AU719110B2

AU719110B2 - Spinlock snap rivet system

Info

Publication number: AU719110B2
Application number: AU28654/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Shane Andrew Robertson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-08-22
Filing date: 1997-07-14
Publication date: 2000-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-14
Also published as: AU2865497A

Description

SPINLOCK SNAP RIVET SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to snap rivet systems.

BACKGROUND ART Snap rivets are regularly used for attaching objects to articles and are particularly useful where access to interior surfaces is limited or precluded.

Rivets are applied in a two stage process involving drilling holes and inserting and snapping off the rivets using a rivet tool to secure an attachment.

United States Patent Nos. 5,452,505 and W097/23315 describe devices which enable rivets to be applied in a one stage process. In both cases the rivets are self-drilling. These devices however make use of chuck mechanisms which are required to be manually set prior to each application of the rivets It is an object of the present invention to provide a rivet and a device for applying a rivet which will enable a rivet to be readily set in a S. a device without the need for constant adjustments to the device.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rivet comprising an elongate rivet shaft, a self drilling tip at one end of the shaft, and a limb at the other end of the shaft which extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rivet shaft.

The limb can extend at an approximate right angle to the axis of the shaft.

The self-drilling tip can comprise a mounting collar and a separate cutter both of which are fixed to the distal end of the shaft, the cutter being at the extreme end of the shaft.

The collar can be a push fit on the shaft and the cutter is keyed to the shaft According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for drilling and tightening a rivet as aforesaid, the device comprising a body, a rotatable driving shaft journalled to the body, means for key locking the shaft to the body, a chuck at the operative end of the device said chuck being adapted to receive and hold an angled limb of a rivet and having an internal screw threaded portion with which a threaded end of the shaft can engage, and a work piece gauge attached to the chuck, the arrangement and construction being such that on rotation of the shaft a rivet 1 o loaded in the chuck is rotated and can be drilled into a work piece and when the work piece gauge makes contact with the work piece the chuck unlocks from the body, is withdrawn axially into the body as the threaded end of the driving shaft engages with the internal screw threaded portion of the chuck and snaps off the shaft of the rivet.

1s The device may include biasing springs for applying a continual axial and opposed thrust between the chuck and the shaft and the work piece gauge and the chuck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Aspects of the present invention will now described with g S 20 reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 presents side and end views of one form of device of the present invention, and Figures la and lb are sectional views of the device of figure 1, and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of internal components of the device of figure 1, and Figures 2a and 2b are plan and side views of a receptor disc and receptor for the device of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a side view of a main shaft for the device of figure 1, and Figure 4 presents rear, side and front views of a slide for the device of the present invention, and Figure 5 presents plan and sectional views of a nose cone for the device of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a side view of a sleeve for the device of the present invention, and Figure 7 presents bottom, side and front views of a rivet slot for the device of the present invention, and Figure 8a shows the tongue section of the tongue chamber, and Figures 9, 9a and 10 are side, plan and sectional views of the rivet of the present invention.

With respect to figure 1 of the drawings the device of the present invention can comprise a body generally indicated by arrow 1, a rotatable driving shaft generally indicated by arrow 2 and a chuck indicated by arrow 3 for receiving a rivet 4.

The chuck 3 has a keyslot opening Figure la of the drawings is a diagrammatic cross-section showing all of the elements of the device with a rivet 4 set up for drilling into a workpiece. A slide generally indicated by arrow 6 secures the toe 7 of the rivet 4.

Sri4 Bearings 8 support the shaft 2 for rotation within the body 1.

20 The shaft 2 is provided with a boss 9 having notches 9a therein which in the figure lb are engaged with elongate receptors 10 positioned on the inner walls of body 1.

::The end 12 of the shaft is threaded and is adapted to engage with a threaded base 13 attached to slide 6 by spacers 14. A disc 15 locates the receptors within channels 16 of the body 2.

In figure la rivet 4 set up for drilling in a work piece and in figure *16 the operation of device has caused the rivet head 4a to snap off in a work a- piece (not shown).

In the figure la embodiment the outward end of the rivet 4 is surrounded by a sleeve 17 which has one end which extends from the nosecone 18 and another end in contact with the disc 15. The threaded portion 12 of the shaft 2 is disengaged from the threaded portion 19 of the boss and the boss 9 is engaged with receptors 10. Thus when the shaft 2 is rotated the head of the rivet can be drilled into a work piece. As the shaft and its thread advance when the hole is being drilled the slide 6 is withdrawn and the boss 9 disengages with the receptors 10 when the front of the apparatus makes contact with the work piece. The head of the rivet is snapped off and the device can then be reloaded.

