Apparatus and method for severing and inserting collated t-nuts

An apparatus for severing and inserting a T-Nut in combination with:

• a common metal strip of T-Nuts having a plurality of T-Nuts one of which is an endmost T-Nut and one of which is a penultimate T-Nut adjacent to said endmost T-Nut;
• and, a substrate, said substrate includes an opening therein, said apparatus severs said endmost T-Nut from said common metal strip and inserts said endmost T-Nut into said opening in said substrate;
• comprising:
• each of said T-Nuts of said strip of T-Nuts being integrally formed with said common metal strip and connected together at a centrally located frangible portion with a next adjacent T-Nut;
• each of said centrally located frangible portions of said common metal strip of T-Nuts is a weakened portion;
• each of said T-Nuts includes a bore therein and a prong;
• a mechanism;
• said mechanism includes an advancement finger, a positioning member, and said endmost T-Nut being in engagement with said positioning member;
• said positioning member is an abutment;
• said advancement finger includes notched shaped surfaces;
• said prong includes surfaces which are reciprocally shaped surfaces with respect to said notched shaped surfaces of said advancement finger;
• said notched surfaces of said advancement finger engage said reciprocally shaped surfaces of said prong driving said common metal strip of T-Nuts into said engagement with said abutment;
• a cutting blade positioned vertically below the position of said centrally located frangible portion of said endmost T-Nut when said endmost T-Nut is in engagement with said positioning member;
• a shearing ram having a guide finger positioned axially in line with said bore of said endmost T-Nut and adapted to move said common metal strip of T-Nuts vertically from an upper to a lower position to engage said centrally located frangible portion of said endmost T-Nut with said cutting blade and sever said endmost T-Nut from said common metal strip of T-Nuts;
• said guide finger resides in said bore of said endmost T-Nut to carry said severed endmost T-Nut to said opening in said substrate where said T-Nut is to reside to perform a support function;
• a guide mechanism located below said end of said strip of T-Nuts, said guide mechanism includes a support wall surface to engage said penultimate T-Nut of said common metal strip so as to maintain the integrity of said penultimate T-Nut with said common metal strip until said endmost T-Nut is severed from said common metal strip;
• and,
• a piston for moving said shearing ram vertically between said upper and said lower positions.