FR2710702A1 - Assembly member for components - Google Patents

Abstract

- Assembly member for components, such as plates, sheets or the like. - According to the invention: . the separator (14) and the expansible elongate element (15) are mounted so that they can slide on the body (1); . the operating mechanism (5) interacts with the said separator (14) and can exert on the latter a tensile force capable of causing the said separator to move back towards the said body (1); . the said projecting expansible element (15) is loaded by elastic means (39) tending to push the said expansible element (15) back out of the said body (1); and . locking means (23, 36) are provided between the said separator (14) and the said expansible elongate element (15) so that, with the tensile force continuing to be exerted by the said mechanism (5) on the said separator (14), the backwards movement of the latter is halted after the fastening means (28) have fastened onto the rear external component and so that as a result, the said body (1) then moves forwards towards the said components against the action of the said elastic means (39).

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly member for parts, such as plates, sheets or the like.

It is known that, before carrying out the final fixing of plates, for example by riveting, one generally proceeds to a temporary assembly of said plates by means of members passing through facing holes made in the plates and holding them in position. This assembly process is particularly used, although not exclusively, in the aeronautical field, in particular during joining operations between the wings and the fuselage of an aircraft.

For example, from document FR-A-2 676 258, there is already known such an assembly member comprising a body provided with a bearing face capable of coming into contact with the outer face of one of said external parts of said assembly, said body carrying - a projecting elongated elongate element, intended to be
housed in the passage formed by said facing holes and
provided at its free end with hooking means - a protruding spacer intended to cooperate with said
elongated expansible element and provided with spreading means
is lying ; and - a control mechanism to generate a displacement
longitudinal relative between said elongated expanded element
ble and said spacer, in order to allow said means
spacing to act on said elongated expandable member
so that said hooking means cling to
the other external part of said assembly.

The object of the present invention is to improve this known assembly member by increasing its efficiency.

To this end, according to the invention, the assembly member of the type recalled above is remarkable in that - said spacer and said expandable elongated element are
sliding mounted on said body - said control mechanism cooperates with said spacer and
is able to exert a tensile force on the latter
likely to cause said retractor to move back towards said
body, said spacing means acting on said body
elongated element during said retraction of the retractor - said protruding expansive element is loaded by
elastic means tending to repel said element
expandable outside said body; and - blocking means are provided between said spacer and
said elongated expandable member, so that the force of
traction continuing to be exerted by said mechanism on
said retractor, the recoil thereof is stopped after
attachment of said attachment means to said other
external part and the result is the consecutive advance
from said body to said parts against the action
said elastic means.

A particularly effective clamping of said plates is thus obtained, which is only due to the action of said control mechanism. Indeed, said elastic means are not used, as is usual in known assembly members, to maintain a compressive force in the assembly of plates when the thickness thereof tends to decrease, for example due to the crushing of any pasty sealant interposed between the plates, but mainly used for the installation of the assembly member in said passage, ensuring a certain rigidity between said projecting expansible element and said body. Then, the rigidity of said elastic means makes it possible to force the retractor to play its main role by sliding relative to said expandable element. When this sliding is no longer possible due to the locking means, the elasticity of the elastic means allows said expandable element to slide relative to the body of the assembly member, which makes it possible to compress the stack of sheets. If the pressure in the stack of sheets then tends to decrease due to the crushing of the sealants and under the action of other assembly members installed nearby, it would be necessary to act again on the control mechanism to raise the clamping pressure in the assembly.

Preferably, in order to guarantee an appropriate tightening of said parts, while leaving free the external face of the rear external part of said assembly, or else to be able to use the assembly member according to the invention in a blind hole, the length of the projection of said expandable element relative to said body is at most equal to the thickness of said assembly of parts and the retraction of said spacer relative to said body is such that said expandable element passes from a first position, for which said means of 'hooking are opposite, but at a distance from the wall of said hole formed in said other external part, at a second position, for which said hooking means are strongly applied against the wall of said hole.

It is then advantageous for said attachment means to be shaped to allow them to be anchored in the wall of said hole. Such anchoring means can have any desired shape, such as spout, claw, knurling, ridges, etc. and even consist of balls which can be moved radially under the action of said spacing means.

To obtain a good anchorage, it is more advantageous that said elongated expandable element comprises elastic blades carrying said attachment means at their free end and that said locking means are capable of stiffening said elastic blades during the attachment of said means d 'hooking on said other external part, so that said hooking means are pressed strongly by bracing against said other external part.

