Did You Know...
...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7984636 | Apparatus and methods for medical device expansion A mandrel usable for expanding a medical device is disclosed. The mandrel includes a first tube portion having a first lumen and a first tube diameter. A second tube portion extends from the first tube portion; the second tube portion is configured to receive a medi... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7437904 | Coldwork tool assembly A coldwork tool assembly including an outer housing and an inner housing in telescopic arrangement with each other and a retaining collar configured to accommodate a plurality of mandrel configurations. One of a plurality of various mandrels is removably coupled to ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7254980 | Gas supply tube and method of making same A metal gas-feed tube for a head air bag automotive vehicle has a sleeve formed on a bent end thereof to fit onto a connecting fitting of a gas generator. That sleeve is formed in part from an unbent region of the tube by pressing a mandrel into the end of the tube ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7100264 | Method of installing double flanged bushings A bushing (52) has two bushing parts (52, 58), each of which includes a tubular section (54, 60) and a radial flange section (56, 62) Tubular section (54) is inserted into an opening (38) in a work member (40), from o... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7083370 | Fastening devices A device for fastening panels to tubular frames comprises a dowel element (10) and a sleeve element (11). An expander region (15) of the dowel element, comprising a plain cylindrical section (16) and a conically tapering section (17 | 08/01/2006 |
| 7047596 | Structural bushing application for highly loaded composites lugs A composite lug assembly includes a composite lug defining a loaded side and an unloaded side and having at least one hole extending therebetween, a shoulder bushing assembly including a first side bushing having a first cylindrical portion adapted to fit in the hol... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7047615 | Forming gas turbine transition duct bodies without longitudinal welds A method of making combustion turbine transition duct bodies without longitudinal welds by hydroforming two duct bodies back to back with bellows thrusters secured to the duct body open ends. This enables the manufacturing of duct bodies with detailed features and h... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7024909 | Non-impact swaging apparatus An improved machine for performing a swaging operation includes a mandrel and an expandable collet that are mounted to an actuator such as a conventional pneumatic gun. The mandrel includes a plurality of ramped planar engagement surfaces that are slidably engageabl... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7024908 | Fatigue enhancement of material surrounding openings in workpieces An elongated first tubular member has a mandrel receiving center passageway and a slotted outer end portion that comprises first axial fingers separated by first axial slots. An elongated second tubular member surrounds the first tubular member and has a slotted out... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6990722 | Method and apparatus for connecting a fastener element to a wall A tubular fastener element is inserted into an opening in a wall until a flange at the trailing end of the fastener element is in contact with the wall. Then, an externally threaded end of a rod is inserted into a center opening in the fastener element from the flan... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6857185 | Method for electromagnetically joining tubes to sheets in a tubular heat transfer system A system and method for expanding, joining or securing a plurality of tubes by electromagnetic expansion to a plurality of sheets in a tubular heat transfer system. The system and method involve the automatic sensing and positioning of a electromagnetic coil in oper... | 02/22/2005 |
| 6792657 | Method and apparatus for connecting a fastener element to a wall A tubular fastener element (34) is inserted into an opening (44) in a wall (W) until a flange (40) at the trailing end of the fastener element (34) is in contact with the wall (W). Then, an externally threaded end (32) of a rod ( | 09/21/2004 |
| 6546779 | Eyelet sizing tool for a needle/armature rotation limiting feature of a fuel injector A tool for forming an armature guide eyelet. The tool having a body with a working end, a support end and at least one sizing rib disposed along a longitudinal axis. The at least one sizing rib has a perimeter having a first portion and a second portion. ... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6266991 | Coldwork holes with reusable seamless SMA sleeve A method and apparatus for coldworking holes using a reusable tubular seamless sleeve made of shape memory alloys. The apparatus uses a pre-lubricated tubular seamless sleeve made of shape memory alloys having a superelasticity property, a mandrel having ... | 07/31/2001 |
| 5943898 | Method and apparatus to coldwork holes A method and apparatus for coldworking holes using a pre-lubricated tubular seamless sleeve made of shape memory alloys. The apparatus uses a pre-lubricated tubular seamless sleeve made of shape memory alloys, a mandrel having a larger diameter end, a nos... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5887476 | Method and device for expanding metal tubes A method and a device for the draw expansion of metal tubes of oval cross-section uses expansion elements drawn unidirectionally through metal tubes by means of draw elements. The expansion elements are fastened to the draw elements by suspension devices ... | 03/30/1999 |
| 5810054 | Tubing end and method for forming The present invention comprises a tubing end fitting and a method of forming thereof wherein the fitting is formed out of the tubing itself. In a first step, the tubing end is compressed in a linear direction and shortened forming a first annular ridge ex... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5613395 | Coldworking tool automation In an automatic apparatus including a frame defining a work axis relative to a workpiece held in position relative to the frame, a transfer assembly on the frame and operatively associated with a machine tool for moving the machine tool into and out of po... | 03/25/1997 |
| 5305627 | Split sleeve cold expansion An internally lubricated, longitudinally split sleeve is positioned on a small diameter portion a mandrel having a rear end connected to a piston with a puller tool. The rear end of the split sleeve is flared and is against the front end of a tubular slee... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5233855 | Polymeric anti-extrusion rings for elastomeric swaging Polymeric anti-extrusion rings are provided for internal cooling of a drawbolt swaging apparatus. One such ring is located on either side of an elastomeric expansion sheath on a drawbolt. There rings are formed of polymeric material which has low creep, h... | 08/10/1993 |
