System for rivet fastening

Abstract

A system for rivet setting comprising an anvil having an anvil face and a plunger having a sensor coupled to a control system that measures the distance between the anvil face and the work surface during the rivet setting process and stops the rivet driver when the driven rivet head achieves a desired head height above the work surface. In preferred embodiments, the control system also communicates the stage of the rivet driving cycle to the operators to expedite the rivet driving process.

1 . An analysis system for analyzing the driving of rivets to fasten a workpiece, comprising:
 (a) a database system operative to store a plurality of rivet driving information related to fastening a rivet in a work piece with a rivet driver, said information being categorically matched according to a plurality of rivet driving functions; and   (b) an analysis tool operative to:
 compare a first data set from a single driven rivet to a second data set from a plurality of driven rivets, when said first data set and said second data set share at least one of said categorized said functions; 
 determine an anomaly condition if said first data set is characteristically different from said second data set; and 
 indicate said anomaly condition. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said analysis tool can also identify if said anomaly condition is representative of at least one of the following error types:
 non-concentrically aligned holes in said work piece; 
 an improper rivet size; 
 an incorrect hole size; 
 a deformed hole; 
 an air gap; and/or 
 a deviation of rivet material properties. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said rivet driving function is selected from the group consisting of:
 a not plastically deformed first protruding rivet shank length; 
 a desired second protruding rivet shank length; 
 a set third plastically deformed protruding rivet shank length; 
 a step-wise plurality of plastically deformed protruding rivet shank lengths; 
 an elapsed time to set a rivet; 
 a tally of rivet gun impact blows; 
 a scalar of rivet gun driving force; 
 a first acceleration measurement operative to indicate a first acceleration of a bucking bar in response to a rivet driver applied load source; 
 a second acceleration measurement operative to indicate a second acceleration of said rivet driver in response to said rivet driver applied load source; 
 a rivet gun hammering frequency; 
 a rivet code; and 
 a spectral frequency operative to indicate vibration of a plunger. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said first data set and said second data set characterize any one of said plurality of rivet driving functions while categorically sharing at least one said function. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said indicator of said anomaly condition is a change to a rivet driver regulated load source; and 
 said rivet driver load source force is adjusted to optimize rivet driving. 
 
     
     
         6 . A system to aid collinear alignment of a bucking bar tool, a set tool, and a shank axis, on a slender rivet shank for fastening a rivet in a work piece with a rivet driver, said system comprising:
 a first three-dimensional position orientation sensor affixed to the bucking bar and producing a first plurality of input signals;   a second three-dimensional position orientation sensor affixed to the rivet driver and producing a second plurality of input signals; and   a control subsystem operative to:
 enable and disable the rivet driver; 
 receive said first plurality of input signals from said first sensor; 
 receive said second plurality of input signals from said second sensor; 
 determine if the bucking bar and rivet gun substantially share a parallel orientation, representative of a rivet driving configuration; and 
 operate to disable the rivet driver when said parallel orientation is not maintained during a rivet driving stage.