An apparatus for automated application of rivets to a part is described, in which an operator is not required to manually align a rivet gun with each hole to be riveted or to manually squeeze the rivet into place. The apparatus includes a frame assembly, a tool positioning assembly attached to the frame assembly, and a movable tool assembly engaged with the tool positioning assembly and configured to be moved with respect to the tool positioning assembly. The tool positioning assembly is adjustable to correspond with a position of a number of rivet holes on a part to be riveted. In this way, the movable tool assembly is able to sequentially align with each of a number of rivet holes via alignment with the tool positioning assembly and to apply a rivet to each of the rivet holes.

An apparatus for automated application of rivets to a part is described, in which an operator is not required to manually align a rivet gun with each hole to be riveted or to manually squeeze the rivet into place. The apparatus includes a frame assembly, a tool positioning assembly attached to the frame assembly, and a movable tool assembly engaged with the tool positioning assembly and configured to be moved with respect to the tool positioning assembly. The tool positioning assembly is adjustable to correspond with a position of a number of rivet holes on a part to be riveted. In this way, the movable tool assembly is able to sequentially align with each of a number of rivet holes via alignment with the tool positioning assembly and to apply a rivet to each of the rivet holes.

The present invention discloses a riveting method and a riveting structure. The riveting method comprises providing a plate having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; forming a wall portion on the first side of the plate, the wall portion having a first recessed area at its first side and a second recessed area at its second side opposite to the first side; placing the fastener in the first recessed area so that the fastener is adjacent to the first side of the wall portion; and applying a force to the wall portion from the second side of the wall portion so that the wall portion is deformed so as to at least partially enclosed the fastener. This technical solution can avoid unwanted indentation on the back of the plate.

A rivet feeding system having a hopper, an inclined rail, and a fastening assembly is disclosed. The hopper accommodates a plurality of rivets, each having a head and a tail, in a barrel rotatably mounted to a stationary back. The hopper permits a single rivet to exit the hopper at a time and the exiting rivets are received by the inclined rail. The inclined rail has a channel defined by two sidewalls and the channel is sized to accommodate the rivet tail and the two sidewalls are positioned to support the rivet head. The inclined rail is positioned to receive rivets in a first orientation and to deliver rivets to the fastening assembly in a second orientation that is distinct from the first orientation. The fastening assembly includes a stationary anvil positioned below a moveable punch and a pair of pivotable jaws positioned between the anvil and the moveable punch.

A rivet feeding system having a hopper, an inclined rail, and a fastening assembly is disclosed. The hopper accommodates a plurality of rivets, each having a head and a tail, in a barrel rotatably mounted to a stationary back. The hopper permits a single rivet to exit the hopper at a time and the exiting rivets are received by the inclined rail. The inclined rail has a channel defined by two sidewalls and the channel is sized to accommodate the rivet tail and the two sidewalls are positioned to support the rivet head. The inclined rail is positioned to receive rivets in a first orientation and to deliver rivets to the fastening assembly in a second orientation that is distinct from the first orientation. The fastening assembly includes a stationary anvil positioned below a moveable punch and a pair of pivotable jaws positioned between the anvil and the moveable punch.

A system and method for drilling a hole in a vehicle structure and installing a fastener in the hole. A drill plate having openings and associated machine-readable elements is positioned on the structure. A drill gun is positioned in a particular opening and reads hole information from the associated element, and a computer determines whether the drill gun is properly set-up to drill the hole. A fastener insertion gun is positioned in the particular opening and reads fastener information from the element, and the computer determines whether the hole has been drilled and, if so, whether the fastener insertion gun is properly set-up to insert the fastener. A fastener delivery subsystem stores, tracks, and delivers fasteners to the fastener insertion gun. A system computer monitors the drilling of every hole, the insertion of every fastener, and the overall operation of the fastener delivery subsystem.

A multiple anvil fixture possesses multiple anvils engaged to a base in a fixed relation to each other with the anvils oriented in a common direction. Each of the anvils includes a first structure and a second structure. The first structure and the second structure are slidably engaged. Each of the anvils has an extended position and a recoiled position and a biasing-element to bias the first structure and the second structure in the extended position. The multiple anvil structure can be used to rivet brackets onto containers. The anvil protrudes through the container in the extended position to help align holes in the feet of the brackets with openings in the container. The anvil then recoils beneath the container to serve for the fixation of rivets.

A multiple anvil fixture possesses multiple anvils engaged to a base in a fixed relation to each other with the anvils oriented in a common direction. Each of the anvils includes a first structure and a second structure. The first structure and the second structure are slidably engaged. Each of the anvils has an extended position and a recoiled position and a biasing-element to bias the first structure and the second structure in the extended position. The multiple anvil structure can be used to rivet brackets onto containers. The anvil protrudes through the container in the extended position to help align holes in the feet of the brackets with openings in the container. The anvil then recoils beneath the container to serve for the fixation of rivets.

Non-visible objects which differ in their physical properties from their surroundings by association with a variable strength magnetic field may be detected by a suitable array of sensors which can be moved relative to the object in question. By analyzing the signals from the plurality of the sensors in the array, the position of the object can be deduced relative to the array and the array moved to enable a machining guide thereon to be aligned with the non-visible object. The system is of particular value in locating apertures in wing spars when attempting to fix the skin of the wing on to them where it is important to be able to locate the correct point at which to drill a hole through the skin to coincide with the hole in the spar. By defining a magnetic field in the vicinity of the hole to identify the hole magnetically and using an array of magnetic field sensors in a base with an aperture, it is possible to shift the array so that the aperture is precisely aligned with the non-visible hole.

Non-visible objects which differ in their physical properties from their surroundings by association with a variable strength magnetic field may be detected by a suitable array of sensors which can be moved relative to the object in question. By analyzing the signals from the plurality of the sensors in the array, the position of the object can be deduced relative to the array and the array moved to enable a machining guide thereon to be aligned with the non-visible object. The system is of particular value in locating apertures in wing spars when attempting to fix the skin of the wing on to them where it is important to be able to locate the correct point at which to drill a hole through the skin to coincide with the hole in the spar. By defining a magnetic field in the vicinity of the hole to identify the hole magnetically and using an array of magnetic field sensors in a base with an aperture, it is possible to shift the array so that the aperture is precisely aligned with the non-visible hole.