This invention relates to a Special Powered Rivet Cutter for removing riveted fasteners. More particularly, the present invention is related to a method of extracting a riveted fastener and to apparatuses used to perform such extraction. This is generally related to cutting tools, and, more particularly, to cutting tools used for cutting solid, high strength materials such as metals. Moreover, this invention relates to tools and methods for removing a rivet after it has been installed, and more specifically relates to a rivet removal tool and method which eliminates, or at least substantially reduces, the end load which must be applied to drill out a button and remove a rivet. It relates, therefore, to the removal of rivets from riveted constructions and more particularly to tools for use in such operations.
None.
None.
As far as known, there are no special rivet cutters found that have the same features and functions as the Special Powered Rivet Cutter presented by Bowman in this application.
Rivet removal can be performed in several ways. However, to date these all have limitations and concerns. Cutting tools, as one method, are well-known. Conventional cutting tools generally include a pair of opposing jaws with sharpened edges which pivot such that the jaws can be operated to be separated and brought together, often using levers to actuate the jaws, forcing the sharpened edges against the material to be cut. The cutting stroke generally begins with the jaws being separated as the levers are moved apart, the material to be cut is inserted between the opened jaws, and the jaws are forced together as the levers are moved together, creating a force which exceeds the strength of the material within the jaws, thus cutting the material. More often than not, the cutting tool results in scratches the surface of the sheets being fastened as typically, the jaws come together in either a scissors shear cutting action, where the jaw edges overlap at the end of the cutting stroke or in a pliers cutting action, where the jaw edges abut one another at the end of the cutting stroke. The force imposed on the material is sufficient to mar and damage the sheets being held. A deficiency of the prior art is that conventional shear type cutting tools are not suitable for cutting relatively thick materials. As the thickness of the work piece increases, the cutting action becomes less efficient. With shear type cutting tools, twisting forces are developed by the non-aligned cutting members further damaging the work.
Self-piercing rivets are used in many applications in order to secure two or more work pieces together. When a self-piercing rivet is installed, it is pushed into engagement with the work pieces such that a portion of the rivet expands and the work pieces deform around the expanded portion of the rivet. The expanded portion of the rivet becomes effectively embedded or encapsulated in the work pieces, thereby securing the work pieces together. The deformation of the work pieces causes a protrusion, often referred to as a “button”, to form on the other side (i.e. the blind side) of the rivet, and the button includes the expanded portion of the rivet therein. Sometimes, it is desirable to remove a rivet after it has been installed. One example is when the work pieces have become misaligned, such as during the riveting process. Prior art practices of removing a rivet after it has been installed involve initially grinding off the button. Attempting to remove a rivet by first grinding of the button is undesirable for several reasons. The grinding operation often requires that a relatively substantial end load be applied to the button (i.e. to the grinder which engages the button). This may be very difficult to achieve in light of the position of the rivet and the particular application. Even if it is possible to grind off the rivet, it becomes very difficult to push out the rivet because of the uneven ground surface. Lining up of a push out tool to the ground rivet is done by sight, which may be difficult if the rivet is in a position that is hard to see. This may also distort the hole if not lined up properly making it less likely to put a rivet back in the hole. Additionally, if the grinder slips during the grinding, it may mar the work piece. Finally, the grinding causes dust to spray into the air. This is undesirable and may create a workplace hazard, especially if the dust which sprays into the air is toxic.
Other types of prior rivet removers are proportioned for use with rivets of a particular size or limited range of sizes. Thus a number of such tools of different sizes are needed for optimum performance in extracting rivets of widely varying size. It would be advantageous if a single such tool was adaptable to rivets of diverse different sizes. Avoiding damage to the riveted structural members during use of the prior rivet removers is dependent on operator skill. It would also be advantageous if the tool itself limited penetration into the rivet head and did so in a manner that is compatible with rivets of varying sizes.
Extraction of a rivet requires removal of at least the flange portion of a rivet head at one side of the riveted construction to enable ejection of the rivet at the other side of the construction. Removal of the rivet head with a grinding tool or with a general purpose drill can easily result in damaging of the structural members that are secured together by the rivet. It is difficult to position and control such tools in a manner which will accomplish the desired result without grinding or cutting into the structural members. Such damage may be unacceptable in instances where new rivets will be installed to enable reuse of the riveted structure. An ordinary drill can also be ineffective for rivet removal in instances where the rivet is loose and simply rotates with the drill.
Rivet removal therefore has several problems. The need to have a powered tool that can be lightweight enough for an operator to control the jaws and keep from harming the surface. It needs to be powered by various means: electric, battery, pneumatic/compressed air or even as a hydraulic powered devices. Finally, it need a simple configuration that can have its own handle or easily connect to a handle and should be essentially held and operated by the left or right arm during use.
For the special Powered Rivet Cutter device, a novelty search was accomplished. It revealed, as far as known, there are no Powered Rivet Cutter devices or the like. It is believed that this product is unique in its design and technologies. Prior art discovered includes:
As can be observed, none of the prior art has anticipated or caused one skilled in the art of powered or impact rivet cutters and the like devices to see this new invention by Bowman as obvious to a person skilled in the ordinary art of the industry. The A Special Powered Rivet Cutter device provides an answer to the fast and easy cutting and removal of rivets in most settings. The device is light, fast, easy to hold and handle, and adaptable to many types of power/impact drivers. These features provide a non-anticipated and non-obvious improvement as a tool for cutting and removing rivets.
