US 6,004,215 AGranted

Fastener forming machine

AssigneeL & M Machinery & Manufacturing

InventorsLawrence A. Morath, Jan A. Linthorst, Ronald W. Marchionni, Dennis F. Custer

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Abstract

A fastener forming apparatus comprises a positive stop that prevents workpieces from overshooting the end of a forming stroke. A workpiece transfer mechanism transfers one unformed workpiece at a time into a workpiece gripper and drives completed workpieces out of the workpiece gripper and onto an exit path. A compound hydro-pneumatic cylinder moves the gripper and one workpiece at a time downward into contact with a rotating forming tool. A knurled ring is adjustably supported on a threaded portion of a lower piston of the hydro-pneumatic cylinder in a position to contact a stationary stop surface when the workpiece gripper and tool reach the end of the forming stroke, halting the downward motion of the workpiece. The ring also actuates a lower limit switch at the stationary stop surface which causes the reciprocator to reverse direction. The forming tool includes a tool adapter head that holds various forming implements such as cutting blades or drill bits. The head also accommodates broachers and reamers, in which case a precision logic control detects and rejects defective workpieces that have no holes to broach or ream.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In a fastener forming apparatus for forming fasteners from cylindrical workpieces, the apparatus comprising:

a workpiece gripper supported on a forming axis and configured to releasably grip and carry a generally cylindrical workpiece in a coaxial disposition along the forming axis;
a forming tool spaced from the gripper along the forming axis;
at least one of the workpiece gripper and tool supported for relative reciprocal motion along the axis between a remote position and a proximate position, the gripper and tool disposed farther apart in the remote position than in the proximate position;
a workpiece transfer mechanism configured to sequentially transfer a series of workpieces into the workpiece gripper and to drive preceding workpieces out of the workpiece gripper and onto an exit path;
a reciprocator operatively connected to a reciprocating portion of the apparatus, the reciprocating portion of the apparatus comprising one of the workpiece gripper and tool, to drive one of the workpiece gripper and tool between the extended and retracted positions, the reciprocator having a stationary end connected to a stationary support and a reciprocating end operatively connected to the reciprocating portion of the apparatus, the stationary end being hydro-pneumatically coupled to the reciprocating end, the motion of the reciprocating end and the reciprocating portion of the apparatus being hydraulically dampened;
the improvement comprising:
a positive stop including a reciprocating stop surface disposed on the reciprocating portion of the apparatus in a position to engage a stationary stop surface when the workpiece gripper and tool are in the proximate position to prevent the reciprocator from causing the reciprocating portion of the apparatus to overshoot or undershoot the extended position.

4 more elements

In a fastener forming apparatus for forming fasteners from cylindrical workpieces, the apparatus comprising:

a workpiece gripper supported along a forming axis and configured to releasably grip and carry a generally cylindrical workpiece in a coaxial disposition on the forming axis;
a forming tool spaced from the gripper along the forming axis;
at least one of the workpiece gripper and tool supported for relative reciprocal motion along the axis between a remote position and a proximate position, the gripper and tool disposed farther apart in the remote position than in the proximate position;
a workpiece transfer mechanism configured to sequentially transfer a series of worpieces into the workpiece gripper and to drive preceding workpieces out of the workpiece gripper and onto an exit path;
a reciprocator operatively connected to a reciprocating portion of the apparatus, the reciprocating portion of the apparatus comprising one of the workpiece gripper and tool, to drive one of the workpiece gripper and tool between the extended and retracted positions, the reciprocator having a stationary end connected to a stationary support and a reciprocating end operatively connected to the reciprocating portion of the apparatus, the stationary end being hydro-pneumatically coupled to the reciprocating end, the motion of the reciprocating end and the reciprocating portion of the apparatus being hydraulically dampened;
a rotator operatively connected to one of the workpiece gripper and the tool;
the improvement comprising:
the forming tool including a hole-forming implement.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.