Appeal No. 1997-0854
Application No. 08/292,846
-25-
A method of hot staking workpieces with a hot staking
apparatus, the hot staking apparatus having spaced apart
support plates defining a plenum, a plurality of air heaters
for heating a pattern of thermally softenable and pressure
deformable studs on each of the workpieces, a plurality of
corresponding reciprocatable tools for forming the studs after
heating, and a fan, the plurality of air heaters and the
plurality of tools being supported between the support plates
and the fan being positioned along a side of the plenum for
urging air through the plenum, comprising steps of:
positioning a selected workpiece on the hot staking
apparatus;
hot staking the studs on the selected workpiece by
heating the studs with the plurality of air heaters and
subsequently forming the studs with the plurality of
reciprocatable tools;
removing the selected workpiece from the hot staking
apparatus;
repeating the steps of positioning, hot staking and
removing as desired with other selected workpieces; and
continuously cooling the plurality of reciprocatable
tools with a stream of forced cooling air urged through the
plenum by the fan.
-29-
A method for hot staking thermally softenable and
pressure deformable studs on a workpiece with a hot staking
apparatus, the hot staking apparatus including a plurality of
selectable air heaters for heating the studs, a plurality of
corresponding selectively reciprocatable tools for forming the
studs after the studs are heated, an air flow device operably
connected to the plurality of heaters for controlling air flow
to the heaters, and a controller operably connected to the air
flow device and the plurality of reciprocatable tools for
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