Patent US4473880A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3583451A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Machine for automatically driving threaded fasteners
Assignee: Dixon Automatic Tool Inc
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Filing: 1969-04-09
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Granted: 1971-06-08
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Expires: 1989-04-09
Abstract
Abstract Vacuum is established within a rubber sleeve telescoped over a screwdriver and holds a threaded screw in driving engagement with the screwdriver as the latter is rotated and advanced by a power driven spindle to drive the screw into a workpiece. If the screwdriver is advanced without the screw being held in the sleeve, the resulting absence of vacuum is detected and is used to produce a signal causing retraction of the screwdriver short of the workpiece. Each time the screwdriver is retracted, a blast of air is shot through the sleeve to eject any screw that may have been improperly retained in and retracted with the sleeve. In another embodiment, the vacuum is established within a wrenchtype socket carried on the end of the spindle.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul H Dixon
- 👤 Robert F Rose
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 12:04
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23P; B23P19/00; B23P19/001; B23P19/006; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/53039; Y10T29/53061; Y10T29/53078; Y10T29/53687
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
271 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener having a head of a selected size and shape, the combination of, a support, a power rotated and power reciprocated spindle mounted on said support, a screwdriver carried on one end of said spindle and having a shank projecting from the spindle, an annular collar encircling said shank and abutting the end of the spindle, said screwdriver having a working end operable to engage the head of the fastener to drive the latter, a sleeve coaxial with and projecting from the working end of said screwdriver and located to telescope over the fastener head during advancement of said spindle, said sleeve being made of resiliently yieldable material and being sized and shaped to seal around the fastener head as an incident to such telescoping, a second sleeve of relatively rigid material having one end portion telescoped over and fastened to said spindle, said second sleeve having a second end portion telescoped into said resilient sleeve and over said screwdriver and terminating short of the working end thereof, said second sleeve having a cylindrical intermediate portion located between said end portions and encircling and engaging said collar to keep said sleeves centered on the axis of said spindle, angularly spaced air passages located between the outer surface of said collar and the inner surface of said intermediate portion for establishing fluid communication between the end portions of said second sleeve, and means communicating with said one end portion of said second sleeve and operable to establish a vacuum within the resilient sleeve for drawing and holding the fastener in engagement with said screwdriver.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
271 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener having a head of a selected size and shape, the combination of, a support, a power rotated and power reciprocated spindle mounted on said support, a screwdriver carried on one end of said spindle and having a shank projecting from the spindle, an annular collar encircling said shank and abutting the end of the spindle, said screwdriver having a working end operable to engage the head of the fastener to drive the latter, a sleeve coaxial with and projecting from the working end of said screwdriver and located to telescope over the fastener head during advancement of said spindle, said sleeve being made of resiliently yieldable material and being sized and shaped to seal around the fastener head as an incident to such telescoping, a second sleeve of relatively rigid material having one end portion telescoped over and fastened to said spindle, said second sleeve having a second end portion telescoped into said resilient sleeve and over said screwdriver and terminating short of the working end thereof, said second sleeve having a cylindrical intermediate portion located between said end portions and encircling and engaging said collar to keep said sleeves centered on the axis of said spindle, angularly spaced air passages located between the outer surface of said collar and the inner surface of said intermediate portion for establishing fluid communication between the end portions of said second sleeve, and means communicating with said one end portion of said second sleeve and operable to establish a vacuum within the resilient sleeve for drawing and holding the fastener in engagement with said screwdriver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A machine as defined in claim 1 in which said air passages are defined by angularly spaced flats on the outer surface of said collar.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A machine as defined in claim 1 in which said first sleeve is contracted around the second end portion of said second sleeve and is held thereon by virtue of the resiliency of the material of the first sleeve.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
245 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener having a head of a selected size and shape, the combination of, a support, a power rotated and power reciprocated spindle mounted on said support, a screwdriver carried on one end of said spindle and having a shank projecting from said spindle, an annular collar encircling said shank and abutting the end of the spindle, said screwdriver having a working end operable to engage the head of the fastener to drive the latter, a sleeve coaxial with and projecting from the working end of said screwdriver and located to telescope over the fastener head during advancement of said spindle, said sleeve being made of resiliently yieldable material and being sized and shaped to seal around the fastener head as an incident to such telescoping, a second sleeve of relatively rigid material telescoped over and projecting from said spindle and carrying said resilient sleeve, said rigid sleeve having a cylindrical portion encircling and engaging said collar to keep said sleeves centered on the axis of the spindle, an air passage located between the outer surface of said collar and the inner surface of said cylindrical portion and leading from said rigid sleeve to said resilient sleeve to establish fluid communication between the two, and means communicating with said rigid sleeve and operable by way of said air passage to establish a vacuum within the resilient sleeve for drawing and holding the fastener in engagement with said screwdriver.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
