Machine parts expander hold down

• US 4,447,183 A
• Filed: 08/24/1981
• Issued: 05/08/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Yunt, Fred W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shedd, Wayne L.
• Application Number:
  US06/295,333
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 411/57, 411/60, 411/70, 411/71, 411/44, 411/157
• US Class Current: 411/80.5
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 13/124 fastened by inserting a threaded element, e.g. screw or bolt F16B13/122, F16B13/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/02 by means of fastening members using screw-thread F16B5/0004 takes precedence; construction of screw-threaded connections F16B25/00 - F16B39/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/999 with retainer, e.g. tether

Abstract

A workpiece fastening device usable on a machine tool fixture, comprising an elongated tubular body having knurling along the outside of the top end of the body, a taper on the inside thereof, and a plurality of slots extending longitudinally about half the length of the body. A lock washer with a yieldable portion is welded to the bottom end of the body to allow a workpiece to be pulled flush against a fixture. The tubular body is slip-fitted into a through-bore in the workpiece until the lock washer rests upon the fixture, and a bolt having a head taper matching the taper in the tubular body is then inserted through the body and is threadably received in the fixture. Upon tightening of the bolt, the top of the body expands causing the knurling to grippingly engage the bore in the workpiece. After the body is completely wedged in the bore, further tightening of the bolt causes the lock washer to be distorted slightly thereby allowing the workpiece to be pulled flush against the fixture.

Claims

1. A reusuable fastener device for releasably joining a workpiece to a work support surface in a tight relationship comprising:

a tubular body having two ends, one of the said ends being the first to be inserted into a mating bore in said workpiece to engage said work support surface, the other end being securely and releasably attachable to said workpiece, the tubular body having a length dimension less than the thickness of the portion of the workpiece to be fastened to said work support surface;

expandable means forming the latter inserted portion of said tubular body, for grippingly engaging said bore provided in said workpiece;

split ring means on the end of said tubular body being receivable in said bore and having a portion thereof displacable longitudinally relative to said tubular body for establishing the proper depth of insertion of said tubular body into said bore; and

means insertable into said tubular body, for expanding said latter inserted portion of said tubular body into gripping engagement with said bore and having threaded means thereon for pulling said workpiece into tight mating relationship on said work support surface after said latter portion of said tubular body is expanded into gripping engagement with said bore in said workpiece.

2. The fastener device of claim 1 wherein said expandable means includes a plurality of bifurcations extending around the top portion of said tubular body with an outside surface of each bifurcation provided with knurling and an inside surface of each bifurcation provided with an inward taper portion.

3. The fastener of claim 1 wherein said split ring means is spot-welded to the end of the first inserted portion of said tubular body for engagement with said work support surface.

4. The fastener device of claim 1 wherein said means for expanding said latter portion of said tubular body is a bolt having a taper located on an underside of its head, which taper co-operates with said expandable means located on said latter inserted end of said tubular body causing gripping engagement of said tubular body against said bore wall and for pulling said workpiece and work support surface together in tight mating relationship.

5. The fastener device of claim 1 wherein said split ring means is sufficiently stiff to act as a positive stop during insertion of said tubular body into said bore, and is sufficiently yieldable to permit movement of said displaceable portion against said tubular body end upon pulling of said workpiece into tight mating relationship with said work support surface.