Preferably, said blocking means are formed by conical surfaces of wide angle which are cooperating and respectively carried by said elongated expandable element and said spacer. Thus, the friction between said cooperating surfaces increases as the retractor retracts and the anchoring of said attachment means, until reaching a value high enough to stop the retractor.

In a preferred embodiment - said expandable elongate member is formed by a socket
cylindrical in which slots are made
longitudinal forming between them elastic blades
longitudinal, integral with each other at their
opposite end to said attachment means, said
socket having an annular rib in its wall
internal, such as the face of said directed rib of the
side of said attachment means is formed by a
of said cooperating wide angle conical surfaces - said spacer has a cylindrical part guided in
sliding in said cylindrical sleeve, and comprising
both an annular groove whose face disposed on the side
said spacing means is formed by the other desdi
your co-operative wide-angle conical surfaces; and - said elongated expandable element and said spacer are
linked to each other because said rib is enclosed
resiliently quested in said annular groove.

In addition, it is advantageous that - said body is hollow and is divided into two chambers
by an internal transverse partition - in the first chamber, opposite to said bearing face,
be mounted, captive, a nut liable to turn and
slide in said room, accessible from outside
laughing of said body, and coming into abutment against said
internal transverse partition - in the second chamber, arranged on the side of said face
support, be provided a helical spring bearing
on said internal transverse partition and exerting a
thrust on the base of said expandable elongated member, towards
the exterior of said second chamber, said element
elongated expandable passing through said bearing face and being
prisoner of said second bedroom by said base; and - said spacer has a threaded shank capable of grouting
to be, but not to rotate, with respect to said body, said
threaded shank freely passing through said spring
helical and crossing said transverse partition
internal to be able to cooperate with said nut housed in
said first chamber.

An assembly member is thus obtained which is easy to construct, to assemble and to dismantle, as well as to use.

Advantageously, in order to be able to adapt the assembly member according to the present invention to assemblies of plates of different thicknesses, said bearing face is adjustable in position relative to said body.

To this end, said bearing face can be part of a cap which can be screwed onto said body.

It is then advantageous to provide a positioning nut for locking said cap in position, after adjustment, on said body.

The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

Figure 1 shows, in partial longitudinal section, a preferred embodiment of the assembly member according to the present invention, at rest.

Figures 2 and 3 are partial sections, respectively in correspondence with lines II-II and III-III of Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively plan and perspective views of the spacer of the assembly member according to the present invention.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are respectively views in longitudinal section and in perspective of the elongated expandable element intended to cooperate with the spacer of FIGS. 4 and 5.

Figure 8 illustrates the establishment of the assembly member of Figure 1 on a stack of sheets.

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 13 illustrate different stages of tightening said stack of sheets, using the assembly member according to the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates, on a larger scale, the cooperation of said spacer and of said expandable elongated element.

The assembly member for parts I, in accordance with the present invention and shown in FIG. 1, comprises a tubular body l of longitudinal axis XX, the internal cavity of which is divided into two chambers 2A and 2B by an internal transverse partition. separation 3.

On the side of the chamber 2A, the tubular body 1 is shaped externally into a pan head 4. In addition, in the chamber 2A, can slide and turn, around the axis XX, a nut 5, provided with a thread internal 6 and comprising, on the side of the partition 3, a projecting shoulder 7, forming a bearing surface guiding the sliding and the rotation of said nut 5 in the chamber 2A and cooperating with a transverse stop screw 8, screwed into the wall of the chamber 2A to make said nut 5 a prisoner of the body 1 while allowing it to slide and rotate around the axis XX. The part of the nut 5, projecting from the outside of the chamber 2A, is shaped into a pan head 9.

On the side of the chamber 2B, the external surface of the body 1 is provided with a thread 10 onto which an external cap 11 can be screwed, provided with a transverse end wall 12 closing said chamber 2B externally.

A positioning nut 13 is also screwed onto the thread 10, used to fix the position of the cap 11 on the body 1.

Also on the side of the chamber 2B, a spacer 14 and an elongate expandable element 15 are provided, coaxial with each other and with the axis X-X. Said spacer 14 is housed in said expandable element 15 and the assembly of the spacer 14 and the element 15 projects outside the body 1, through an opening 16 provided in the end wall 12 of the cap 11.

