US3557750A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for applying a thermoplastic locking patch on a threaded fastener
Assignee: SPS Technologies LLC
•
Filing: 1968-07-01
•
Granted: 1971-01-26
•
Expires: 1988-07-01
Abstract
Abstract A finely powdered thermoplastic material is placed in a fluidizing chamber and is dispensed on a preheated threaded fastener element in controlled amounts by controlled air pulsations which pass through a venturi tube arrangement. The powdered material is deposited on the threaded surface in a predetermined amount and is fused thereto to provide a locking patch of solidified thermoplastic material.
Inventors
- 👤 James J Gallagher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:11
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05B; B05B7/00; B05B7/14; B05B7/1404; B05B13/00; B05B13/02; B05B13/0221; B05B13/0242; B05B7/1472; B05D; B05D7/00; B05D7/14; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S411/00; Y10S411/924; Y10S411/947
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
An apparatus for depositing a patch of thermoplastic material on the thread surface of a threaded fastener element comprising: support means for retaining a plurality of threaded fastener elements and for sequentially transporting said fastener elements to a plastic application station; a fluidizing chamber for fluidizing finely powdered thermoplastic material; means to extract a predetermined quantity of said fLuidized thermoplastic material from said chamber; and a delivery system to direct said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material to the thread surface of a threaded fastener element, said delivery system including a discharge tube including a portion having a generally elliptical cross section which terminates at said plastic application station in close proximity to said support means whereby a generally elongated patch of said thermoplastic material is deposited on the thread surface of the threaded fastener element located at said plastic application station.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
141 words
An apparatus for depositing a patch of thermoplastic material on the thread surface of a threaded fastener element comprising: support means for retaining a plurality of threaded fastener elements and for sequentially transporting said fastener elements to a plastic application station; a fluidizing chamber for fluidizing finely powdered thermoplastic material; means to extract a predetermined quantity of said fLuidized thermoplastic material from said chamber; and a delivery system to direct said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material to the thread surface of a threaded fastener element, said delivery system including a discharge tube including a portion having a generally elliptical cross section which terminates at said plastic application station in close proximity to said support means whereby a generally elongated patch of said thermoplastic material is deposited on the thread surface of the threaded fastener element located at said plastic application station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said delivery system includes: a source of carrier fluid under pressure; and a pulsating fluid valve to admit periodically a predetermined volume of said carrier fluid for a predetermined duration into said delivery system thereby to entrain said thermoplastic material in discrete, timed pulsations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said carrier fluid is a gas, said delivery system includes a venturi nozzle to increase the velocity and reduce the pressure of said pulse of carrier gas, and said means to extract a predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material includes a fluid communication line from said chamber to the throat of said nozzle whereby as said pulse of carrier gas passes through said nozzle throat said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material is extracted and entrained.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said fluidizing chamber includes an upper material storage chamber and a lower air dispersion chamber separated by a porous membrane, said lower chamber including an air entry line to admit air under pressure thereby to activate said thermoplastic material in said upper material storage chamber and maintain said thermoplastic material therein in a fluidized state and vibrator means in said lower chamber to evenly distribute the air from said line upward through said membrane into said upper material storage chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means retaining a plurality of threaded fastener elements, includes means to index said threaded fastener elements serially to a patch-applying station, said indexing means being coordinated with the periodic pulsation of carrier fluid whereby successive ones of said fastener elements are indexed into said patch-applying station there to receive on a portion of the threaded surface said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material entrained in said pulsation of carrier fluid.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said plastic application station includes a pair of relatively movable jaw chucks adapted to confine the thread surface of the threaded fastener element located in said patch-applying station and wherein said portion of said discharge tube having an elliptical cross section extends through one of said jaw chucks.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said support means includes a tray including a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive a threaded fastener element and wherein said portion of said discharge tube having an elliptical cross section extends downwardly into the recess located at said plastic application station.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
153 words
An apparatus for applying a patch of thermoplastic material on a portion of the threaded surface of a threaded fastener element comprising: an indexable threaded fastener-retaining support having a plurality of fastener-retaining stations, said support adapted to index, at predetermined intervals, a fastener element in each said station to a patch-applying station; means for agitating finely powdered thermoplastic material into a fluidized state; means to meter a predetermined quantity of said fluidized material at discrete timed intervals; and means to deliver said predetermined quantity of fluidized material to the thread surface of a fastener element in said patch-applying station, said delivery means including a discharge tube including a portion having a genErally elliptical cross section which terminates at said patch-applying station in close proximity to said threaded fastener-retaining support, whereby a generally elongated patch of said thermoplastic material is deposited on the thread surface of the threaded fastener element in said patch-applying station.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
