A threaded blind fastener and spacer assembly is provided, the assembly including a blind fastener having a flange; and a spacer having a surface, said spacer having a hole therethrough, said hole terminating as a counterbore at said surface, said counterbore receiving said flange. Methods of preparing the assembly and a method of securing the threaded blind fastener and spacer assembly to a substrate material are also provided.

A tacking device for a temporary fastening of components has a sleeve having a first end, a second end, an axial hole and a radially projecting collar at the first end, and an elongate mandrel having a head end and a tensioning end. The mandrel can be inserted into the axial hole at the second end of the sleeve, can be brought into stop contact with a sleeve rim surface by the head end and projects beyond the first end from the sleeve in the inserted state. A holding unit is designed to hold the mandrel when the tacking device is inserted into an opening of a component. The sleeve has a deformable material, which is squashed against the component when is inserted into an opening of a component. The mandrel has a predetermined breaking point with a weakened cross section, positioned between the head end and the tensioning end.

A vehicle seat assembly is provided including a back panel formed of an aluminum alloy material that is stamped to form an aluminum alloy stamped back panel. The aluminum alloy stamped back panel has a periphery and with fastening locations inwardly of the periphery. A backrest frame is provided comprising steel tubes. A plurality of fastening connections fix the back panel to the backrest frame at the fastening locations. A process is provided for forming a vehicle seat assembly including stamping an aluminum alloy sheet to form an aluminum alloy, stamped, back panel with a periphery and with fastening locations inwardly of the periphery, providing a backrest frame comprising steel tubes, providing a plurality of steel fasteners and fixing the aluminum alloy stamped back panel to the backrest frame with the fasteners at the fastening locations.

A method for joining at least two components, in particular two sheet components of a vehicle body, by a flow-formed rivet sleeve is disclosed. The flow-formed rivet sleeve includes a cladding region, a first edge region, and a second edge region. A traction shaft including a base body and a head is introduced in the flow-formed rivet sleeve and the flow-formed rivet sleeve is inserted into respective through openings of the components. By a relative movement of the traction shaft to the flow-formed rivet sleeve, the flow-formed rivet sleeve is widened in the first edge region and is brought into contact with one of the components. The second edge region is bent towards the other component by a reshaping tool surrounding the traction shaft and is brought into contact with the other component.

A blind fastener tool with pulling fingers is provided. One embodiment is a tool for installing a blind fastener in a hole. The tool includes stationary fingers having tips protruding from a front end of the housing to contact a rim of a sleeve of the blind fastener. The tool also includes pulling fingers in the housing arranged longitudinally in spaces between the stationary fingers. Ends of the pulling fingers proximate to the front end are configured to radially expand to receive a drive element of the blind fastener, and to radially collapse to grip a collar of the drive element. The pulling fingers are configured to translate inside the housing to pull the drive element away from the sleeve as the stationary fingers contact the rim of the sleeve to form a bulb with the sleeve at a blind side of the hole.

A drive unit is configured for a stamping rivet setting device and has an electric direct drive which contains motor components that concentrically surround a control element which can be linearly moved in the axial direction. In order to absorb the required torques while allowing a compact construction of the device, in particular in relation to a component side, a drive housing has an asymmetrical configuration in a connecting region between a main part and a guide part in which the control element is guided, for the purpose of asymmetrical torque transmission. In addition or alternatively thereto, the highly compact construction achieves an efficient cooling by an inner cooling unit, in particular air flowing through a free inner space in which the motor components are arranged.

A blind riveting apparatus (1) comprises a motor (3), and a clamp (31) for gripping the mandrel of a blind rivet, the clamp being movable substantially along the axis of the rivet. The apparatus further comprises a first transmission (51) configured to transfer rotary motion of the motor (3) to the clamp (31) when engaged; and a second transmission (52) configured to convert rotary motion of the motor (3) to linear motion of the clamp (31), and thereby retract the clamp (31) to pull on the mandrel, when engaged. A transmission control apparatus is arranged to selectively adjust the degree of engagement of at least one of the first (51) and second (52) transmissions, the transmission control apparatus comprising a variable-influence brake or clutch (58). Methods of blind riveting, and further pieces of blind riveting apparatus, are also disclosed.

A press-in connecting piece for connecting a branch pipe to a pipe in the region of a branch opening. The connecting piece includes a pipe adapter having an inner opening, and a press-in nozzle having a pipe socket, wherein the pipe adapter has a sealing surface for resting in a sealing manner on the outer wall of the pipe, wherein the pipe socket has a tapering end portion remote from the pipe adapter.

A method for joining a plurality of workpieces includes providing a rotating drive tool. A fastener is secured to the drive tool. The drive tool is then rotatably driven such that a distal end of the fastener rotates against a surface of the plurality of workpieces. A heated material zone is then generated on the plurality of workpieces as caused by friction from the rotation of the fastener against the surface of the plurality of workpieces. The distal end of the fastener is rotatably and axially driven through the heated material zone. Finally, the drive tool is removed from the fastener, such that when the heated material zone cools, a portion of the heated material zone is fused to the fastener.

A two-part mechanical fastener comprising an elongated body with a bore slidably carrying a mandrel adapted to interferingly engage the body is described. The fastener body has one or more protuberances on its exterior surface. In an aspect, the protuberances form a thread. The fastener is adapted to form an opening in, and penetrate, a stack of two or more workpieces. To secure the workpieces in the workpiece stack and form a robust joint, the fastener body is deformed by the mandrel, expanding the body, so that a body end engages a surface of the workpiece stack and the one or more protuberances are brought into engagement with the walls of the opening. Methods of using such a fastener to secure non-ferrous or polymer-based sheet-like workpieces to one another are disclosed.