An improved fastener comprising a fastener body orientated about a central axis and having a tool-engaging portion, a threaded fastening portion and a shroud-receiving portion having an inwardly facing annular groove orientated transverse to the central axis; a shroud concentrically mounted on the shroud-receiving portion to rotate relative to the fastener body under an applied external torque and having an axially-buckled radially-extending annular protrusion extending outwardly transverse to the central axis and disposed in the inwardly facing annular groove of the shroud-receiving portion of the body; the axially-buckled radially-extending annular protrusion of the shroud and the annular groove of the shroud-receiving portion of the body forming a shroud-retaining element restraining the shroud from movement in at least a first axial direction along the central axis.

A hybrid fastener comprises a composite body having a tip, and a metal sleeve surrounding and locked to the tip.

A hybrid fastener comprises a composite body having a tip, and a metal sleeve surrounding and locked to the tip.

Hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes are guided with respect to a fin stack in which through-holes are formed in three or more lines. A guide apparatus includes: a first guide portion provided with a plurality of first guide pins that extend in an inclined direction; a second guide portion provided with a plurality of second guide pins that extend in an inclined direction in an opposite direction; a first guide pin axial direction moving apparatus that moves the first guide portion along an axial direction; a second guide pin axial direction moving apparatus that moves the second guide portion along an axial direction; a first guide pin row direction moving apparatus that moves the first guide portion along the row direction; and a second guide pin row direction moving apparatus that moves the second guide portion along the row direction. The hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes are held in gaps between the first guide pins and the second guide pins.

A method of attaching a tip to a pipette, which is executed in a robot system, includes: making an end effector of a robot hold a pipette; bringing a vicinity portion of a distal end of the pipette into contact with or close to an edge of an opening formed in a base of a tip while tilting an axis direction of the pipette by a predetermined angle with respect to an axis direction of the tip; attaching the tip to the pipette by inserting the distal end of the pipette and the vicinity portion of the distal end of the pipette into the tip while raising the pipette such that the axis direction of the pipette is aligned with the axis direction of the tip; and separating the pipette and the tip attached to the pipette from the predetermined spot.

A device for manipulating a hollow shaft configured to create a pivot link between a first element and a second element. The manipulation device comprises a cylindrical body having a diameter variable by radial contraction or radial expansion of the cylindrical body, a module for controlling the diameter of the cylindrical body configured so that the diameter of the cylindrical body has alternatively at least a first diameter suitable for the cylindrical body to be displaced in the hollow shaft and a second diameter suitable for the cylindrical body to be blocked in the hollow shaft. The cylindrical body comprises an end configured to protrude from the hollow shaft when the cylindrical body is blocked in the hollow shaft. The manipulation device allows the alignment of the orifices due to the end configuration of the cylindrical body.

There is provided an alignment apparatus capable of aligning hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at a regular pitch. An insertion position side is configured as a regular pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval that is double the pitch of through-holes in a fin stack. An upstream side is configured as a wide pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval equal to an integer multiple of two or more times the regular pitch alignment unit. The regular pitch alignment unit is provided with stopper apparatuses that stop the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at different positions on the upstream side and downstream side in an inclined direction for the respective arrangement plates. The wide pitch alignment unit is capable of moving along an alignment direction of the arrangement plates so as to allow the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes to move in order starting from the arrangement plates, out of the arrangement plates of the regular pitch alignment unit, where the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes are stopped at a more downstream position.

The present disclosure is related to a device 100 configured for aligning a first hole 131 of a first flange 130 with a second hole 141 of a second flange 140. The device 100 comprises a base 101, a shaft 110 extending from the base 101 and a first and a second pusher 115, 116. The shaft 110 is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. The shaft 110 in the extended position extends from the first hole 131 into the second hole 141. The first and second pushers 115, 116 are also configured to be moved radially outwardly from the shaft 110 to exert pressure against an inner wall of the first and second holes 131, 141. Methods for aligning a first and a second hole 130, 140 are also provided.

The present disclosure is related to a device 100 configured for aligning a first hole 131 of a first flange 130 with a second hole 141 of a second flange 140. The device 100 comprises a base 101, a shaft 110 extending from the base 101 and a first and a second pusher 115, 116. The shaft 110 is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. The shaft 110 in the extended position extends from the first hole 131 into the second hole 141. The first and second pushers 115, 116 are also configured to be moved radially outwardly from the shaft 110 to exert pressure against an inner wall of the first and second holes 131, 141. Methods for aligning a first and a second hole 130, 140 are also provided.

Some examples of the present disclosure relate to welding systems that provide cooling gas flow to contact tips. The contact tip may be retained within a neck and nozzle assembly of a welding torch that receives gas, such as shielding gas, for example, from the welding system. A tip retention-device and gas diffuser may cooperate to retain the contact tip within the neck and nozzle assembly. The gas diffuser may have axial gas channels configured to direct the shielding gas over and/or across a rear portion of the contact tip seated within the gas diffuser. The tip retention device may have gas channels configured to guide gas flow from the gas diffuser over and/or across a forward portion of the contact tip. The gas flow may help to cool the contact tip before, during, and/or after welding, which may extend the life of the contact tip.