Screw feeder
OwnerRodney Erdman, Eric Berns +1inventors
InventorsRodney Erdman, Eric Berns, Camren Blank
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastener feeder for feeding fasteners that have a head and a shaft including: a substantially stationary bin, an inline feeder, with a feed track located higher than an upper level of fasteners in the bin and sloped downwardly and operably connected to a vibrator such that the vibrator vibrates the feed track to cause the fasteners to drop into the feed track so that the head is supported by the feed track and the shaft dangles below the head and to cause fasteners to travel down a slope in a queue; a lift gate to elevate a small number of fasteners from the plurality of fasteners in the bin to the feed track; and an escapement at a lower end of the in line feeder capable of isolating a single fastener from the lower end of the queue.
Claims25
A fastener feeder for feeding fasteners that have a head and a shaft, the fastener feeder comprising:
- a substantially stationary bin that can contain a plurality of fasteners;
- an inline feeder, comprising a feed track located higher than an upper level of fasteners storable in the bin and sloped downwardly and operably connected to a vibrator such that the vibrator vibrates the feed track to cause at least some fasteners to drop into the feed track so that the heads are supported by the feed track and the shafts dangle below the head and to cause the selected fasteners to travel down a slope in a queue;
- a reciprocating lift gate having a substantially level upper portion to elevate selected fasteners from the plurality of fasteners in the bin to a proximity of the feed track;
- and
- an escapement at a lower end of the in line feeder capable of isolating a single fastener from a lower end of the queue.
A method of feeding fasteners having a head and a shaft to a fastener using device, the method comprising:
- placing a plurality of fasteners into a substantially stationary bin;
- lifting selected fasteners from the plurality of fasteners in the bin to a proximity of a feed track with a reciprocating lift gate;
- transferring at least some of the selected fasteners to an inline feeder, which includes the feed track, the feed track being located higher than an upper level of fasteners containable in the bin and sloped downwardly;
- vibrating the feed track to cause at least one of the selected fasteners to drop into the feed track so that the head is supported by the feed track and the shaft dangles below the head and further to cause fasteners to travel down a slope in a queue;
- isolating a single fastener from the in line feeder from a lower end of the queue;
- and
- directing the single fastener to the fastener using device.
A fastener feeder for feeding fasteners that each have a head and a shaft, the fastener feeder comprising:
- means for containing a plurality of the fasteners;
- means for laterally transporting the fasteners;
- means to cause the fasteners to drop into the means for laterally transporting fasteners so that the head is supported by the means for laterally transporting fasteners and the shaft dangles below the head;
- means for causing fasteners to travel down a slope in a queue;
- means for elevating at least one fastener from the plurality of fasteners in the means for containing a plurality of fasteners to a proximity of the means for laterally transporting fasteners;
- and
- means for isolating a single fastener from a lower end of the queue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.