Electroimpact, Inc.

Other

Peter B Zieve

John L Hartmann

Philip A Rink

Scott Charles Tomchick

Carter L Boad

Sam O Smith

Scott E Neel

Michael D Assadi

Peter R Vogeli

Brent W Huffer

Peter W Janicki

Cosmos G Krejci

Jeffrey M Hill

Hunter P O'Folan

Samuel O Smith

Reese R Allen

A nose portion assembly of a riveting apparatus is rotatable between a first vertical position and a second angled position which is adjacent an end of a rivet feed ramp. The angled position of the nose assembly matches the angle of a rivet feed ramp from a rivet feed member positioned on the side of the riveting apparatus.

Riveting apparatus with moveable nose portion to match an adjoining rivet feed track

The system includes a ram assembly with fingers for grasping a fastener. An actuator moves the ram assembly toward the workpiece, under machine control. A housing member which is movable by the actuator includes a holding member for an anvil portion of the ram assembly, the holding member being movable within the housing member. The holding member and the housing member are arranged so there is a selected air gap between the movable member and the top of the housing at the start of the fastener cycle. An insertion sensor assembly changes signal state when the air gap begins to close. When the air gap begins to close either too early or too late relative to a properly positioned fastener, the actuator is stopped by the cycle motion controller.

System using an air gap for workpiece protection in a fastener machine

The magnetic base assembly includes an electromagnet assembly with a top surface open magnetic pole. A shunt plate is magnetically held to the top of the electromagnet. A canting or tilting of the shunt plate results when accidental side or pulling away contact is made between a riveting processing tool and an extending portion of the aircraft part being riveted as the tool is moved from one riveting location to another. The canting or pull off of the tool prevents damage. The operator can observe the tool canting and stop the tool movement or a micro switch or proximity switch senses the canting or tilting automatically so that the tool can be stopped before damage occurs. The magnetic field can be dynamically controlled to provide adequate pulldown force for the riveting function but a breakaway force less than the amount which would cause damage.

Magnetic safety base for a lower portion of a riveting tool

A system and method for feeding collar members to an attachment system for assembly of aircraft and similar large scale mechanical assemblies. Collars are fed sideways along a tube having a rectangular internal cross-section to a collar pathway defined by an clamp fork and swaging ram combination. The collar pathway is curved to present the collar to a receiving element mounted on a swaging die in a proper orientation relative to an attachment bolt which is moved through an opening in the workpiece and then through the collar. As the bolt is moved into the collar, the collar, receiving element and swaging die move together laterally to come into alignment with the bolt.

Self-aligning collar swaging system for airplane panel bolts

The system includes means for moving a rivet or a collar from a storage bin to an initial position for the respective gripping assemblies. The presence of the rivet and/or collar is recognized as it moves through a feeding mechanism. After the rivet or collar is gripped, they are moved either into an opening in the workpiece, in the case of a rivet, or onto the tail of a lockbolt, in the case of a collar. The gripping assembly is then released from the rivet or the collar, with the gripping means moving back to an initial position. Further operations can then be carried out on the rivet or collar.

Gripper systems for rivets and collars used in large-scale assembly operations

The yoke assembly is C-shaped, comprising two downwardly depending leg portions and an intermediate portion. Each leg of the yoke is supported for movement of the yoke in an X coordinate direction and a Y coordinate direction. The yoke is further supported about two spaced two-axis pivot point assemblies such that the yoke can move rotationally about the Y axis and about the X axis. The pivot points and the tool point for the tools on the yoke used to accomplish the assembly operations remain in registry during movement of the yoke member.

Multiple axis yoke for large scale workpiece assembly systems

The power supply, useful with an electromagnetic force apparatus such as a riveter or a bolt inserter, includes two capacitor banks which are charged through charging doubler modules. Each charging doubler module includes an AC capacitor which is responsive to a power source. The AC capacitor is connected to a node point between two diode elements, which are connected in series across the capacitor bank. An analog-to-digital converter converts the voltage on the capacitor bank to a digital voltage for comparison with a selected digital charge voltage in a controller. The selected digital charge voltage may vary over time by means of a compensating algorithm. A ground fault indicator using a biasing voltage is connected between a selected electrical circuit portion of the force apparatus and earth ground. A gas discharge tube in combination with a current sensing element is connected to the capacitor banks to determine a possible over-voltage condition. A Hall-effect sensor is mounted between bus connections which carry the current between the capacitor bank and a coil portion of the electromagnetic force apparatus to determine the current flowing into the coil by measurement of the magnetic field between the bus bars.

