ROBOTIC APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF COLLARS AND NUTS ONTO FASTENERS

摘要

Apparatus and process for the installation of collars and/or nuts on fasteners, particularly in the aerospace industry. The apparatus includes an industrial base robot supporting a mounting base carrying a gimbal and rotary drive for a lightweight sensing robot with a fastening/torque tool. The sensing robot operates to align and position a spin preventing projection such as a hex key in a fastener end and a rotatable socket to torque a nut or collar onto the fastener held against rotation. The related process is accomplished by sensors in conjunction with the sensing robot aligning the hex key with a recess in the fastener end, inserting the key into the fastener to hold it against rotation, and spinning a nut or collar onto the fastener. A wrenching component is sheared from the nut and removed after the nut or torque is applied.

主权项

1. Automated robotic apparatus for aligning and assembling together fastener and nut components and including:
a first robot; a second robot; said second robot carried and manipulated by said first robot; a fastening torque tool carried by said second robot and including a nut driving socket and a fastener spin preventing element; said tool adapted for carrying a nut for aligning with, then threading onto said fastener, after said aligning; said fastener spin preventing element engageable with said fastener to prevent it from spinning when a nut is threaded thereon.