Patent ID: 6916391

Claim:
A method of securing a sealing washer to one surface of a metal sheet while bonding a fastener to another surface of a metal sheet; the method comprising: providing a sealing washer which when engaged with a heated surface bonds to such surface, providing a metal sheet having an opening therethrough, providing a fastener having a head, bonding the head of the fastener to a first surface of the metal sheet about the opening by a process which to achieve such bonding heats a second surface of the metal sheet proximate to the fastener about the opening, urging the sealing washer onto the second surface about the opening while still heated from the fastener bonding step thus heating the sealing washer and thereby bonding the sealing washer to the second surface about the opening, wherein the sealing washer is urged into the heated second surface while the sealing member is held in a washer holder having a face with a socket extending into the holder from the face and adapted to receive the washer therein for urging the washer into contact with the second surface, wherein the socket extends into the holder to a socket end, a piston is slidably disposed within the socket, a washer reception space is provided in the socket outwardly from the piston, the piston is biased outwardly from the socket and thereby urges the washer onto the second surface.