Quick connect mechanism for a draw stud assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11766800-B2
Application number	US-201916725009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus for creating holes in a workpiece includes a knockout punch tool having a movable piston. The apparatus also includes a draw stud assembly having a connector attachable to the movable piston, a draw stud, and a quick connect mechanism including mating first and second thread segments on the connector and the draw stud, respectively. The connector and the draw stud are movable between a first relative orientation where the mating first and second thread segments are misaligned to permit axial movement between the connector and the draw stud, and a second relative orientation where the mating first and second thread segments are aligned and engaged to inhibit axial movement between the connector and the draw stud.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for creating holes in a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
a knockout punch tool including a movable piston; and
a draw stud assembly including
a connector attachable to the movable piston,
a draw stud including a first end and a second end,
a cutter coupled to the first end of the draw stud such that the second end of the draw stud is configured to be insertable through a pre-formed hole in the workpiece, and
a connect mechanism including mating first and second thread segments on the connector and the draw stud, respectively;

wherein the connector and the draw stud are movable between a first relative orientation where the mating first and second thread segments are misaligned to permit axial movement between the connector and the draw stud, and a second relative orientation where the mating first and second thread segments are aligned and engaged to inhibit axial movement between the connector and the draw stud, and
wherein the connect mechanism further includes a control thread segment adjacent one of the first thread segment or the second thread segment, wherein the control thread segment inhibits the connector and the draw stud from being rotated from the first relative orientation to the second relative orientation when the control thread segment is circumferentially aligned with any threads in the other of the first thread segment or the second thread segment, an end of the control thread segment including a notch for limiting a relative rotation of the draw stud and the connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes one of a protrusion or a recess, and wherein the one of the protrusion or the recess enables the connector to be attachable to the movable piston.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control thread segment is located on the draw stud axially adjacent the second thread segment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control thread segment includes a thickness greater than a pitch between individual threads in either the first thread segment or the second thread segment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control thread segment is on the second end.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the control thread segment is adjacent the second thread segment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the draw stud defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the connector and the draw stud are relatively rotatable about the longitudinal axis between the first relative orientation and the second relative orientation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the connect mechanism further includes
a stop member, coupled to one of the connector or the draw stud, engageable with an unthreaded portion on the other of the connector or the draw stud to limit an extent to which the connector is rotatable relative to the draw stud in a first direction, the stop member receivable in the notch to limit an extent to which the connector is rotatable relative to the draw stud in a second direction opposite the first direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the stop member is coupled to the connector and adjacent the first thread segment, and wherein the notch and the unthreaded portion are defined on the draw stud.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the notch is defined in the second end of the draw stud.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connect mechanism further includes mating third and fourth thread segments on the connector and the draw stud, respectively.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the connector defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first and third thread segments on the connector are in facing relationship on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the connect mechanism further includes fifth and sixth thread segments on the connector and the draw stud, respectively, wherein the first, third, and fifth thread segments are equally spaced around the longitudinal axis of the connector, and wherein the second, fourth, and sixth thread segments are equally spaced around a longitudinal axis on the draw stud.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connect mechanism further includes first and second unthreaded portions of the connector and the draw stud, respectively, wherein the first thread segment is in facing relationship with the second unthreaded portion of the draw stud when in the first relative orientation, and wherein the second thread segment is in facing relationship with the first unthreaded portion of the connector when in the first relative orientation.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes a cylindrical body, and wherein the first thread segment is defined within a cylindrical bore in the cylindrical body.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the connector includes a ball-shaped portion extending from an end of the cylindrical body opposite the cylindrical bore.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the connector includes
an axial opening on an end of the cylindrical body opposite to the cylindrical bore, and
a recess extending transversely through the cylindrical body to the axial opening.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a ball pull directly attachable to the movable piston, wherein the ball pull includes a ball-shaped portion insertable through the recess and into the axial opening of the connector, wherein the axial opening is sized to inhibit the ball-shaped portion from being removed axially from the connector.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein a width of the recess is greater than a width of the ball-shaped portion of the ball pull, and wherein a width of the axial opening is less than the width of the ball-shaped portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connect mechanism further includes
a plurality of detent recesses defined in one of the connector or the draw stud, each of the plurality of detent recesses engageable with a detent within the other of the connector or the draw stud,
wherein the detent is received by a bore including a biasing member that biases the detent outward from the bore; and
wherein in the first relative orientation, the detent is biased toward and received by a first detent recess and in the second relative orientation, the detent is biased toward and received by a second detent recess.

21. An apparatus for creating holes in a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
a knockout punch tool including a movable piston; and
a draw stud assembly including
a connector attachable to the movable piston,
a draw stud including a first end and a second end,
a cutter coupled to the first end of the draw stud such that the second end of the draw stud is configured to be insertable through a pre-formed hole in the workpiece, and
a connect mechanism including mating first and second thread segments on the connector and the draw stud, respectively;

wherein the connector and the draw stud are movable between a first relative orientation where the mating first and second thread segments are misaligned to permit axial movement between the connector and the draw stud, and a second relative orientation where the mating first and second thread segments are aligned and engaged to inhibit axial movement between the connector and the draw stud,
wherein the connect mechanism further includes a plurality of detent recesses defined in one of the connector or the draw stud, each of the plurality of detent recesses engageable with a detent within the o

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Myrhum Jr James O
• Kehoe Sean T

Classifications

• B26D7/26 Primary

  Means for mounting or adjusting the cutting member; Means for adjusting the stroke of the cutting member · CPC title

• B21D28/343

  Draw punches · CPC title

• B26F1/386

  Draw punches, i.e. punch and die assembled on opposite sides of a workpiece via a connecting member passing through an aperture in the workpiece · CPC title

• B26F1/44

  Cutters therefor; Dies therefor · CPC title

• F16B37/085

  with at least one unthreaded portion in both the nut and the bolt · CPC title