Self-piercing pop rivet fasteners

Claim 2

A pop rivet assembly capable of forming a rivet hole in a workpiece consisting of at least two members, inserting a pop rivet into the rivet hole, and securing it in place in response to a single blow by an operator, said assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through the workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, and (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said piercing pin comprising a pointed head and a shaft integral with and protruding from the base of said painted head, with said shaft extending into the bottom end of said housing and being gripped by said housing and said pointed head outside of and adjacent to the bottom end of said housing, said pointed head having a diameter greater than the diameter at the bottom end of said housing; said drive pin extending into and projecting from the top end of said housing; said piercing pin and said drive pin each being separately attached to said housing; said drive pin and housing being arranged so that when said drive pin is driven further into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin said drive pin will drive the piercing pin out of the housing and also radially expand the bottom end of the housing; and said drive pin having a peripheral flange located outside of said housing which is sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housing when said drive pin is driven into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin.

Claim 3

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 1 wherein the length of said drive pin is greater than the length of said housing.

Claim 4

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 1 wherein said housing is made of a thermoplastic organic polymer material.

Claim 5

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 3 wherein said drive pin and said piercing pin are formed of a hard metallic material.

Claim 6

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 1 wherein said piercing pin and said drive pin are frictionally gripped by said housing and said housing has a plurality of slits at its bottom end to facilitate its expansion when the drive pin is driven in the direction of said piercing pin.

Claim 7

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a center bore with a relatively large diameter at its top end and a relatively small diameter at its bottom end, and further wherein said drive pin has a shaft extending within said housing with at least one section of said shaft having a diameter greater than the diameter of the bottom end of the said bore.

Claim 8

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 6 wherein the length of said drive pin is greater than the length of said housing, and the shaft of said piercing pin projects into the bottom end of said bore and terminates below said drive pin.

Claim 9

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 1 and at least one additional like pop rivet assembly attached thereto in side by side relation so as to form a strip of pop rivet assemblies.

Claim 10

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 8 wherein at least one additional like pop rivet assembly is attached thereto by a joining of its housing to the housing of the first-mentioned pop rivet assembly.

Claim 11

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 1 wherein said drive pin has a top flange matched in size to a counterbore in the top of the hollow housing so that the drive pin flange may be flush with the top of the housing upon completion of the riveting action.

Claim 12

A pop rivet assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, and (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said housing having a center bore with a relatively large diameter at its top end and a relatively small diameter at its bottom end; said drive pin shaft being stepped and having a bottom section with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the top end of said bore and at least one section with a diameter greater than the diameter of the bottom end of said bore; said piercing pin extending into and projecting from the bottom end of said housing, and said bottom section of said drive pin shaft extending into and projecting from the top end of said housing, with said piercing pin and said drive pin each being separately attached to said housing; said drive pin and housing being arranged so that when said drive pin is driven further into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin said drive pin will drive the piercing pin out of the housing and also radially expand the bottom end of the housing; and said drive pin having a peripheral flange located outside of said housing which is sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housing when said drive pin is driven into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin.

Claim 13

A pop rivet assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, and (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said housing having a center bore with a relatively large diameter at its top end and a relatively small diameter at its bottom end; said drive pin shaft being stepped and having a bottom section with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the top end of said bore and at least one section with a diameter greater than the diameter of the bottom end of said bore; said piercing pin extending into and projecting from the bottom end of said housing, and said bottom section of said drive pin shaft extending into and projecting from the top end of said housing, with said piercing pin and said drive pin each being separately attached to said housing; said drive pin and housing being arranged so that when said drive pin is driven further into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin said drive pin will drive the piercing pin out of the housing and also radially expand the bottom end of the housing; and said drive pin having a peripheral flange located outside of said housing which is sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housing when said drive pin is driven into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin.

Claim 14

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punching holes through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and attached to one another in side-by-side relation; and (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece; (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; and said drive pins and said piercing pins extending into and protruding from the top and bottom ends respectively of said housings, said piercing pins and said driving pins being separately attached to said housings, said drive pins having peripheral shoulders located outside of said housings which are sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housings when said drive pins are driven into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, said drive pins and housings being arranged so that the bottom ends of said housings will expand when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, said piercing pins having pointed heads projecting from the bottom ends of said housings which have a diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of said bottom ends of said housings, and said driving pins having a length such that when they are driven further into said housings they will drive said piercing pins out of the bottom ends of said housings.