This invention is a Special Powered Rivet Cutter. The preferred embodiment of the device is made of durable and lightweight material and comprised of: (a) a pair of cutting jaws, a first jaw and an opposite jaw, each with cutting edges and each with a pivot apertures and a power connection aperture; (b) a top plate and bottom plate each with a pair of apertures over the pivot apertures; (c) a pair of pivot pins washers and retainer nuts or a means to pivotally fasten the pivot pins to the jaws and washer, the pins being through the top and bottom plates and through each of the first jaw and opposite jaw; and (d) a pair of power pins connected to each other by a pair of span units with left and right handed threads and the pair of span units engaged with an externally threaded driver bar having a driver connection wherein the driver connection can be removably attached to an impact drive unit to power and rotate the drive bar and thereby actuate and pivot the jaws to engage the cutting edges with a rivet or equal fastener and shear the rivet at the point of engagement. The newly invented Special Powered Rivet Cutter can be manufactured at low volumes by very simple means and in high volume production by more complex and controlled systems.
There are several advantages of the Special Powered Rivet Cutter:
Finally, other advantages and additional features of the present Special Powered Rivet Cutter will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the full description of the device. For one skilled in the art of rivet remover devices and other cutting tools and products, it is readily understood that the features shown in the examples with this configured product and device are readily adapted to other types of rivet and cutting tool devices and similar tools or apparatus.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the Special Powered Rivet Cutter. The drawings together with the summary description given above and a detailed description given below serve to explain the principles of the Special Powered Rivet Cutter device. It is understood, however, that the device is not limited to only the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
The following list refers to the drawings:
The present development is a Special Powered Rivet Cutter device. This invention relates to a Special Powered Rivet Cutter for removing riveted fasteners. More particularly, the present invention is related to a method of extracting a riveted fastener and to apparatuses used to perform such extraction. This is generally related to cutting tools, and, more particularly, to cutting tools used for cutting solid, high strength materials such as metals. Moreover, this invention relates to tools and methods for removing a rivet after it has been installed, and more specifically relates to a rivet removal tool and method which eliminates, or at least substantially reduces, the end load which must be applied to drill out a button and remove a rivet. It relates, therefore, to the removal of rivets from riveted constructions and more particularly to tools for use in such operations.
The advantages for the Special Powered Rivet Cutter are listed above in the introduction. Succinctly these are:
The preferred embodiment of this invention is a Special Powered Rivet Cutter 30 made of durable and lightweight material and comprised of: (a) a pair of cutting jaws, a first jaw 40 and an opposite jaw 40A, each with cutting edges 41 and each with a pivot apertures 48 and a power connection aperture 49; (b) a top plate 45 and bottom plate 47 each with a pair of apertures 46 over the pivot apertures; (c) a pair of pivot pins 50, 50A, washers 53 and retainer nuts 53A or a means (or threaded bottom plate 47) to pivotally fasten the pivot pins 50, 50A to the jaws 40, 40A and washer 53, the pins being through the top and bottom plates and through each of the first jaw and opposite jaw; and (d) a pair of power pins 60, 60A connected to each other by a pair of span units 72, 72A with left and right handed threads 76, 76A and the pair of span units 72, 72A engaged with an externally threaded driver bar 75 (these anticipate fine threads or the like to have superior control and maximum pressure transfer to cutting edge 41 from power impact driver 110 having a driver connection 77 wherein the driver connection 77 can be removably attached to a power air impact drive unit 110 to power and rotate the drive bar 75 and thereby actuate and pivot the jaws to engage the cutting edges with a rivet or equal fastener and shear the rivet at the point of engagement.
This invention relates to a Special Powered Rivet Cutter for removing riveted fasteners. More particularly, the present invention is related to a method of extracting a riveted fastener and to apparatuses used to perform such extraction. A special power rivet cutter made of durable and lightweight material and comprised of: (a) a pair of cutting jaws, a first jaw and an opposite jaw, each with cutting edges and each with a pivot apertures and a power connection aperture; (b) a top plate and bottom plate each with a pair of apertures over the pivot apertures; (c) a pair of pivot pins washers and retainer nuts or a means to pivotally fasten the pivot pins to the jaws and washer, the pins being through the top and bottom plates and through each of the first jaw and opposite jaw; and (d) a pair of power pins connected to each other by a pair of span units with left and right handed threads and the pair of span units engaged with an externally threaded driver bar having a driver connection wherein the driver connection can be removably attached to a power impact drive unit 110 to power and rotate the drive bar and thereby actuate and pivot the jaws to engage the cutting edges with a rivet or equal fastener and shear the rivet at the point of engagement.
