Testing tool for studs and the like

• US 4,494,412 A
• Filed: 05/19/1983
• Issued: 01/22/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond D. Hardy
• Original Assignee: Raymond D. Hardy
• Inventors: Hardy, Raymond D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciarlante, Anthony V.
• Application Number:
  US06/496,090
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 73/761, 73/862.58
• US Class Current: 73/761
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/02 by hydraulic or pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0033 applying a pulling force

Abstract

A testing tool for studs and similarly mounted fasteners comprises a cylinder having a base adapted to rest against the surface from which the stud protrudes and a piston axially movable in the cylinder with a hollow piston rod through which an enlarged threaded rod slidably extends, the end of the threaded rod adjacent the base having means to grip a stud when the base of the cylinder is seated against the stud-mounting surface. In one embodiment of the invention, a collar with handles is threadably mounted on the end of the externally threaded rod remote from the base abutting the adjacent end of the piston rod and a hydraulic pressure gauge is attached to the end portion of the cylinder nearest the base so that when the collar is rotated by its handles to apply tension to the stud, it forces the piston downwardly in the cylinder so that the pressure shown on the gauge is proportional to the tension applied to the stud. In another embodiment of the invention, a handgrip-actuated eccentric cam is mounted on the upper end of the stud-gripping rod in place of the collar threadably mounted on the stud-gripping rod for applying tension to the stud and downward pressure on the piston rod.

Claims

1. A tool for testing fasteners such as studs protruding from a plane surface comprising a cylinder having a pair of end walls each centrally apertured and an extension at one end for engagement with the fastener mounting surface, a piston slidable in the cylinder and having rod portions extending through both end walls of the cylinder, an axial aperture through the piston and piston rods, an elongated tension member extending through the aperture and axially movable therein with both its ends protruding from said piston rod portions, the portion of said tension member protruding from said piston rod in the same direction as the cylinder extension having means for gripping a fastener, a collar surrounding said tension member and adapted to abut against the end of the piston rod remote from the cylinder extension and means for forcing said collar against the adjacent end of the adjacent piston rod, thus applying tension to said tension member and fastener and urging the piston rod and piston axially in the cylinder toward the fastener mounting surface, a hydraulic pressure gauge communicating with the cylinder between the piston and the end wall of the cylinder between the piston and the fastener mounting surface, hydraulic fluid in the same portion of the cylinder whereby tension applied to the fastener by said tension member causes movement of the piston rod and piston toward the fastener mounting surface, thereby causing pressure on the hydraulic fluid readable upon said gauge and indicative of the amount of tension applied to the stud.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the means for forcing said collar against the adjacent piston rod comprises an external thread on said tension member and a mating internal thread on said collar, said collar having means for manual rotation whereby to apply desired amounts of tension to said tension member and said fastener.

3. A tool according to claim 2, wherein said manual means comprises hand lever means projecting radially from said collar.

4. A tool according to claim 3, wherein said hand lever means comprises a pair of levers projecting in diametrally opposite directions.

5. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said means for forcing said collar against the end of the piston rod comprises a fixed radially extending handle on said tension member, a lever pivoted to said tension member on an axis transverse thereof between said handle and said collar and having an eccentric cam portion engageable with said collar upon grippping engagement of said lever and said handle to press said collar against the adjacent piston rod end surface and thereby apply tension to said tension member and the fastener gripped thereby.

6. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said gripping device comprises an internally threaded axially extending recess in the end of said tension member near the fastener mounting surface.

7. A tool according to claim 1 including a collet seat member secured to the end of said tension member near the fastener mounting surface and a normally expanded collet axially movable within said seat member and formed with a central axial cavity grippingly engageable with the fastener responsive to movement of said tension member and seat member away from the fastener mounting surface.

8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein said cavity in said collet is internally threaded.

9. A tool according to claim 7, wherein said collet seat member has a generally cylindrical recess receiving said collet, the end of said recess nearest the fastener mounting surface being inwardly tapered and the outer surface of said collet members being correspondingly inwardly tapered to cause compression of said collet upon engagement between its tapered surfaces and those of said collet seat member.

10. A tool according to claim 9, wherein said tension member is hollow and a collet mounting rod secured to said collet at one end extends through said tension member and protrudes from the opposite end thereof, means biasing said collet upwardly with respect to said collet seat member to permit expansion of said collet for receiving the fastener and permitting manual movement of said collet toward the fastener mounting surface and compression thereof by said collet seat member to grip the fastener prior to initiation of manually induced movement of said tension member away from the fastener mounting surface.

11. A tool according to claim 10, wherein said collet comprises a plurality of radially divided segments, a cylindrical core positioned in the end of said collet remote from the fastener mounting surface, said core being removably secured to said collet mounting rod, annular compression ring means surrounding said collet and expansion ring means resiliently biasing said collet segments radially outwardly whereby to maintain said collet fully expanded to receive a fastener in its internally threaded center except when it is compressed by engagement of the collet tapered end surfaces with the internally tapered end surfaces of said collet seat member.

12. A tool according to claim 11 including resilient means normally bearing said collet away from compressing engagement with said seat and manual means for selectively opposing said resilient means whereby to cause said collet to compress and grippingly engage the fastener prior to initiation of movement of said tension member away from the fastener-mounting surface.

13. A tool according to claim 12, including means for threadably securing aid collet seat member to said tension member and cooperating means on said collet seat member and said cylinder extension holding said collet seat member against rotation with respect to the tool.

14. A tool according to claim 11, wherein said collet cylindrical core is formed with an axial bore receiving the adjacent end of said collet mounting rod and said core and said collet mounting rod are formed with aligned diametral holes, there being a pin extending through said holes for removably securing said collet core to said collet mounting rod. an annular groove in said collet core intersecting the outer ends of said diametral hole therein, and an elastomeric O-ring positioned in said groove to retain said pin in said aligned holes.

15. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said gripping device comprises a block secured to said tension member and formed with an axially and radially extending cavity open toward the fastener mounting surface and toward one side of said block and the end of said cavity remote from the fastener mounting surface is enlarged to receive the head of a headed stud.

16. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said pressure gauge extends radially from said cylinder and is of generally cylindrical shape with its axis generally parallel to the axis of said cylinder and its dial facing away from the fastener mounting surface, a guard for said gauge comprising a plate projecting from said cylinder between aid gauge and the fastener mounting surface and a cylindrical, upstanding rim on said plate surrounding said gauge.

17. A tool according to claim 16, wherein said cylinder and said extension are separate members and said plate is interleaved between said cylinder and said extension.