Claim 15

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punching holes through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and attached to one another in side-by-side relation; and (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece; (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; and said drive pins and said piercing pins extending into and protruding from the top and bottom ends respectively of said housings, said piercing pins and said driving pins being separately attached to said housings, said drive pins having peripheral shoulders located outside of said housings which are sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housings when said drive pins are driven into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, said drive pins and housings being arranged so that the bottom ends of said housings will expand when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, said piercing pins having pointed heads projecting from the bottom ends of said housings which have a diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of said bottom ends of said housings, and said driving pins having a length such that when they are driven further into said housings they will drive said piercing pins out of the bottom ends of said housings.

Claim 16

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 12 wherein said piercing pins comprise conical heads and shafts protruding from the bases of said conical heads, with said shafts extending into the bottom ends of said housings.

Claim 17

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 12 wherein said piercing pins and said driving pins have shafts which are gripped by said housings.

Claim 18

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 14 wherein said housings are generally cylindrical in shape and each drive pin shaft has an upper section which terminates with a flanged head having a diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of said housings, said peripheral shoulders being surfaces on said flanged heads.

Claim 19

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 13 wherein said piercing pins are formed of a hardened steel and said housings are made of an organic polymer material.

Claim 20

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 7 wherein said housings comprise tubes with top and bottom ends and peripheral flanges at said top ends, and further wherein the bottom ends of said tubes are adapted to expand when said drive pins are driven into said housings from the top ends thereof.

Claim 21

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 17 wherein said housings are slit lengthwise at their bottom ends to facilitate expansion of said bottom ends when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins.

Claim 22

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 12 wherein the length of said drive pins is greater than the length of said housings.

Claim 23

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 12 wherein said housings are attached tangentially to one another.

Claim 24

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 20 wherein said attachment may be by either molding the housings dependently as an integral strip or by forming the housings independently of one another and attaching them together in a later operation.

Claim 25

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 12 wherein said piercing pins and said driving pins are made of a harder material than said housings.

Claim 26

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 22 wherein said housings are made of a material from the class consisting of thermoplastic organic polymers and aluminum and said piercing pins and driving pins are made of a metallic material.

Claim 27

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 12 wherein each drive pin has a shaft and a flanged head at the upper end of its shaft with said peripheral shoulders being surfaces on said flanged heads, and further wherein each housing has an end surface at its upper end with a depression sized to receive the flanged head on the corresponding drive pin when said pin is driven further into the housing in the direction of the corresponding piercing pin.

Claim 28

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 24 wherein said depressions and flanged heads are arranged so that when the drive pins are driven further into the housings, said heads can be positioned flush with the upper end surfaces of the housings.

Claim 29

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punching holes through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and attached to one another in side-by-side relation; and (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece; (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; each housing having a bore extending from its said top end to its said bottom end, with said bore having an upper section with a first selected diameter and a lower section with a second selected diameter smaller than said first selected diameter; said drive pins comprising shafts having upper sections with a first diameter and lower sections with a second diameter which is smaller than said first diameter and greater than said first selected diameter; said piercing pins having shafts with a diameter greater than said second selected diameter, said driving pins having their lower sections disposed in the upper sections of said bores and gripped by said housings and said piercing pins having their shafts disposed in the lower sections of said bores and gripped by said housings; and said drive pins having peripheral shoulders located outside of said housings which are sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housings when said drive pins are driven into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, and said drive pins and housings being arranged so that the bottom ends of said housings will expand when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins.

Claim 30

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punching holes through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and attached to one another in side-by-side relation; and (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece; (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; each housing having a bore extending from its said top end to its said bottom end, with said bore having an upper section with a first selected diameter and a lower section with a second selected diameter smaller than said first selected diameter; said drive pins comprising shafts having upper sections with a first diameter and lower sections with a second diameter which is smaller than said first diameter and greater than said first selected diameter; said piercing pins having shafts with a diameter greater than said second selected diameter, said driving pins having their lower sections disposed in the upper sections of said bores and gripped by said housings and said piercing pins having their shafts disposed in the lower sections of said bores and gripped by said housings; and said drive pins having peripheral shoulders located outside of said housings which are sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housings when said drive pins are driven into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, and said drive pins and housings being arranged so that the bottom ends of said housings will expand when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins.

