GB2410713A

GB2410713A - Securing an anchoring device, using rotatable components

Info

Publication number: GB2410713A
Application number: GB0423054A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew Edward Jordan
Original assignee: Access Technologies Ltd
Current assignee: Access Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2004-02-04
Filing date: 2004-10-18
Publication date: 2005-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-18
Also published as: GB0423054D0; GB2410713B; GB0402422D0

Abstract

A tool (10) for use with an anchoring device of the type which comprises a bolt head and a sleeve head that require to be rotated relative to one another in order to secure the anchoring device to a support member comprises a tubular body in the bore of which there is provided a relatively rotatable insert, the body having at one end a formation (13) for engaging with a sleeve head to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve head and body, and the insert having at one end a formation (20) to engage with a bolt head to prevent relative rotation between the bolt head and insert, the other end (27) of the insert being engageable by means for applying a torque to rotate the insert and bolt head relative to the body and sleeve head.

Description

1 2410713 Method and Apparatus for Securing an Anchoring Device This

invention relates to a method, and to apparatus in the form of tool, for securing an anchoring device relative to a support. The invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to a method and apparatus for use with an anchoring device of the so-called blind fastener type.

Blind fastener type anchoring devices are well known and frequently employed in situations in which it is desired to attach to a member only one side of which is accessible. Examples of such members are a wall surface the reverse side of which is not readily accessible, or a rolled hollow metal section the interior of which is not readily accessible.

Examples of known blind type fastening devices are to be found in, for example, the patent publications of FR 945387,WO 96/22470, GB 2190164 and EP 0336482. In at least some of said prior publications it is described that the blind fastener device may comprise a threaded bolt having a bolt head at one end. A conical expansion head is threadedly mounted at the other end of the bolt. Also surrounding the bolt and abutting against the bolt head is an apertured sleeve head plate. Finally, extending between the sleeve head plate and the conical expansion head is a longitudinally slit, circumferentially expandable, tubular sleeve.

The sleeve head may be integral with the sleeve of the anchoring device or may be independent but arranged to provide a reaction face against which the sleeve may bear, either directly or via an interposed member, when the anchoring device is tightened. The sleeve head is selected to have a cross- sectional size which exceeds that of the sleeve such that an abutment face region of the sleeve head lying outwards of the sleeve may bear against a support member relative to which the anchoring device is being secured.

Prior to insertion in an aperture the expansion head is threaded along the bolt until it abuts against the sleeve. The friction between the sleeve and the expansion head then restrains the expansion head from turning when the bolt is rotated within the sleeve.

In order to fasten a component to a support member an aperture in the component is first aligned with a corresponding aperture in the support member. The bolt and the sleeve of the fastening device are then inserted through the aligned apertures until the sleeve plate abuts against the component. The bolt is then tightened. Because the friction between the conical expansion head and the sleeve prevents the conical head from rotating with the bolt, the tightening of the bolt causes the conical head to be drawn along the bolt towards the bolt head. This forces the longitudinally slit sleeve to expand radially outwards. Eventually the sleeve expands into contact with the aperture in the support member. In consequence the component and the support member become gripped between the sleeve plate and the expanded length of the sleeve.

For the purpose of constructing the assembly, a gripping tool is attached to the sleeve head to prevent rotation of the sleeve head plate, and a tightening tool is attached to the bolt head and rotated relative to the sleeve, thereby to tighten the fastening device. Thus, referring to EP 336482, a first tool 11 is employed to inhibit rotation of a sleeve head 5 whilst a second, tightening tool in the form of an alien key rotates a bolt head 15 relative to the sleeve head 5.

A disadvantage commonly experienced in use of a blind fastener of the aforedescribed type is that it is necessary for the assembler to employ two tools which each need to be separately located to a respective one of the bolt and sleeve heads, prior to one of the tools being rotated relative to the other about the longitudinal axis of the bolt. Whilst that is not a difficult operation in most circumstances, it can be unnecessarily time consuming, and that is a particularly important consideration if a large number of such blind type anchoring devices need to be installed.

The present invention seeks to provide a method and means by which the aforedescribed disadvantage may be mitigated or overcome.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention a tool for securing to a support member an anchoring device of the type comprising a bolt head and a sleeve head which require to be rotated one relative to the other comprises a substantially tubular body in the bore of which there is provided a relatively rotatable insert, said body having at one end thereof a formation in use to engage with a sleeve head and to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve head and body, and the insert having at one end thereof a formation in use to engage with a bolt head and to prevent relative rotation between the bolt head and insert, the other end of the insert being engagable by torque means for rotating the insert and bolt head relative to said body and sleeve head.

Preferably at least one, and preferably both, of said formations of the body and insert are non-circular.

Preferably said other end of said insert extends axially beyond the other end of the body.

The insert preferably is retained axially relative to the body. The body may have a bore the internal diameter of which is stepped to provide an annular shoulder for contact by an annular shoulder at the radially outer surface of the insert. A circlip may be provided to locate in an annular groove in the outer surface of the insert, and that circlip may bear against said other end of the body thereby to co-operate with the aforedescribed shoulders in providing positive axial location of the insert relative to the body.

