Apparatus and method for automatically installing clamps
AssigneeHans Oetiker AG Maschinen- und Apparatefabrik
InventorHans Oetiker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for automatically installing a clamp made from a flat blank on an object to be fastened thereby, in which individual blanks are separated from a supply of such blanks, are fed as individual blanks to a deformation station where the flat blank is deformed into circular shape, the thus-deformed clamp is transferred from the deformation station to the object to be fastened thereby where it is placed over the object, and the clamp is thereafter tightened.
Claims44
A method of automatically installing and fastening a clamp made from a flat blank onto an object of predetermined configuration, comprising the steps of separating individual blanks from a supply of similarly oriented blanks, feeding the thus-separated individual blank to a deformation station, deforming the flat blank into a clamp having an internal configuration slightly larger than the configuration of the object, picking-up with the use of a transfer mechanism the thus-deformed clamp from the deformation station and transferring it to the object to be fastened where it is placed over the object, and thereafter tightening the clamp over the object to be fastened.
A separating device comprising a rotatably mounted polygonal drum means open at one end and closed at the other for receiving a supply of flat blanks oriented in the same direction, gripping means mounted in said drum means near a respective corner thereof for rotation with the drum means and operable to grip an individual blank after the gripping means has passed through its lower point during rotation of the drum means, tripping means for releasing the gripping action of said gripping means as it approaches its highest point to release the blank carried along by said gripping means for removal out of said drum means.
A feed mechanism for feeding individual flat blanks in proper position for further processing, comprising relatively fixed support means, a movable feed assembly reciprocably guided on said fixed support means, said movable feed assembly including longitudinally and transversely extending members fixedly interconnected into said feed assembly and two longitudinally extending feed arms pivotally connected with said feed assembly so as to move in unison therewith during reciprocating movement while enabling pivotal movement relative thereto, the free ends of said feed arms being operable to engage with a flat blank in its feed position, a plate-like stop member delimiting the feed position and normally precluding movement of the blank in the feed direction, said feed assembly being provided with release means for lifting the stop member during movement of the feed assembly in the feed direction, and further means for automatically turning the blank around by the feed movement of the feed assembly when the blank is in an inverted position,
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, reservoir means between said second and third means for storing a number of flat blanks for subsequent use in the deformation station, and pick-up means for picking-up the lowest blank in said reservoir means and placing it into position for further processing by said third means.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said first means includes a rotatably mounted polygonal drum means open at the one end and closed at the other for receiving a supply of flat blanks oriented in the same direction, gripping means mounted in said drum means near a respective corner thereof for gripping an individual blank after the gripping means has passed through its lowest point during rotation of the drum means, and tripping means for releasing the gripping action of said gripping means as it approaches its highest point to release the blank carried along by said gripping means for removal out of said drum means.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said second means includes means for positively feeding a blank delivered from said first means including a movable assembly movably guided for to and fro motion on a relatively fixed part and including longitudinal feed arms operable to engage with its free ends the blank.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said third means includes two feed roller means spaced from each other at such a distance in relation to the thickness of the blank as to feed the blank by rotation of the roller means in mutually opposite directions, one of said feed roller means including clamping means for retaining the flat blank onto the surface of said one feed roller means so as to plastically deform the blank about the one feed roller means as the latter rotates, and actuating means for activating said clamping means as the leading portion of the blank passes through the feed roller means and for de-activating the clamping means upon completion of the deformation operation, wherein the blank is provided with complementary means in the inner and outer band portions operable to engage with one another as the blank nears completion of its deformation into a closed clamp, and wherein the other feed roller means includes means operable to engage with one of the complementary means to deform the same so as to provide a locking action to keep the deformed clamp closed.
A machine according to claim 59, wherein the other feed roller means is larger in diameter than the one feed roller means so that the other feed roller means rotates through less than 360.degree. as the one feed roller means completes its rotation through at least 360.degree..
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said fourth means includes pick-up means having several pick-up finger members operable to engage with the outer surface of the clamp at the deformation station upon completion of the deformation operation, a support structure rotatably supporting thereon said pick-up means in such a manner as to enable selective pick-up of the clamp from the deformation station and release thereof over the object to be fastened, and actuating means operable to close the finger members in their position over the clamp in the deformation station, thereupon causing retraction of the pick-up means while retaining the deformed, closed clamp, thereafter rotating the pick-up means relative to the support structure to face the object to be fastened, thereupon mounting the clamp over the object and finally causing the clamp to be released by disengagement of the finger members.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp having an outwardly extending ear on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said fifth means includes a pincer-like pneumatic tool having jaws adapted to be selectively closed by an actuating mechanism for engagement with the ear, and control means in the tool for admitting air under pressure to the actuating mechanism including throttle means for controlling the time required to reach a predetermined closing force of the jaws, and further means for discontinuing the application of air under pressure upon reaching the predetermined force.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said first means includes rotatable drum means having gravity-operated gripping means for gripping an individual blank and hold the same during rotation of the drum means until released in predetermined position of the drum means, and wherein said second means includes a feed mechanism having gravity-operated means for determining the presence of more than one blank in the feed position and for ejecting the same in that case.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein said second means includes means for turning the blank through 180.degree. during feed movement when the blank is in an inverted condition in its feed position.
A machine for automatically installing a clamp on an object to be fastened by the use of a flat blank from a quantity supply thereof, comprising first means for successively separating individual blanks from the supply of blanks, second means for feeding the individual blanks to a deformation station, third means at the deformation station for deforming the individual blank into a closed clamp slightly larger in its internal configuration than the object to be fastened thereby, fourth means for picking up the deformed clamp at said deformation station and for transferring it to the object where it is mounted over the object, and fifth means for tightening the clamp mounted over the object while held thereat in predetermined position, and wherein the second means includes sensor means responsive to the absence of a blank in the feed position to render the feed mechanism inoperable until the arrival of the next blank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.