Avdel Textron Limited

Avdel Limited

Avdel Limited, a British Company

Avdel Limited, British Company

William H Frearson

Terence Gilbert

John William Saxon

Frederick A Summerlin

James C Hendry

A fastener installation tool installs fasteners of the type in which a part of the fastener is broken off during the installation process. The tool has collection means for collecting broken off fastener parts during operation of the tool. The collection means (34) is removably connectable to the tool. A safety device in the tool is responsive to the collection means being connected to the tool or being not connected to the tool. The safety device (64,68,72) allows further operation of the tool only when the collection means is connected to the tool.

Fastener installation tool including collection means

In a fastener installation tool which is pneumatically powered to instal a blind rivet or bolt by a relative pulling action, a pneumatic/hydraulic intensifier (12, 13) is included to actuate hydraulically the pulling stroke of a head piston (22) which provides the relative pulling action. It is desirable to design such tools so that they have increased levels of safety for the persons using and operating them. In such a tool, there is provided a safety device including a valve for disabling the supply of air to one side of a pneumatic piston and cylinder device (15) and a push-rod (51) operative connected to the valve and extending along the inside of the air supply conduit The push rod normally contacts the displaceable end (43) of the cylinder when the displaceable end is in its safe position so as to operate the valve to allow the supply of air to the pneumatic chamber. The push-rod is movable, when the displaceable end of the cylinder is displaced from its safe position, to operate the valve so as to disable the supply of air under pressure to the cylinder on the aforesaid side of the piston.

Pneumatically powered fastener installation tool

In a fastener installation tool, a hydraulically actuated head piston (22) is actuated on its power stroke to install a fastener, and has return means for returning the head piston independently of the hydraulic arrangement. The tool also has a pneumatic hydraulic intensifier (12,13) for providing the hydraulic actuation above mentioned. The hydraulic intensifier has a hydraulic cylinder and a piston rod reciprocable in the hydraulic cylinder, and is provided with a seal (54) for sealing between the end of the piston rod and the wall (39) of the cylinder as the piston rod is driven into the cylinder. The seal is separate from the piston rod and is supported on the end face of the piston rod so as to allow radial movement of the end of the piston rod with respect to the seal. The seal may be provided by an assembly which comprises a substantially rigid support member (57) and an annular flexible sealing member (54). The latter contacts both the end face of the piston rod and the annular sealing member. The annular sealing member makes sealing contact with both the support member and the wall of the cylinder.

Fastener installation tool including an hydraulically actuated head

A hand-held pneumatically-powered breakstem rivet placing tool comprises a pulling head (12) driven by a pneumatic piston and cylinder device (13). The drive is transmitted by way of a chain (15), one end (45) of which is secured to the body (11) of the tool and the other end (49) of which is secured to the piston rod (35) of the pneumatic device. Between its two ends the chain forms a loop which passes over a roller (52) which is connected to the pulling head (12) by way of a link mechanism (54, 58). When the pneumatic device (13) is actuated, the movable end (49) of the chain is pulled down, thus pulling the roller (52) and driving the head (12) to place a rivet. The roller (52) is carried on the top of a plunger (56) which is continuously urged upwards by air pressure in the cylinder (63) in which it slides, thereby to return the mechanism to its original position after a rivet has been placed.

Fastener installation apparatus

A device for automatically replenishing and exchanging hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system (such as that of a fastener placing tool 31) has a lower reservoir (29) for holding new hydraulic fluid (39) and an upper reservoir (28) for receiving old hydraulic fluid. The device connects with the system to be replenished by means of a single hydraulic fluid connection (17) at the bottom of the lower reservoir (29). An entry port (25) to the second reservoir is positioned opposite the connection (17) at the bottom end of a tube (23) leading to the top of the second reservoir. In use, the device is connected to the hydraulic system through the connection (17) and the system is pressurized. Old hydraulic fluid is forced up through the connection (17) at high speed and passes through the new hydraulic fluid (39) in the lower reservoir (29), through the port (25), up the tube (23) and down into the upper reservoir (28) where it is retained. When the system is depressurized, new hydraulic fluid (39) is drawn down through the same connection (17) into the hydraulic system.

Hydraulic fluid replenishment device

A breakstem rivet installation tool includes an airflow ejector for ejecting broken-off stems through a rear pipe (23) mounted on the tool housing (11). The ejector is provided by the annular gap (28) between the front-end of the rear pipe (23) and the rear-end part (26) of an extension pipe (25) mounted on the reciprocable stem-pulling draw rod (13). In order to adjust the rate of air-flow through the ejector, the rear pipe (23) is axially adjustable to vary the size of the annular gap (28). To this end, the pipe (23) is screw-threaded into the housing, and its position can be locked by a lock nut (62). The range of adjustment of the ejector flow includes complete shutting off the air flow.

Breakstem fastener installation tool

A hand-held rivet installation tool is provided with an airflow ejector (23, 26, 28) to eject broken off rivet stems. The tool has a base (71) on which it can stand on a level surface. A valve (73) is provided with its actuating plunger (75) protruding from the base. When the tool is standing on its base, the plunger (75) is pushed in and the valve (73) shuts off the air supply to the ejector. When the tool is picked up again the valve (73) stays in the off position until the tool-actuating trigger (31) is operated again. Thus needless waste of air through the ejector, when the tool is not being used, is eliminated.

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Letchworth, United Kingdom

William H Frearson