153 words
An apparatus for applying a patch of thermoplastic material on a portion of the threaded surface of a threaded fastener element comprising: an indexable threaded fastener-retaining support having a plurality of fastener-retaining stations, said support adapted to index, at predetermined intervals, a fastener element in each said station to a patch-applying station; means for agitating finely powdered thermoplastic material into a fluidized state; means to meter a predetermined quantity of said fluidized material at discrete timed intervals; and means to deliver said predetermined quantity of fluidized material to the thread surface of a fastener element in said patch-applying station, said delivery means including a discharge tube including a portion having a genErally elliptical cross section which terminates at said patch-applying station in close proximity to said threaded fastener-retaining support, whereby a generally elongated patch of said thermoplastic material is deposited on the thread surface of the threaded fastener element in said patch-applying station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means to meter a predetermined quantity of fluidized material includes: a source of pressurized air; a pulsating valve adapted to admit pulses of air from said pressurized source, said pulses being for a predetermined duration and having a predetermined volume; a venturi nozzle in fluid communication with said valve and adapted to receive said air pulsations; a delivery line having one end in fluid communication with the throat of said venturi nozzle and its other end in fluid communication with said fluidized thermoplastic material whereby when a pulse of air passes through said nozzle the throat pressure of said nozzle is decreased thereby creating a partial vacuum which extracts said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material thereby to entrain said predetermined quantity of material in said pulse of air.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
306 words
An apparatus for depositing a patch of thermoplastic material on the thread surface of a threaded fastener element comprising: a fluidizing chamber for fluidizing finely powdered thermoplastic material; means to extract a predetermined quantity of said fluidized thermoplastic material from said chamber; a delivery system to direct said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material to the thread surface of a threaded fastener element, said delivery system including a source of carrier fluid under pressure; a pulsating fluid valve to admit periodically a predetermined volume of said carrier fluid for a predetermined duration into said delivery system, thereby to entrain said thermoplastic material in discrete, timed pulsations; means to accommodate a plurality of threaded fastener elements including means to index said threaded fastener elements serially to a patch-applying station, said indexing means being coordinated with the periodic pulsation of said carrier fluid whereby successive ones of said fastener elements are indexed into said patch-applying station there to receive on a portion of the threaded surface said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material entrained in said pulsation of carrier fluid; and said threaded fastener elements being bolts and said patch-applying station including a pair of movable jaw chucks, each said jaw chuck having an opposed facing channel portion therein defining, when said jaw chucks are in abutting relation, a bolt-shank-receiving cavity, said jaw chucks being movable from a first open position to allow passage of a bolt shank therebetween, as said bolts are indexed, to a closed abutting position when a bolt is at said patch-applying station wherein said bolt shank is closely confined within said bolt shank receiving cavity, and said delivery system includes a discharge tube housed within an aperture in one of said jaw chucks and oriented such that the discharge of said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material is directed to a portion of a bolt shank.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
306 words
An apparatus for depositing a patch of thermoplastic material on the thread surface of a threaded fastener element comprising: a fluidizing chamber for fluidizing finely powdered thermoplastic material; means to extract a predetermined quantity of said fluidized thermoplastic material from said chamber; a delivery system to direct said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material to the thread surface of a threaded fastener element, said delivery system including a source of carrier fluid under pressure; a pulsating fluid valve to admit periodically a predetermined volume of said carrier fluid for a predetermined duration into said delivery system, thereby to entrain said thermoplastic material in discrete, timed pulsations; means to accommodate a plurality of threaded fastener elements including means to index said threaded fastener elements serially to a patch-applying station, said indexing means being coordinated with the periodic pulsation of said carrier fluid whereby successive ones of said fastener elements are indexed into said patch-applying station there to receive on a portion of the threaded surface said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material entrained in said pulsation of carrier fluid; and said threaded fastener elements being bolts and said patch-applying station including a pair of movable jaw chucks, each said jaw chuck having an opposed facing channel portion therein defining, when said jaw chucks are in abutting relation, a bolt-shank-receiving cavity, said jaw chucks being movable from a first open position to allow passage of a bolt shank therebetween, as said bolts are indexed, to a closed abutting position when a bolt is at said patch-applying station wherein said bolt shank is closely confined within said bolt shank receiving cavity, and said delivery system includes a discharge tube housed within an aperture in one of said jaw chucks and oriented such that the discharge of said predetermined quantity of thermoplastic material is directed to a portion of a bolt shank.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2921555A
Cited
US2919160A
Cited
US3000752A
Cited
US3291630A
Cited
US3336903A
Cited
US3384048A
Cited
US3416492A
Cited
US3452714A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-01-25 | 1974-07-27 | 1975-01-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-01-25 | 1978-07-27 | 1979-01-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-01-25 | 1982-07-27 | 1983-01-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |