Buell Industries, Inc.

Philip D Becker

A retainer is provided for holding at least two valve rocker trunnions in predetermined, fixed relationship prior to and during installation in a diesel engine assembly. The retainer is an elongated strip arcuate in cross-section and provided with shoulders. At least two cut-out sections provided with pairs of opposing spring members are adapted to receive the trunnions in an interference fit and hold them in fixed relationship while the retainer and trunnions are installed in the engine. Means are provided for holding the retainer in position on the engine assembly during installation.

Retainer for preassembly of mechanical components

An improved impact plug assembly is provided, said assembly having a plug for insertion into an aperture in a workpiece and a cooperating crossbar for locking the plug into place in the aperture, the improvement comprising at least one shear lip means formed in said crossbar outwardly of said plug adjacent said slots to engage said plug walls adjacent said slots, whereby said crossbar is captured in said plug.

Impact plug assembly

A self-retaining nut, and panel assembly, in which the nut body includes a shoulder portion having two or more panel piercing pins which, are caused to pierce the panel and are bent to secure the nut to the panel. In addition, a piercing and extruding punch pierces the panel and causes extrusion or cold flow of the panel metal in the piercing region to flow into a enlarged bore or undercut portion of the nut to further aide in its retention. The assembly of the nut type fastener and the sheet panel can be accomplished in a method of application in which the pins are caused to pierce the panel, bent into fastening position and the panel is pierced and extruded to provide an opening for a threaded fastener to be secured to the nut while causing cold flow of panel material into the nut for further retention in essentially one operative step.

Self-retaining nut and method of applying to a panel

An improved fastener assembly is designed for securing a workpiece, having known thickness and a hole therethrough and being subject to plastic deformation, to a support. The fastener assembly can apply a high clamping load to the workpiece yet causes minimal cold plastic deformation of it and includes a fastener having a head and a shank projecting from the head. The shank includes an upper portion adjacent the head, an annular rib that protrudes radially outwardly from the upper portion at its extreme opposite the head, and an operative portion engageable in the support. A washer having a hole therein is received about the upper portion of the shank and is formed on one of its faces with an annular rabbet encircling the hole. A sleeve includes a generally cylindrical side wall having an axially extending split discontinuity and circular edges at its opposing axial extremes. The sleeve also includes a constriction at one of the circular edges, having a reduced diametrical dimension, that is confinable between the rib and the bearing surface of the head of the fastener. In the normal condition of the sleeve with its cylindrical side wall collapsed at the discontinuity, the one edge of the side wall is received in the annular rabbet of the washer to confine the side wall from spreading at the discontinuity. When the fastener device is engaged in the support the sleeve bears the major portion of the clamping load while the washer holds the workpiece in place against the support.

Fastener assembly

A method and apparatus for wheel nut cap welding in which two capped wheel nuts are axially aligned with their capped ends facing one another and spaced apart from one another by a cylindrical electrically conductive ring the opposite ends of which contact the sheath of the capped nut adjacent the area at which the weld has to be formed. The capped nuts and ring are telescopically assembled within a cylindrical guide sleeve of insulating material so that the conical, threaded opening end of each of the nuts extends beyond the ends of the guide sleeve where they are each contacted by cylindrical electrodes having conical indentations to fit the nut conical ends. The cylindrical ring positioned between the nuts constitutes a connecting electrode within the guide sleeve of insulating material so that the electrical current may pass from one of the electrodes in contact with the conical end of a nut through the nut and connecting electrode and to the other electrode contacting the conical end of the other nut to form a welding circuit. The welding method and apparatus provides the advantages of producing two welded capped nuts per welding cycle while developing a more consistent welding current pattern and greater efficiency in use of welding current while utilizing an easily maintained electrode in contact with the sensitive welding surfaces of the caps.

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Southbury, CT, United States of America

Philip D Becker