US3314316A

US3314316A - Nut runner attachment

Info

Publication number: US3314316A
Application number: US415935A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lewis C Finkle
Original assignee: WEDGELOCK CORP OF CALIFORNIA
Current assignee: WEDGELOCK CORP OF CALIFORNIA
Priority date: 1964-12-04
Filing date: 1964-12-04
Publication date: 1967-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1984-04-18

Description

April 18, 1967 L. c. FINKLE 3,314,316

NUT RUNNER ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

LEWIS C. Fl NKLE IZZW ATTOR NEY April 18, 1967 1 .c. FINKLE 3,314,316

NUT RUNNER ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

LEWIS C. FINKLE BY Raf/24% ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,314,316 NUT RUNNER ATTACHMENT Lewis C. Finlrle, Temple City, Calif., assignor to Wedgelock Corporation of California, North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 415,935 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-55) This invention relates to a nut runner attachment and more particularly to an improved nut runner attachment having a fixed locking means.

In the assembly of sheet metal skins or work pieces, particularly in the air frame industry, there is a need for holding the work pieces during the assembly operation. Fastening devices are used for this purpose and are provided with a body member having a wrench engaging the exterior configuration. Retractable pins are mounted in the body portion and are connected to a chuck member which is slidably and non-rotatably mounted inside the body portion. A threaded stud member is connected to the chuck and extends exteriorly of the body portion so that the stud may be engaged with a nut. Then, when the nut is rotated while the body portion is prevented from being rotated, the pins will be protracted from or retracted into the body portion, as the case may be, depending upon the direction of rotation of the nut. The pins are provided with shoulder means adapted to engage one side of the work piece and to clamp them tightly between the shoulder means and the body portion when the pins are retracted sufi'iciently into the body portion.

The installation and removal of the releasable fastener with respect to the work pieces is greatly accelerated by the use of a nut runner attachment which is designed to maintain the body portion in a non-rotative position while the nut portion is rotated. It is desirable to provide a nut runner attachment which will readily accommodate the manual insertion and removal of the fastener body portion from the attachment so that the fastener will not jam or bind in the attachment. Also, it has been found desirable to maintain the body portion of the fastener against linear or axial movement while the nut is being rotated. This is accomplished with the device of the present invention which is designed in such a manner that the body portion is locked in place in the attachment against such linear movement upon insertion of the fastener body portion into the attachment. The locking feature is constructed as a part of the attachment so that separate releasable locking devices are not required which normally necessitate actuation independent of the installation of the fastener body portion into the attach ment.

Furthermore, nut runner attachments employed in the past easily become clogged with discarded metal chips, dirt, or other residue normally found around machine working shops or areas. These attachments have been found to be difficult to clean and maintain, as well as to keep in adjustment due, in part, to the lack of ready accessibility into the attachment carrier for the fastener.

It has been a further problem to maintain a releasable fastener in proper axial alignment with the nut runner attachment during operation or installation of the fastener with the work piece since the device is hand held and is subject to movement caused by vibration, visual misalignment and other device disturbances.

These and other difficulties have been obviated by the present invention which provides for a stationary or non-movably locking means constructed into the attachment which prevents linear movement of the body portion of the fastener but which will permit small angular movement of the body portion to accommodate alignment problems. The locking means cooperate with an open channel so that the body portion may be slightly angularly 3,314,316 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 ice displaced within the attachment about the locking means. The open channel also provides for convenient access to and out of the nut runner attachment receiver when the body portion is being removed from, or installed in, the nut runner attachment.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved nut runner attachment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved locking means for a nut runner attachment which provides fixed means for retaining the body portion of a fastener against axial movement within the nut runner attachment while the fastener is being installed on or removed from work pieces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved non-movable locking means for a nut runner attachment which is fixed in place and does not require biasing into various locking and unlocking positions.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved locking means of the type described which will lock the body portion of a fastener to the attachment upon the insertion of the fastener in the attachment.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved locking means of the type described which is economical to manufacture and which may be used safely, efiiciently, and expeditiously.

