US2013125376A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for preparing highly-deformable titanium and titanium-alloy one-piece fasteners and fasteners prepared thereby

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Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Nov 17, 2011Filed: Nov 17, 2011Published: May 23, 2013
Est. expiryNov 17, 2031(~5.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Steven G. Keener
B21J 15/02F16B 19/06Y10T29/49956B21K 1/60F16B 5/04B21K 1/58
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Claims

Abstract

A fastener has a cold-worked head section, a cold-worked shank section, and a ductile shank section extending from the cold-worked shank section to a tail end portion of the fastener.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fastener, comprising:
 a cold-worked head section;   a cold-worked shank section; and   a ductile shank section extending from the cold-worked shank section to a tail end portion of the fastener, the ductile shank section being non-cold-worked.   
     
     
         2 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section have a higher strength than the ductile shank section. 
 
     
     
         3 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the ductile shank section has a higher level of ductility than the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section. 
 
     
     
         4 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fastener has at least one of the following material compositions: aluminum, aluminum-alloy. 
 
     
     
         5 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fastener has at least one of the following material compositions: steel, steel-alloy. 
 
     
     
         6 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fastener has at least one of the following material compositions: titanium, and titanium-alloy. 
 
     
     
         7 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fastener has an ultra-fine grain material composition. 
 
     
     
         8 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section are formed by a cold-working process. 
 
     
     
         9 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fastener is coated with a corrosion-resistant, curable organic coating material. 
 
     
     
         10 . The fastener of  claim 1  having at least one of the following configurations:
 a flush head configuration; and 
 a protruding head configuration. 
 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a fastener, comprising the steps of:
 inserting a blank precursor into a bore of a forming die having an enlarged bore portion;   applying an axial compression force to the blank precursor;   forming a cold-worked head section and an enlarged shank portion on the blank precursor corresponding to the enlarged bore portion, the enlarged shank portion having a nominal shank portion extending therefrom;   inserting the nominal shank portion into a bore of a final reduction die;   applying an axial compression force to the enlarged shank portion;   urging the enlarged shank portion into the bore of the final reduction die; and   forming a cold-worked shank section by reducing a cross-sectional area of the enlarged shank portion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of reducing the cross-sectional area of the enlarged shank portion comprises:
 reducing the cross-sectional area of the enlarged shank portion by approximately 2 to 5 percent. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of providing the blank precursor comprises:
 providing a blank precursor in at least one of the following material compositions: 
 titanium, titanium-alloy. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein:
 providing a blank precursor having an ultra-fine grain material composition. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising at least one of the following steps:
 annealing the blank precursor prior to forming the cold-worked shank section and cold-worked head section; and 
 annealing the fastener after forming the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of:
 coating the fastener with a corrosion-resistant, curable organic coating material. 
 
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling a structure, comprising the steps of:
 providing a fastener having a head and a shank terminating at a tail end portion, the head comprising a cold-worked head section, the shank including a cold-worked shank section and a ductile shank section extending from the cold-worked shank section to the tail end portion, the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section having a higher strength than the ductile shank section;   installing the fastener in a hole of the structure; and   upsetting the tail end portion of the ductile shank section.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of providing the fastener comprises:
 providing the fastener in at least one of the following material compositions: titanium, and titanium-alloy. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of providing the fastener comprises:
 providing the fastener in an ultra-fine grain material. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein:
 the ductile shank section has a level of ductility that is higher than the level of ductility of the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein:
 the cold-worked head section and the cold-worked shank section are formed by a cold-working process. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the step of:
 providing the fastener coated with a corrosion-resistant, curable organic coating material. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of installing the fastener comprises:
 installing the fastener in an aircraft structure.

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