Granted Patent B2

US 7,999,243 · App. 12/234,865 · Granted Aug 16, 2011

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. An apparatus for determining a dimensional characteristic of an installed weld fastener, the apparatus comprising:

a dimensional measurement tool having a threaded portion that is engageable with mating threads of the installed weld fastener, and also having a cylindrical portion formed integrally with said threaded portion, wherein said cylindrical portion has an outer diameter and a centerline;

a dimensional measurement device having a plurality of sensors for measuring a set of raw dimensional data of the tool, including said outer diameter and centerline of said cylindrical portion of the tool; and

a controller in communication with said dimensional measurement device, said controller being configured to:

receive the set of raw dimensional data from the dimensional measurement device;

calculate the dimensional characteristic of the installed weld fastener using the set of raw dimensional data; and

execute a control action in response to the dimensional characteristic.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the installed threaded weld fastener is an internally-threaded weld nut that is engageable with said threaded portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the installed weld fastener is an externally-threaded weld stud that is engageable with said threaded portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said threaded portion is an internally-threaded center channel formed integrally with said cylindrical portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is one of: a position of a point of intersection of the installed centerline and a plane of the work piece in which the weld fastener is installed, an approximate centerline of the installed weld fastener, and an offset angle of the installed weld fastener as measured between the installed centerline and the plane of the work piece.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said tool is configured to separate into a first tool portion having a first threaded portion and a first cylindrical portion, said first tool portion being adapted for use with the weld fastener when the weld fastener is configured as a weld nut; and

a second tool portion having a second threaded portion and a second cylindrical portion adapted for use with the weld fastener when the weld fastener is configured as a weld stud.

7. A tool for determining an approximate centerline of an installed weld fastener, said tool being usable in conjunction with a dimensional measurement device, the tool comprising:

a first tool portion having a first cylindrical portion and an externally-threaded shaft formed integrally with said first cylindrical portion, said externally-threaded shaft and said first cylindrical portion having in common a first centerline, wherein said externally-threaded shaft is engageable with mating internal threads of the installed weld fastener when the installed weld fastener is configured as a weld nut;

a second tool portion having a second centerline, said second tool portion including a second cylindrical portion with an internally-threaded center channel that is engageable with external threads of the installed weld fastener when the installed weld fastener is configured as a weld stud; and

a controller in communication with the dimensional measurement device, wherein said controller is configured to calculate the approximate centerline of the installed weld fastener using a set of raw dimensional data provided from the dimensional measurement device;

wherein the dimensional measurement device collects said set of raw dimensional data by measuring, by a plurality of sensors, at least one of a diameter and a centerline of one of said first and second cylindrical portions.

8. The tool of claim 7 , wherein said internally-threaded center channel is configured to receive said threaded shaft to thereby facilitate storage of the tool.

9. The tool of claim 7 , wherein said first tool portion is constructed of a first material and said second tool portion is constructed of a second material that is sufficiently different from said first material to prevent galling of the tool when said first tool portion is connected to said second tool portion.

10. The tool of claim 7 , wherein the dimensional measurement device is selected from the group consisting of: a photogrammetrical device, a digital scanner, and a coordinate measurement machine.

11. A method of determining a dimensional characteristic of an installed weld fastener using a dimensional measurement device, the method comprising:

connecting a threaded portion of a dimensional measurement tool to the installed weld fastener, said tool having a cylindrical portion formed integrally with said threaded portion and having an outer diameter;

measuring a pair of diameters of said cylindrical portion using the dimensional measurement device to thereby determine a set of raw dimensional data, including a centerpoint of the outer diameter;

calculating the characteristic of the installed weld fastener using said set of raw dimensional data, including one of a position of a point of intersection of a centerline intersecting the centerpoint and an offset angle between the centerline and a plane of a work piece in which the weld fastener is installed; and

executing a control action when the characteristic of the installed weld fastener is outside of a calibrated range.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein measuring a pair of diameters includes one of: digitally scanning a surface said cylindrical portion, projecting a laser beam onto said surface of said cylindrical portion, and taking a series of photographic images of said surface of said cylindrical portion.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein connecting a threaded portion of said tool includes threading said threaded portion of said tool onto an externally-threaded shaft of a weld stud when the installed weld fastener is configured as said weld stud.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein connecting a threaded portion of said tool to mating threads of the weld fastener includes threading said threaded portion of said tool onto an internally-threaded center channel of a weld nut when the installed weld fastener is configured as said weld nut.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein executing at least one control action is selected from the group consisting of: generating a report, activating an alarm, and transmitting a message to a remote location.

Assignments (12)