Installation/processing systems, methods, and components

Abstract

A processing tool to process workpieces, for example cold working holes and/or installing expandable members into holes includes an expansion assembly with a plurality of elongated expansion segments. A first band and a second band couple the expansion segments into an array with the expansion segments circumferentially distributed about a longitudinal axis, with a passageway extending between the arrayed segments. The processing tool may include a tuning assembly that allows a radial expansion amount of the expansion assembly to be adjusted without altering a stroke length of a drive member of the processing tool. Sensors may sense various aspects of the processing performed by the processing tool to enable analysis and storage of information regarding performance of the process and/or materials processed by the processing tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An expansion assembly, comprising:
 a plurality of elongated expansion segments, each of the expansion segments having a contact surface and a drive surface; and   a first band and a second band coupling the expansion segments into an array with the expansion segments circumferentially distributed about a longitudinal axis, with a passageway extending between the arrayed segments.   
     
     
         2 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first band and the second band are located on proximate ends of the expansion segments with respect to a length of the array. 
     
     
         3 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first band and the second band are located on opposite sides of a center of a length of the array. 
     
     
         4 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a core element that is movable within the passageway along the longitudinal axis from a first position to a second position to drive each respective one of the plurality of expansion segments in a respective radial direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a core element that is movable within the passageway along the longitudinal axis to expand the expansion segments without pivoting by physical interaction between the core element and the drive surfaces of the plurality of expansion segments. 
     
     
         6 . The expansion assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the passageway includes a first taper that is defined by the bearing surfaces of the plurality of expansion segments, and the core element includes a second taper. 
     
     
         7 . The expansion assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first taper and the second taper are non-conical tapers. 
     
     
         8 . The expansion assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the drive surface of each of the plurality of expansion segments defines a portion of the first taper, and the second taper of the drive member includes a plurality of planar bearing surfaces that each respectively corresponds to one of the drive surfaces of one of the plurality of complementary segments and which define a portion of the second taper. 
     
     
         9 . The expansion assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the core has a polygonal cross section with respect to a central axis of the core. 
     
     
         10 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of expansion segments includes a portion of linearly decreasing thickness along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive surface of each of the plurality of expansion segments is a bevel that extends in a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion segments each include a respective first and second retainer, and, in use, the first band and the second band are located in respective ones of the first and second retainers. 
     
     
         13 . The expansion assembly of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first and second retainers is a groove in an outer surface of at least one of the plurality of expansion segments. 
     
     
         14 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the each of the plurality of expansion elements includes a flange that extends radially outward with respect to the contact surface, and the flange is located between the first band and the second band. 
     
     
         15 . The expansion assembly of  1 , further comprising:
 a nose cap including an interior face and through hole; and   a retaining member seated within the adjustment cap so that the flange of each of the plurality of expansion elements is secured between the retaining member and the interior face of the nose cap.   
     
     
         16 . The expansion assembly of  1 , wherein each of the expansion segments includes a portion on one end of the contact surface with respect to the longitudinal axis that, when the expansion segments are assembled together, forms a ring portion with a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the contact surface proximate to a center of the expansion segments with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The expansion assembly of  1 , wherein at least one of the expansion segments includes a longitudinally extending ridge on the contact surface. 
     
     
         18 . The expansion assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion assembly includes four of the expansion segments. 
     
     
         19 . A tuning assembly for use in a processing system that includes an expansion assembly including a plurality of expansion elements, and a drive member that is movable in a longitudinal direction to actuate each respective one of the plurality of expansion segments of the expansion assembly in a respective radial direction substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the expansion assembly, the longitudinal direction being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the tuning assembly comprising:
 a mechanism configured to selectively adjust a maximum radial expansion amount of the expansion assembly without altering a stroke length of the drive member.   
     
     
         20 . The tuning assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the expansion segments of the expansion system are arranged circumferentially in an array distributed about the longitudinal axis, with a passageway extending between the arrayed expansion segments, the expansion assembly includes a core element movable in the passageway in the longitudinal direction to drive each respective one of the plurality of expansion segments in the respective radial direction by physical interaction between the core element and drive surfaces of the plurality of expansion segments, and the tuning mechanism is configured to translate the expansion segments relative to the core element along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         21 . The tuning assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the processing system includes a housing that houses the drive member, the tuning assembly is coupled to the housing for selective movement with respect to the housing in the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of expansion segments are coupled to the housing so as to be fixed with respect to the housing in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         22 . The tuning assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the tuning assembly is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the housing between a plurality of fixed positions, each fixed position corresponding to a different maximum radial expansion amount of the expansion assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The tuning assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the tuning assembly is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to a housing that houses the drive member between a plurality of fixed positions, each fixed position corresponding to a different maximum radial expansion amount of the expansion assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The tuning assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the tuning assembly includes a tuning cylinder that is fixed relative to the plurality of expansion segments in the longitudinal direction, and the tuning cylinder is selectively movable relative to a housing that houses the drive member in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         25 . The tuning assembly of  claim 24 , wherein the tuning assembly includes an index ring that is coupled to the tuning cylinder, the index ring fixed relative to the tuning cylinder with respect to a rotational direction about the longitudinal axis, the index ring selectively engageable with the housing at plurality of fixed positions in the rotational direction, each fixed position corresponding to a different maximum radial expansion amount of the expansion assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The tuning assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the expansion segments are circumferentially distributed in an array about a longitudinal axis, with a passageway extending between the arrayed segments, the expansion assembly includes a core element movable in the passageway in the longitudinal direction to drive each respective one of the plurality of expansion segments in the respective radial direction by physical interaction between the core element and drive surfaces of the plurality of expansion segments, and the tuning assembly is configured to adjust a depth of penetration in the longitudinal direction of the core element into the passageway.