Multiple fastener application
AssigneeAriel Industries PLC
InventorKenneth Edwards
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Multiple fasteners are fed to a workpiece from a flexible carrier tape (2) in which the fasteners are mounted. The carrier tape passes through a guide and indexing means to bring a fastener into axial alignment with a plunger and, optionally, a die. The fasteners are pre-loaded in the carrier tape in a pattern which simultaneously brings a fastener into axial alignment with a plunger and a die at each of a plurality of fastening positions relative to the workpiece.
Claims17
An apparatus for simultaneously applying multiple fasteners to a workpiece, the fasteners being carried by a flexible carrier tape and being spaced along the length of the tape at an integral multiple of a predetermined unit spacing, wherein the apparatus comprises a guide manifold which includes:
- a top plate incorporating a plurality of spaced fastening stations, each fastening station comprising a plunger which is axially aligned with a respective fastening position and a fastener delivery tube for conducting a fastener from the carrier tape to the respective fastening position;
- at least one tape guide adapted to guide the tape to successive fastening stations along a path adapted and arranged such that a path length for the tape between each pair of fastening stations is a distance corresponding to an integral multiple of the predetermined unit spacing;
- and
- tape indexing means adapted to index the tape a sequence of distances each of which is an integral multiple of the predetermined unit spacing so as to bring a fastener carried by the tape simultaneously into axial alignment with the respective fastener delivery tube at each of the fastening stations.
An apparatus for simultaneously applying multiple fasteners to a workpiece, the fasteners being pre-loaded in a flexible carrier tape and being spaced along the length of the tape at an integral multiple of a predetermined unit spacing, comprising:
- means for defining a plurality of spaced fastening stations, each fastening station comprising a plunger which is axially aligned with a respective fastening position and a fastener delivery tube for conducting a fastener from the carrier tape to the respective fastening position;
- a guide for passage of the carrier tape, the guide being adapted to guide the tape to successive fastening stations along a path adapted and arranged such that a path length for the tape between each pair of fastening stations is a distance corresponding to an integral multiple of the predetermined unit spacing;
- and
- indexing means adapted to index the tape a sequence of distances each of which is an integral multiple of the predetermined unit spacing for bringing simultaneously a fastener mounted on the carrier tape into axial alignment with said plunger at said plurality of fastening stations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.