Drill/rivet device

• US 5,231,747 A
• Filed: 12/21/1990
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Givler, Gregory C., Hare, John R., Clark, Gregory L., Woods, Edward J., Hansen, Karl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorski, Joseph M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, PETER DUNG BA
• Application Number:
  US07/632,445
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 29/53, 29/243.521, 29/243.526, 29/243.529, 29/243.53, 29/243.54, 29/281.1, 29/524.1, 29/525.2, 29/605, 72/56, 72/407, 72/430, 173/105, 173/117, 173/118, 173/119, 227/51, 227/112, 227/152, 310/14-17, 310/19, 310/30, 335/240, 335/242, 335/255, 335/256, 335/261, 335/264, 342/161, 342/162
• US Class Current: 29/243.53
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/10 Riveting machines electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/142 Aerospace structures
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/24 operated by electro-magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/32 Devices for inserting or holding rivets in position with or without feeding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 39/16 Drilling machines with a plurality of working-spindles; Drilling automatons
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/006 by sucking and blowing simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 29/044 Vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49943 Riveting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49956 Riveting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5377 Riveter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53774 Single header

Abstract

This invention relates to a machine and its constituent components for drilling a hole in a workpiece, inserting a rivet in the hole, and upsetting the rivet, all without moving the lateral position of the machine or the workpiece, and to an assembly for supporting and positioning a plurality of said machines for working simultaneously on the workpiece.

Claims

1. An assembly for drilling holes, installing rivets in the holes, and upsetting the rivets in multiple columns of multiple rows in a large workpiece in one pass of the work piece, comprising:

a framework for supporting said workpiece;

a bridge for supporting a first set of electromagnetic drill/rivet machines at positions spaced along said bridge over said workpiece where holes are to be drilled, and rivets are to be installed and upset;

means for moving one of said bridge and said framework to change the relative position of said bridge over said workpiece so that holes can be drilled and rivets installed and upset in a series of parallel lines along said workpiece;

a lower frame for supporting a second set of electromagnetic drill/rivet machines in alignment with said first set; and

means for maintaining the alignment of said two sets of electromagnetic riveters.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means for changing the lateral position of said electromagnetic drill/rivet machines on said bridge and said lower frame.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means for automatically aligning said electromagnetic drill/rivet machines in pairs with each other on said bridge and said lower frame.

4. An electromagnetic riveting machine for drilling and riveting a workpiece from a single position of said machine and said workpiece, comprising:

an electromagnetic actuator having a multiple turn coil and an adjacent transducer, said coil having a coaxial opening therethrough and having leads connected thereto for conduction of a high amperage current therethrough to said turns of said coil, said transducer having a high electrical conductivity for establishment of magnetically induced eddy currents therein when the magnetic field in said coil changes;

a drill having a spindle for holding and driving a drill bit, said spindle disposed coaxially through said coil and having drive means for rotating said spindle and for plunging said spindle axially into said workpiece to drill holes therein;

a driver having one end connected to said magnetic actuator and an opposite end disposed above a workpiece clamping position for drilling and riveting a workpiece, said driver disposed to be driven toward said workpiece when current through said coil creates a rapidly changing magnetic field that induces eddy currents in said transducer, thereby creating a repulsive force between said coil and said transducer to drive said driver toward said workpiece position;

means for supplying a high amperage pulse of current to said coil;

said drill spindle and said driver being coaxially disposed to one another on, a machine axis; and

a shuttle disposed between said opposite end of said driver and said workpiece position, said shuttle having means for suction of drill chips from the vicinity of said drill while drilling a hole in said workpiece, and a rivet die shiftable laterally into axial alignment over a rivet installed in said hole and under said driver when said rivet is to be upset.

5. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

a rivet die station in said shuttle for holding said rivet die in a position axially aligned with a rivet installed in said hole to be engaged by said driver to upset said rivet when said pulse of current passes through said coil.

6. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

a rivet feeding station in said shuttle for feeding rivets into the hole drilled by said drill.

7. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

a rivet die station having a rivet die movable over said rivet installed in said hole drilled by said drill and disposed to be engaged by said driver to upset said rivet when said pulse of current passes through said coil.

8. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

a bottom plate having a top side on which said drill and said magnetic actuator are supported;

said shuttle including a shuttle body slidably mounted in a shuttle carrier, said shuttle carrier being fastened to an underside of said bottom plate.

9. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

means for moving said shuttle body in said shuttle carrier and for selectively aligning said drill cavity, said rivet feeding station, and said rivet die station with said machine axis.

10. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a riveter support plate to which one section of said electromagnetic actuator is attached;

retraction means for holding the other section of said electromagnetic actuator against an upper stop, and recoil means for holding said one section against said other section in a retracted position of said riveter;

ready means for moving said riveter away from said upper stop and producing firm mechanical contact between said driver and said rivet die, and between said rivet die and said rivet in a ready position of said riveter.

11. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a drill quill in which said drill spindle is journalled for rotation, said drill quill having an upper end connected to a middle plate mounted for axial movement parallel to said bottom plate;

a drill quill support member connected to said bottom plate for laterally supporting the lower end of said drill quill;

said upper stop includes a shoulder on said drill quill support member.

12. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 10, wherein:

said retraction means is a pop-back air cylinder bearing against said electromagnetic actuator with a retraction force during a retraction phase of said machine; and

said recoil means is a recoil cylinder holding said one section against said other section with a force less than said retraction force;

whereby said two sections of said electromagnetic actuator remain in contact with each other and in a retracted position while said retraction means is on.

13. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 10, wherein:

said ready means is a solenoid valve for depressurizing said pop-back cylinder so that said recoil cylinder can move said riveter down to engage said driver with said rivet die.

14. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

means for blowing ordinary filtered room air over and around said transducer, whereby said coil can be cooled, without the need of specially filtered and dried air, by conduction of heat to said transducer while said coil and said transducer are in contact, and said transducer can be cooled with ordinary filtered room air to extract the heat from said machine.

15. An electromagnetic riveting machine for drilling and riveting a workpiece from a single position of said machine and said workpiece, comprising:

an electromagnetic actuator having a multiple turn coil and an adjacent transducer, said coil having a coaxial opening therethrough and having leads connected thereto for conduction of a high amperage current therethrough to said turns of said coil, said transducer having a high electrical conductivity for establishment of magnetically induced eddy currents therein when the magnetic field in said coil changes;

a drill having a spindle for holding and driving a drill bit, said spindle disposed coaxially through said coil and having drive means for rotating said spindle and for plunging said spindle axially into said workpiece to drill holes therein;

a driver having one end connected to said magnetic actuator and an opposite end disposed above a workpiece clamping position for drilling and riveting a workpiece, said driver disposed to be driven toward said workpiece when current through said coil creates a rapidly changing magnetic field that induces eddy currents in said transducer, thereby creating a repulsive force between said coil and said transducer to drive said driver toward said workpiece position;

means for supplying a high amperage pulse of current to said coil;

said drill spindle and said driver being coaxially disposed to one another on a machine axis; and

a shuttle disposed between said opposite end of said driver and said workpiece position, said shuttle having an enclosed drill cavity having an opening in the bottom thereof for said drill to contact said workpiece, and means for suction of drill chips therefrom, said shuttle being movable laterally to position said cavity under said drill when a hole is to be drilled in said workpiece.

16. The machine defined in claim 15, wherein said drill cavity has a tapered bottom and an opening aligned with an air nozzle for blowing the drill chips and swirling the chips within the cavity to leave them nowhere to land and to facilitate their removal from said cavity.

17. The machine defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a pressure foot having a tapered hole therethrough and connected to said shuttle in a position in which said tapered hole is aligned with said opening in said bottom of said cavity when said cavity is positioned under said drill, said tapered hole in said pressure foot dimensioned so as to match the bottom dimension of said opening in said cavity to provide a smooth tapering cavity without ledges or corners in which chips could collect.