| 5218854 | System for cold expanding holes in rail sections A split sleeve (96) is seated in a fastener hole (10) in the web (8) of a rail section (2). The tapered portion (26) of a mandrel (20) is firmly seated in the hole (10) inside the sleeve (96). A puller mechanism jaw (40) and a nosecap (78) are moved downw... | 06/15/1993 |
| 5129253 | Antifretting coating for a bushing in a coldworked joint A coating is applied to the outside diameter surface of a bushing used to coldwork in a hole in a work piece. The bushing having the coating is positioned and fixed axially with respect to the hole and then expanded by an expansion mandrel with the coatin... | 07/14/1992 |
| 5127254 | Method and apparatus for split sleeve cold expansion of openings in structural members A split sleeve (S) is deposited into a sleeve loader (24, 24'), with a lower end of the sleeve (S) on a sleeve support surface (154). A mandrel (M) carried by a puller tool (10, 10') is inserted into the sleeve loader (24, 24'), and through the sleeve (S)... | 07/07/1992 |
| 5038596 | Threaded cold working mandrel A mandrel assembly is utilized to cold work a hole in a structural member which is present in a confined area. A mandrel and sleeve are slipped through one end of the hole. The mandrel length is threaded so that a nut may be turned along its length. Betwe... | 08/13/1991 |
| 4956991 | Variable depth cold working tool A portion of a hole drilled through various layers of structural material may be cold worked by forcing a mandrel through a sleeve lining the hole. In order to precisely fix the projection of the sleeve within the hole of one layer, the thickness is first... | 09/18/1990 |
| 4934170 | Fatigue life enhancement of noncircular openings A noncircular opening is formed in a material. A mandrel or mandrel and expansion sleeve are used for coldworking a circular region of the noncircular opening, and for forcing a hard metal insert into coldworking contact with the material immediately bord... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4885829 | Fatigue life enhancement of dovetail connector slots and noncircular openings A pair of openings (14) are drilled in a workpiece (12) at locations spaced inwardly from an edge (76) of the workpiece (12). Each opening is cold-expanded by the passage of a mandrel (46') only, or a mandrel (46) and split sleeve (58), to create an annul... | 12/12/1989 |
| 4872332 | Method and device for setting blind rivets In the setting of blind rivets, the rivets are placed onto a riveting mandrel having a thickened end, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the rivet hollow space, in such a way that the rivet head rests on the side remote from the thickene... | 10/10/1989 |
| 4809420 | Method and apparatus for backing up mandrel exit holes in knuckle structures A pair of back-up members (32, 42) are inserted between adjacent projection (4) of a workpiece (2). Openings (36, 46) through the members (32, 42) are aligned with holes (6) through the projections (4). A wedge (54) is driven between the members (32, 42) ... | 03/07/1989 |
| 4729806 | Method for making tubes having low weight A method for the manufacture for the tubes or shafts of a composite material and having a low weight, whereby a blank of a material that can be pressformed and which has a substantially even thickness of material is subjected to isostatic pressing on or i... | 03/08/1988 |
| 4713870 | Pipe repair sleeve apparatus and method of repairing a damaged pipe Disclosed is a pipe repair sleeve apparatus. There is a draw means having expanding means on either end of the draw means. There is also an annular repair sleeve. The draw means is contained within the sleeve with at least a portion of each of the expandi... | 12/22/1987 |
| 4649492 | Tube expansion process A process for the controlled expansion of a conduit against the walls of a circumscribing structure is disclosed herein. The process generally comprises the steps of applying a radially expansive force to the conduit, while monitoring a variable associate... | 03/10/1987 |
| 4640114 | Automated process for cold working holes A method for cold working holes employs an automatic riveting machine that is fed with memory metal sleeves having an O.D. slightly smaller than a hole to be worked. A mandrel is forced into the sleeve and plastically expands the sleeve in the hole thereb... | 02/03/1987 |
| 4597365 | Camshaft assembly and method A camshaft for an internal combustion engine or the like is formed of an expandable steel tube and individual preferably hardenable cam and journal elements fixed together by a mechanical expansion of the tube by a mandrel or other device. Material select... | 07/01/1986 |
| 4557033 | Method of cold expanding and sizing fastener holes The method of fastening a plurality of metal members (82, 84; 232, 230) in which precision holes (86, 88; 236, 234) are drilled through the metals which are to be connected together. The drilled holes in the metal members are cold-expanded to improve the ... | 12/10/1985 |
| 4534199 | Method and apparatus for produced stepped tubes A method of producing a stepped tube, the method including the steps of preparing a straight mother tube with a stepped wall portion of a smaller inside diameter on the inner periphery thereof at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of t... | 08/13/1985 |
| 4524600 | Apparatus for prestressing fastener holes A pull gun (10) is used for pulling a mandrel (12, 150, 180) through an expandable sleeve (74, 144, 180) positioned in a fastener hole. The mandrel expands the sleeve as it moves therethrough causing the sleeve to put the metal which surrounds the hole in... | 06/25/1985 |
| 4471643 | Method and apparatus for prestressing fastener holes A pull gun (10) is used for pulling a mandrel (12, 150, 180) through an expandable sleeve (74, 144, 180) positioned in a fastener hole. The mandrel expands the sleeve as it moves therethrough causing the sleeve to put the metal which surrounds the hole in... | 09/18/1984 |
| 4433567 | Method for working holes A method for working holes in metal which includes inserting into the hole a sleeve of metal having a shape memory O. D. slightly smaller than the hole to be worked, plastically expanding the sleeve in such hole with a mandrel and working the wall of such... | 02/28/1984 |
| 4425780 | Apparatus having extended prestressing and sleeve retaining devices for prestressing countersunk fastener holes and method A pull gun (10) is used for pulling a mandrel (12) through an expandable sleeve (124) positioned in a fastener hole (130, 132) having a countersink (140). The mandrel expands the sleeve (124) as it moves therethrough, causing the sleeve to put the metal w... | 01/17/1984 |