There is shown in
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the Special Powered Rivet Cutter 30 that is preferred. The drawings together with the summary description given above and a detailed description given below serve to explain the principles of the Special Powered Rivet Cutter device 30. It is understood, however, that the rivet cutting device 30 is not limited to only the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. Other examples of rivet and fastener cutting tools and devices are still understood by one skilled in the art of cutting and removal devices and the like to be within the scope and spirit shown here.
The special power rivet cutter can be made of various materials. For example, and not as a limitation, the device could be manufactured from metal, steel, steel alloys, aluminum, composite materials, and other rigid, high strength and durable materials.
The details mentioned here are exemplary and not limiting. Other specific components and manners specific to describing a Special Powered Rivet Cutter device 30 can be added as a person having ordinary skill in the field of the art of rivet and fastener cutting devices and their uses well appreciates.
The Special Powered Rivet Cutter device 30 has been described in the above embodiment. The manner of how the device operates is described below. One notes well that the description above and the operation described here must be taken together to fully illustrate the concept of the Special Powered Rivet Cutter device 30.
The preferred embodiment is a special power rivet cutter 30 made of durable and lightweight material and comprised of: (a) a pair of cutting jaws, a first jaw 40 and an opposite jaw 40A, each with cutting edges 41 and each with a pivot apertures 48 and a power connection aperture 49; (b) a top plate 45 and bottom plate 47 each with a pair of apertures 46 over the pivot apertures; (c) a pair of pivot pins 50, 50A, washers 53 and retainer nuts 53A or a means to pivotally fasten the pivot pins 50, 50A to the jaws 40, 40A and washer 53, the pins being through the top and bottom plates and through each of the first jaw and opposite jaw; and (d) a pair of power pins 60, 60A connected to each other by a pair of span units 72, 72A with left and right handed threads 76, 76A and the pair of span units 72, 72A engaged with an externally threaded driver bar 75 having a driver connection 77 wherein the driver connection 77 can be removably attached to a power impact drive unit 110 to power and rotate the drive bar 75 and thereby actuate and pivot the jaws to engage the cutting edges with a rivet or equal fastener and shear the rivet at the point of engagement.
The Special Powered Rivet Cutter device 30 is operated by selecting a power impact driver 110 and attaching it to the device 30 at the power connection 77. The operator/user then holds the device 30 in his/her left or right hand by the grip 85 attached to the handle 80. The jaws 40, 40A are the opened by powering the impact driver 110. Once the jaws 40, 40A are open, the edge 41 is placed next to a rivet 100 on a workpiece. The power impact unit 110 again is turned on and the jaws 40, 40A close around the rivet 100 and shear it 100. The device is then removed from the old rivet 100 and workpiece. If the shank of the rivet remains, a simple punch or rod/nail can push the remaining shank out of the workpiece. Then the process is repeated as needed to remove other rivets. One skilled in fastener and cutting tools appreciates that the device 30 can be used with other fasteners such as screws, standard and machine bolts, cotter pins, nails, etc.
With this description it is to be understood that the special powered rivet cutter is not to be limited to only the disclosed embodiment of product shown herein. The features and components of the device 30 are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the description.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which these inventions belong. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present inventions, the preferred methods and materials are now described above in the foregoing paragraphs.
Other embodiments of the invention are possible. Although the description above contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
The terms recited in the claims should be given their ordinary and customary meaning as determined by reference to relevant entries (e.g., definition of “plane” as a carpenter's tool would not be relevant to the use of the term “plane” when used to refer to an airplane, etc.) in dictionaries (e.g., widely used general reference dictionaries and/or relevant technical dictionaries), commonly understood meanings by those in the art, etc., with the understanding that the broadest meaning imparted by any one or combination of these sources should be given to the claim terms (e.g., two or more relevant dictionary entries should be combined to provide the broadest meaning of the combination of entries, etc.) subject only to the following exceptions: (a) if a term is used herein in a manner more expansive than its ordinary and customary meaning, the term should be given its ordinary and customary meaning plus the additional expansive meaning, or (b) if a term has been explicitly defined to have a different meaning by reciting the term followed by the phrase “as used herein shall mean” or similar language (e.g., “herein this term means,” “as defined herein,” “for the purposes of this disclosure [the term] shall mean,” etc.). References to specific examples, use of “i.e.,” use of the word “invention,” etc., are not meant to invoke exception (b) or otherwise restrict the scope of the recited claim terms. Other than situations where exception (b) applies, nothing contained herein should be considered a disclaimer or disavowal of claim scope. Accordingly, the subject matter recited in the claims is not coextensive with and should not be interpreted to be coextensive with any particular embodiment, feature, or combination of features shown herein. This is true even if only a single embodiment of the particular feature or combination of features is illustrated and described herein. Thus, the appended claims should be read to be given their broadest interpretation in view of the prior art and the ordinary meaning of the claim terms.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
The present invention contemplates modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art. While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the figures and the foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only selected embodiments save been shown and described and that all changes, modifications and equivalents that come within the spirit of the disclosures described heretofore and or/defined by the following claims are desired to be protected.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/723,860 filed Aug. 28, 2018, by Billy H. Bowman, II. The application is entitled “A Special Powered Rivet Cutter”.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62723860 | Aug 2018 | US |