The insert may be solid or may be hollow. The said other end of the insert for engagement by torque means may comprise a socket formation, e. g. a conventional half inch square socket formation engageable by a ratchet tool or wrench.

The said one end of the insert preferably lies axially inwards from the said one end of the body. The axial spacing of the respective said one ends preferably corresponds substantially with the thickness of the sleeve head with which the tool is intended to be used.

The outer surface of the body may be of a cylindrical or non-cylindrical form.

It may be provided with a knurled surface to assist manual retention against rotation.

The non-circular formations at said one ends of the body and insert may each be of a hexagonal shape to co-operate with correspondingly dimensioned hexagonal bolt and sleeve heads of an anchor device.

In accordance with another of its aspects the present invention provides a method for tightening an anchoring device of the blind type comprising use of a tool in accordance with the present invention.

The method may comprise positioning the tool against the exposed sleeve and bolt heads of the anchoring device, with the insert and body being rotated relative to one another thereby to bring the said one ends of each of the body and insert into non-rotatable engagement with the respective bolt and sleeve heads of the anchoring device, the method further comprising manually holding the body against rotation whilst employing torque means in engagement with the insert to cause rotation of the insert and bolt head relative to the body and sleeve head.

Whilst It is envisaged that typically the formations of the body and insert will be dimensioned such that, in use, they engage directly with a sleeve head and bolt head for rotation therewith, said formations alternatively may be employed to engage with an adapter which is provided with a pair of formations respectively larger or smaller than those of the said body and insert. In consequence the tool may be employed in conjunction with the adapter for the purpose of causing relative rotation of a sleeve head and bolt head each of a size which engage with a respective one of the adapter formations, but could not engage with said formations of the tool.

Thus the present invention also provides a tool combination comprising a tool the subject of the present invention and an adapter, said adapter comprising two portions rotatable relative to one another, each portion having a first formation engagable with one of said formations of the body and insert portions of the tool and a second formation engagable with the other of said formations of the body and insert portions.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a tool in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the body part of the tool of Figure 1: Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line Y - Y of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of an insert part of the tool of the present invention; Figure 5 is a section on the line X - X of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the assembled tool; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a typical blind fastener type anchoring device, and Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of the tool of Figure 6 and an adapter to be received in the end of said tool.

A tool 10 comprises a body portion 11 and an insert 12.

A typical anchoring device with which the tool of the present invention may be employed is shown in perspective in Figure 7. The anchoring device 30 comprises a bolt having a bolt head 31 and a screw-threaded portion which extends axially within an expandable sleeve 32 to engage with an expansion head 33. A sleeve head plate 34 in the form of a nut 34 lies interposed between the bolt head 31 and sleeve 32; in this anchoring device the head 34 is not secured to the sleeve 32.

The body 11 (see figures 2 and 3) has a through-bore 14 and a cylindrical outer surface 17 provided with a knurled finish whereby it may easily be gripped by hand. At a first end 18 of the body the bore is shaped to provide a socket formation 13 engageable with the hexagonal nut 34 of a sleeve head of the anchoring device 30. As considered relative to the longitudinal axis of the body 11, the socket formation 13 has a longitudinal, depth dimension corresponding substantially with the thickness of the sleeve head 34.

At the other end 19 of the body 11 the bore 14 is of a reduced diameter 15 thereby to provide within the axial length of the body an annular shoulder 16.

The insert 12 (see figures 4 and 5) also is of a tubular form and a first end 26 of the insert is provided with a socket formation 20 dimensioned to engage with the bolt head 31 of the anchoring device 30. The outer surface of the insert has a main section 21 of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the bore 14 over that part of the length of the bore 14 between the annular abutment 16 and the end face 18. The remaining portion 22 of the outer surface of the insert is of a reduced diameter thereby to provide an annular abutment 23. The surface 22 has a cylindrical shape of a diameter corresponding substantially to that of the cylindrical surface 15 of the body 11, the diameters of the outer surface regions of the insert and the diameters of the internal cylindrical surfaces of the bore of the body being selected such that the insert 12 is receivable in and accurately locatable within the body 11 whilst also being freely rotatable relative thereto.

The surface 22 of the insert is provided with an annular groove 24 for location of a circlip, that groove being provided between the abutment 23 and the opposite end 25 of the insert.

The region of the end 25 of the insert is provided with a square section socket formation 27, in this case a half inch square socket.

In the assembled tool, in which the insert 12 is located within the bore of the body 11 (see Figure 6) the annular abutment 23 of the insert bears against the annular abutment 17 of the body and a circlip 28 located in the groove 24 bears against the end face 19 of the body 11 thereby to provide positive axial location of the insert relative to the body. In the assembled condition the end face 26 of the insert lies inset from the end face 18 of the body 11 by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the sleeve head 34 of the anchoring device.

