ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 21 -- United States Patent no. 12,766,589, issued on Oct. 20, was assigned to Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG (Karlsbad, Germany).
"Sonotrode, system and method of reshaping a connecting element" was invented by Marshall Schaeffer (Algonquin, Ill.) and Robert DeCoursey (Saint Charles, Ill.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A sonotrode and a method for reshaping a connecting element to form a closing head of a rivet. The sonotrode includes a cavity for forming the closing head, the sonotrode defines a longitudinal axis, the cavity provides a contact surface including two opposing side surface sections and at least two ridges protruding from each of the opposing sid...