ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 15 -- United States Patent no. RE50,861, issued on April 14, was assigned to The Boeing Co. (Arlington, Va.).
"Two-stage riveting" was invented by Harinder S. Oberoi (Snohomish, Wash.), Melissa Ann Findlay (Snohomish, Wash.), Branko Sarh (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Alan S. Draper (Everett, Wash.), Jorge Alberto Arriaga (Kirkland, Wash.) and Jeffrey Lawrence Miller (Mukilteo, Wash.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A method and apparatus for fastening two parts together. An initial interference fit may be created between a fastener and at least a portion of a hole extending through the two parts while maintaining a force equilibrium. A final interference fit may be created ...