The spacer 14 (see also Figures 4 and 5) comprises a cylindrical body 17, extended on one side by a shank 18 provided with an external thread 19 capable of cooperating with the thread 6 of the nut 5 and, the other side, by a cylindrical end 20 terminated by a divergent conical wall with spacing 21. Between the cylindrical body 17 and the end 20, the spacer 14 is provided with a groove 22, the wall 23 of which faces towards said end 20 is conical and divergent. The divergent conical walls 21 and 23 are coaxial with the axis X-X and the angle at the top of the conical wall 21 is smaller than the angle at the top of the conical wall 23.

Furthermore, the threaded shank 18 of the spacer 14 has longitudinal flats 24 and it passes through the partition wall 3 through a hexagonal hole 25 of corresponding shape, so that said spacer 14 can freely slide, but not rotate, by relative to said partition 3.

The expandable elongate element 15 is constituted by a sleeve 26, comprising a peripheral projecting shoulder 27 at its inner end and projecting claws 28 at its outer end. The sleeve 26 is separated into longitudinal elastic blades 29 by longitudinal slots 30, extending over almost the entire length of the sleeve 26, except on the end portion 31 adjacent to the protruding shoulder 27.

Internally, the sleeve 26 has two cylindrical housings 32 and 33 corresponding respectively to the cylindrical body 17 and to the cylindrical end 20 of the spacer. The cylindrical housing 33, disposed on the side of the projecting claws 28 is extended by a conical flaring 34, of the same shape as the conical wall 21 of the spacer 14.

In addition, the two cylindrical housings 32 and 33 are separated from each other by an annular groove 35, of similar section and complementary to that of the groove 22 of the spacer 14. In particular, the annular groove 35 comprises a flared conical face 36 of the same shape as the conical wall 23 of the spacer 14.

The spacer 14 and the expandable element 15 are mounted so that they can slide in the chamber 2B coaxially with the axis X-X.

At its end opposite to the partition 3, the chamber 2B is provided with a retaining ring 37, screwed onto said body 1 and having a shoulder 38 capable of cooperating with the shoulder 27 and serving as a sliding surface and abutment stop for the expandable element 15. A helical compression spring 39, for example with turns of square section, is housed in the chamber 2B. On one side, the spring 39 is supported on the partition 3 and, on the other, on the inner end of the sleeve 26, by means of a support washer 40. The tail 18 of the spacer 14 internally and freely passes through the support washer 40 and the helical spring 39.

At rest, as shown in Figure 1 - the spacer 14 is housed in the socket 26 with the body
cylindrical 17 and the end 20 respectively arranged
in the cylindrical housings 32 and 33 and the groove
annular 35 engaged elastically in the groove 22, the
conical walls 21 and 23 being respectively in contact
tapered flares 34 and 36 - the threaded shank 18 of the spacer 14 projects into the
chamber 2A, beyond the internal partition it crosses
freely through the hole 25 - the nut 5 is not engaged with the threaded shank 18; and - the spring 39 presses the sleeve 16 (and therefore the spacer 14
out), the protruding shoulder
peripheral 27 of said socket then being in abutment
against the shoulder 38 of the retaining ring 37.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 13, the assembly member
I of Figure 1 is intended to maintain in position, for example temporarily, a stack of plates 41 to 44, by pressing them strongly against each other. For this purpose, the plates 41 to 44 (for example sheets) have facing holes forming a passage 45 into which the expandable element 15 can be introduced. Initially (see FIG. 8), the plates 41 to 44 comprise them clearances 46, for example at least partially filled with a viscous product, such as a sealant, and the stacking of said plates has a total thickness E, measured between the external face 41A of the front plate 41 and the external face 44A of the rear plate 44.

In a preliminary operation, the assembly member I is chosen and / or the diameter of the passage 45, so that, said assembly member I being in its rest position shown in FIG. 1, the expandable element 15 can be introduced with appropriate clearance in said passage 45.

Then, the position of the cap 11 is adjusted by screwing on the body 1, so that the length L between the end wall 12 of this cap and the external end of the expandable element 15 (see FIG. 1) corresponds to the initial thickness E of the stack of plates 41 to 44.

Then, this adjusted position of the cover 11 is fixed, by means of the positioning nut 13.

The assembly member I is then ready for use.

It is presented in passage 45 so that the expandable member 15 penetrates therein until the end wall 12 of the cap 11 comes to bear against the external face 41A of the front plate 41. The claws 28 are then located opposite the wall of the part 45A of the passage 45, which corresponds to the rear plate 44 (see FIG. 8).

The assembly member I being held by its head 4, so as to be pressed against the external face 41A of the front plate 41 and to be prevented from turning, we apply to the nut 5, by means of its head 9, an axial thrust in the direction of the partition 3, as well as a rotation.

It follows that the nut 5 engages on the end of the threaded tail 18 of the spacer 14, the latter being prevented from turning thanks to the cooperation of its flats 24 with the hole 25 of the partition 3 ( see figure 9).

The screwing of the nut 5 continues, this nut continues its progression towards said partition 3 and comes to bear against it (see FIG. 10).

It will be noted that, until this instant of operation, the spring 39, by the pressure which it exerts on the expandable element 15, has kept the spacer assembly 14 - expandable element 15 in a relative position identical to that of the rest and has continued to press said assembly inside passage 45.

On the other hand, if after the nut 5 has come into contact with the partition 3, the screwing of said nut 5 is continued, the spacer 14 is pulled towards said partition, said expandable element 15 being held in position in passage 45 by the spring 39, so that the spacer 14 slides inside the bushing 26. As a result of the traction exerted on the spacer, the conical wall 21 slides on the conical wall 34, and the conical wall 23 slides on the conical wall 36. This results in the radial deformation of the longitudinal elastic blades 29, so that the claws 28 are anchored by bracing in the material of the rear plate 44, in the part 45A of the passage 45. The expandable element 15 is therefore anchored to the stack of plates 41 to 44 (see Figures 11 and 12).

Due to the relatively low taper of the cooperating support walls 21 and 34, the traction exerted by the nut 5 on the spacer 14 has the main effect, at the level of said walls 21 and 34, of elastically spreading the longitudinal blades 29 towards the wall of the passage 45 and therefore of anchoring the claws 28 in the rear plate 44.

On the other hand, since the taper of the cooperating conical walls 23 and 36 is significant, the traction exerted by the nut 5 on the spacer 14, as soon as the claws 28 come into contact with the wall part 45A, gradually increases the friction between said walls 23 and 36.

Also, if from the position shown in Figures 11 and 12, the screwing of the nut 5 is continued, the claws 28 remain anchored in the plate 44 thanks to the action of the conical walls 21 and 34, but the recoil of the spreader 14 stops and makes way for the advancement of the body 1 towards the plates 41 to 44, as soon as the force exerted by the spring 39 is overcome by the traction exerted by the spreader 14 (blocked by the walls conical 23 and 36) on said body 1 via the conical walls 23 and 36. Said body 1 is therefore pulled towards the plates 41 to 44 and the expandable element 15 enters the chamber 2B being guided by the ring of maintenance 37.

The stack of plates 41 to 44 is therefore strongly compressed between the end wall 12 of the cover 11 and the claws 28.

This compression continues to increase until the turns of the spring 39 become contiguous and all the games 46 are eliminated (see FIG. 13).

It can therefore be seen that, with the assembly member according to the present invention, during a tightening operation, the elongated expandable element 15 occupies a fixed position in the passage 45; on the other hand, initially, the retractor 14 moves back towards the body 1, then, in a second step, said body 1 advances towards the plates 41 to 44.

Of course, the assembly member I can be used manually or using an automatic or semi-automatic machine.

It will be noted that the radial pressure exerted by the anchoring claws 28 is distributed almost uniformly over the wall 45A of the hole in the rear plate 44, which prevents any deformation of the attachment zone.

Furthermore, thanks to the movable cap 11 and the spring 39, the total adjustment range is large for a relatively small footprint.

In addition, it emerges from what has just been described that the assembly (and therefore disassembly) of the assembly member from these component parts 1, 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 37 , 39 and 40 is particularly easy.

