US2395741A - Riveting - Google Patents

Description

Patented F eb. 26, 1946 Ypsilanti, ltich.,assignorsl toFord MotorCompany, Dearborn, Mich., a-eorporation of Delaware Applicationsepteniber 12, 1942,'tSerialNo.-458;@98 -6 Claims. (01.78448) J'Thisinvention relatesto the-artof riveting; "land-"more particularly, toa riveting apparatus and a method oi use of thev apparatus as applied in dr'iving airframe rivets 'and the like.

'fI'he-f'presentinvention -is used particularly in the construction of airfram'es for vaircraft in which-'as is `generally known, many thousands oi rivets'in-ust be Aused tosec-ure-the componentsheets landfstructural parts inthe desired-relationship. lI-nthe normal procedure of drivingthese-'rivets the hole' is drilled and reamed, the rivet is insertedtherei-n and a pneumatic riveting gun is applied to thehead oi the rivet by the gun operator'while the bucker on'the opposite-side of the 'sheet beingriveted holds'a bucking bar against V`tlieShahk' of "the rivet. The combined action of the 'hammer andthe inertia of the buck-inglbar heads up the shank and this vin turn draws the 'components being riveted into theA desired relationship. However, since the Vgu-noperator is on theliead` side of the rivet on which no change takes place during the driving operation andl the bucker is the only one in a position to see what progress is being made, heretofore signals loetween the operator and bucker have been necessary to indicate whether a suflcient number of blows have been applied to the rivet by the gun, if more were needed, and if so, how many. This sort of operation is possible in isolated instances where communication between the two operators is permissible, but when high-production methods are followed and it is essential that scores of riveters work simultaneously on the same component, communication between the opposite sides thereof is obviously not feasible. However, signals of various sorts have been worked out to convey the necessary information between the two operators and in extreme cases telephonie or other communications have been used to permit the necessary interchange of information.

Obviously, this is a time-wasting procedure at best and in most cases results in an increased percentage of defective rivets which must be removed and redriven. To avoid this, the apparatus of this invention and the method of its use have been devised by means of which these signals are no longer required and control of the riveting operation is placed in the hands of the bucker who alone can determine the action which should be taken at each step of the process.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the arrangement, construction Vcompanying drawing in which the single'figurel is ran elevation yshowing rthe device in tuse under actual conditions. l

Referring -to' the drawing, l indicates generally a rivetingf gun of `conventional constructionghaving-an operating valve normally controlledf by the trigger l l an'dfsupplied.with'motor uid through the pipe'I-2. Reference'character I3 indicatesthe `bucking bar which is; usually merelyafsolid-pi'ece of metalll havinga working-face' tri and'fofffsufcient mass to provide the necessary: inertia. :The work is indicated'iat l5 and consists oftwoplates fl which-are to be secured togetherfbyftheirivet il. This vshowing-is merely illustrative 'and the device 'may beV used in connection-with. anyV one of 'with-'head' i8* upon the gun side. Bucking `bar-'i3 is engaged with the rivetsshank i9 and. .the riveting 'gun lo is thenoperated in the usual method to head .up the shank. -In the present device; an

Iinterconnection'generally indicated at 2l! iszprovided between the bucking bar l 3 and the riveting gun lll, For the purpose of illustration, this takes the form of a sleeve 2i adjustably mounted on the bucking bar I3 and having an extending ear 22 upon which is pivoted a bell crank trigger 23 which is normally urged to an outward position by the spring 24. The bell crank is connected by means of a wire 25 in a Bowden cable 26 to the riveting gun lll to which the cable 26 is secured by brackets 2l and the activating wire 25 of the cable is secured to the trigger I l. tion may be through a loop 28 or other lost motion device to permit operation of the trigger Il independently of the wire 25. Y

Accordingly, under the present arrangement the rivet is inserted by the gun operator and the riveting gun engaged with its head. The bucker then brings the bucking bar into engagement with the shank and when this is done depresses the bell crank trigger 23 on the bucking bar. This, through the Bowden cable 2B, operates the trigger Il on the gun l0 and starts the pneumatic operation of the hammer. It will be noted that the bucking operator throughout preferably controls the operation of the gun as he alone is in a position to see the state of the head being formed on the rivets shank. However, the gun operator may in certain conditions desire toloperate the gun and he may do this by depressing the trigger on that instrument. Furthermore, a slide safety 29 is provided on the gun lll so that Ithe bucking operator may be restrained from operating the circuit control until the gun is This connec- 4 properly fixed. This gives the gun operator a chance to engage the rivet head before removing the safety and thereafter the control passes to the hands of the bucking operator throughout the riveting operation.

While a Bowden control is shown in this instance it is obvious that any interconnecting means may be used between the two instrumentalities. That chosen has been adapted to actual production and is shown because of its simplicity and the ease with which it may be understood.

A principal advantage of this device is that it transfers the control of the process to one operator who is in a position to observe the steps that should be taken in carrying out the process. In essence, it is admittedly a simple device. In practice, the results speak for themselves. The time saved in being able to operate without the interchange of signals is in itself no inconsiderable item and when this is coupled with the saving from the avoidance of defective rivets due to the misunderstanding of signals (which is understandable when many riveting teams are working in close proximity on the same structure) its value increases. Furthermore, both operators are fully protected and it is no longer possible for the gun to be applied prematurely by either and the work damaged thereby. Finally, both operators have at their disposal independently operable signal means if they wish to utilize the interconnection as such.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement, construction and combination of various parts of the improved device such as the method herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is the intention to cover by the claims such changes as may reasonably be included within the scope thereof.

The invention claimed is:

l. In a riveting apparatus, a gun, a valve thereon to control the operation of said gun, a bucking means, a connection between said valve and said bucking means, operating means on said bucking means co-operating with said connection to operate said valve on said gun and means on said gun to selectively forestall operation of said valve.

2. In a riveting apparatus, a riveting gun, a valve thereon, a bucking means, a valve control -on said bucking means, a connection between the valve control on said bucking means and the valve on said gun whereby said valve may be remotely operated from said bucking means and `means to permit the operation of said valve at said gun independently of said valve control on said bucking means.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that means are provided on said gun to selectively forestall the operation of said valve by said bucking means valve control.

4. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that said valve control on said bucking means is slidably secured thereto to permit adjustment thereof with respect to the working face of said bucking means.

5. In a riveting apparatus, a pneumatic riveting gun, a valve means controlling the admission of motor uid thereto, a bucking means, a valve control mounted on said bucking means and including a trigger, a flexible cable connection between said trigger and said valve means, a safety means at said gun to forestall operation of said Vvalve from said bucking means, and means at said gun to operate said gun independently of the control on said bucking means.

6. In apparatus for heading an installed rivet, a heading dolly for manual application to an unheaded rivet end by an operator, a mechanical riveting hammer for manual application to the other rivet end by a second operator, and means under control of first operator for effecting the actuation of the hammer.

EDWARD F. HINKLE. ALAN STEWART.

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