Patent ID: 7021856

Claim:
A splice for connecting thin-walled components to each other, said splice comprising a first end portion of a structural component, a second end portion of a further structural component, an overlapping contact surface area between said first and second end portions, at least one fatigue critical row ( 6 ) of rivets subject to dynamic loads and passing through said first and second end portions and through said overlapping contact surface area, a further row ( 7 ) of rivets extending between an end portion edge ( 4 A) and said at least one fatigue critical row of rivets, said further row ( 7 ) of rivets comprising rivets holding said first and second end portions together in a direction perpendicularly to said overlapping contact surface area, said further row ( 7 ) of rivets comprising rivet shafts ( 10 , 16 ), and a gap providing play (at 11 , 12 , 15 ) between each of said rivet shafts and any one of said first and second end portions for permitting a relative motion of said first and second end portions in a direction parallel to said overlapping contact surface area for reducing crack formation and crack propagation and for relieving stress from said fatigue critical row ( 6 ) of rivets.