Fastener manufacturing assembly and method

A method for continuously manufacturing fastener having a wire source and a die press and a die having a piercing element and a cutting element actuated at a first rate and a guide maintaining orientation and directing the fastener to a first plurality of tapping devices, said method comprising the steps of:

• feeding wire from the wire source into the die press;
• piercing an aperture into the wire seriatim by the piercing element of the die and separating the fastener from the wire between the apertures with the separating element of the die producing fastener blanks at the first rate;
• directing the fasteners from the die press in the guide while maintaining constant orientation and into the first plurality of tapping devices;
• forming an internal rib into an inner wall of the aperture with a tapping element of the tapping devices at a second rate;
• and
• operating each of the tapping elements whereby the second rate of the tapping elements in aggregate is generally equal to the first rate of the die press.

An assembly for continuously manufacturing fasteners from a wire source, comprising:

• a die and die press actuating at a first speed receiving wire from the wire source, said die having a piercing element for piercing an aperture seriatim and a separating element for separating a blank from the wire between each aperture;
• a guide receiving the blanks from said die press and maintaining the fastener in a constant orientation;
• a drive unit engaging each blank oriented by said guide thereby conveying each blank along said guide and said guide redirecting the blank into one of at least two alternate paths;
• each of said alternate paths directing the blank to a tapping device having a tapping element for providing internal ribs to an inner wall of the aperture formed in the blank by said piercing element;
• each of said tapping devices actuating at a second speed in aggregate generally equal to about twice said first speed of said die press;
• and
• said guide using gravity to assist feeding blanks to each of said tapping devices.