EP0195851A2

EP0195851A2 - Installing tool for wedging-type fasteners

Info

Publication number: EP0195851A2
Application number: EP85115158A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Victor Belanger
Original assignee: Monogram Industries Inc; MAG Aerospace Industries LLC
Current assignee: Monogram Aerospace Fasteners Inc
Priority date: 1985-03-29
Filing date: 1985-11-29
Publication date: 1986-10-01
Also published as: EP0195851B1; JPS61226276A; BR8600298A; DE3585322D1; IL76868A0; CN85108469A; EP0195851A3

Abstract

@ An installing tool having two way drive wrench portion particularly suited for installing wedge-locking type aircraft fasteners. The wrench portion is adapted to be installed on a driving tool. The wrench portion has at least a forwardly and a rearwardly mounted polygonally-shaped opening with a cage in each opening, each cage having a plurality of rollers mounted therein and loosely mounted within the polygonally shaped openings but retained therein. In operation, the wrench portion is placed over the fastener it is desired to install, the main body of the fastener, which may be cylindrical, entering the forward polygonally-shaped opening in the wrench portion and abutting against the rollers thereon which protrude inwardly toward the fastener. A nut portion of the fastener, which may be cylindrical, enters the rear opening. Rotation of the nut portion while holding the main body portion results in installation of the fastener without need. for precise alignment of the wrench to the fastener. This is because the loosely mounted cage adjusts for any misalignment and the rollers abut against the walls of the polygonally-shaped opening to wedge or lock the wrench to the fastener. After installation, the relaxation of the engagement of the tool to the fastener allows for easy withdrawal.

Description

Background of the Invention

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to installing tools; and, more particularly, to a tool for installing fasteners particularly wedging-type fasteners having cylindrical bodies.

Description of the Prior Art

Various types of wrenches are known in the art. Generally, such wrenches are either adjustable to grip the part being installed or otherwise turned, or of a fixed irregular inner configuration of the device which it is desired to grip. In the aircraft industry, when it is desired to secure two panels together, apertures are made in these panels and devices, known as wedging-type fasteners, are temporarily installed in aligning apertures in the panels at pre-determined locations. Such installation is usually carried out quickly and, preferably, automatically. The fasteners are later removed after installation of more permanent fasteners.
It is desired that the installer carry a suitable tool to effect such installation. It is necessary, with known tools and fasteners, to carefully align the wrenching portion of the tool to the fastener body to effect both proper installation and withdrawalafter installation. This is a particular problem where the fastener body is not cylindrical. When the body of the fastener is cylindrical, conventional wrenching tools cannot be used to grip the cylindrical fastener body.
In U.S. Patent No. 2,719,447 to Ford, a wrench head in a ratchet wrench is disclosed having spring-biased rollers used to rotate a hexagonally-shaped nut. Since member 58 is in direct meshing engagement with wheel 24, it does not appear that the tool of Ford could be used to rotate a cylindrically-shaped nut since there would not be any wedging action. A round nut would merely turn within the jaws of member 58.
In U.S. Patent No. 1,589,736 to Bell, a workpiece A of round cross-section is rotated between dies having teeth. Such tool is quite complex, and the teeth must dig into the piece to rotate it.
Similar complex devicesaredisclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,613,565 ard2,613,942 to Saunders and U.S. Patent No. 3,889,557. These prior art devices are relatively expensive and difficult to use.
U.S. Patent Nos. 3,331,268; 3,263,320; and 3,162,072 all show tools used to install wedging-type fasteners. The bodies of all the fasteners are irregularly shaped and easily gripped by the wrench portion of the tool.
There is thus a need for a tool having a wrenching portion that is capable of installing cylindrical body fasteners in an inexpensive and simple manner without need for precise alignment between the fastener and the wrench.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved tool for installing fasteners.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool having a drive wrench portion uniquely suited for installing wedging-type fasteners having cylindrical bodies.
These and other objects are preferably accomplished by providing a tool having a wrenching portion at one end. The wrenching portion has at least a forwardly and a rearwardly mounted polygonally-shaped opening with a cage in each opening, each cage having a plurality of rollers mounted therein and loosely mounted within the polygonally shaped openings but retained therein. In operation, the wrenching portion is placed over the fastener it is desired to install, the main body of the fastener, which may be cylindrical, entering the forward polygonally-shaped opening in the wrenching portion and abutting against the rollers thereon which protrude inwardly toward the fastener. A nut portion of the fastener, which may be cylindrical, enters the rear opening. Rotation of the nut portion while holding the main body portion results in installation of the fastener without need for precise alignment of the wrnech to the fastener. This is because the loosely mounted cage adjusts for any misalignment and the rollers abut against the walls of the polygonally-shaped opening to wedge or lock the wrench to the fastener. After installation, the relaxation of the engagement of the tool to the fastener allows for easy withdrawal.