18. An electromagnetic riveting machine having a machine axis for coaxially drilling and riveting a workpiece from a single axial position of said machine and said workpiece, comprising:

a magnetic actuator having a multiple turn coil and a transducer disposed adjacent to said coil, said coil having a coaxial opening therethrough and having leads connected thereto for conduction of a high amperage current through said turns of said coil, and said transducer made of a material having a high electrical conductivity;

whereby, when the magnetic field in said coil changes, there will be magnetically induced eddy currents and a magnetic field of opposite polarity generated in said transducer to create a repulsive force between said coil and said transducer;

means for supplying a high amperage pulse or current to said coil to fire said magnetic actuator and forcably drive said coil and said transducer apart;

a drill having a spindle on said machine axis for holding and driving a drill bit, said spindle disposed coaxially through said coil and having drive means for rotating said spindle and for plunging said spindle axially toward said workpiece to drill holes therein;

a driver disposed coaxially around said drill spindle and adjacent to said magnetic actuator, so that said driver will be driven toward said workpiece when said coil and said transducer are driven apart;

a shuttle having a shuttle carrier fastened to said machine beneath said machine axis, and a shuttle body movable within said shuttle carrier;

said shuttle body having at least three stations therein;

a drill cavity station having a drill cavity therein and means for suction of drill chips therefrom;

a rivet feeding station for feeding rivets into holes drilled by said drill bit through said drill cavity; and

a rivet die station movable over said rivet installed in said hole drilled by said drill bit, said rivet die station having a rivet die cavity and a rivet die disposed in said rivet die cavity disposed to be engaged by said driver to upset said rivet when said magnetic actuator fires;

means for moving said drill cavity into alignment with said machine axis when said drill is to be operated, and for moving said rivet feeding station into alignment with said machine axis when a rivet is to be fed into the hole just drilled by said drill, and for moving said rivet die station into alignment with said machine axis when said rivet in said just-drilled hole is to be upset.

19. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a bottom plate having a top side supporting said magnetic actuator and having an opening therethrough aligned with said machine axis;

said shuttle carrier including a channel-shaped member having a top with an opening therethrough, two parallel sides depending from said top, and an inwardly extending flange at the bottom of each side, said shuttle body being slidably received between said sides and between said top and said flanges;

said bottom plate having an underside to which said channel-shaped member is fastened, with said opening in said top of said channel-shaped member aligned with said machine axis.

20. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 19, wherein the top of said channel-shaped member includes a boss that is sized to fit within said opening in said bottom plate to assure alignment of said shuttle carrier on said machine axis.

21. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 18, wherein said shuttle body includes:

an end face having means for attaching a vacuum hose fitting thereto;

a vacuum port in said end face communicating with said drill cavity;

a mist port for blowing air into said drill cavity and for selectively feeding a lubricant in mist form to said drill cavity for lubrication of said drill.

22. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 21, wherein:

said vacuum port and said mist port in said shuttle body are both angled downward at a slant into said cavity to promote swirling and facilitate removal of the drill chips during drilling.

23. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

a pressure foot having a tapered opening therethrough, said pressure foot being fastened to said shuttle carrier with said opening in axial alignment with said machine axis;

said drill cavity being tapered at its lower end, said taper coinciding with the taper of said pressure foot opening to produce, when said drill cavity is aligned with said pressure foot, a smoothly tapering bottom region at said drill cavity which facilitates the removal of drill chips.

24. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a pressure foot having an opening therethrough, said pressure foot being fastened to said shuttle carrier with said opening in axial alignment with said machine axis.

25. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 24, wherein:

said pressure foot opening is just slightly larger than said countersink drill, so that said pressure foot, when pressed against the workpiece, masks the entire area around the workpiece where the hole will be drilled so that chips have nowhere to land on the surface of the workpiece, and any lubricant that contacts the workpiece prior to drilling will be drilled out and removed with the drilling chips.

26. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

an annular raised ridge on the underside of said shuttle carrier sized to receive said pressure foot and facilitate alignment of said pressure foot opening with said machine axis.

27. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

an air cylinder for moving said shuttle body in said shuttle carrier, said air cylinder having a piston connected to said shuttle body for moving said shuttle body under influence of air pressure in said cylinder; and

means for controlling the air pressure in said shuttle body air cylinder to control the movement of said shuttle body.

28. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 27, further comprising:

a pin in said shuttle carrier and movable into the path of said shuttle body to stop said shuttle body at a mid-stop position wherein said rivet feeding station is aligned with said machine axis so that a rivet may be fed into a hole drilled by said drill on said machine axis.

29. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 28, further comprising:

an air cylinder connected to said pin for extending said pin to stop said shuttle body at said mid-stop position, and for retracting said pin to permit said shuttle body to move and align said rivet die station with said machine axis.

30. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a sensor on one of said shuttle body and said shuttle carrier for indicating the position of the shuttle body in said shuttle carrier.

31. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 18, wherein said rivet die comprises:

a top face for engagement by said driver;

a rivet die guide closely fitting within said rivet die cavity for guiding said rivet die vertically in said rivet die cavity;

a rivet die nose on the end of said rivet die remote from said top face and having a diameter substantially smaller than said rivet die guide and about equal to the head of the rivet; and

a tapered section tapering from said rivet die guide to said rivet die nose.

32. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 31, wherein:

said rivet die guide includes a sleeve connected to said rivet die and depending therefrom in overlapping concentric relationship to said tapered section.

33. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 32, further comprising:

a compression spring disposed in said rivet die cavity and bearing between the bottom of said rivet die cavity and the junction of said rivet die guide sleeve and said rivet die to hold said rivet die up at the upper limit of its travel in said rivet die cavity.

34. An electromagnetic riveting machine as defined in claim 31, wherein said rivet die comprises:

at least one air escape hole extending through said rivet die from said top face thereof to said tapered section;

whereby said rivet die may be moved axially in said rivet die cavity, closely guided therein by said rivet die guide, and air contained in said die cavity below and around said tappered section can escape through said air escape hole.

35. An electromagnetic riveter having a first electromagnetic actuator for driving a first driver against the head of a rivet in a countersunk hole in a workpiece, and a second electromagnetic actuator for driving a second driver against the other end of the rivet, wherein the improvement comprises:

a power supply for delivering a pulse of high amperage current to said electromagnetic actuators; and

timing means for delaying the current pulse to said first electromagnetic actuator until said second driver has lifted the rivet in the hole, and then triggering the pulse of current to said first electromagnetic actuator to drive said first driver against the head of the rivet, whereby the force exerted by the first driver will be concentrated the shank of said rivet to give good interference between the shank of the rivet and the hole, and then the force of said first driver will drive the rivet head back into the countersunk hole for good countersink interference for axial pressure on the workpiece.

36. An electromagnetic riveter as defined in claim 35, wherein:

said rivet head has a tapered portion designed to fit into the countersink of said hole, and a cylindrical section designed to fit into a counterbore portion at the top of said hole, said timer delays the current pulse to said first electromagnetic actuator to cause said head-side driver to drive said rivet head back into said top end of said hole and upset said rivet head radially to seal said rivet head in said hole and also provide an interference fit at said countersink for axial pressure on the workpiece.

37. An electromagnetic riveting machine, comprising:

a flat coil having high current capacity for receiving a pulse of high amperage electrical current;

an electrical power supply for supplying a pulse of high amperage current to said coil;

a control system for controlling the current pulse to said coil;

a die for engaging and upsetting a rivet when sufficient force is applied to said die;

a driver in mechanical force transmitting relationship between said coil and said die for transmitting force exerted by said coil on said die;

a transducer on the side of said coil opposite to said driver;

a recoil mass connected to said transducer; and

a recoil system for absorbing the reaction momentum of said transducer and said recoil mass when said current pulse passes through said coil;

said transducer being made of a material having high electrical conductivity so that said pulse of current through said coil will cause magnetically induced eddy currents in said transducer, which will create a magnetic field of opposite field to the magnetic field in said coil, and create a strong repulsive force between said coil and said transducer, driving said coil and said driver in a short stroke against said rivet die, and repelling said transducer and said recoil mass in the opposite direction in a relatively long stroke for absorption by said recoil system.