Figure 2 of the drawings shows the shaft 2, slide 6 and receptors and compression springs 20 placed between the slide 6, boss 9, and the sleeve Figures 2a and 2b of the drawing are plan and end views of the sleeve 15 and receptors 10. The sleeve 15 is annular in shape and the receptors 15 each comprise elongate square bars 21 having toe-pieces 22.

Figure 3 is a further illustration of the shaft 2 mounting, boss 9 which have notched portions 9a for engaging with receptors Figure 4 of the drawings shows the slide 6 in side and end views. The slide 6 comprises an internally threaded sleeve 23, an annular boss 24 and a rivet end engaging boss 25. The boss 25 has a rectangular opening 26 and an enlarged internal cavity 27. Opposed elongate slots 28 are provided on the outer peripheral edges of the boss 25 for engagement with the bars 21 of the receptors Figure 5 of the drawings presents top and sectional views of a nose cone for the device of the present invention.

The nose cone is a frusto-conical block 31 having an external threaded portion 32 which co-operates with an external thread in the casing of the apparatus to secure the cone in a set position. An internal bone 33 within the cone is provided with a series of tongues 34 co-operative with slots .t in the sleeve 17 to control the sliding action of the sleeve and to prevent it from twisting.

The sleeve 17 illustrated by figure 6 is a cylinder having slots co-operative with the tongues 34 of the nose cone.

Figures 7 and 8 of the rivet tongue chamber 36 within the slide 6. The chamber has an entry slot 37 and an inner chamber in which is 6 housed a spring loaded wedge 38. When a rivet is inserted into the slot and twisted the toe of the rivet is secured by the wedge 38 within the slot 37.

Figures 9, 9a and 10 of the drawings illustrate the rivet 4 of the present invention in more detail. The rivet 4 comprises an elongate rivet shaft 41 a self drilling tip 42 and a limb 43 which extends at a right-angle from the shaft 41. The rivet tip 42 includes a cylindrical casing 43 having a flange 44 at one end and an internal taper 45 at the other end. The flange casing 43 is placed on the shaft 41 beneath the tip 42 and is a push fit onto a bevelled surface 46 at the base of the top 42. The shaft 41 is similarly a push fit into an aperture 47 in the tip 42. The aperture in the tip and the end of the shaft 41 which engages with it can have complementary flutes and splines, as also may the taper 45 and the bevelled surface 46. The flutes and spines will prevent the relative rotation of the elements of the rivet.

Figure 10 shows the rivet tip 42 and sleeve 43 separated from the shaft 41. Separation occurs after the tip has been drilled into a work piece. The process of separation of the shaft 41 causes the tip 42 to be rolo T pulled into the sleeve 43 and expands the sleeve in the manner indicated to secure same to a work piece.

,o •.Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of 20 example only and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions S• thereto may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims

1. A rivet comprising an elongate rivet shaft, a self drilling tip at one end of the shaft, and a limb at the other end of the shaft which extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rivet shaft.

2. A rivet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the limb extends at an approximate right angle to the axis of the shaft.

3. A rivet as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the self-drilling tip comprises a mounting collar and a separate cutter both of which are fixed to the distal end of the shaft, the cutter being at the extreme end of the shaft.

4. A rivet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 where the collar is a push fit on the shaft and the cutter is keyed to the shaft. A device for drilling and tightening a rivet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, the device comprising a body, a rotatable driving shaft journalled to the body, means for key locking the shaft to the body, a chuck at the operative end of the device said chuck being adapted to receive and hold an angled limb of a rivet and having an internal screw threaded portion with which a threaded end of the shaft can engage, and a work piece gauge attached to the chuck, the arrangement and construction being such that on rotation of the shaft a rivet loaded in the chuck is rotated and can be drilled 20 into a work piece and when the work piece gauge makes contact with the ~work piece the chuck unlocks from the body, is withdrawn axially into the body as the threaded end of the driving shaft engages with the internal screw threaded portion of the chuck and snaps off the shaft of the rivet. 2 6. A device as claimed in claim 6 including biasing springs applying S• 25 a continual axial and opposed thrust between the chuck and the shaft and the work piece gauge and the chuck. DATED this 24th day of December 1999 S"SHANE ROBERTSON By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.