Patent ID: 7823262

Claim:
A method of replacing a nut plate fastener assembly that is installed in an aperture of a workpiece with a nut plate repair/replacement assembly, said method comprising the steps of: removing the installed nut plate fastener assembly from the aperture in the workpiece in such a manner as to enlarge the aperture in the workpiece, thereby defining an oversized aperture wall; providing a pre-assembled nut plate assembly which includes a nut having an aperture provided therethrough which defines an aperture wall which is at least partially threaded, a holding bracket, a stem and nut retaining means, wherein the holding bracket has a tubular portion having an aperture therethrough and a bracket portion which extends outwardly from the tubular portion, the stem having an enlarged head portion and an elongated portion which extends from the enlarged head portion, the enlarged head portion resting on a shoulder of the tubular portion proximate to the bracket portion and the elongated portion extending through and out of the aperture of the tubular portion, the nut being positioned in the bracket portion generally above the enlarged head portion of the stem, the nut retaining means being configured to prevent the nut from moving out of position in the bracket portion; determining that the tubular portion of the pre-assembled nut plate assembly cannot properly engage with the oversized aperture wall of the workpiece upon radial expansion of the tubular portion by the stem being pulled therethrough such that the pre-assembled nut plate assembly cannot be installed in the oversized aperture of the workpiece; selecting a sleeve member having an inner wall defined by an aperture through the sleeve member and an outer wall; inserting the elongated portion of the stem of the pre-assembled nut plate assembly through the aperture of the sleeve member; inserting the tubular portion of the pre-assembled nut plate assembly through the aperture of the sleeve member in such a manner as to secure the tubular portion to the sleeve member until the sleeve member generally abuts against an undersurface of the bracket portion of the pre-assembled nut plate assembly, in order to provide a nut plate repair/replacement assembly; inserting the elongated portion of the stem, the tubular portion and the sleeve member of the nut plate repair/replacement assembly into the oversized aperture of the workpiece until the undersurface of the bracket portion of nut plate repair/replacement assembly generally abuts against a top surface of the workpiece; and pulling the enlarged head portion of the stem through and out of the aperture of the tubular portion which causes the tubular portion to radially expand outwardly which, in turn, causes the sleeve member to radially expand outwardly until the outer wall of the sleeve member properly engages with the oversized aperture wall of the workpiece, thereby providing a repair/replacement nut plate which is secured to the workpiece.