Fastener mounting apparatus

An apparatus for use with a press having sections which are repetitively moved relative to each other during operating cycles of the press to sequentially mount a plurality of fasteners in members, said apparatus comprising a base adapted to be connected with one of the sections of the press, punch means connected with said base for applying force against each of the fasteners in turn during operating cycles of the press to sequentially mount the fasteners in members, a fastener mounting section connected with said base, said fastener mounting section and base being relatively movable during operating cycles of the press, said fastener mounting section including a loading station for sequentially receiving fasteners during a plurality of operating cycles of the press, said punch means including surface means for applying force against each of the fasteners in turn to move each fastener in turn from the loading station and press each fastener in turn against a member during relative movement between said mounting section and base, and conveyor means connected with said fastener mounting section for holding a series of fasteners and for sequentially conducting each fastener in turn to the loading station during operation of the press, said conveyor means including means for applying a loading force against the series of fasteners urging the series of fasteners toward the loading station during one portion of each operating cycle of a plurality of operating cycles of the press to move a leading fastener in the series of fasteners to the loading station during the one portion of each operating cycle of a plurality of operating cycles of the press and for terminating the application of loading force against the series of fasteners during another portion of each of the plurality of operating cycles of the press to reduce the force urging the series of fasteners toward the loading station during the other portion of each operating cycle of the plurality of operating cycles of the press.

An apparatus for use with a press having sections which are repetitively movable relative to each other during operating cycles of the press to sequentially mount a plurality of fasteners in members, said apparatus comprising a base adapted to be connected with one of the sections of the press, a punch connected and projecting outwardly from said base, a fastener mounting section movable relative to said punch and base along a path extending parallel to a central axis of said punch during operating cycles of the press, said fastener mounting section including a loading station, said fastener mounting section being movable relative to said punch and base between a retracted position in which said punch extends through said loading station, an extended position in which said punch is spaced from said loading station, and an intermediate position disposed between said retracted and extended positions and in which an end portion of said punch extends into said loading station, a guide post connected with said base and fastener mounting section for guiding relative movement between said base and fastener mounting section during operation of said press, said guide post being offset from the extending parallel to said punch, biasing means for urging said fastener mounting section toward the extended position, retainer means for retaining said fastener mounting section in the intermediate position against the influence of said biasing means, said retainer means being operable between an engaged condition in which said retainer means cooperates with said guide post to hold said fastener mounting section against movement from the intermediate position during one portion of an operating cycle of the press and a disengaged condition in which said retainer means is ineffective to prevent movement of said fastener mounting section from the intermediate position to the extended position under the influence of said biasing means during another portion of an operating cycle of the press, conveyor means connected with said fastener mounting section for sequentially conducting each fastener in turn to the loading station when said retainer means is in the disengaged condition and said punch is spaced from the loading station during the other portion of the operating cycle of the press, and means for operating said retainer means from the disengaged condition to the engaged condition during movement of said fastener mounting section from the retracted position toward the extended position under the influence of said biasing means to retain said fastener mounting section in the intermediate position with the end portion of said punch blocking movement of a fastener to the loading station during the one portion of an operating cycle of the press and for operating said retainer means from the engaged condition to the disengaged condition to release said fastener mounting section for movement from the intermediate position to the extended position during the other portion of an operating cycle of the press to move the end portion of said punch out of the position blocking movement of fasteners to the loading station to enable said conveyor means to move a fastener to the loading station.