In use of the anchoring device 30, for example to secure an apertured component to a wall surface, a hole is formed in the wall surface of a diameter corresponding to that of the aperture in the component and the outer diameter of the sleeve 32 whereby the sleeve 32 and expansion head 33 may be inserted through the hole. The tool 10 is then presented to the heads 31, 34 of the anchoring device, and the protruding end 25 of the insert is rotated such that each of the socket formations 13, 20 of the tool align respectively with the sleeve head 34 and the bolt 31. The knurled outer surface 17 of the body is then held manually whilst a tool such as a socket spanner or torque wrench, is employed in engagement with the square sectioned socket 27 to rotate the insert relative to the body 11, and sleeve head 34, and thereby rotate the bolt head 31. Free rotation of the expansion head 33 relative to the sleeve 32 and the sleeve head 34 is resisted in conventional manner by initial light tightening of the expansion head against the sleeve 32. In consequence rotation of the bolt draws the expansion head 33 towards the sleeve head 34 and causes expansion of the sleeve 32 whereby the anchoring device becomes firmly secured in aperture of the supporting wall.

It is not essential that the socket formations 13, 20 of the body 11 and insert 12 are dimensioned to engage directly with a sleeve head 34 and bolt head 31. Instead an adapter 40 as shown in figure 8 may be employed to allow the tool 11 to be used with sleeve and bolt heads which are smaller than the respective sizes of the socket formations 13, 20. (Alternatively an adapter of a substantially similar but different construction may be employed to allow use of the tool with larger sleeve and bolt heads).

The adapter 40 comprises an outer portion 41 and an inner portion 42 rotatable relative to the outer portion and shaped to allow the tool to be used with sleeve and bolt heads which are smaller than those which may be engaged directly by the tool.

The outer portion has a hexagonal shaped surface 43 to engage with the socket formation13 of the body 11 and an inner hexagonal formation 44 to engage with a sleeve head (not shown).

The inner portion 42 comprises an outer formation 45 of hexagonal shape and which lies axially outwards relative to the surface 43 so as to be engagable with the socket formation 20 of the insert 12 and an inner hexagonal formation 50 to engage with a bolt head (not shown).

The inner portion 42 additionally comprises a cylindrical bearing surface 46 which is rotatable within a cylindrical bore 47 of the outer portion 41 of the adapter. An annular groove 48 in the bearing surface 46 is engagable by a detent 49 extending from the outer portion 41so as to retain the inner and outer portions axially relative to one another.

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Claims

Claims.

1. A tool for securing to a support member an anchoring device of the type comprising a bolt head and a sleeve head which require to be rotated one relative to the other, said tool comprising a substantially tubular body in the bore of which there is provided a relatively rotatable insert, said body having at one end thereof a formation in use to engage with a sleeve head and to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve head and body, and the insert having at one end thereof a formation in use to engage with a bolt head and to prevent relative rotation between the bolt head and insert, the other end of the insert being engagable by torque means for rotating the insert and bolt head relative to said body and sleeve head.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said formations of the body and insert is non-circular.

3. A tool according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said other end of the insert extends axially beyond the other end of the body.

4. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insert is retained axially relative to the body.

5. A tool according to any one of claims1 to 4, wherein the body has a bore the internal diameter of which is stepped to provide an annular shoulder for contact by an annular shoulder at the radially outer surface of the insert.

6. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a circlip is provided to locate in an annular groove in an outer surface of the insert.

7. A tool according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 5, wherein said circlip may bear against said other end of the body thereby to co-operate with the aforedescribed shoulders and provide positive axial location of the insert relative to the body.

8. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the insert is hollow.

9. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said other end of the insert for engagement by torque means comprises a socket formation.

10. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said one end of the insert lies axially inwards from the said one end of the body.

11. A tool according to claim 10, wherein said axial spacing of the respective said one ends corresponds substantially with the thickness of a sleeve head with which the tool is intended to be used.

12. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the outer surface of the body is provided with a knurled surface to assist manual retention against rotation.

13. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the formations at said one ends of the body and insert are each of a hexagonal shape.

14. A tool according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

15. A tool combination comprising a tool according to any one of the preceding claims and an adapter, said adapter comprising two portions rotatable relative to one another, each portion having a first formation engagable with one of said formations of the body and insert portions of the tool and a second formation engagable with the other of said formations of the body and insert portions.

16. Method for tightening an anchoring device of the blind type comprising use of a tool in accordance with the present invention.

17. Method according to claim 16 and comprising positioning the tool against the exposed sleeve and bolt heads of the anchoring device, with the insert and body being rotated relative to one another thereby to bring the said one ends of each of the body and insert into non-rotatable engagement with the respective bolt and sleeve heads of the anchoring device, the method further comprising manually holding the body against rotation whilst employing torque means in engagement with the insert to cause rotation of the insert and bolt head relative to the body and sleeve head.

18. Method according to claim 16 or claim 17 and comprising use of a tool wherein the spacing of the respective one ends of the body and insert corresponds substantially with the thickness of the sleeve head to which the tool is applied.

19. Method according to claim 16 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

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