Patent ID: 6988651

Claim:
A method of friction plunge riveting work parts together with friction stir rivets each having an upper drive head and a shank portion depending therefrom comprising the steps of mounting said rivets in rest positions in a support defining a supply station so that the heads thereof are externally accessible and the shank portions thereof rotatably mount into the support, moving a rotating rivet gripping and installation tool from a start position into operative drive engagement with said head portion of a selected one of said rivets for rotating said selected rivet in said support, operating said tool for removing said selected rivet from said support while continuously rotating said selected rivet, subsequently moving said selected rivet to a work station and into frictional engagement with said work parts to effect the penetration of said work parts with the shank portion thereof by frictional heating and plasticizing of a zone of material therein that extends around said shank portion penetrating said work parts, and releasing said selected rivet from said tool while said tool is rotating and allowing said rivet to diminish in rotational speed to zero while said material of said plasticized zone solidifies around said shank to complete the friction plunge riveting of said work parts together with said selected rivet.