Hand held joining apparatus

Abstract

A force generating apparatus includes a housing, a piston movably mounted in a cavity and a punch and die mounted in the housing. The punch and die are normally spaced apart to receive two overlapping sheets of metal. The piston moves a wedge against the punch toward the die in order to clinch two overlapping sheets together.

The invention as claimed is:  
     
         1 . A workpiece joining apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a central axis;    a punch disposed on the central axis;    a die aligned with the punch;    a piston movably mounted in the housing; and    a wedge located between the piston and the punch, the wedge being operable by the movement of the piston to urge the punch along the central axis relative to the die.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the housing has a bore and a cavity, the punch is disposed in the bore, the piston is disposed in the cavity, the cavity has a piston axis defined by the direction of travel of the piston and the piston axis is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the bore has an open end and an opposite closed end, the closed end has an inclined surface to slidingly engage the wedge as the wedge moves into the bore.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 3  further comprising: 
 a spacer adjacent the wedge, the spacer having at least one slanted surface, and the wedge having an inclined surface to slidingly engage the slanted surface of the spacer.  
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a spring biasing the punch away from the die.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the punch and the die operably create a workpiece joint.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the wedge has at least one inclined surface.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the piston is pneumatically moved in the cavity in a linear direction by air pressure.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the elongated orientation of the wedge is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.  
     
     
         10 . A force generating device comprising: 
 a workpiece joining member;    a first member coupled to the workpiece joining member, the first member having an inclined surface, the first member being moveable in a first linear direction;    a second member adjacent the first member, the second member having an inclined surface to engage the inclined surface of the first member; and    a piston adjacent to the first member, the piston operably advancing in a second linear direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, so that the piston urges the second member to slidingly engage the first member to generate force which is transmitted to the workpiece joining member.    
     
     
         11 . The device as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the workpiece joining member is disposed on a central axis, the workpiece joining member has a die and a punch in a normally spaced apart condition, the punch is urged toward the die along the central axis when the force is transmitted to the workpiece joining member.  
     
     
         12 . The device as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a third member adjacent the second member, the third member has at least one slanted surface to engage the inclined surface of the second member.  
 
     
     
         13 . The device as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the biasing member is a spring.  
     
     
         14 . The device as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising a biasing member and wherein the punch is biased away from the die by the biasing member.  
     
     
         15 . A hand held apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a cavity;    a punch and die coupled to the housing, the punch and die being substantially aligned on a central axis;    a piston movably mounted in the cavity;    a wedge drivingly located substantially between the piston and the punch, the wedge operably advancing the punch along the central axis toward the die;    at least two overlapping workpiece sheets disposed between the punch and the die; and    a clinch joint formed between the overlapping sheets when the piston moves substantially perpendicular to the punch thereby urging the punch toward the die and engaging the overlapping sheets.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the wedge is connected to the piston.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the opposite end of said punch has an inclined surface.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the wedge has an inclined surface, the inclined surface slidingly engaging the inclined surface of the punch.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 18  further comprising: 
 a biasing member connected to the punch and urging the punch away from the die.  
 
     
     
         20 . A method of workpiece joining using a punch, piston, a first inclined member, and a second inclined member, the method comprising: 
 (a) moving the piston in a first direction;    (b) moving the first inclined member in the first direction in response to step (a);    (c) moving the second inclined member in a second direction, substantially perpendicular to the first direction, in response to step (b); and    (d) advancing the punch substantially in the second direction.    
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the axis of the cavity is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the bore.  
     
     
         22 . The method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the bore has an open end and an opposite closed end, the closed end has an inclined surface to slidingly engage the wedge as the wedge moves radially into the bore.  
     
     
         23 . The method as claimed in  claim 22  further comprising: 
 biasing the punch away from the die.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the moving step includes forming a force multiplier when the wedge slides against the punch.  
     
     
         25 . The method as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the biasing step includes a spring and a rod, the rod is adjustably mounted to the punch, the spring is disposed in a second bore, the second bore is adjacent but spaced away from the bore, the spring is adjustable in the second bore.  
     
     
         26 . The method as claimed in  claim 23  further comprising: 
 placing at least two overlapping sheets between the punch and a die.  
 
     
     
         27 . The method as claimed in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 forming a clinch joint between the at least two overlapping workpiece sheets.  
 
     
     
         28 . The method as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the wedge has an elongated portion, the elongated portion has an inclined surface, the punch has an inclined surface, the inclined surface of the wedge slidingly engages the inclined surface of the punch.  
     
     
         29 . The method as claimed in  claim 20  further comprising the steps of: 
 supplying fluid against the piston to urge the piston in a linear direction.  
 
     
     
         30 . The method as claimed in  claim 20  further comprising the steps of: 
 supplying pneumatic fluid against the piston.  
 
     
     
         31 . The method as claimed in  claim 20  further comprising manually holding and moving an assembly including the punch, piston and inclined members.  
     
     
         32 . The method as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the first member having a vertical axis and an angle defined by said vertical axis and the inclined surface, the angle being between 2 to 10 degrees.