Collet type fastener removal tool

• US 4,862,773 A
• Filed: 07/28/1988
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VXI Corporation (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: VXI Corporation (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Batten, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmidt, Frederick R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US07/225,359
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 81/55, 81/56, 81/13 X, 81/125, 81/54, 81/52, 81/437, 81/453
• US Class Current: 81/55
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/48 for special purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/001 Combined nut setting and crimping

Abstract

There is disclosed a tool for the removal of locking collars of the frangible fasteners used in the aerospace industry, particularly for removal of fasteners installed in close quarters such in a deep channel where conventional tools cannot grip the collar. The tool has a collet-type chuck to grasp the collar of the fastener and has a lead screw to lock the collet chuck about the collar and permit removal of the collar. For this purpose, the collet chuck has a cylindrical neck which is received within a sleeve. The lead screw is received in the opposite end of the collet sleeve and is threadably engaged in the internally threaded bore of the collet chuck member, preferably with left hand threads, and has a head with wrenching flats. The lead screw has a central axial through bore which receives a key member which is used to immobilize the stud or bolt of the fastener system. A disk member is slidably received within the collet sleeve to eject removed collars from the collet chuck member.

Claims

1. A fastener collar removal tool which comprises:

a. a cylindrical collet chuck member having an outwardly flared base with at least one axial slit to form collet jaws and an upper cylindrical neck having an internally threaded bore;

b. a collet sleeve having at least one external flat and an axial through bore of an internal diameter to receive said collet chuck member with its lower end flared outwardly to receive said base;

c. a lead screw having a head with at least one wrenching flat and a threaded shank with an axial through bore and received in said axial through bore of said collet sleeve and threadably engaged in said internally threaded bore of said collet chuck member; and

d. an elongated key having at least one continuous flat slidably received in said axial through bore of said lead screw.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein said internal threads on said collet chuck member and said external threads of the shank of said lead screw are left hand threads.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein said neck of said collet chuck member bears index means to restrain its rotational movement within said collet sleeve.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said index means is an axial slot along the external wall of said neck and wherein said collet sleeve has a coacting key on the inside wall of its axial through bore.

5. The tool of claim 1 including at least one wrenching flat on the upper external wall of said collet sleeve.

6. The tool of claim 1 wherein the head of said lead screw has an annular groove with a circular spring received in said annular groove.

7. The tool of claim 1 including a washer between the head of said lead screw and the upper end of said collect sleeve.

8. The tool of claim 1 including a disc member slidably received within said collect chunk.

9. The tool of claim 1 in combination with an adapter sleeve surrounding said collect sleeve with an annulus therebetween, an annular unidirectional rotational clutch received in said annulus and engaging the outer wall of said collect sleeve and fixely secured to the inner wall of said adapter sleeve, and mounting means carried by said adapter sleeve for fixely securing said adapter sleeve to a power drive tool.

10. The tool of claim 9 wherein said mounting means is a radial flange distally carried by said adapter sleeve.

11. The tool of claim 10 in further combination with a power drive tool having a housing with a front face with a centrally positioned, rotationally driven shaft, a drive socket received on the end of said rotationally driven shaft, with the head of said lead screw received in said drive socket and with the mounting flange of said adapter sleeve fixedly secured to the front face of said power drive tool.

12. The tool of claim 11 wherein said unidirectional clutch freely permits clockwise rotation of the collet sleeve relative to said adapter sleeve, but prevents counterclockwise rotation thereof, said rotation being viewed from the collet end of said tool.

13. A tool for removal of cylindrical fasteners which comprises the combination of:

a. a power drive tool having a housing with a front face and a centrally positioned, rotationally driven shaft;

b. a drive socket received on the end of said rotationally driven shaft;

c. a cylindrical collet chuck member having an outwardly flared base with at least one axial slit to form collet jaws and an upper cylindrical neck having an internally threaded bore;

d. a collet sleeve having at least one external flat and an axial through bore of an internal diameter to receive said collet chuck member with its lower end flared outwardly to receive said base;

e. a lead screw having a head with at least one wrenching flat which is received in said drive socket, and a threaded shank with an axial through bore which is received in said axial through bore of said collet sleeve and threadably engaged in said internally threaded bore of said collet chuck member;

f. a sleeve adapter surrounding said collet sleeve with an annulus therebetween and distally supporting a radial mounting flange which is fixedly secured to the front face of the housing of said drive tool; and

g. an annular unidirectional rotational clutch received in said annulus and engaging the outer wall of said collet sleeve and fixedly secured to the inner wall of said sleeve adapter.

14. The tool of claim 13 wherein said unidirectional clutch freely permits clockwise rotation of the collet sleeve relative to said adapter sleeve, but prevents counterclockwise rotation thereof, said rotation being viewed from the collet end of said tool.

15. The tool of claim 13 in further combination with an elongated key having at least one continuous flat slidably received in said axial through bore of said lead screw.

16. The tool of claim 15 including a second socket coaxially received within said drive socket and with said elongated key received in said second socket.

17. The tool of claim 16 wherein said second socket is distally carried on a key shaft which is coaxial with, and slidably received within said drive socket.

18. The tool of claim 17 wherein said key shaft is resiliently biased towards said drive socket.

19. The tool of claim 18 including a disk member slidably received within said through bore of said collet chuck member and fixedly secured to said key member whereby said key member and said disc member are resiliently biased to eject fasteners from said collet chuck member.