Deformable sleeve nut and a method of manufacturing

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a deformable sleeve nut that includes selectively strain hardening only a first portion of a material blank while not strain hardening a second portion of the material blank, then, after strain hardening the first portion of the material blank, internally threading the first portion of the material blank to define a nut portion and machining the second portion of the material blank to define a deformable sleeve portion that includes an end portion and a bulbing portion positioned between the end portion and the nut portion, where the bulbing portion is constructed to bulb outwardly and form a load bearing flange when the bulbing portion is compressed between the end portion and the nut portion. Also disclosed is a deformable sleeve nut made with this process.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a deformable sleeve nut, the method comprising:
 selectively strain hardening only a first portion of a material blank while not strain hardening a second portion of the material blank;   after strain hardening the first portion of the material blank, internally threading the first portion of the material blank to define a nut portion; and   machining the second portion of the material blank to define a deformable sleeve portion that includes an end portion and a bulbing portion positioned between the end portion and the nut portion, wherein the bulbing portion is constructed and arranged to bulb outwardly and form a load bearing flange when the bulbing portion is compressed between the end portion and the nut portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: machining a conical transition portion between the nut portion and the deformable sleeve portion. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the conical transition portion defines a vertex angle between 10 degrees and 25 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the conical transition portion defines a vertex angle of approximately equal to 15 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable sleeve portion defines an internal diameter approximately equal to a major diameter of the internal threads in the nut portion. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the material blank is strain hardened using a strain hardening process selected from the group consisting of: extruding and roll forming. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein strain hardening the first portion of the material blank reduces the cross-sectional area of the first portion of the material blank at least 30%. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, after strain hardening, the hardness of the first portion is at least seventy-five percent harder than the hardness of the second portion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising machining an outside surface of the material blank to have a substantially constant outer diameter across the nut portion and the deformable sleeve portion. 
     
     
         10 . A deformable sleeve nut for use in a blind side fastener that includes a body and a bolt threadingly engaged with the deformable sleeve nut, the deformable sleeve nut made by a process comprising:
 selectively strain hardening only a first portion of a material blank while not strain hardening a second portion of the material blank;   internally threading the first portion of the material blank to define a nut portion of the deformable sleeve nut; and   machining the second portion of the material blank to define a deformable sleeve portion of the deformable sleeve nut, wherein the deformable sleeve portion is constructed and arranged to bulb outwardly and form a load bearing flange when the bolt is moved to compress the deformable sleeve portion against the body.   
     
     
         11 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 10 , wherein the process further comprises: machining a conical transition portion between the nut portion and the deformable sleeve portion. 
     
     
         12 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 11 , wherein the conical transition portion defines a vertex angle between 10 degrees and 25 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the material blank is strain hardened using a strain hardening process selected from the group consisting of: extruding and roll forming. 
     
     
         14 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 10 , wherein strain hardening the first portion of the material blank reduces the cross-sectional area of the first portion of the material blank at least 30%. 
     
     
         15 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 10 , wherein, after strain hardening, the hardness of the first portion is at least seventy-five percent harder than the hardness of the second portion. 
     
     
         16 . A deformable sleeve nut for use in a blind side fastener that includes a body and a bolt that is threadingly engaged with the deformable sleeve nut, the deformable sleeve nut comprising:
 an internally threaded nut portion; and   a deformable sleeve portion integrally formed and unitarily constructed from a single piece with the internally threaded nut portion, wherein the nut portion is strain hardened before internal threads are formed, wherein the deformable sleeve portion is not strain hardened and wherein the deformable sleeve portion is constructed and arranged to bulb outwardly and form a load bearing flange when the bolt is moved to compress the deformable sleeve portion against the body.   
     
     
         17 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 16 , further comprising a conical transition portion between the nut portion and the deformable sleeve portion. 
     
     
         18 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 17 , wherein the conical transition portion defines a vertex angle between 10 degrees and 25 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 16 , wherein, after strain hardening, the hardness of the nut portion is at least seventy-five percent harder than the hardness of the deformable sleeve portion. 
     
     
         20 . The deformable sleeve nut of  claim 19 , wherein, after strain hardening, the hardness of the first portion is no more than one-hundred and fifty percent harder than the hardness of the second portion.