Patent ID: 7621165

Claim:
A crimp tool for joining first and second adjoining steel decking sections at a decking seam by forming first and second spaced penetrations having folds in the decking seam, wherein the first and second spaced penetrations having folds are semi-circular, wherein the folds are oriented in opposite directions; the crimp tool comprising: an actuator; a punch jaw and a die jaw, each jaw having a first end and a second end, the jaws being pivotally connected to each other intermediate their first and second ends, at least one of the first ends of the jaws being operatively connected to the actuator; first and second spaced punches on the second end of the punch jaw, each punch having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the other punch, each punch having a cylindrical end having a beveled tip extending substantially across the cross-section diameter of the cylindrical end for producing a semi-circular penetration having a fold in the decking seam, wherein the beveled tip of one of the punches is oriented upwardly and the beveled tip of the other punch is oriented downwardly with respect to the decking seam, wherein the semi-circular penetrations having folds produced by the first and second spaced punches are oriented such that one of the semi-circular penetrations having a fold is oriented upwardly and the other of the semi-circular penetrations having a fold is oriented downwardly with respect to the decking seam; and first and second spaced recesses on the second end of the die jaw in alignment with the first and second spaced punches, wherein, when the actuator is activated, the first and second spaced punches simultaneously punch through the decking seam from the same side of the decking seam to the first and second spaced recesses to form the semi-circular penetrations having folds.