A method of inserting a rivet into a workpiece comprises moving the rivet and workpiece relative to one another, along a longitudinal axis of the rivet, so as to drive the rivet into the workpiece. The rivet is rotated about its longitudinal axis, relative to the workpiece, for at least part of the time during which it is in contact with the workpiece. The speed of said rotation, or the speed of movement along the longitudinal axis of the rivet, is altered at least once before driving of the rivet into the workpiece is complete. One axial end of the rivet has a tip for piercing the workpiece, and the rivet has a substantially cylindrical shank extending longitudinally from the tip. The shank has one or more surface irregularities.

A processing tool used to transfer a component, in particular a joining element, from a pick-up position to a processing position. For process-reliable guidance, a guide element held in a hold-down-device is arranged, through which the component is pressed during operation and which exerts an elastic holding force. The guide element has a sleeve, in particular a metallic sleeve, which has a guide structure made of an elastomer. The guide structure is formed in particular by an elastomer ring or by several axial guide strips.

A fastener delivery apparatus includes a nose assembly to releasably hold a fastener. The nose assembly includes a plurality of balls or rollers and associated biasing members to provide a biasing force which biases the balls or rollers such that they engage with the fastener. Each biasing member exerts force in a first direction and an associated ball or roller moves in a second direction which is different from the first direction. A force transfer surface is provided between the ball or roller and the biasing member, the force transfer surface acting to convert at least a component of the force exerted by the biasing member in the first direction into force exerted on the balls or rollers in the second direction.

A fastening structure includes a blind rivet and a nut. The blind rivet includes a rivet body having a hollow sleeve, a rivet head at the end of the sleeve and a through-hole; and a mandrel having an elongated stem and a mandrel head. The nut is positioned around the sleeve side end of the rivet body and the mandrel head and abuts one of the workpieces. The end portion of the sleeve is enlarged by the mandrel head and is embedded in the internal screw threads of the nut. The workpieces are thus fastened between the nut and the rivet head.

The present invention relates to a method for the punching in and attachment of the fastener element to a planar workpiece, in particular to a sheet metal part. During the punching in of the fastener element in the workpiece a movably arranged die plunger of the die button is pressed with a predetermined pressing force against the workpiece. The pressing force is adapted such that the die plunger first moves once a slug has been cut out of the workpiece by a piercing section of the fastener element.

A setting unit and a method for setting a connecting element on a work piece. The setting unit has a hold-down clamp. A punch is displaceably mounted in the hold-down clamp, is drivable in a feed direction by way of a plunger and has a front punch head, and a punch sleeve which surrounds the punch head. The punch sleeve is movable together with the punch in the feed direction to a first stroke position. The punch head is movable relative to the punch sleeve to a second stroke position such that it is possible to carry out both a hole punching operation and a setting operation by way of the one punch in connection with the punch sleeve.

A tooling system has means for applying a vacuum to hold the fastener at the working end of the tool. A cavity in a hollow pusher pin has lateral ports for exclusively providing a airway between the vacuum source and the fastener. In other embodiments of the invention the pusher pin has fastener-gripping jaws in the form of balls moveable within lateral passageways in the pusher pin open into the cavity. The balls are biased inwardly against the fastener by an outer elastic band on the tool body which encircles the pusher pin. When adapted for installing magnetic-release type fasteners, the bottom end of the pusher pin is of reduced diameter for insertion into a magnetic release fastener. The fastener-receiving panel is supported by an anvil having a magnet whereby the fastener is released from the pusher pin as the fastener is pressed into the panel.

The invention relates to a joining element comprising a shaft to be placed into a component; a head provided at a first end of the shaft; and a punching element attached in a losable manner to a second end of the shaft remote from the head.

Tooling is held within the nose of a rotary punch and as the tool is rotated and forced against a workpiece a fastener within the tool becomes affixed to the workpiece. The tools have displacers which non-destructively deform and reshape the workpiece without any loss of workpiece material. The tools have various types of displacers including; tapered and arcuate displacers which act in concert to progressively act upon the workpiece; spherical displacers which may be fixed or rotatable such as caged ball bearings; and a full-circle displacer ring which wobbles as it presses against the workpiece. In the case of fixed spherical displacers, a multi-stroke method can be employed where the tool is rotated after each stroke in a group of installation strokes.

A blind fastener for connecting panels includes a bolt and nut. The bolt includes a shaft, bolt head, and lug. The bolt head is between the shaft and lug. The shaft defines external threads opposite the bolt head. The lug includes a first tool engagement portion and first frangible portion that connects the lug and bolt head. The nut includes a sleeve, nut head, and handling member. A central bore of the sleeve receives the shaft and defines internal threads mated with the external threads. The nut head is between the handling member and sleeve. The nut head extends radially from the sleeve and defines a recess that receives the bolt head. The handling member surrounds a portion of the lug. The handling member includes a second frangible portion and a second tool engagement portion. The second frangible portion couples the second tool engagement portion to the nut head.