Brief Description of the Drawing

Fig. 1 is a vertical partly cross-sectional view of a portion of an installing tool having a wrench portion thereon in accordance with the teachings of the invention;
Fig.' 2 is a vertical view of the complete installing tool of Fig. 1 shown installing a fastener;
Fig. 3 is a view taken along lines III-III of Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 is a view taken along lines IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a portion of an installing tool 10 is shown having a wrench portion 11 adapted to be threaded, via threads 12, to mating threads 13 on the housing 14 of a conventional drill motor 15 (see Fig. 2). A roller housing 16 is threaded, via threads 17, to threads 18 on the outside of a reduced diameter section 19 of wrench portion 11. Housing 16 includes an inner wall 20 which, as particularly contemplated in the present invention, is irregularly configured. For example, wall 20 may be polygonally-shaped, such as being twelve sided. A cage 21 is trapped within housing 16. Housing 16 (Fig. 1) may have a main inner wall portion 22 of one diameter and wall 20 may be of a reduced diameter receiving therein cage 21.
Cage 21 is retained in tool lG by abutment at one end against the shoulder 23 formed at the intersection between wall portions 20, 22 and at the other end by abutment with the end wall 24 of the nut drive shaft housing 25 of wrench portion 11.
Cage 21 is a cylindrical member having a plurality of elongated equally spaced openings 26 thereon (Fig. 4). For example, six such openings may be provided. A plurality of drive rollers 27 are provided in each opening 26_.of a width greater than the width of openings 26 and disposed between cage 21 and wall 20. In this manner, as seen in Fig. 4, the rollers 27 extend through openings 26 in cage 21 but cannot pass therethrough.
As seen in Fig. 3, each roller 27 includes a reduced diameter mid-section 28 separating enlarged diameter roller sections 29 and 30. The ends of each roller section 29, 30 terminate in reduced ends 31, 32, respectively. These ends 31, 32 are trapped between the end walls 33, 34 respectively, of cage 21 which abut against shoulder 23 and wall 24 as shown. Cage 21 is thus a cylindrical member having inwardly extending end flanges or walls 33, 34 (see also Fig. 4) and openings 26 therein.
As seen in Fig. 3, a conventional resilient spring, such as a garter spring 35, is disposed between each roller reduced section 28 and the wall 20. As also seen, particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, a conventional wedging-type fastener 36 is shown disposed internally of tool 10. Fastener 36 has a first main body 37, cylindrical in cross-sectional (see particularly Fig. 4), of a first diameter gripped by tool 1C. As can be seen in Fig. 4, the rollers 27 extend out of openings 26 and abut against body 37.
Fastener 36 also includes a body portion 38, of a lesser diameter than body portion 37, and also cylindrical, and a forward body portion 39 which may also be cylindrical and of diameter generally related to the diameter of body portion 37 and a forward carrier portion 46.
As seen in Fig. 2, the tool 1C includes the reversible, controllable torque motor 15 secured to the forward end of housing 14. The motor 15 is operated by a trigger 40 as is well known in the art. A similar tool is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,263,320, the teachings of" which are incorporated herein by reference.
Housing 14, and the drill motor output shaft 41 (Fig. 1), motor 15, and trigger 40 and handgrip 42 (Fig. 2) are all part of a conventional tool as is well known in the art. The shaft 41 includes a hex recess 43 for receiving therein the wrenching portion 11 of the tool. Fastener 36 also includes pins 44, 45 extending from carrier portion 46 of fastener 36 (Figs. 1 and 2). Pins 44, 45 are shown extending through aligned openings 47, 48 (Fig. 2) in panels 49, 50, respectively, all as is well known in the art. A spreader 51 is disposed between pins 44, 45 as is well known in the art. The enlarged heads 52, 53 extend on the blind side of panels 49, 50, as shown.
The wrenching portion 11 also includes a nut drive shaft 54 disposed internally of the nut drive shaft housing 25. A cupped thrust washer 55, L-shaped in cross-section, is disposed between the drill motor housing 14 and nut drive shaft 54, separated by a conventional thrust bearing 56. A retaining ring 57 mounted in a reduced end section 58 of shaft 54 holds shaft 54 in position with respect to washer 55. A hexagonally shaped spline drive shaft 59, having an annular ring 60 thereon, is mounted in hex opening 43 and thus conforms thereto and is driven by shaft 41 when motor 15 is activated. Ring 60 abuts against the end wall 61 of shaft 41 and is biased by a compression spring 62 encircling shaft 59 between ring 60 and the end wall 63 of reduced portion 58 of shaft 54.
Shaft 54 has an inner cavity 64 of an inner wall configuration similar to wall 20. A nut roller cage 65 is mounted in cavity 64 having an end wall 66 abutting against a retaining ring 67 mounted in the thin wall portion 68 of shaft 54. It is to be understood that cage 65 is generally similar to cage 21 of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4-and includes spaced openings similar to openings 26 and has rollers 27 mounted therein all as heretofore disclosed. These rollers 27, in cavity 64, as seen in Fig. 1, abut against a round or cylindrical shaft portion 68' of fastener 36. Finally, a spring 69, similar to spring 35, is provided between rollers 27, in cavity 64, and the inner wall thereof as shown.
To assist in the retention of fastener 36 within tool 10, a conventional ball lock is provided at the forward end of tool 10 in the form of trapped balls 70, retained therein by a body retainer ball spring 71. Balls 70 extend slightly out of openings 72 in the forward end of housing 16 but are of a lesser diameter so they are trapped therein. They retract against the bias of spring 71 when fastener 36 is inserted therein and, thus, retain fastener 36 in tool 10 until it is desired to remove the same as is well known in the art.
In operation, a fastener, such as fastener 36, which may have a cylindrical main body portion 37, is installed in the openings 47, 48 in panels 49, 50. The operator now comes along with tool 1C with wrenching portion or housing 16 installed thereon. The housing 16 is inserted over the portion of fastener 36 protruding on the access side of panel 49 (on the left thereof in Fig. 2). The diameter of the interior opening of cage 21 is related to the diameter of the cylindrical portion 37 so that portion 37 is insertible into cage 21 in a close fitting relationship. Portion 68' enters cage 65. The motor 15 is now actuated to rotate output shaft 41 in a clockwise direction.
Such rotation forces or wedges rollers 27 against the irregularly shaped inner surface of cavity 64 locking the cage 65 in cavity 66. The rollers 27 also wedge against the cylindrical surface of cylindrical portion 68' thereby holding the cage 65 to the cylindrical captive nut 68' of the fastener _.36 and thus rotating the fastener 36 to install the same as is well known in the art when the tool 30 is actuated to rotate shaft 59 and thus rotate nut drive shaft 54 while cage 21 holds portion 37 in a non-rotating relationship. After installation, the operator merely counter-rotates the fastener 26 in the same manner.
r It can be seen that, in this manner, fastener 36 and any other similar wedging-type fastener, can be quickly and easily installed in or removed from panels 49, 50. The unique cage assembly and configuration of housing 11 provides for any misalignment of the tool 30 to the fastener body 37. It is not necessary that the fastener be precisely aligned with respect to the wrenching portion of the tool. The wrench portion can be provided separately for installation in a particular tool or as a complete tool assembly. The device disclosed herein lends itself to automatic insertion and removal of wedging-type fasteners, particularly those having cylindrical body portions.