Ground fault detection system in a power supply for an electromagnetic

A rivet feed system which includes a base feeder assembly (28), having a rivet passageway (30) extending lengthwise therethrough. The base feeder assembly (28) includes cutout regions to receive rivet injectors (24) which are moved in operation between a first position and a second position. In the first position, an opening (80) in the injectors (24) forms a part of the passageway (30) through the base feeder assembly (28), while in the second position, the opening (80) is positioned directly beneath a vertically oriented rivet cartridge (22) to receive a rivet therefrom. The passageway (30) is connected to a source of pressurized air (32) which moves rivets therealong to a rivet machine or the like. The plurality of cartridges (22) positioned along the base feeder assembly contain rivets of various selected sizes. The rivet cartridges (22) are filled off line by means of a vibrating bowl feeder (117) and a rivet insertion assembly which includes a rivet pump (120) which automatically and repetitively moves rivets which have been inserted thereinto from the bowl feeder (117) into the rivet cartridge (22).

Fastener feed system

A collar-swaging die includes two portions which are slidable relative to each other for alignment of the collar onto the exposed end of the bolt.

Electromagnetic bolt insertion and collar swaging system

A base assembly for use with a riveting apparatus such as an electromagnetic riveter (EMR). In one aspect of the invention, the base assembly includes a base plate (42) having a raised beveled portion (80) extending upwardly from the upper surface (54) of the base plate (42). A mounting plate (72) fits on and is secured to the base plate (42) by a plurality of coil springs (90-93). The mounting plate (72) has a recessed portion (66) in the lower surface thereof which mates with the raised portion (80) of the base plate (42). Trip switches (104-107) are positioned in the mounting plate (72) for detection of movement of the mounting plate (72) relative to the base plate (42) in response to undesired contact between the EMR and a part assembly or fixture therefor. An output signal indication is provided when one or more of the trip switches (104-107) are actuated. In another aspect of the invention, a base assembly mounting plate (152 ) is mounted on mounting studs (168-171) and locating pins (156, 158) which extend upwardly from a base member (154). An EMR is mounted on the mounting plate (152). Spring washers 180-183 are located between the mounting plate (152) and the base member (154). The washers are configured to permit a selected amount of preload compression by locking nuts operating on the mounting studs while still permitting a selected range of movement for height adjustment by turning the locking nuts in one direction.

Base assembly for automatic riveting machine

The power supply, useful with an electromagnetic force apparatus such as a riveter or a bolt inserter, includes two capacitor banks which are charged through charging doubler modules. Each charging doubler module includes an AC capacitor which is responsive to a power source. The AC capacitor is connected to a node point between two diode elements, which are connected in series across the capacitor bank. An analog-to-digital converter converts the voltage on the capacitor bank to a digital voltage for comparison with a selected digital charge voltage in a controller. The selected digital charge voltage may vary over time by means of a compensating algorithm. A ground fault indicator using a biasing voltage is connected between a selected electrical circuit portion of the force apparatus and earth ground. A gas discharge tube in combination with a current sensing element is connected to the capacitor banks to determine a possible overvoltage condition. A Hall-effect sensor is mounted between bus connections which carry the current between the capacitor bank and a coil portion of the electromagnetic force apparatus to determine the current flowing into the coil by measurement of the magnetic field between the bus bars.

Power supply system for an electromagnetic riveting apparatus

Apparatus for laoding fasteners in a cartridge

The bolt insertion apparatus includes a driver which is partially contained within an interior volume defined by an inner cylindrical sleeve which is secured at its front end to a forward mass portion of the apparatus. An actuator coil is also positioned within the interior volume for electromagnetic actuation of the driver. An outer cylindrical sleeve includes a recoil mass at the rear end thereof, with the coil extending forwardly from the recoil mass into the interior volume of the inner sleeve. The outer sleeve is movable longitudinally relative to the inner sleeve. A spacer element is selectively removable between a forward end of the apparatus and a clamp-up nosepiece member. The apparatus is initially positioned such that there is a gap between a tool on the end of the driver and the head of the bolt. The collar-swaging apparatus includes a driver element mounted for longitudinal movement. A collar transfer arm is mounted for rotational movement into and out of the longitudinal axis of movement of the driver, for insertion of a collar onto a die which is attached to the driver. A collar-swaging die includes two portions which are slidable relative to each other for alignment of the collar onto the exposed end of the bolt. A collar-swaging apparatus includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve which are arranged relative to each other so that recoil of the recoil mass, with corresponding movement of the inner sleeve and a hardstop element, results in contact between the hardstop and the driver, and subsequent rearward movement of the driver results in the removal of swaging tool from the collar.

Electromagnetic bolt insertion system

The apparatus includes a riveting assembly (10) which includes a rivet die (18) having a concave configuration which is brought into contact with one end of a rivet to be upset. The die (18) is driven into a rivet end by a rivet ram (16) a first time, resulting in an interference fit between the rivet shank and the part being riveted. When the die (18) is withdrawn, the newly formed rivet head will in some instances expand outwardly away from the surface of the part, leaving a gap between the formed end of the rivet and the part. A second strike assembly includes an L-shaped second strike element (28) which is moved between the die (18) and the rivet head. The ram (16) is then driven a second time, forcing the second strike element (28) against the formed end of the rivet, forcing the formed end of the rivet to flow outwardly and toward the part, resulting in the filling of the gap between the rivet head and the surface of the part.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Peter B Zieve