Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to drive self-piercing work part
Patent
1995-03-01
1996-10-22
Vo, Peter
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to drive self-piercing work part
29816, 227120, B23P 1900
Patent
active
055664466
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to a feed device for feeding assembly parts, in particular nuts or other elements, to a feed channel of a processing device.
Processing devices of this type pertain primarily to punching mechanisms used to press nuts or other assembly parts into sheet metal. The feed channel is usually formed in a guide piece that is flexibly braced against the upper press part so that during a downward movement of the upper press part, a plunger will drive one nut through the feed channel.
The nuts are transported by a sorting unit through a preferably flexible feed line (e.g., hose) to the punching mechanism. The transfer of nuts from the end of the feed line to the feed channel is performed by the feed device which must be connected to the guide piece of the punching mechanism for this purpose. This has been done for example, by screwing the nozzle of the feed device to the guide piece of the punching mechanism. Connection and disconnection of the feed device are therefore cumbersome and comparatively time-consuming. In addition, the known feed devices are frequently of complicated design, expensive to manufacture and break down easily.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a feed device that will allow a fast and simple connection and disconnection together with a simple design.
The problems encountered in previous systems are solved by the present invention. Briefly, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has two levers that are linked to opposing sides of a nozzle, The levers are pretensioned by springs to a normally closed position for connecting the nozzle to a guide piece. The levers can be pivoted manually to an open position to release the nozzle from the guide piece.
In the feed device designed according to this invention, the two levers coupled to the nozzle provide the connection with the guide piece. Therefore the connection and disconnection merely require that the two levers be pivoted between their closed and open positions. This can be done manually very quickly and easily. Clamping or release of screws or similar attachment elements is not necessary. The simple connection and disconnection are achieved by a comparatively low level of design and manufacturing effort. At the same time, a precise control of the elements between the feed line and the feed channel is assured. Moreover, the invention is distinguished by operating reliability and having a long service life.
The feed line can be designed as a hose leading to a sorting unit or to another source. Another possibility is to design the feed line as a magazine channel of a magazine attached to the nozzle, where the magazine holds a specific number of assembly parts. In this case a filling device can be provided that is connected to the nozzle of the feed device for filling the magazine.
According to another refinement of the invention, a locking mechanism is provided at the nozzle which locks the levers in their closed position when in the connected state. This provides additional security against accidental opening of the levers.
Other favorable embodiments of the invention are described in the Detailed Description of the Invention and the claims and are shown in the drawings, a brief description of which follows,
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 A longitudinal cross section through a feed device connected to a guide piece of a punching mechanism;
FIG. 2 A cross section viewed in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 An end view of the feed device of FIGS. 1 and 2, viewed from the right side in FIGS. 1,2;
FIG. 4 A longitudinal cross section through another application example of a feed device which is equipped with a magazine for nuts;
FIG. 5 A plan view of the feed device of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 A longitudinal cross section through the feed device of FIGS. 4 and 5 and a punching mechanism with connected feed device;
FIG. 7 A longitudinal cross section corresponding to FIG. 4 through a modified design of the feed device according to FIGS. 4,5;
FIG. 8 A parti
REFERENCES:
patent: 2574811 (1951-11-01), Blumensaadt
patent: 3108368 (1963-10-01), Steward
patent: 3810290 (1974-05-01), Grube
patent: 3971116 (1976-07-01), Goodsmith et al.
patent: 4384667 (1983-05-01), Smallegan et al.
Luckhardt Wolfgang
Luckhardt, deceased Heinrich
Multifastener Corporation
Nguyen Khan V.
Vo Peter
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