38. A machine for drilling and riveting a workpiece using components mounted on a frame, said components including a drill having a drill spindle journalled for rotation in a drill quill;

and a first electro- magnetic riveter aligned coaxially with said drill quill, wherein the improvement comprises;

a frame for supporting said components, said frame having a top plate supported on a rigid support structure;

a bottom plate; and

at least three rods connected between said top plate and said bottom plate for supporting said bottom plate adjacent to a position at which a workpiece is to be supported to be worked on by said machine, said rods having a middle plate slidably mounted thereon for movement toward and away from said bottom plate;

said drill having a drill motor and a drill quill mounted on said middle plate; and

drive means for connecting said drill motor and said drill spindle to enable said drill motor to drive said spindle mounted in said drill quill;

means for controlling the position of said middle plate along said rods, and thereby control the depth of holes drilled by said drill;

said riveter having a electromagnetic actuator for impelling a driver toward said workpiece, said actuator including a recoil mass attached to a support plate;

a flat, high amperage capacity coil; and

an adjacent transducer made of electrically conductive material;

said driver being attached at one end to said actuator and positioned coaxially around said drill spindle for engaging and driving a rivet die at the other end to upset a rivet when said riveter is operated; and

a recoil and damping support system for supporting said riveter support plate on said bottom plate, and for controlling the recoil and the rest position of said riveter.

39. A machine as defined in claim 38, further comprising:

a pop-back air cylinder extending between said bottom plate and said riveter to bias said riveter away from said workpiece position to a retracted position of said driver.

40. The machine defined in claim 38, further comprising:

means for extending said bottom plate along said rods relative to said top plate to engage a pressure foot operatively connected to said bottom plate against the workpiece.

41. The machine defined in claim 38, further comprising:

a second frame on the other side of said workpiece position, supporting a second electromagnetic riveter in axial alignment with said first electromagnetic riveter, said second riveter having a second electromagnetic actuator for impelling a second driver toward said workpiece, said second electromagnetic actuator including a second recoil mass attached to a second support plate;

a second flat, high amperage capacity coil; and

a second adjacent transducer made of electrically conductive material;

said second driver being attached at one end thereof to said second actuator and positioned to engage and drive a second rivet die at the other end of said second driver deliver an axial force against a rivet when said second electromagnetic actuator is triggered; and

means for triggering said first and second electromagnetic at a predetermined time relationship to each other to upset a rivet between said first and second drivers by impelling said drivers toward said rivet.

42. An electromagnetic riveter for upsetting a rivet having a headed end and a tail end, said riveter having a first electromagnetic actuator for driving a first driver against the head of the rivet in a countersunk hole in a workpiece, a second electromagnetic actuator for driving a second driver against the tail end of the rivet, and a power supply for delivering a pulse of high amperage current to each of said electromagnetic actuators, wherein the improvement comprises:

a first capacitor in said power supply for said first magnetic actuator, and a second capacitor in said power supply for said second magnetic actuator, said first capacitor having a higher capacitance than said second capacitor; and

43. means for adjusting the charging voltage on said first and second capacitors to charge said second capacitor to a higher voltage than said first capacitor so that said second electromagnetic actuator can be driven with a substantially higher current to produce momentum as well as force on said driver to yield the tail end of the rivet and form a button at said rivet tail;

,

whereby the force exerted by the first driver will increase over time at a slower rate in the beginning region of the force pulse than the force exerted by said second driver to avoid dimpling the workpiece, but will be sufficiently great in the mid-region of the force pulse to counter the force exerted by said second driver to provide good interference between the shank of the rivet and the hole.