According to the present invention, a nut runner attachment is provided which takes the form of an elongated sleeve adapted to be attached or secured on one end to a conventional air-driving gun or the like and adapted to receive and hold a fastener of the type previously described on the other end of the sleeve. The fastener receiving portion of the sleeve is adapted to nonrotatably support the body portion of the fastening device while the chuck of the air gun engages and rotates the actuator nut portion of the fastening device. Locking means fixed to the inner diameter of the receiver portion of the sleeve is employed for engagement with an annular locking slot provided in the body portion to prevent axial movement thereof during operation of the nut runner attachment and to present dislodgement of the body portion while the releasable fastener is being carried to and from the work pieces. To present such dislodgement, the locking means in cooperation with the annular slot in the body and in cooperation with the engagement of the nut within the air gun chuck insures retention of the fastener within the sleeve. The nose or fastener receiving portion is also provided with an elongated channel or passage which opens to the mouth or opening of the sleeve. The channel is of sufficient width and length to accommodate the insertion of the body portion of the fastener into the interior of the sleeve for engagement with the locking means and the air gun chuck. When the fastener is not installed on the attachment sleeve, the opening or passage may be employed for cleaning, inspection or adjustment purposes.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal, elevational view of a locking means of the present invention as associated with a fastener, with portions of the attachment broken away to show the fastener construction;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse, cross-sectional View taken in the direction of arrows 22 of FIGURE 1 showing a portion of the fastener body broken away to illustrate the locking means;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the locking means employed in the device of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the locking means illustrate-d in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is another embodiment of the present invention showing the attachment sleeve in elevation;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the invention shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the present invention showing the free end of the attachment sleeve broken away to illustrate the locking means;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 7 taken in the direction of arrows 8-8.

With reference to the drawings and FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular, an embodiment in accordance with the present invention is shown which includes a hollow tubular sleeve 10 serving as a novel nut runner attachment or detachable carrying a releasable fastener indicated in the direction of the arrow 11. One end of the sleeve is threadably coupled to a housing 12, which in turn is threadably coupled to a suitable motor, air gun or other driving means, not shown. A lock nut '13 is employed to lock the sleeve 10 against rotation after the sleeve has been positioned to its proper or most advantageous position.

Carried on the forward end of the motor and rotatably driven thereby, there is provided a socket 14 carried on the end of a rotatable tube 15 projecting from and incorporated as part of the driving means. The socket detachably engages with one end of the fastener 11 which is carried by the sleeve 10. The opposite end of the sleeve 10 to its end coupled to the motor is provided with an elongated cutout or passage indicated in the direction of arrow '16 defined by a pair of parallel longitudinally extending

edges

17 and 18 forming the sides and a lateral edge 19 forming the end of the recess. The recess opens into an entrance indicated by the arrow 26 leading into the bore of the sleeve; thereby, the sleeve may be said to have an enlarged opening leading into the interior of the sleeve bore for receiving the insertion and removal of the releasable fastener 11.

The releasable fastener 11 illustrated as being mounted in the sleeve 10 includes a body portion 21 of hexagon configuration which is held in a non-rotative relationship with respect to the sleeve and a nut 23 rotatably mounted on an elongated stud 29 which forms the actuator portion of the fastener. The actuator nut is seated within the coaxial rotatably driven motor socket 14. The socket rotates the actuator nut 23 relative to the body portion of the fastener.

The attachment sleeve is provided with an axial bore 24 )f non-circular configuration and a cylindrical counter- )ore 25 which is coaxial and coextensive with the first nentioned bore. The non-circular bore 24 is adapted to 101d the body portion of the fastener 11 in non-rotative, ixial movable relationship to the axial bore 25 by en- ;agement of the first mentioned bore 24 with lands 26 on he body portion of the fastener. The hexagon fastener is ocked in the hexagon drive and cannot rotate so that the astener is not free to turn in the work. Thus, the body ortion may be easily and readily inserted through the ntrance to the

sleeve bores

24 and 25 via the cutout 16 nd removed therefrom.

While the fastener 11 may be one of several types deigned to clamp a pair .of work pieces 27 and 28 together, is shown for purposes of illustration but not of limitaon, as including a pair of protractable and retractable ires or pins 30 which are inserted into apertures 31 in ork pieces 27 and 28 and are then spread apart by a preader bar 32 as shown in FIGURE 1, when the actutor nut 23 is rotated in one direction causing wires 30 be retracted into the fastener 11. This action locks the head of the pins 30 against the side 33 of the work piece 27 to clamp the work pieces between the pin head and a work engaging surface 34 of the fastener 11, which abuts one side 35 of work piece 28. The nut runner driving means actuates the pins by translating rotation of the socket 14 which, in turn, engages the actuator nut 23 of the fastener 11 while the body portion 21 is non-rotatably secured in the sleeve.

In order to retain the body portion and thereby the fastener seated within the sleeve, a locking means is provided located near the entrance through the bore 24 of the nut runner attachment sleeve indicated in the general direction of arrow 36. A locking bar 42 is mounted near the entrance to the bore within the sleeve so as to interfere with the axial displacement of the body portion of the fastener. The locking bar cooperates with an annular slot 37 or groove provided in the body portion so that once the body portion has been inserted into the bore of the sleeve, the upper portion of the locking bar will be received into the slot and the body portion of the fastener will be coaxial with the sleeve. Axial displacement of the body portion is prevented by means of the spaced shoulders 38 defining the slot which abuts with the locking bar. It is to be noted from FIGURE 2, that the locking bar includes a notch 40 formed in its upper surface so as to accommodate the special configuration of the body portion of the fastener to facilitate insertion and removal of the body portion to and from the sleeve.