245 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener having a head of a selected size and shape, the combination of, a support, a power rotated and power reciprocated spindle mounted on said support, a screwdriver carried on one end of said spindle and having a shank projecting from said spindle, an annular collar encircling said shank and abutting the end of the spindle, said screwdriver having a working end operable to engage the head of the fastener to drive the latter, a sleeve coaxial with and projecting from the working end of said screwdriver and located to telescope over the fastener head during advancement of said spindle, said sleeve being made of resiliently yieldable material and being sized and shaped to seal around the fastener head as an incident to such telescoping, a second sleeve of relatively rigid material telescoped over and projecting from said spindle and carrying said resilient sleeve, said rigid sleeve having a cylindrical portion encircling and engaging said collar to keep said sleeves centered on the axis of the spindle, an air passage located between the outer surface of said collar and the inner surface of said cylindrical portion and leading from said rigid sleeve to said resilient sleeve to establish fluid communication between the two, and means communicating with said rigid sleeve and operable by way of said air passage to establish a vacuum within the resilient sleeve for drawing and holding the fastener in engagement with said screwdriver.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
67 words
A machine as defined in claim 4 in which the outer surface of said spindle and the inner surface of said rigid sleeve are formed with opposing circumferential grooves, and further including an O-ring of resiliently yieldable material seated in said grooves and compressed between said surfaces to hold said rigid sleeve on the spindle while establishing an airtight seal between the rigid sleeve and the spindle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
A machine as defined in claim 4 in which said spindle is formed with an axially extending bore communicating with said rigid sleeve, a nonrotatable and reciprocable quill rotatably receiving said spindle, a manifold collar telescoped over said spindle and said quill and establishing communication between said vacuum means and said bore, and means mounting said manifold collar on said quill for reciprocation with the latter while allowing limited lateral floating of the collar relative to said quill.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
185 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener, the combination of, a support, a power rotated spindle mounted on said support for reciprocation through forward and return strokes, means on said support for advancing and retracting said spindle through said forward and return strokes, a driver carried on one end of said spindle and having a working end operable to engage the fastener to drive the latter, a sleeve coaxial with the working end of said driver and sized to telescope over the fastener at a predetermined point during the advance stroke of said spindle, a vacuum source communicating with said sleeve and operable to create a buildup of vacuum within the sleeve when the latter is telescoped over the fastener thereby to hold the fastener in engagement with the working end of said driver, and means for detecting the absence of a buildup of vacuum within the sleeve after the latter has advanced past said predetermined point and operable in response to such detection to cause automatic retraction of the spindle through said return stroke before the spindle completes a full forward stroke.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
185 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener, the combination of, a support, a power rotated spindle mounted on said support for reciprocation through forward and return strokes, means on said support for advancing and retracting said spindle through said forward and return strokes, a driver carried on one end of said spindle and having a working end operable to engage the fastener to drive the latter, a sleeve coaxial with the working end of said driver and sized to telescope over the fastener at a predetermined point during the advance stroke of said spindle, a vacuum source communicating with said sleeve and operable to create a buildup of vacuum within the sleeve when the latter is telescoped over the fastener thereby to hold the fastener in engagement with the working end of said driver, and means for detecting the absence of a buildup of vacuum within the sleeve after the latter has advanced past said predetermined point and operable in response to such detection to cause automatic retraction of the spindle through said return stroke before the spindle completes a full forward stroke.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A machine as defined in claim 8 further including means for disabling said vacuum source during the return stroke of said spindle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
82 words
A machine as defined in claim 7 further including a source of pressure fluid adapted to be connected into communication with said sleeve and operable when connected to override said vacuum source and to create a positive pressure in the sleeve, and means operable automatically as an incident to retraction of said spindle through said return stroke to connect said pressure source to said sleeve whereby any fastener retained in and retracted with the sleeve is ejected therefrom by said positive pressure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
140 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener, the combination of, a support, a power rotated spindle mounted on said support for reciprocation through forward and return strokes, a sleeve projecting from one end of said spindle and having an open end sized to telescope over the fastener during the forward stroke of the spindle, a vacuum source communicating with said sleeve and operable to draw air through the sleeve from the open end thereof and to create a buildup of vacuum within the sleeve when the sleeve is telescoped over the fastener thereby to hold the fastener in the sleeve, and means for retracting said spindle short of its full forward stroke in response to detecting an absence of a buildup of vacuum in said sleeve after the spindle has advanced a predetermined distance through said forward stroke.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
140 words
In a machine for automatically driving a threaded fastener, the combination of, a support, a power rotated spindle mounted on said support for reciprocation through forward and return strokes, a sleeve projecting from one end of said spindle and having an open end sized to telescope over the fastener during the forward stroke of the spindle, a vacuum source communicating with said sleeve and operable to draw air through the sleeve from the open end thereof and to create a buildup of vacuum within the sleeve when the sleeve is telescoped over the fastener thereby to hold the fastener in the sleeve, and means for retracting said spindle short of its full forward stroke in response to detecting an absence of a buildup of vacuum in said sleeve after the spindle has advanced a predetermined distance through said forward stroke.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A machine as defined in claim 10 in which said sleeve is a wrench-type socket shaped to telescope over and drivingly rotate said fastener.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A machine as defined in claim 10 further including a screwdriver projecting from the end of said spindle and telescoped into said sleeve.
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) | 1974-06-07 | 1974-12-07 | 1975-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-07 | 1978-12-07 | 1979-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-07 | 1982-12-07 | 1983-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |