Self-diagnosing pierce nut installation apparatus
AssigneeWhitesell International Corporation
InventorHarold T. Woods
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-diagnosing pierce nut installation apparatus including an installation head attached to an upper die member of a die press having a reciprocating plunger driving a pierce nut against a panel, piercing a slug from the panel upon closing of the press and a rod telescopically received in the plunger resiliently biased through the nut bore if a slug is pierced from the panel or against the panel if not pierced, and a sensor sensing axial movement of the rod, stopping the press if the rod engages the panel. A die located in the lower die member includes a slug sensor confirming receipt of the panel slug through the die member.
Claims15
A pierce nut installation apparatus for installing pierce nuts into a panel, each pierce nut having a bore disposed therethrough, comprising:
- a pierce nut installation head having a plunger passage for receiving a pierce nut for installation into the panel;
- a plunger reciprocating in said plunger passage having a proximal end driving the pierce nuts through said plunger passage into the panel piercing a slug from the panel thereby forming an opening in the panel and installing the pierce nut into the opening in the panel left by the slug;
- said plunger having an axial opening telescopically receiving a slug probe rod resiliently biased toward said proximal end of said plunger and extending beyond said proximal end of said plunger through the bore disposed in said pierce nut thereby ensuring the slug is pierced from the panel wherein said slug probe rod is resiliently biased toward said proximal end by a coil spring coaxial with said slug probe rod or by pneumatic pressure acting on said slug probe rod;
- and
- a slug sensor located beneath the panel for sensing if the slug has been pierced from the panel and has been ejected from said pierce nut installation apparatus.
A pierce nut installation tool for installing a pierce nut into a panel, comprising:
- an upper installation assembly spaced above a lower installation assembly for receiving the panel therebetween;
- said upper installation assembly having a plunger with a proximal end reciprocating toward the panel for driving the pierce nut into the panel and said lower installation assembly having a die button cooperating with said proximal end of said plunger to pierce a slug from the panel into said lower installation assembly thereby forming a hole in the panel and plastically deforming the panel and fastening the pierce nut to the panel;
- an ejector interacting with the slug pierced from the panel thereby ejecting the slug from said lower installation assembly, wherein said ejector comprises a slug rod telescopically extending beyond said proximal end of said plunger for forcing the slug pierced from the panel though said lower installation assembly, and wherein said slug rod is resiliently biased toward said proximal end by a coil spring coaxial with said slug rod or by pneumatic pressure acting on said slug rod;
- and
- a sensor disposed at said lower installation assembly for sensing if the slug has been ejected from said lower installation assembly by detecting the presence of the slug being ejected from said lower installation assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.