Pierce nut installation head

Claim 2

A pierce nut installation head adapted to receive a plurality of polygonal pierce nuts for sequential installation in a panel adjacent the head, comprising: an actuatable plunger, a guide member having an open ended passage receiving said plunger for reciprocal movement therein, a plurality of polygonal pierce nuts in said passage in stacked relation opposite an end of the plunger, said passage generally peripherally confining said nuts in said stacked relation therein and being somewhat larger than the nuts to permit movement of the nuts therethrough upon engagement by the plunger, portions of said passage engaging at least two corners of the polygonal pierce nuts to provide an interference fit, thereby releasably retaining the nuts in the passage, said plunger actuatable to forcibly engage the uppermost nut in the nut stack and force the lowermost nut out of said open end of the passage against the panel to secure the pierce nut in the panel.

Claim 3

A pierce nut installation head adapted to receive a plurality of polygonal pierce nuts for sequential installation in a panel adjacent the head, comprising: an actuatable plunger, a guide member having an open ended passage receiving said plunger for reciprocal movement therein, a plurality of polygonal pierce nuts in said passage in stacked relation opposite an end of the plunger, said passage generally peripherally confining said nuts in said stacked relation therein and being somewhat larger than the nuts to permit movement of the nuts therethrough upon engagement by the plunger, portions of said passage engaging at least two corners of the polygonal pierce nuts to provide an interference fit, thereby releasably retaining the nuts in the passage, said plunger actuatable to forcibly engage the uppermost nut in the nut stack and force the lowermost nut out of said open end of the passage against the panel to secure the pierce nut in the panel.

Claim 4

A pierce nut installation head adapted to receive a plurality of polygonal pierce nuts for sequential installation in a panel adjacent the head, comprising: an actuatable plunger, a guide member having an open ended passage receiving said plunger for reciprocal movement therein, a plurality of polygonal pierce nuts in said passage in stacked relation opposite an end of the plunger, said passage generally peripherally confining said nuts in said stacked relation therein and being somewhat larger than the nuts to permit movement of the nuts therethrough upon engagement by the plunger, portions of said passage engaging at least two corners of the polygonal pierce nuts to provide an interference fit, thereby releasably retaining the nuts in the passage, said plunger actuatable to forcibly engage the uppermost nut in the nut stack and force the lowermost nut out of said open end of the passage against the panel to secure the pierce nut in the panel.

Claim 5

The pierce nut installation head defined in claim 1, characterized in that said pierce nuts are generally rectangular and said passage is generally rectangular with radiused corners providing a four point interference fit with said pierce nuts at the corners of said pierce nuts.

Claim 6

The pierce nut installation head defined in claim 1, characterized in that said guide member includes a plurality of channels adjacent said open end of the passage communicating with said passage and adapted to receive and guide fragments of the pierce nuts away from the passage in the event that a nut is fragmented during installation.

Claim 7

The pierce nut installation head defined in claim 3, characterized in that said channel includes a bottom wall inclined away from the open end of said passage to guide nut fragments away from the panel.

Claim 8

A pierce nut installation head adapted to receive a plurality of pierce nuts and sequentially secure said nuts in a panel, said pierce nuts each having a pilot portion for piercing a hole in a panel and a flange portion for overlying the panel adjacent the pierced hole, said pierce nut installation head comprising a plunger, a guide member adapted to be positioned adjacent the panel having an open ended passage receiving said plunger for reciprocal movement therein toward the panel, said pierce nuts being received within said passage between said plunger and the panel in vertical stacked relation, each pierce nut having its pilot portion facing the panel, said plunger actuatable within said passage to force one pierce nut out of the open end of said passage toward the panel, causing the pilot portion of said one pierce nut to pierce the panel, and said guide member having a channel adjacent said open end of the passage, communicating with said passage and having an open end remote from said passage, said channel functioning, in the event said flange portion is fractured to (1) receive fragments of the flange portion of said pierce nut, (2) guide the fragments away from said passage, and (3) prevent damage to the pierce nuts remaining in said passage.

Claim 9

A pierce nut installation head adapted to receive a plurality of pierce nuts and sequentially secure said nuts in a panel, said pierce nuts each having a pilot portion for piercing a hole in a panel and a flange portion for overlying the panel adjacent the pierced hole, said pierce nut installation head comprising a plunger, a guide member adapted to be positioned adjacent the panel having an open ended passage receiving said plunger for reciprocal movement therein toward the panel, said pierce nuts being received within said passage between said plunger and the panel in vertical stacked relation, each pierce nut having its pilot portion facing the panel, said plunger actuatable within said passage to force one pierce nut out of the open end of said passage toward the panel, causing the pilot portion of said one pierce nut to pierce the panel, and said guide member having a channel adjacent said open end of the passage, communicating with said passage and having an open end remote from said passage, said channel functioning, in the event said flange portion is fractured to (1) receive fragments of the flange portion of said pierce nut, (2) guide the fragments away from said passage, and (3) prevent damage to the pierce nuts remaining in said passage.

Claim 10

The pierce nut installation head defined in claim 5, characterized in that said pierce nuts each include two opposed flange portions and said guide member includes two opposed channels extending away from opposed sides of said passage, generally aligned with said flange portions.

Claim 11

The pierce nut installation head defined in claim 5, characterized in that said channel have a bottom wall inclined Away from the plane of said panel to guide said fragments away from said panel.

Claim 12

The pierce nut installation head defined in claim 5, characterized in that said pierce nuts are polygonal having a plurality of corners and said passage in the guide member engages at least two corners of the pierce nuts to provide an interference fit, thereby releasably retaining the nuts in the passage.