Claim 31

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 26 wherein said housings have a peripheral flange at their upper ends and the peripheral shoulders on said drive pins have a diameter smaller than the peripheral flanges on said housings.

Claim 32

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 27 wherein said drive pin shoulders are flanges surrounded by concentric rings which are attached to one another, and further wherein said rings are made of a plastic material and form a strip which is weakened at the regions where said rings are attached to one another.

Claim 33

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punching holes through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and attached to one another in side-by-side relation; and (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece, (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; and said drive pins and said piercing pins extending into and protruding from the top and bottom ends respectively of said housings, said piercing pins and said driving pins being separately attached to said housings, said drive pins having peripheral shoulders located outside of said housings which are sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housings when said drive pins are driven into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, and said drive pins and housings being arranged so that the bottom ends of said housings will expand when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins; said housings having a relatively large diameter orifice at their upper ends and a relatively small diameter orifice at their lower ends, and each of said drive pins having a shaft with a diameter greater than the diameter of the orifice at the bottom ends of the housings.

Claim 34

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punching holes through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and attached to one another in side-by-side relation; and (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece, (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; and said drive pins and said piercing pins extending into and protruding from the top and bottom ends respectively of said housings, said piercing pins and said driving pins being separately attached to said housings, said drive pins having peripheral shoulders located outside of said housings which are sufficiently large in diameter to be intercepted by an end surface of said housings when said drive pins are driven into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins, and said drive pins and housings being arranged so that the bottom ends of said housings will expand when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins; said housings having a relatively large diameter orifice at their upper ends and a relatively small diameter orifice at their lower ends, and each of said drive pins having a shaft with a diameter greater than the diameter of the orifice at the bottom ends of the housings.

Claim 35

A strip of pop rivet assemblies according to claim 24 wherein the shaft of each of said drive pins has a bottom section with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the orifice in the upper end of the housings.

Claim 36

A pop rivet assembly capable of forming a rivet hole in a workpiece consisting of at least two members, inserting a pop rivet into the rivet hole and securing it in place in response to a single blow by an operator, said assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through the workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, and (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said piercing pin comprising a conical head and a shaft protruding from the base of said conical head; said drive pin comprising a flanged head and a shaft having an upper section with a first diameter and a lower section with a second diameter that is smaller than said first diameter; said housing having a center bore with an upper section having a relatively large diameter and a lower section having a relatively small diameter; and said piercing pin shaft extending into said lower section of said center bore and being gripped by said housing at said lower section, and said drive pin shaft lower section extending into the upper section of said bore and being gripped by said housing at said upper section.

Claim 37

A pop rivet assembly capable of forming a rivet hole in a workpiece consisting of at least two members, inserting a pop rivet into the rivet hole and securing it in place in response to a single blow by an operator, said assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through the workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, and (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said piercing pin comprising a conical head and a shaft protruding from the base of said conical head; said drive pin comprising a flanged head and a shaft having an upper section with a first diameter and a lower section with a second diameter that is smaller than said first diameter; said housing having a center bore with an upper section having a relatively large diameter and a lower section having a relatively small diameter; and said piercing pin shaft extending into said lower section of said center bore and being gripped by said housing at said lower section, and said drive pin shaft lower section extending into the upper section of said bore and being gripped by said housing at said upper section.

Claim 38

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 31 wherein said bottom end of said housing is slit lengthwise so as to expand radially when said drive pin is driven downward into said housing, and said piercing pin conical head has a diameter greater than the outside diameter of said housing.

Claim 39

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 32 wherein the flanged head of said drive pin is at least as great as the outer diameter of said housing.

Claim 40

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 33 wherein said housing has a peripheral flange at its top end for engagement by the peripheral flange of said drive pin.

Claim 41

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punchings holes through a workpiece upon application of a force, said piercing pins having pointed heads; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and disposed in parallel relation to one another; (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece, (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; and severable strip means extending between and connecting said drive pins so as to hold said drive pins in parallel relation to one another; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; said drive pins and said piercing pins extending into and protruding from the top and bottom ends respectively of said housings, said piercing pins and said driving pins being separately attached to said housings, and said drive pins and housings being arranged so that when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins the following actions will occur: (1) the drive pins will drive the piercing pins out of the housings and (2) the drive pins will radially expand the bottom ends of the housings; and said pointed heads having an outside diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of the bottom ends of said housings.

Claim 42

A strip of pop rivet assemblies comprising: (a) a plurality of piercing pins for punchings holes through a workpiece upon application of a force, said piercing pins having pointed heads; (b) a plurality of hollow housings each having a top end and a bottom end and disposed in parallel relation to one another; (c) a plurality of drive pins for (a) transmitting a force to the piercing pins to punch holes through the workpiece, (b) emplacing the housings in said holes, and (c) affixing the housings to said workpieces; and severable strip means extending between and connecting said drive pins so as to hold said drive pins in parallel relation to one another; each of said drive pins and said piercing pins being a separate and distinct element; said drive pins and said piercing pins extending into and protruding from the top and bottom ends respectively of said housings, said piercing pins and said driving pins being separately attached to said housings, and said drive pins and housings being arranged so that when said drive pins are driven further into said housings in the direction of said piercing pins the following actions will occur: (1) the drive pins will drive the piercing pins out of the housings and (2) the drive pins will radially expand the bottom ends of the housings; and said pointed heads having an outside diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of the bottom ends of said housings.

Claim 43

A pop rivet assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, said (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said housing including a center bore with an upper section having a first selected diameter and a lower section with a second selected diameter smaller than said first selected diameter; said drive pin comprising (1) a shaft having an upper section with a first diameter and a lower section with a second diameter that is smaller than said first diameter and greater than said first selected diameter, and (2) a peripheral flange on the upper section of its said shaft; said piercing pin having (1) a pointed head and (2) a shaft with at least a portion of said shaft having a diameter greater than the said second selected diameter of said bore, the lower section of said drive pin shaft being disposed in the upper section of said bore and gripped by said housing, and the upper section of said drive pin shaft projecting from said housing so that said flange is outside of said housing; the said portion of said piercing pin shaft being disposed in the lower section of said bore and gripped by said housing and said pointed head being outside of said housing; said flange being large enough to be intercepted by an end surface of said housing when said drive pin is driven into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin; and said pointed head having a diameter at least as large as the outside diameter of said housing at said bottom end so that when said piercing pin is driven through a workpiece it will form a hole large enough to accommodate said housing.

Claim 44

A pop rivet assembly comprising as distinct and separable elements: (a) a piercing pin for punching a hole through a workpiece upon application of a force; (b) a hollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; and (c) a drive pin for (i) transmitting a force to the piercing pin to punch a hole through the workpiece, (ii) emplacing the housing in said hole, said (iii) affixing the housing to said workpiece; said housing including a center bore with an upper section having a first selected diameter and a lower section with a second selected diameter smaller than said first selected diameter; said drive pin comprising (1) a shaft having an upper section with a first diameter and a lower section with a second diameter that is smaller than said first diameter and greater than said first selected diameter, and (2) a peripheral flange on the upper section of its said shaft; said piercing pin having (1) a pointed head and (2) a shaft with at least a portion of said shaft having a diameter greater than the said second selected diameter of said bore, the lower section of said drive pin shaft being disposed in the upper section of said bore and gripped by said housing, and the upper section of said drive pin shaft projecting from said housing so that said flange is outside of said housing; the said portion of said piercing pin shaft being disposed in the lower section of said bore and gripped by said housing and said pointed head being outside of said housing; said flange being large enough to be intercepted by an end surface of said housing when said drive pin is driven into said housing in the direction of said piercing pin; and said pointed head having a diameter at least as large as the outside diameter of said housing at said bottom end so that when said piercing pin is driven through a workpiece it will form a hole large enough to accommodate said housing.

Claim 45

A pop rivet assembly according to claim 36 wherein said housing has a flange at its said top end with a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said peripheral flange.