Riveting tool and method with electromagnetic bucking bar normalization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440284-B2
Application number	US-201614988910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2016
Priority date	Jan 4, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A riveting tool including a magnet, a magnetically attractive housing, a non-magnetically attractive bucking bar received in the housing, the bucking bar being moveable relative to the housing along a bucking bar axis, and an actuation mechanism to move the bucking bar along the bucking bar axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for shaping a rivet in a workpiece, said rivet having a rivet axis, said method comprising the steps of:
manually positioning a bucking bar assembly on a first side of said workpiece, said bucking bar assembly comprising a magnetically attractive housing and a non-magnetically attractive bucking bar received in said magnetically attractive housing;
positioning a magnet on a second side of said workpiece opposite said bucking bar assembly;
clamping said workpiece between said magnetically attractive housing and said magnet in response to magnetic attraction between said magnetically attractive housing and said magnet; and
moving said non-magnetically attractive bucking bar relative to said magnetically attractive housing along a bucking bar axis defined by said bucking bar such that said non-magnetically attractive bucking bar engages said rivet.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying a biasing force to said bucking bar to bias said bucking bar away from said rivet.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of moving said bucking bar relative to said housing comprises applying an actuation force to said bucking bar, said actuation force being greater than said biasing force.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said rivet comprises a head end and a tail end.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of striking said head end with a hammering tool while said bucking bar engages said tail end.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said magnet comprises an electromagnet.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:
substantially coaxially aligning said bucking bar axis defined by said bucking bar and said rivet axis defined by said rivet; and
actuating said electromagnet when said bucking bar axis defined by said bucking bar is substantially coaxially aligned with said rivet axis defined by said rivet,
wherein said magnetic attraction between said magnetically attractive housing and said magnet maintains said bucking bar axis substantially coaxially aligned with said rivet axis.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of positioning a plate between said workpiece and said bucking bar assembly, said plate defining a plate-opening therein having a plate-opening axis, said plate-opening axis being substantially coaxially aligned with said bucking bar axis, wherein said non-magnetically attractive bucking bar is received within said plate-opening when engaging said rivet.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of drilling a hole in said workpiece, wherein said drilling step if performed through said opening defined by said plate.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of positioning said rivet in said hole after said drilling step.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said magnet defines a magnet-opening therein having a magnet-opening axis extending through said magnet, and wherein said magnet-opening axis is substantially coaxially aligned with said rivet axis and receives a hammering tool.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said magnetically attractive housing positions said bucking bar axis in coaxial alignment with said magnet-opening axis, and wherein said magnetic attraction between said magnetically attractive housing and said magnet maintains said bucking bar axis substantially coaxially aligned with said magnet-opening axis.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
substantially coaxially aligning said bucking bar axis defined by said bucking bar and said rivet axis defined by said rivet; and
substantially coaxially aligning a magnet-opening axis defined by a magnet-opening formed through said magnet and said rivet axis defined by said rivet,
wherein said magnetic attraction between said magnetically attractive housing and said magnet maintains substantially coaxially alignment of said bucking bar axis, said rivet axis and said magnet-opening axis.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sarh Branko
• Amirehteshami David H
• Wright Rodney S
• Oberoi Harinder

Classifications

• B21J15/02 Primary

  Riveting procedures · CPC title

• B21J15/40

  for forming rivet heads · CPC title

• B21J15/36 Primary

  Rivet sets, i.e. tools for forming heads; Mandrels for expanding parts of hollow rivets · CPC title

• B21J15/32

  Devices for inserting or holding rivets in position with or without feeding arrangements · CPC title