Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
In a method of securing together by staking at least two generally planar, rigid strips of deformable material, including superimposing said strips on a die having a fixed anvil, positioning strip-supporting members on either side of said anvil resiliently urged toward said anvil to provide a forming space above and laterally below the working face of said anvil, and aligning a punch with and above said anvil for movement theretoward with said strips therebetween, the improvement which comprises in a single stroke of said punch forcing material of said strips toward said anvil to cause flow of some of the material of the strip nearer said die into said space laterally of and below the working face of said anvil to form a hollow boss, and to cause flow of material of the strip further from said anvil into the material of said strip nearer said anvil to displace the same and laterally interlock therewith and thereby secure said strips together.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
161 words
In a method of securing together by staking at least two generally planar, rigid strips of deformable material, including superimposing said strips on a die having a fixed anvil, positioning strip-supporting members on either side of said anvil resiliently urged toward said anvil to provide a forming space above and laterally below the working face of said anvil, and aligning a punch with and above said anvil for movement theretoward with said strips therebetween, the improvement which comprises in a single stroke of said punch forcing material of said strips toward said anvil to cause flow of some of the material of the strip nearer said die into said space laterally of and below the working face of said anvil to form a hollow boss, and to cause flow of material of the strip further from said anvil into the material of said strip nearer said anvil to displace the same and laterally interlock therewith and thereby secure said strips together.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said strips are formed of mild steel and are of substantially uniform thickness in the neighborhood of 0.1 inch.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as defined by claim 2, wherein the forming space laterally of said anvil working face is defined by surfaces sloping toward each other and in the direction of said working face.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as defined by claim 3, wherein the flow of material in said space laterally of and below the working face of said anvil forms lateral downwardly presented flanges at the lower end of said hollow boss.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as defined by claim 4, wherein the lower portion of said punch is provided with a pair of opposed downwardly sloping faces converging toward the striking end thereof and with a pair of parallel plane faces terminating at said striking end.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as defined by claim 5, wherein the strip-supporting members are resiliently urged toward said anvil to resist the lateral enlargement of said forming space during flow of material thereinto while permitting downward flow of material laterally of said anvil working face.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as defined by claim 6, wherein the striking end of said punch is formed with an arcuate working face and is of generally rectangular configuration in cross section.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
179 words
A method of interconnecting two sheets of deformable material, which comprises in a single stroke of a punch relative to the anvil of a die member including laterally opposed members supporting said sheets and resiliently urged toward each other to provide with said anvil a resiliently confined forming space above, laterally of and below the working face of said anvil, forming two hollow bosses with transverse end walls in the two sheets respectively with the inner hollow boss dimensioned to telescope into the outer hollow boss, telescoping the two hollow bosses together with the two confronting transverse end walls of said bosses in coextensive surface engagement, subjecting said end wAlls to axial compression against said anvil to cause a downward flow of material into said forming space, and resiliently resisting lateral flow of said downwardly flowed material to effect an interlock of the material of said telescoped bosses laterally of and above said anvil working face and to extrude any excess of said downwardly flowed material into downwardly projecting lateral flanges on the end wall of said outer boss.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
179 words
A method of interconnecting two sheets of deformable material, which comprises in a single stroke of a punch relative to the anvil of a die member including laterally opposed members supporting said sheets and resiliently urged toward each other to provide with said anvil a resiliently confined forming space above, laterally of and below the working face of said anvil, forming two hollow bosses with transverse end walls in the two sheets respectively with the inner hollow boss dimensioned to telescope into the outer hollow boss, telescoping the two hollow bosses together with the two confronting transverse end walls of said bosses in coextensive surface engagement, subjecting said end wAlls to axial compression against said anvil to cause a downward flow of material into said forming space, and resiliently resisting lateral flow of said downwardly flowed material to effect an interlock of the material of said telescoped bosses laterally of and above said anvil working face and to extrude any excess of said downwardly flowed material into downwardly projecting lateral flanges on the end wall of said outer boss.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as defined by claim 8, wherein said laterally opposed members are provided with beveled surfaces sloping downwardly toward said anvil working face to facilitate flow of material into said forming space and limit the thinning of the lateral wall of said outer boss.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as defined by claim 9, wherein the strips are formed of mild steel and are of substantially uniform thickness in the neighborhood of 0.1 inch.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as defined by claim 10, wherein said sheet-supporting members are urged toward each other sufficiently to resist and control the lateral flow of said material to provide a thinned but strong wall on the outer boss and a secure interlock of the material of said two bosses.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as defined by claim 11, wherein the lower portion of said punch is provided with a pair of opposed downwardly sloping faces converging toward the striking end thereof and with a pair of parallel plane faces terminating at said striking end.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as defined by claim 12, wherein the striking end of said punch is formed with an arcuate working face and is of generally rectangular configuration in cross section.