Patent ID: 6892431

Claim:
A method for installing a hollow threaded insert into a hole in a substrate having first and second surfaces where the insert has a hollow shaft having first and second end portions and an intermediate portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, the insert having a front flange surrounding the first end portion of the shaft for engaging the front surface of the substrate around the hole, the second end portion of the shaft having a thread, and said intermediate portion comprising a gripping means that engages the second surface when a force is applied that pulls the second end portion toward the first end portion; said method comprising: a) placing the shaft of the insert into the hole in the substrate so that the flange of the insert contacts the first surface of the substrate; b) closing a manually operated switch c) activating a rotatable drive in response to the closed switch where the rotatable d rive has an attached drive shaft in turn having an attached mandrel so that the mandrel rotates so that threads of the mandrel mate with the threads of the insert until a nose retainer, through which the mandrel passes, contacts the flange of the insert; d) detecting when the nose retainer reaches the flange of the insert; e) stopping the rotation in response to detecting when the nose retainer reaches the flange of the insert; f) applying pressure to a piston within a cylinder where the piston has a central bore retaining the drive shaft that passes through the bore so that the applied pressure moves the drive shaft in a slide coupling toward the drive so that the motion of the drive shaft and attached mandrel pulls the second end portion of the insert toward the second surface of the substrate and collapses the intermediate portion of the insert to grip the second surface of the substrate; g) detecting when the intermediate portion has collapsed to grip the second surface of the substrate; h) turning the drive in a reverse direction to disengage the mandrel from the threads of the insert in response to sensing when the intermediate portion has collapsed to grip the second surface of the substrate; and, i) controlling steps c), e), f) and h) by means of a controller comprising a programmed logic chip in response to data received by closing of the switch in step b) and in response to data obtained in detecting steps d) and g); provided that, steps a) through h) are sequential except that step a) may be before step b) or step a) may be between steps e) and f).