, the degree of expansion may result in a cold working of the wall material surrounding the opening. The expansion tooling only expands the ring portion and does not exert a substantial expanding force on the end portions.

An alignment assembly comprises an outer bushing received in an aperture of a work piece, and an eccentric bushing received in a passage of the inner bushing and rotated to align a passage of the eccentric bushing with passages of other work pieces and/or alignment assemblies. An alignment assembly comprises an outer bushing received in an aperture of a work piece, inner bushing received in a passage of the outer bushing, and an eccentric bushing received in a passage of the inner bushing and rotated to align a passage of the eccentric bushing with passages of other work pieces and/or alignment assemblies mounted in other work pieces. Flanges and/or ends may be machined to accommodate off-center passages. The bushings may be secured via cold work expansion.

Method and apparatus employing eccentric bushing

A bushing () has two bushing parts (), each of which includes a tubular section () and a radial flange section () Tubular section () is inserted into an opening () in a work member (), from one side of the work member (). Tubular section () is inserted into tubular section () from the opposite side () of the work member (). A mandrel (M) is moved through the interior of the tubular portion of the bushing to radially and circumferentially expand the tubular portion of the bushing and move the flange sections against the opposite sidewalls of the work member (). The tubular portions () of the bushing () is radially and circumferentially expanded an amount sufficient to introduce fatigue life enhancing compressive residual stresses in the work member () immediately around the opening () in the work member ().

Method of installing double flanged bushings

A tubular fastener element is inserted into an opening in a wall until a flange at the trailing end of the fastener element is in contact with the wall. Then, an externally threaded end of a rod is inserted into a center opening in the fastener element from the flange side of the wall and is mated with internal threads in the fastener element beyond the second side of the wall. A tubular mandrel that surrounds the rod is moved into contact with the entrance portion of the center opening in the tubular fastener. The outside diameter of the mandrel is larger than the inside diameter of the center opening in the fastener element. The rod is retracted to cause a reduced thickness wall portion of the fastener element to collapse and form a second radial flange on the second side of the wall. The mandrel is forced axially into the center opening in the fastener element. This causes a tubular end portion of the fastener element that is in the opening in the wall to radially expand into tight engagement with the sidewall of the wall opening. It also cold expands the wall material surrounding the opening for fatigue enhancement of the wall material.

Method and apparatus for connecting a fastener element to a wall

A tubular fastener element ( ) is inserted into an opening ( ) in a wall (W) until a flange ( ) at the trailing end of the fastener element ( ) is in contact with the wall (W). Then, an externally threaded end ( ) of a rod ( ) is inserted into a center opening ( ) in the fastener element ( ) from the flange side ( ) of the wall (W) and is mated with internal threads ( ) in the fastener element ( ) beyond the second side ( ) of the wall (W). A tubular mandrel ( ) that surrounds the rod ( ) is moved into contact with the entrance portion of the center opening ( ) in the tubular fastener ( ). The outside diameter of the mandrel ( ) is larger than the inside diameter ( ) of the center opening ( ) in the fastener element ( ). The rod ( ) is retracted to cause a reduced thickness wall portion ( ) of the fastener element ( ) to collapse and form a second radial flange ( ) on the second side ( ) of the wall (W). The mandrel ( ) is forced axially into the center opening ( ) in the fastener element ( ). This causes a tubular end portion ( ) of the fastener element ( ) that is in the opening ( ) in the wall (W) to radially expand into tight engagement with the sidewall of the wall opening ( ). It also cold expands the wall material surrounding the opening ( ) for fatigue enhancement of the wall material.

A tubular fastener element ( ) is inserted into an opening( ) in a wall (W) until a flange ( ) at the trailing end of the fastener element ( ) is in contact with the wall (W). Then, an externally threaded end ( ) of a rod ( ) is inserted into a center opening ( ) in the fastener element ( ) from the flange side ( ) of the wall (W) and is mated with internal threads ( ) in the fastener element ( ) beyond the second side ( ) of the wall (W). A tubular mandrel ( ) that surrounds the rod ( ) is moved into contact with the entrance portion of the center opening ( ) in the tubular fastener ( ). The outside diameter of the mandrel ( ) is larger than the inside diameter ( ) of the center opening ( ) in the fastener element ( ). The rod ( ) is retracted to cause a reduced thickness wall portion ( ) of the fastener element ( ) to collapse and form a second radial flange ( ) on the second side ( ) of the wall (W). The mandrel ( ) is forced axially into the center opening ( ) in the fastener element ( ). This causes a tubular end portion ( ) of the fastener element ( ) that is in the opening ( ) in the wall (W) to radially expand into tight engagement with the sidewall of the wall opening ( ). It also cold expands the wall material surrounding the opening ( ) for fatigue enhancement of the wall material.

A nosepiece apparatus for use in conjunction with a pull gun for prestressing fastener holes, or the like, in a workpiece, the nosepiece including an adapter (12) having a central passageway (19) therethrough and a rear end (20) adapted to be mounted to a pull gun. The forward end of the adapter (12) has a threaded connection for coupling the adapter (12) to an extension piece (14). The extension piece (14) is an elongated, tubular extension having threaded connections at both ends. A sleeve retainer (16) is provided having a threaded connection at its rearward end for securing the sleeve retainer (16) to the extension. The forward end of the sleeve retainer (16) is formed by a multiple of annularly-spaced, alternate splits (56) and fingers (58) extending substantially axially from the rearward end of the sleeve retainer (16). The threaded connection of the sleeve retainer (16) is adapted not only to be threadably coupled to the extension piece (14), but also to be directly coupled to the adapter ( 12).

Apparatus for split sleeve and tubular bushing cold expansion

A split sleeve (S) is deposited into a sleeve loader (24, 24'), with a lower end of the sleeve (S) on a sleeve support surface (154). A mandrel (M) carried by a puller tool (10, 10') is inserted into the sleeve loader (24, 24'), and through the sleeve (S), to position the sleeve (S) on a small diameter portion (50) of the mandrel (M), and an end portion of the sleeve (S) within a nosepiece (12), against a sleeve end contacting surface (66). The tool (10, 10') is moved away from the sleeve loader (24, 24') to pull the mandrel (M) out from the sleeve loader (24, 24'). Then the mandrel (M) is inserted into an opening (16) in a workpiece (14). The tool (10, 10') is moved endwise to place the sleeve (S) within the opening (16) and a workpiece contacting end surface of the nosepiece (12) into contact with the workpiece (14). The tool (10, 10' ) is then operated to retract the mandrel (M). This moves first an increasing diameter portion (52) and then a maximum diameter portion (54) of the mandrel (M) axially through the sleeve (S). In response, the sleeve (S) is expanded radially to compress the material immediately surrounding the opening. Grip surfaces (158) on end portions of nosepiece fingers (78) grip the sleeve (S). Following retraction, the tool (10, 10') is moved away from the workpiece (14) and the sleeve (S) is pulled out from the opening (16).

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Mark R Weiss