Claims

1. In an installing tool having a handle, a main housing, a reversible motor in said main housing, a trigger on said handle adapted to actuate said motor to rotate a motor shaft attached thereto and having one end extending out one end of said housing with a recess in said one end of said shaft and attaching means on said housing for receiving a wrenching device thereon adapted to mate with said motor shaft for driving engagement therewith, the improvement which comprises:

said wrenching device having attaching means adapted to attach to the first mentioned attaching means; a nut drive shaft with a spline drive receivable in said recess and keyed for rotation therewith, said nut drive shaft coupled to said spline and having a housing section thereon rotated by said nut drive shaft having an irregularly shaped inner wall and a cage receivable in said inner wall, said cage having a plurality of openings therein with rollers disposed in said openings and retained between said inner wall and said cage with means on said cage preventing said rollers from exiting out of said openings into the interior of said cage but providing a portion of said rollers extending through said openings into the interior of said cage whereby said rollers are adapted to abut against a captive drive nut of a fastener when said fastener is inserted into said cage and rotate said captive drive nut when said housing section is rotated and said rollers are wedged against both saidcaptive drive nut and said inner wall of said cage.

2. In the tool of claim 1 including a second housing section coupled to said attaching means of said wrenching device, said second housing section also having an irregularly shaped inner wall of an inner cross-sectional diameter less than the inner cross-sectional diameteR of said first mentioned inner wall and a cage receivable in said last mentioned inner wall, said last mentioned cage having a plurality of openings therein with rollers disposed in said last mentioned openings and retained between said last mentioned inner wall and said cage with means on said last mentioned inner wall and said cage
preventing said rollers from exiting out of said last mentioned openings into the interior of said last mentioned cage but providing a portion of said last mentioned rollers extending through said last mentioned openings into the interior of said last mentioned cage whereby said last mentioned rollers are adapted to abut against a non-rotating body portion of a fastener when said fastener is inserted into said last mentioned cage and hold said non-rotating body portion when said captive drive nut is rotated and said last mentioned rollers are.wedged against both said non-rotating body portion of said fastener and said last mentioned inner wall of said last mentioned cage.

3. In the tool of claim 1 wherein said inner wall is hexagonally shaped in cross-section.

4. In the tool of claim 1 wherein each of said rollers is an elongated roller element having two body sections of a first diameter separated by a body section of a lesser diameter and a spring encircles said lesser diameter body section between the outside thereof and said inner wall.

5. In the tool of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned attaching means are threads and said second mentioned attaching means includes a main housing having threads thereon adapted to mate with said first mentioned threads.

6. In the tool of claim 2 wherein each of said inner walls are hexagonally shaped in cross section.

7. In the tool of claim 2 wherein each of said rollers are elongated roller elements having two body sections of a first diameter separated by a body section of a lesser diameter and a spring encircles said lesser diameter body sections between the outside thereof and each of said inner walls.

8. In the tool of claim 2 wherein said first mentioned attaching means are threads and said second mentioned attaching means includes a main housing having threads adapted to mate with said first mentioned threads, said second housing section also having threads thereon mating with threads at the end of said main housing opposite the end thereof having said second-mentioned attaching means thereon.

9. A wrenching device adapted to be removably secured to a tool and rotatable by the same comprising:

a main housing having attaching means at one end for removably attaching the wrenching device to a tool;

a nut drive shaft;

a drive spline in driving engagement with said nut drive shaft;

a housing section rotated by said nut drive shaft having an irregularly shaped inner wall and a cage receivable in said inner wall, said cage having a plurality of openings therein with rollers disposed in said openings and'retained between said inner wall and said cage with means on said cage preventing said rollers from exiting out of said openings into the interior of said cage but providing a portion of said rollers extending through said openings into the interior of said cage whereby said rollers are adapted to abut against a fastener when said fastener is inserted into said cage and rotate said fastener when said housing seciton is rotated and said rollers are wedged against both said fastener and said inner wall of said cage.

10. In the tool of claim 9 including a second housing section coupled to said main housing, said second housing section also having an irregularly shaped inner wall of an inner cross-sectional diameter less than the inner cross-sectional diameter of said first mentioned inner wall and a cage receivable in said last mentioned inner wall, said last mentioned cage having a plurality of openings thereon with rollers disposed in said last mentioned openings and retained between said last mentioned inner wall and said last mentioned cage with means on said last mentioned openings preventing said rollers from exiting out of said last mentioned openings into the interior of said last mentioned cage but providing a portion of said last mentioned rollers extending through said last mentioned openings into the interior of said last mentioned cage whereby said last'mentioned rollers are adapted to abut against a non-rotating body portion of a fastener when said fastener is inserted into said last mentioned cage and hold said non-rotating body portion against rotation when said first mentioned housing section is rotated and said last mentioned rollers are wedged against both said non-rotating body portion of said fastener and said last mentioned inner wall of said last mentioned cage.

11. In the tool of claim 9 wherein said inner wall is hexagonally shaped in cross-section.

12. In the tool of claim 9 wherein each of said rollers is an elongated roller element having two body sections of a first diameter separated by a body section of a first diameter separated by a body section of a lesser diameter and a spring encircles said lesser diameter body section between the outside thereof and said inner wall.

13. In the tool of claim 9 wherein said attaching means are threads.

14. In the tool of claim 10 wherein each of said inner walls are hexagonally shaped in cross-section.

15. In the tool of claim 10 wherein each of said rollers are elongated roller elements having two body sections of a first diameter separated by a body section of a lesser diameter and a spring encircles said lesser diameter body section between the outside thereof and each of said inner walls.

16. In the tool of claim 10 wherein said attaching means are threads, said second housing section also having threads thereon mating with threads at the end of said main housing opposite the end thereof having said attaching means thereon.