A shank-fastener apparatus comprises a shank-fastener housing, a shank-fastener turret, an indexing-pin assembly, a drill, and a shank-fastener delivery assembly. The shank-fastener turret is supported by the shank-fastener housing and is selectively rotatable relative to the shank-fastener housing about a shank-fastener-turret rotation axis (A). The indexing-pin assembly is supported by the shank-fastener housing and is selectively movable relative to the shank-fastener housing between an indexing-pin-assembly extended position and an indexing-pin-assembly retracted position along an indexing-pin-assembly axis (B) that is parallel to the shank-fastener-turret rotation axis (A). The drill is supported by the shank-fastener turret and is selectively movable relative to the shank-fastener turret along a drill axis (C) that is parallel to the shank-fastener-turret rotation axis (A). The shank-fastener delivery assembly also supported by the shank-fastener turret.

An illustrative cable connector hand tool and associated method are operable to permit cable connection sections to respectively pass through a side opening of hand tool members into a center aperture of the tool members. In one illustrative embodiment, the hand tool members are formed with a recessed portion adapted to receive an end of one of a pair of cable connectors such that mating edges of the cable connectors used to couple the cable connection sections are visible when the cable connectors are in a coupled configuration abutting each other. An illustrative embodiment includes the recessed portion formed with a plurality of keyway indentions or recesses spaced apart in the center aperture that are operable to engage keys, protrusions, or lugs on an outer wall of the cable connectors.

An inhibitor switch is attached to a manual shaft with a jig. The jig includes a fitting part and an engagement pin. The fitting part is spline-fitted to an outer periphery of the manual shaft. The engagement pin engages in a positioning hole of the inhibitor switch. The outer periphery of the manual shaft includes a tooth-omitted part formed by omitting at least one of spline teeth. The fitting part includes an insertion hole. The insertion hole includes an inner periphery including internal teeth and an engaging part, wherein the internal teeth meshes with the spline teeth, and wherein the engaging part engages with the tooth-omitted part. The jig is attached to the manual shaft with the engaging part engaged with the tooth-omitted part. The inhibitor switch is rotated about the rotation axis to a position allowing engagement of the positioning hole with the engagement pin.

The present invention discloses a device and method for installing and adjusting a sliding block of a multipoint crank press. The device comprises a crank, a connecting rod with an end provided with a U-shaped notch, a sliding block and an eccentric pin shaft micro-adjustment mechanism. The eccentric pin shaft micro-adjustment mechanism is installed at the joint between the connecting rod and the sliding block. The crank, the connecting rod and the sliding block of the multipoint press are normally machined and installed through a classical process, so that the sliding block of the multipoint press runs to a bottom dead center. A gap among mechanisms is eliminated through the loading by a hydraulic loader. The position of one set of crank, connecting rod and sliding block mechanism is taken as a reference, and then the eccentric positions and directions of the eccentric pin shafts at other adjustment positions are finely adjusted, thus realizing high-precision assembly and operation of the multipoint press.

A pipe processing tool that is configured to deform the end of a pipe so that the circumferential shape of the end of the pipe generally matches the circumferential shape of an adjacent pipe end. Matching the circumferential shapes of the pipe ends is advantageous during a pipe attachment process. The pipe processing tool can include a deformation ring with a plurality of pipe deformation members. Each pipe deformation member faces radially inward and is actuatable in a radial direction toward and away from the center of the deformation ring in order to permit engagement with the pipe. Each pipe deformation member is individually and separately actuatable from the other pipe deformation members so that the circumferential shapes of the pipes can be altered by controlling suitable ones of the pipe deformation members.

A method and system for automatic assembly of a curved surface part are provided. First, a space coordinate system is established, and a first unit normal vector of the space coordinate system is determined. Then, coordinates of three measurement points on the surface of a curved surface part in the space coordinate system are acquired; and a second unit normal vector to the surface of the curved surface part are determined according to the coordinates of the measurement points. Finally, a rotation angle of the end effector is calculated according to the first unit normal vector and the second unit normal vector; and the end effector is adjusted according to the rotation angle, such that a third unit normal vector of the end effector after adjustment coincides with the second unit normal vector. The method and system enhance the automatic assembly quality of the curved surface part.

A method and system for automatic assembly of a curved surface part are provided. First, a space coordinate system is established, and a first unit normal vector of the space coordinate system is determined. Then, coordinates of three measurement points on the surface of a curved surface part in the space coordinate system are acquired; and a second unit normal vector to the surface of the curved surface part are determined according to the coordinates of the measurement points. Finally, a rotation angle of the end effector is calculated according to the first unit normal vector and the second unit normal vector; and the end effector is adjusted according to the rotation angle, such that a third unit normal vector of the end effector after adjustment coincides with the second unit normal vector. The method and system enhance the automatic assembly quality of the curved surface part.

A pipe processing tool that is configured to deform the end of a pipe so that the circumferential shape of the end of the pipe generally matches the circumferential shape of an adjacent pipe end. Matching the circumferential shapes of the pipe ends is advantageous during a pipe attachment process. The pipe processing tool can include a deformation ring with a plurality of pipe deformation members. Each pipe deformation member faces radially inward and is actuatable in a radial direction toward and away from the center of the deformation ring in order to permit engagement with the pipe. Each pipe deformation member is individually and separately actuatable from the other pipe deformation members so that the circumferential shapes of the pipes can be altered by controlling suitable ones of the pipe deformation members.

A method of installing a self-piercing rivet (SPR) is provided that includes providing an SPR installation tool with stack-up parameters prior to, during, and/or after insertion of the SPR into at least two adjacent workpieces, adjusting at least one insertion parameter of the SPR installation tool based on the stack-up parameters, and adaptively installing the SPR into the adjacent workpieces.

A joining method is a method of joining a plate set composed by a plurality of stacked plate members including a first plate member and a second plate member by using a tapping screw. When the tapping screw is advanced into the plate set while the tapping screw is rotated in a state of applying a pressure onto the plate set so as to form through-holes in the first plate member and the second plate member, a first pressure applied onto the tapping screw is reduced down to a second pressure at the time when the tapping screw penetrates the first plate member.