US3811171A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pierce nut applying tool
Assignee: MacLean Fogg Lock Nut Co
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Filing: 1973-02-23
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Granted: 1974-05-21
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Expires: 1993-02-23
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for rapidly attaching pierce nuts to a sheet or panel which does not require completely new tooling for different designs of panels. The nuts are made from a strip of metal and are complete except that they are left attached to one another and are thus predictably oriented. They are supplied to the attaching mechanism in rolled strip form. The attaching mechanism is a standardized unit enclosed in a single housing which automatically locates the end nut of the strip over the workpiece panel, severs the nut from the strip, pierces the panel with the nut and clinches the nut to the sheet while, if desired, embossing the sheet at the opening made therein by the nut. As many such standardized nut attaching units may be used simultaneously in a single punch press as are required, the tooling to be used comprising mainly means for locating the units relative to the panel in the punch press.
Inventors
- 👤 W Grube
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 23:25
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16B; F16B37/00; F16B37/04; F16B37/06; F16B37/062; B; B23; B23P; B23P19/00; B23P19/04; B23P19/06; B23P19/062; B25; B25B; B25B23/00; B25B23/02; B25B23/04; B25B23/045; F16B27/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49789; Y10T29/49798; Y10T29/49826; Y10T29/49833; Y10T29/49835; Y10T29/49837; Y10T29/51; Y10T29/5176; Y10T29/5177; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/5343; Y10T29/53478
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
Unitary apparatus for feeding clinch nuts to a workpiece, said clinch nuts being in the form of a strip comprising a plurality of aligned nuts secured together by relatively thin connectors holding adjacent nuts in spaced relation to one another, said apparatus comprising a housing having an opening therethrough, a plunger reciprocable in saId opening, a second opening in said housing shaped to receive said strip and intersecting said first-mentioned opening, reciprocable means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening toward the first opening, shear means operated by said plunger to shear a nut from said strip and move said sheared nut through said opening and means connecting the plunger to the means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening to power the last-mentioned means from the plunger.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
Unitary apparatus for feeding clinch nuts to a workpiece, said clinch nuts being in the form of a strip comprising a plurality of aligned nuts secured together by relatively thin connectors holding adjacent nuts in spaced relation to one another, said apparatus comprising a housing having an opening therethrough, a plunger reciprocable in saId opening, a second opening in said housing shaped to receive said strip and intersecting said first-mentioned opening, reciprocable means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening toward the first opening, shear means operated by said plunger to shear a nut from said strip and move said sheared nut through said opening and means connecting the plunger to the means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening to power the last-mentioned means from the plunger.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 1, and means for preventing reverse movement of the strip through said opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 1, an abutment in said second opening preventing insertion of said strip into said second opening and over said first opening when the reciprocable means is in a retracted position and about to commence the advancement of the strip into its opening, and means moving said abutment ahead of said strip when the strip is advanced into said opening by said means for intermittently advancing said strip through said second opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 3, said reciprocating means comprising cam-and-follower means driven by said plunger, drive link means connected to said cam-and-follower means and to said means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening, and said abutment being disposed on said drive link means and movable therewith.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 1, said strip having flanges extending laterally from opposite sides of said strip, and the nuts in said strip being spaced from one another and connected by portions of said flanges, said shear means being adapted to shear said connecting portions substantially midway between adjacent nuts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 1, said means connecting the plunger to the means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening comprising a drive link slidable in said housing in a direction transversely of said plunger, a rocker arm having an end pivoted on said housing and its other end pivoted on the means for intermittently advancing said strip, and means pivotally connecting the drive link to the rocker arm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 6, and means for changing the location of the rocker arm end pivoted on the housing, whereby to change the location of the other end of said rocker arm and the position of the strip relative to the first-mentioned opening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 1, comprising further a bottom die under said plunger, said workpiece being disposed over said bottom die, and means on the bottom die cooperating with the severed end nut for piercing the workpiece with the severed nut and for clinching the severed nut to the workpiece.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 1, said reciprocable means for intermittently advancing said strip through the second opening comprising a pawl, said thin connectors being spaced apart transversely of said strip to leave an opening between said connectors, and said pawl extending into the opening between said connectors to engage a nut in said strip.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
Unitary apparatus as described in claim 2, said means for preventing reverse movement of the strip comprising a finger spring disposed on said housing and extending under said strip and into the space between adjacent nuts to bear against a nut in said strip when said strip is urged in a reverse direction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-05-20 | 1977-11-19 | 1978-05-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-05-20 | 1981-11-19 | 1982-05-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-05-20 | 1985-11-19 | 1986-05-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |