Abstract:
A tool for selectively holding standard sized washers having a handle having a first end, the first end having a pair of facing ears formed facingly thereon the facing ears having a partial slightly more than a semi-circular inner periphery sized to matingly abut the outer periphery of a standard sized washer; the handle first end further having a relief slot formed between the ears, the relief slot extending along the handle from the first end, the handle further having a thickness approximating the thickness of the standard sized washer.

Description:
[0001]    This application has a priority based on a previously filed provisional patent application titled Washer holder and Insertion Tool filed Aug. 21, 2001 and having Ser. No. 60/313,955. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The construction and maintenance of aircraft requires a high degree of precision and accuracy. While a great degree of precision can be achieved, perfection cannot. Often, spacers or washers become necessary to both compensate for small variances occurring in portions of the airframe or to provide the ability to make adjustments at the time of assembly or repair for correcting discrepancies or for adjusting alignment of parts in an airframe.  
           [0003]    It is necessary that the parts be assembled to very close tolerances, frequently in confined spaces. One example of close tolerances involves the use of special high precision washers, referred to in the industry as “Army and Navy” washers or “AN” washers. The term AN washer describes a special classification of washers that are constructed to very close tolerances and are available in standard diameters and thicknesses. Most often the thickness of an AN washer is either “thin” which is approximately 0.039 inch, or “thick” which is approximately 0.049 inch. While the AN washers are available in other thicknesses, the thin and thick thicknesses are the most commonly available and used sizes.  
           [0004]    Recently, the specification for the washers has been renamed and renumbered. The new term used is National Aerospace Standards or “NAS” washers. The NAS specification has also changed the names of the thicknesses so that an AN thin washer is now a NAS “light” or “L” washer. Likewise, the AN thick washer is now the NAS “standard” or “S” washer. Both nomenclatures are presently in common usage and for convenience, this application will retain the older terminology. It is therefore understood that a reference to “AN” washers includes reference to “NAS” washers. References to the AN term “thin” also includes reference to NAS term “light.” Reference to the AN term “thick” also includes reference to the NAS term “standard.” 
           [0005]    The AN washers are used both as spacers and as gaskets in the fabrication of aircraft. When used as a spacer between two parts that are being joined using a threaded fastener such as a bolt, the AN washer serves to either fill a space, or provide alignment between the two parts. Thus, a threaded bolt or other fastener is passed through the first part and thence through the AN washer and into the second part where the threaded portion of the bolt is secured by mating threads in either the second part or a nut.  
           [0006]    When the AN washer is used as a gasket, the washer generally is used in the same manner, but, the washer is used to connect two hollow parts that allow the passage of a fluid therethrough. Here the AN washer is not necessarily being used to space the two parts, but, rather to seal the mating surfaces of the two parts so that fluid contained within the hollow parts, usually under pressure, does not escape to the outside. An example of this use is a connection of a fluid carrying hose to a stationary part.  
           [0007]    AN washer are readily available and perform their functions quite well, one problem with AN washers that arises, particularly in repair work, is placement of the AN washer into the restricted spaces of an airframe while inserting a threaded fastener can be very difficult. Frequently, an AN washer is placed into a particular location in the airframe during the manufacture of the airplane, the fastener tightened, and other airframe parts then assembled around the parts previously assembled. This assembly procedure may be efficient and sound engineering at the time of manufacture, but it fails to consider that the part may be needed to be removed at a later date for repair of replacement. All too frequently the replacement of the part is sufficiently difficult, and the replacement of the AN washer becomes nearly impossible owing to the close confines and restricted working spaces involved in placing and holding both the AN washer and the fastener while attempting to insert the fastener through the airframe parts and the AN washer.  
           [0008]    In some instances, conventional wisdom and manual dexterity allow a mechanic to place an AN washer in the appropriate location and hold the washer while the fastener is inserted, however, this does not always happen. In some instances, where there is insufficient space for the use of hands, a pliers or other tool can be used to hold the AN washer while the fastener is inserted, but, even this procedure has its limitations and the amount of space decreases, there reaches a point where even the thinnest pliers cannot be placed in the available space to hold the AN washer.  
           [0009]    Existing tools and manual dexterity, have limits and all too frequently the limits are surpassed leaving a mechanic with no viable way to locate the AN washer while inserting a fastener through the fitting and the AN washer. What is needed is a simple tool for holding and inserting AN washers during fabrication and repair of aircraft.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The invention described herein relates to a tool for holding and inserting spacer washers, and more particularly a tool for holding and inserting high precision washers as spacers or gaskets as used to assembly or repair in aircraft.  
           [0011]    The washer insertion tool as described herein is a tool, elongate in shape having a “C” shaped ironing at its end. The opening is approximately semicircular and sized to be slightly smaller than the outside diameter of a selected size of an AN washer. The semicircular opening terminates in a pair of opposing ears for grasping the AN washer and there may be a deformation controlling slot formed between the ears and extending into the handle. The tool may be single ended, or may have semicircular washer receiving openings formed on each end, each opening being sized to receive a different sized AN washer.  
           [0012]    The tool is designed so that a user may easily and readily insert an AN washer into an appropriately sized washer receiving opening and use the tool to hold the washer in place while the washer is inserted in to the proper location in the airframe and the fastener inserted and thus with the AN washer retained in the desired location, the tool may be removed from the washer and the fastener tightened.  
           [0013]    While the AN washers are available in generally two thicknesses, thick and thin, the tool is constructed to have a thickness to accommodate the thick washers and can still be used for holding the thin washers. The tool is constructed in several sizes to fit the different standard sizes of the AN washers. A set of four double ended tools will fit all of the commonly used sizes of AN washers and a set with a greater number of tools  10  would fit all of the available AN washer sizes. The invention is a simple tool for holding and inserting AN washers during fabrication and repair of aircraft 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the tool shown in one of the smaller sizes.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tool shown in one of the larger sizes showing a washer inserted and a washer being inserted. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    The tool  10 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , consists of a handle  12  and a tool end  14 . At the tool end  14  there is formed a washer receiving opening  16  sized to receive a washer  30 . The tool  10 , as shown in the figures has two ends  14 , each end being sized to accept a different diameter AN washer  30 , preferably, one size and the next size larger or smaller washer  30 . 1  the tool further has a hole  20  located centrally therein for hanging the tool for storage. It is understood, however, that the tool  10  may be constructed having only one tool end  14  in some applications.  
         [0017]    Each tool end  14  has an approximately semi-circular washer receiving opening  16  formed terminally thereon. The washer receiving opening  16  is further composed of a pair of ears  22 . Each ear  22  has an arcuate segment  24  formed on the inner periphery. The arcuate segment  24  has a radius to fir a selected size of AN washer  30  and hold the washer  30  about the periphery of the washer  30 . Taken together the pair of ears  22  will form a semi-circular opening of slightly more than 180 degrees and slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the selected AN washer  30 . As shown in FIG. 2, the right side tool end  14 , labeled “A” for convenience, is shown with a washer  30  being inserted. The ears  22  of the tool end  14  for a washer receiving opening  16  that is inadequate in size to receive the washer  30  without deformation of the tool  10 . Thus the slight deformation of the ears  22  of on the tool  14  will secure and hold the washer  30  placed therein.  
         [0018]    The flexibility of the tool end  14  is controlled and enhanced by forming a slot  18  between the pair of tool end  16  ears  22 . The slot  18  cooperates with the web  26  of the tool end  14  to define the flexibility of the tool  10  so that the ears  22  may be urged slightly apart to allow the insertion and retention of a washer  30 . As shown also in FIG. 2, with the opposite or left end  14  of the tool  10 , labeled “B” for convenience, a washer  30  has been inserted into the washer receiving opening  16  and is retained therein by the tension caused by the deformation of the tool end  16 . Thus, the washer is gripped by the pair of ears  22  held adjacent the outer periphery of the washer  30 . It is noted that the inner periphery  24  of the ears  22  has a radius sized to closely conform to the radius of the outer surface of the washer  30 .  
         [0019]    The tool  10  is sized to comfortably fit in an average sized hand of a user and may be approximately 6.25 inches in length. The length of the tool  10  is not important to the function of the tool  10  and may be varied within a large range to include very long tools  10  for reaching into otherwise inaccessible locations or very short tools  10  to reach into very small cramped spaces. Likewise, the handle  12  of the tool  10  has been described as simply a straight handle  12  for convenience, it being understood that the handle  12  may be bent, circular in cross section, or any other easily fabricated shape to provide for ease of operation. The handle  12  may be manufactured in other shapes both straight and bent to accommodate a particular application.  
         [0020]    The tool  10  may be constructed from any suitable materials such as metals, rigid plastics, or glass filled plastic and is preferably constructed from type 301 full hard stainless steel. The tool  10  or at least the tool ends  14  may be of any suitable thickness and are preferably no thicker than the thickness of a “thick” AN washer or approximately 0.043 inch. The above construction has been optimized for the use of type 301 stainless steel in fabrication it is, however, understood that a choice of a different material for fabrication may require changes in some of the parameters of fabrication. For example, fabricating the tool  10  from rigid plastic may requite that the slot  18  extend a different distance from the washer receiving opening  16  into the tool end  14  and handle  12 , increasing the width of the web  26 , or altering the cross-section of the web  26  or some combination of the previously enumerated changes to provide sufficient rigidity so that the ears  22  will have the proper stiffness to allow the selective insertion and retention of a washer  30  while still allowing the removal of the tool  10  from the washer when desired.  
         [0021]    While the preferred embodiment of the tool  10  is specially adapted and sized to hold and place AN washers  30 , it is understood that the use of the tool  10  is equally applicable to the holding and placing other standard sized washers  30 .  
         [0022]    In its use, a user will select a tool  10  having the proper sized tool end  14  to receive an AN washer  30 . The AN washer  30  is then placed into the washer receiving opening  16  by setting the washer  30  in place and urging the washer  30  between the ears  22  of the tool  10  thereby slightly deforming the tool end  14  through the webs  26  so that the ears  22  of the tool  10  have captured the washer  30  and retain the washer  30  for use. At this point, the tool  10  is used as a handle for the washer  30 .  
         [0023]    The user then takes the tool  10  with the retained washer  30  to the location where the washer  30  is to be inserted. The tool  10  is used to place the washer  30  into the desired location, generally, between two aircraft parts that will be held together using a conventional threaded fastener such as a bolt. The parts are placed in their desired location and the washer  30  is located between the two parts to allow a fastener to be passed through the first part, the washer  30 , and into second part. With a threaded fastener, the fastener may then be rotated to start the threads of the fastener into the threads of the second part.  
         [0024]    When the tool  10  is being used to insert a “thick” washer  30  and there is sufficient space for the handle  12  to extend orthogonal to the fastener the fastener may then be rotated and tightened to the appropriate torque and the tool  10  is removed by merely pulling the tool  10  from the washer  30 , slightly deforming the webs  26  of the tool end  14  to allow the ears  22  to move slightly apart and release the washer  30 .  
         [0025]    When the tool  10  is used to insert a “thin” washer  30  or when the amount of space available to the user is severely restricted so that the tool  10  cannot be extended orthogonally from the fastener a slightly different procedure must be followed to allow removal of the tool  10 . The tool  10  must be removed before the fastener is tightened. This procedure may be used with a “thick” washer  30  and must be used with a “thin” washer  30  to prevent the tool from being trapped between the first part and the second part. In a restricted space this procedure must be also used to remove the tool  10  before the handle  12  of the tool  10  abuts and interferes with other parts of the airframe and prevents the proper tightening of the fastener. After removal of the tool  10 , the fastener may be completely tightened to the appropriate torque.  
         [0026]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize changes may be made in the form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.