Claims (10)

1. Assembly member for parts, such as plates, sheets or the like (41-44), intended to engage in a passage (45) formed by facing holes made in said parts and comprising a body (1) provided with a bearing face (12) capable of coming into contact with the outer face (41A) of one (41) of said external parts of said assembly, said body (1) carrying - an elongated projecting elongate element (15) , intended for  be housed in the passage (45) and provided at its end  free of attachment means (28) - a projecting spacer (14), intended to cooperate with said  elongated expansible element and provided with spreading means  ment (21); and - a control mechanism (5) for generating a displacement  longitudinal relative between said elongated expanded element  ble and said spacer, in order to allow said means  spacer (21) to act on said elongated expan  sible (15) so that said hooking means (28)  cling to the other external part (44) of said assembly  blockage, characterized in that - said spacer (14) and said expandable elongated element  (15) are slidably mounted on said body (1) - said control mechanism (5) cooperates with said gap  tor (14) and is able to exert a force on the latter  traction capable of causing said retractor to retract  towards said body (1), said spacing means (21)  acting on said elongated member during said retraction of the retractor - said protruding expandable member (15) is loaded by  elastic means (39) tending to repel said element  expandable (15) out of said body (1); and - blocking means (23, 36) are provided between said  spacer (14) and said expandable elongated element (15),  so that the pulling force continues to be exerted  by said mechanism (5) on said spacer (14), the recoil  of it is stopped after hooking said means  hooking (28) on said other external part (44) and  that it results in the consecutive advance of said body (1) towards  said parts (41-44) against the action of said  elastic means (39). 2. An assembly member according to claim 1, characterized in that the length (L) of the projection of said expandable element (15) relative to said body (1) is at most equal to the thickness (E) of said assembly of parts (41-44) and in that the retraction of said spacer (14) relative to said body (1) is such that said expandable element (15) passes from a first position, for which said hooking means (28) are opposite, but at a distance from the wall of said hole (45A) formed in said other external part (44), in a second position, for which said hooking means (28) are strongly applied against the wall of said hole (45A ). 3. Assembly member according to claim 2, characterized in that said attachment means (28) are shaped to allow their anchoring in the wall of said hole (45A). 4. Assembly member according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said elongate expandable element (15) comprises elastic blades (29) carrying said attachment means (28) at their free end and in that that said locking means (23, 36) are capable of stiffening said elastic blades (29) during the attachment of said attachment means (28) to said other external part (44), so that said attachment means ( 28) are strongly supported by bracing against said other external part (44). 5. An assembly member according to claim 4, characterized in that said blocking means (23,36) are formed by conical surfaces of large cooperating angle and respectively carried by said elongate expandable member and said spacer. 6. An assembly member according to claim 5, characterized in that - said elongated expandable element (15) is formed by a  cylindrical sleeve (26) in which are made  longitudinal slots (30) forming blades therebetween  longitudinal elastics (29), integral with each other  others at their end (31) oppose said means  attachment (28), said sleeve (26) comprising a  annular rib (35) in its internal wall, such as the  face of said rib (35) directed towards the side of said means  attachment (28) is formed by one (36) of said surfaces  these cooperating wide angle conics - said spacer (14) comprises a cylindrical part  (17,20) guided in sliding in said cylin socket  drique (26), and having an annular groove (22) of which  the face disposed on the side of said spacing means (21)  is formed by the other (23) of said conical surfaces of  cooperating wide angle; and - said elongated expandable element (15) and said spacer  (14) are linked to each other because said rib  (35) is snapped into said groove  annular (22). 7. Assembly member according to any one of claims l to 6, characterized in that - said body (1) is hollow and is divided into two chambers  (2A, 2B) by an internal transverse partition (3) - in the first chamber (2A), opposite to said face  support (12), is mounted, captive, a nut (5) suscep  tible to rotate and slide in said chamber (2A),  accessible from outside said body (1), and coming in  abutment against said internal transverse partition (3) - in the second chamber (2B), disposed on the side of said  bearing face (12), a helical spring (39) is provided  bearing on said internal transverse partition (3)  and pushing on the base (31) of said element  elongated expandable (15), towards the outside of said  second chamber (2B), said elongated expandable member  (15) crossing said bearing face (12) and being prison  deny of said second chamber (2B) by said base (31)  and - said spacer (14) comprises a threaded tail (18)  slidable, but not rotatable, relative to said  body (1), said threaded tail (18) passing freely through  through said coil spring (39) and through said  internal transverse partition (3) to be able to cooperate  with said nut (5) housed in said first chamber  (2A). 8. Assembly member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said bearing face (12) is adjustable in position relative to said body (1). 9. Assembly member according to claim 8, characterized in that said bearing face (12) is part of a cap (11) screwable on said body (1). 10. An assembly member according to claim 9, characterized in that said cap (11) can be blocked by a positioning nut (13).