Fastener feed and installation head
AssigneeFabriSteel Products, Inc.
InventorsDale H. Goodsmith, Harold A. Ladouceur, John J. Vrana, David W. Sickels
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-attaching fastener installation head and feed mechanism including a spring-biased L-shaped feed pawl which feeds a first nut in the feed passage adjacent the plunger passage on the upstroke of the die press. The feed pawl is pivotally supported on a slide bracket which includes a roller in the longitudinal axis of the feed passage which is biased against a central cam surface on the base and the base is interconnected to the nose member by removable pins. A spring biased nut restrictor is pivotally supported on the nose member, simplifying removal of a nut strip from the head and the installation head is more rugged in design and has fewer parts, reducing costs.
Claims39
A feed mechanism for a self-attaching fastener installation apparatus, said installation apparatus including a plunger passage, a feed passage generally transverse to said plunger passage and communicating with said plunger passage, and a plunger reciprocable in said plunger passage through an intersection with said feed passage to install a self-attaching fastener received in said plunger passage from said feed passage in a panel opposite said plunger passage, said feed mechanism comprising:
- a roller, a spring biased feed pawl operably connected to said roller extending into said feed passage having a finger for engaging a fastener in said feed passage adjacent said plunger passage, and said fastener installation apparatus including an inclined camming surface fixed relative to said plunger, whereby movement of said plunger through said plunger passage drives said inclined camming surface against said roller, driving said feed pawl away from said plunger passage, a spring then biasing said feed pawl toward said plunger passage upon said roller driving said finger of said feed pawl against said fastener in said feed passage adjacent said plunger passage into said plunger passage.
A feed mechanism for a self-attaching nut fastener installation apparatus, said installation apparatus including a plunger passage, a feed passage extending generally transverse to said plunger passage and communicating with said plunger passage, and a plunger reciprocable in said plunger passage through an intersection of said feed passage to install a self-attaching nut fastener received in said plunger passage from said feed passage in a panel opposite said plunger passage, said feed mechanism comprising:
- a slide bracket in said feed passage movable toward and away from said plunger passage, a feed pawl pivotally supported on said slide brackcet having a portion extending into said feed passage including an end portion adapted to engage a self-attaching nut fastener in said feed passage adjacent said plunger passage, a spring biasing said bracket toward said plunger passage, and a roller rotatably supported on said bracket and said fastener installation apparatus including an inclined camming surface fixed relative to said plunger, opposite said roller, whereby movement of said plunger through said plunger passage drives said inclined camming surface against said roller, driving said slide bracket away from plunger passage and said spring then driving said slide bracket toward said plunger passage upon release of said roller from said inclined canning surface and said end portion of said feed pawl then driving said self-attaching fastener adjacent said plunger passage into said plunger passage.
An installation apparatus for installing self-attaching nuts interconnected by frangible connector elements, said installation apparatus comprising:
- a base member attachable to a shoe of a press having an inclined cam surface;
- a plunger fixed relative to said base member and extending from said base member;
- a nose member having a plunger passage telescopically receiving a free end of said plunger and a generally transverse nut feed passage intersecting said plunger passage and communicating therewith;
- a shank extending generally parallel to said plunger having a first end portion attached to said nose member by removable pins and a second end portion resiliently biased towards said nose member relative to said base member;
- and
- a feed mechanism including a feed pawl extending into said feed passage having an end portion adapted to engage a self-attaching fastener adjacent said plunger passage and a roller opposite said inclined cam surface, said feed pawl spring biased towards said plunger passage and operably connected to said roller, whereby closure of said press drives said nose member against a panel located in said press, driving said plunger through said plunger passage to install a self-attaching nut in said plunger passage into a panel located opposite said plunger passage and said roller engaging said inclined cam surface to drive said pawl away from said plunger passage to receive said finger into a nut bore of a self-attaching nut adjacent said plunger passage and opening of said press releasing said roller and said feed pawl, wherein said end portion of said feed pawl engages said self-attaching fastener in said feed passage adjacent said plunger passage and said feed pawl then driving a self-attaching fastener into said plunger passage for installation in said panel upon closing of said press.
An installation apparatus for installing self-attaching nuts interconnected by a frangible connector element, said installation apparatus comprising:
- a base member attachable to one shoe of a die press having an inclined cam surface;
- a plunger fixed relative to said base member and extending from said base member;
- a nose member having a plunger passage telescopically receiving a free end of said plunger and a nut feed passage intersecting said plunger passage and communicating defining a longitudinal axis of said installation apparatus;
- a biasing element normally resiliently spacing said nose member from said base member, such that said plunger is reciprocated through an intersection of said plunger passage and said feed passage to install a self-attaching nut located in said plunger passage in a panel opposite said plunger passage upon closing of said press;
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- a feed mechanism including a bracket including a portion in said fed passage movable toward and away from said plunger passage a feed pawl pivotally supported on said bracket having a portion extending into said feed passage including an end portion adapted to engage a self-attaching nut in said feed passage adjacent said plunger passage, a spring biasing said bracket toward said plunger passage, and a roller rotatably supported on said bracket opposite said inclined cam surface of said base member in said longitudinal axis of said installation apparatus, whereby said roller engages said inclined surface of said base member upon movement of said nose member toward said base member, driving said bracket away from said plunger passage, then said biasing element driving said nose member away from said base member and said spring driving said bracket toward said plunger passage and said feed pawl engaging a self-attaching nut adjacent said plunger passage, and feeding said first self-attaching nut into said plunger passage.
An installation apparatus for attaching self-attaching fasteners in a panel, said installation apparatus including a plunger passage, a feed passage extending generally perpendicular to said plunger passage and communicating therewith, and a plunger having a free end reciprocating in said plunger passage through an intersection with said feed passage to install a self-attaching fastener to a panel located opposite an open end of said plunger passage, the improvement comprising:
- said plunger having slots on opposed sides spaced from said free end;
- fingers having a first end portion extending into said slots thereby retaining said fingers to said plunger, a V-shaped outer side surface engaging an inner side wall of said plunger passage, and a second end portion extending beyond said free end of said plunger having inwardly projecting hook-shaped ends receiving a self-attaching fastener from said feed passage, a spring biasing said fingers outwardly against said inner side wall of said plunger passage and said plunger passage having outwardly inclined surfaces adjacent said open end of said plunger passage configured to receive said V-shaped outer surface of said fingers and release said self-attaching fastener at said open end of said plunger passage.
An installation apparatus for installing a self-attaching nut having a nut bore in a panel from a strip of self-attaching nuts interconnected by frangible connector elements, said installation apparatus comprising:
- a base member adapted to be fixed to one die of a die press having an inclined surface;
- a plunger fixed relative to said base member and extending therefrom;
- a nose member including a plunger passage receiving said plunger and a feed passage intersecting said plunger passage;
- a slide supported relative to said nose member having a roller opposite said inclined surface of said base member;
- a feed pawl pivotally supported on said slide member in said feed passage of said nose member having a feed pawl finger adapted to be received in said nut bore, a first spring biasing said slide and said feed pawl toward said plunger passage and a second spring biasing said feed pawl finger into a nut bore, said first spring thereby feeding a self-attaching nut from said feed passage to said plunger passage opposite said plunger, and
- a nut restrictor pivotally supported on said nose member having a nut restrictor finger adapted to be received in said nut bore and a spring biasing said nut restrictor finger into a nut bore preventing withdrawal of said strip of said self-attaching nuts from said feed passage, but permitting withdrawal of said strip of self-attaching nuts from said feed passage upon rotation of said nut restrictor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.