Assembly device for pressing C-shaped sheet metal nut onto a plate

An assembly device for pressing C-shaped sheet-metal nuts onto the edge of a plate comprising, in combination, a plurality of sheet metal nuts of substantially rectangular cross-section and having first and second legs integrally connected at one end by a transverse web to form a C-shaped nut open at the end opposite the web for insertion of the nut onto the edge of a plate, the legs each having two lateral side edges and a pair of guide webs extending upwardly from the two lateral side edges of one of the legs at right angles to said one leg and away from the other of said legs, said guide webs having upper edges parallel with and outer side surfaces in line with the lateral side edges of said other leg and an assembly gun having a retaining head for holding a sheet-metal nut with its open end facing forwardly for insertion onto a plate, a displacement channel for feeding the nuts to the head with their open end facing forwardly and displacement means acting on the transverse web of the nuts for ejecting the sheet-metal nuts from the head, a flexible guide channel of rectangular inside cross-section compatible with the rectangular contour of the nuts connected at one end to the displacement channel of the gun and means connected to the other end of the guide channel for orienting the nuts into side-by-side relation with the outer side surfaces of the guide webs adjacent one another from a supply of nuts, feeding them to the guide channel and transporting them through the guide channel with their open ends facing forward to the displacement channel of the gun.