Importance

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Abstract

For use in a robotically operated workstation, apparatus for installing fasteners, for example tubular blind rivets, comprises a pneumatically operated fastener installation tool 16. The tool 16 has a part in the form of a headed mandrel 22 which is loaded with and carries a finite supply of the fasteners, a gripping and pulling actuator 26 and a nose assembly 21 which provides an abutment 18 for supporting successive rivets while the mandrel is pulled to draw its head through and set the rivet. For reloading the tool with further fasteners, after use, the apparatus includes a nest 96b for detaching and receiving the mandrel 22, together with the nose assembly 21, from the actuator 26, and a similar nest 96a provided with another nose assembly and another mandrel fully loaded with fasteners which it presents and attaches to the actuator 26. An indexing table 110 interchanges the nests 96a, and 96b between a station for reception and presentation of mandrels with nose assemblies, and a reloading station at which further fasteners are loaded on to a mandrel by feeding and transfer means 150. An alternative or supplementary reloading system includes a nest 90 for reception of a used mandrel and nose assembly from the tool 16, and at least one other nest 91 containing another nose assembly and a mandrel carrying a full load of fasteners for presentation to a tool actuator from which the mandrel and nose assembly have been removed.

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First Claim