In the present instance, the body portion is shown having an outer configuration of a hexagon which mates with the lands of the bore 24 of the sleeve to prevent the body from rotating. The not-ch is employed for accommodating the hexagonal configured body portion; however, it is to be understood that the notch may take the configuration of a circular recess, a slot, or other suitable passage means. The locking bar employed in the configurations of FIGURES 1 and 2 is inserted through a pair of coaxial holes 41 aligned perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The holes are of sutficient diameter to accommodate the insertion of the locking bar 42 into the position shown in FIGURE 2. Once the bar has been so positioned, the holes may be sealed such as by silver soldering or brazing which achieves permanent fixture of the locking bar to the sleeve.

With reference to FIGURES 3 and 4, an enlarged view of the locking bar employed in the embodiment of FIG- URE 1 is shown which illustrates the notch 40 or opening in the front view of FIGURE 3 and showing a leading edge 44 of the locking bar being rounded or chamfered, as shown in FIGURE 4 to permit easier accessibility of the body portion of the fastener into the sleeve. It has been found that in employing a locking bar without rounding the leading edge may sometimes cause the body por tion to hang on the locking bar and make for diflicult insertion of the body portion into the sleeve. Therefore, a feature of the invention resides in the rounding off of the leading edge to reduce interference with the body portion as it is inserted into the sleeve.

With reference to FIGURE 5, another embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein the insertion of the locking bar 42 is accomplished by providing a pair of parallel elongated slots 45 in opposing sides of the sleeve bore 24 opening interiorly of the sleeve near the entrance of the bore. The slots extend from the edges of the sleeve defining the cutout 16 to the bottom of the bore. By providing such a construction, it is necessary only to insert the locking bar into the slot and position the locking bar to the bottom in the desired position within the non-circular bore 24. The locking bar may be retained to the sleeve by means of silver soldering or brazing techniques.

Still another embodiment of the present invention is shown with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the locking means comprises a detent 46 or dimple which is formed inwardly from the material of the sleeve and extends into the non-circular bore 24. The detent including a notch 47 is formed by placing a die member inside the bore 24 of the sleeve and punching or pressing the outer diameter of the sleeve near the entrance of the bore causing a laminar flow of material into the die. Upon removal of the die, the detent or dimple as shown in FIGURE 8 is integrally formed 50 that no further brazing or soldering operation is required which may adversely affect the temper of the sleeve. Sharp corners 48 are provided on the front and rear edges of the detent and a longitudinal straight edge is maintained to match the configuration of the locking groove on the fastener.

Operation of the device will be readily understood. In actual practice, the operator of the device may grip the nut runner attachment, including the driving means, in one hand and may then insert fastener 11 into the bore 24 of the sleeve with his other hand. In inserting the fastener into the bore, the fastener may be angled slightly so that the stud 29 and nut 23 and rear portion of the body portion 21 enter into the bore via the elongated cutout 16 near the entrance to the bore. When the nut has been inserted into the socket 14, the front or attachment end of the fastener may be lowered so that the locking bar 42 passes into the slot 37 carried on the body portion of the fastener. This locks the fastener 11 against axial movement while it is being carried to the work-pieces and also prevents axial movement of the fastener during the clamping and unclamping operation. A feature of the invention also resides in the ability of the body portion and fastener to be slightly displaced within the bore 24 through the cutout while the actuator nut is in engagement with the socket so that once the fastener has been installed on the work pieces and is in firm engagement with the work pieces, slight angular displacement of the fastener from the major axis of the runner attachment can be accommodated.

While the particular fixed locking means for a nut runner herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objective and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the present pre ferred embodiments of the invention, in that no limitations are intended through the details of construction or design herein shown other than defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a nut runner having a first tubular member adapted to support an outer body of a fastener having a noncircular outer configuration in non-rotative relationship to said first member and a second driven tubular member co-axial to said first tubular member and adapted to engage an actuator nut of non-circular configuration for rotation thereof so as to axially move a stud of said fastener in said second tubular member while rotating the actuator nut with the second tubular member, the combination comprising:

said fastener having an annular slot formed in said outer body extending along a plane normal to the major longitudinal axis of said fastener;

locking means fixed to said first tubular member having a portion receivable in said fastener slot to retain said fastener in detachable engagement with said first tubular member against axial movement of said fastener body;

said locking means portion having a rounded leading edge and a central notch opening into the bore of said first tubular member to accommodate the insertion of said fastener outer body into said first tubular member bore;

said first tubular member having a cutout formed therein opposite to said locking means for facilitating said fastener insertion into and removal from said first tubular member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,162,072 12/1964 Stew-art 81-55 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,220,097 1/1960 France.

JAMES L. JONES, 111., Primary Examiner.