| US 7,500,321 B1 | ||
| Threading tool and method of threading | ||
| Reily M. Dillon, Chanhassen, Minn. (US); and Kurt Thomas Rolling, Shoreview, Minn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to OakRiver Technology, Inc., Oakdale, Minn. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 11, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/55,913. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/544444, filed on Feb. 13, 2004. | ||
| Int. Cl. G01D 21/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 33—645 [33/613; 33/626] | 22 Claims |
| 1. A tool, comprising:
(a) a filament guide having a longitudinally extending trough defined by a trough wall and having a length, and
(b) an alignment system having,
(i) a first registration surface configured and arranged to transversely align a hole in a target-piece with the trough when
the target-piece abuts the first registration surface, and
(ii) a second registration surface configured and arranged to laterally align a hole in a target-piece with the trough when
the target-piece abuts the second registration surface,
(c) whereby a flexible filament may be threaded into a hole in a target-piece by (i) abutting the target-piece against the
first and second registration surfaces so as to longitudinally align the hole with the trough, (ii) laterally and transversely
constraining a distal portion of the flexible filament within the trough by forcing the distal portion of the flexible filament
against the trough wall and generating a transverse deflection of the distal portion of the flexible filament, and (iii) moving
the constrained distal portion of the flexible filament along the length of the trough and into the aligned hole in the target-piece.
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