Apparatus for assembling articles in strip form to workpieces

Claim 2

An assembling apparatus for assembling articles to workpieces, said articles being in the form of a continuous strip comprising a carrier strip with which said articles are integral at spaced-apart intervals, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch having means for engaging and holding one of said articles, said punch being reciprocable along a second path, said second path extending transversely of said first path, workpiece supporting means for supporting one of said workpieces in a plane extending transversely of said second path and parallel to said first path, shearing means effective to shear the leading article of said strip from said carrier strip, displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip and said inserting punch relative to each other laterally of said first path, and actuating means for actuating said shearing means and said displacing means, and for actuating said inserting punch whereby during each operating cycle of said apparatus, said leading article is advanced along said first path, said leading article is engaged and held by said punch, said leading article is severed from said strip, said punch and said carrier strip are displaced relative to each other laterally of said first path, and said punch thereafter moves along said first path to said supporting means and assembles said leading article to said workpiece.

Claim 3

Assembling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carrier strip is displaced laterally with respect to said article and said first path intersects said second path.

Claim 4

An inserting apparatus for inserting articles into workpieces, said articles being in the form of a continuous ladder strip, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch reciprocable along a second path, said second path intersecting said first path, workpiece supporting means for supporting one of said workpieces in a plane extending transversely of said second path, shearing means effective to shear the leading article of said strip from the carrier strip of said ladder strip, carrier strip displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip laterally of said first path, and actuating means for actuating said shearing means and said displacing means, and for actuating said inserting punch whereby said leading article is moved along said first path towards a workpiece supported on said supporting means and inserted into said workpiece.

Claim 5

An inserting apparatus for inserting articles into workpieces, said articles being in the form of a continuous ladder strip, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch reciprocable along a second path, said second path intersecting said first path, workpiece supporting means for supporting one of said workpieces in a plane extending transversely of said second path, shearing means effective to shear the leading article of said strip from the carrier strip of said ladder strip, carrier strip displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip laterally of said first path, and actuating means for actuating said shearing means and said displacing means, and for actuating said inserting punch whereby said leading article is moved along said first path towards a workpiece supported on said supporting means and inserted into said workpiece.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said articles comprise spring members having circular cross sections, said workpieces being cylindrical and being adapted to concentrically receive said spring members.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 whereIn said workpieces comprise control knobs which are adapted to receive said spring members in circumferential embracing relationship.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said articles comprise terminal members, said workpieces comprising panel members.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said articles comprise terminal pins and said workpieces comprise printed circuit boards.

Claim 10

Apparatus for inserting terminal members into a panel member, said terminal members being in the form of a continuous ladder strip, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch reciprocable along a second path, said second path intersecting said first path, panel supporting means for supporting said panel in a plane extending transversely of said second path, shearing means effective to shear the leading terminal of said terminal strip from the carrier strip of said terminal strip, carrier strip displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip laterally of said first path, and actuating means for moving said inserting punch into engagement with said leading terminal, for actuating said severing means and said displacing means, and for thereafter moving said inserting punch to a panel supported on said supporting means whereby said leading terminal is inserted into said panel.

Claim 11

Apparatus for inserting terminal members into a panel member, said terminal members being in the form of a continuous ladder strip, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch reciprocable along a second path, said second path intersecting said first path, panel supporting means for supporting said panel in a plane extending transversely of said second path, shearing means effective to shear the leading terminal of said terminal strip from the carrier strip of said terminal strip, carrier strip displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip laterally of said first path, and actuating means for moving said inserting punch into engagement with said leading terminal, for actuating said severing means and said displacing means, and for thereafter moving said inserting punch to a panel supported on said supporting means whereby said leading terminal is inserted into said panel.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including slide means reciprocable in a direction extending transversely of said second path, said shearing means and said carrier strip displacing means being in said slide means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including means on said inserting punch for resiliently grasping said leading terminal.

Claim 14

Apparatus for inserting terminal members into a panel member, said terminal members being in the form of a ladder strip comprising a continuous carrier strip with said terminal members being integral with, and extending laterally from, said carrier strip at spaced-apart intervals, said terminal members and said carrier strip defining a single plane, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch reciprocable along a second path, said second path intersecting said first path and lying substantially in the plane defined by said strip, panel supporting means for supporting said panel in a plane extending normally of said second predetermined path, shearing and displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip laterally, relative to said second path, with respect to the leading terminal of said strip thereby to shear said leading terminal from said strip and to move said carrier strip away from said second path, and actuating means for sequentially moving said inserting punch along a portion of said second path towards a panel supported on said supporting means until said inserting punch engages the said leading terminal member of said strip, for thereafter actuating said strip shearing and displacing means to shear said leading terminal from said strip and move portions of said strip away from said second path, and for thereafter moving said inserting punch along the remainder of said second path to insert said leading terminal member into said board.

Claim 15

Apparatus for inserting terminal members into a panel member, said terminal members being in the form of a ladder strip comprising a continuous carrier strip with said terminal members being integral with, and extending laterally from, said carrier strip at spaced-apart intervals, said terminal members and said carrier strip defining a single plane, said apparatus comprising: strip feeding means for feeding said strip along a first path, an inserting punch reciprocable along a second path, said second path intersecting said first path and lying substantially in the plane defined by said strip, panel supporting means for supporting said panel in a plane extending normally of said second predetermined path, shearing and displacing means effective to displace said carrier strip laterally, relative to said second path, with respect to the leading terminal of said strip thereby to shear said leading terminal from said strip and to move said carrier strip away from said second path, and actuating means for sequentially moving said inserting punch along a portion of said second path towards a panel supported on said supporting means until said inserting punch engages the said leading terminal member of said strip, for thereafter actuating said strip shearing and displacing means to shear said leading terminal from said strip and move portions of said strip away from said second path, and for thereafter moving said inserting punch along the remainder of said second path to insert said leading terminal member into said board.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said panel supporting means comprises an anvil, said anvil having means for deforming an inserted terminal member to secure said inserted terminal member to said panel.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said strip shearing and displacing means comprises slide means movable laterally of said first path.

Claim 18

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 including an opening in said slide means, said second path extending through said opening when said slide means is in its retracted position.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said slide means has cooperable shearing blocks mounted thereon, said first path extending between said shearing blocks, said opening extending through one of said shearing blocks.

Claim 20

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said strip shearing and displacing means comprises a slide means movable laterally of said first path, said slide means having cooperable shearing blocks thereon, said first path extending between said shearing block.