Stud insertion apparatus for an automatic machine or press

Claim 2

A stud insertion apparatus for use as part of an assembling machine to assemble a stud to a workpiece wherein said machine includes a frame and said stud insertion apparatus comprises: a punch assembly and a stud holder assembly carried by said frame, said punch assembly including a punch movable in a path from an upper position to a lower position and back to said upper position and first means for retaining said stud in abutment with said punch, said stud holder assembly comprising a stud stop assembly and a stud pusher assembly, and second means for advancing said stud pusher to transport said stud against said stud stop in central alignment with and below said punch and thereafter retracting said stud pusher and said stud stop out from under the path of said punch.

Claim 3

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a pneumatic means for advancing and retracting said stud pusher and said stud stop.

Claim 4

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said second means includes solenoids and electrical timing means connected to said solenoids for sequentially energizing said solenoids so that said stud pusher transfers said stud to said punch while said punch is in its upper position and then said stud pusher and said stud stop are both retracted, whereupon said punch drives said stud into said workpiece.

Claim 5

The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said second means includes solenoids and electrical timing means connected to said solenoids for sequentially energizing said solenoids so that said stud pusher transfers said stud to said punch while said punch is in its upper position and then said stud pusher and said stud stop are both retracted, whereupon said punch drives said stud into said workpiece.

Claim 6

The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said stud pusher assembly includes a stud pusher engageable with said stud for transporting said stud to said punch assembly and electrical switch means engageable by said stud pusher to sense the rearwardmost position of said stud pusher, and pneumatic means connected to said stud pusher for advancing said stud pusher toward said punch assembly and retracting said stud pusher therefrom, said stud stop including a V-shaped stop block, and pneumatic means connected to said stop block for advancing said stop block toward said punch assembly and retracting said stop block therefrom.

Claim 7

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said first means is a vacuum type means.

Claim 8

The combination recited in claim 6 wherein said punch has a punch face and a passage extending through said punch and in communication with said punch face, a conduit connected to said passaGe and vacuum producing means connected to said passage.

Claim 9

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said first means is a magnet type means.

Claim 10

The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said punch is of non-magnetic material except for a central portion of permanent, magnetic material, the central permanent, magnetic portion extending to and forming part of the punch face.

Claim 11

For use in an assembling machine for assembling a fastener in a hole in a workpiece such as the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,410, the combination comprising: a punch assembly including a punch having a holding means for retaining a fastener to said punch without grasping or surrounding said fastener, a fastener holder assembly for transporting said fastener to said punch assembly, said fastener holder assembly comprising a pusher and a stop movable toward each other with a fastener during transfer of the fastener to the punch assembly and away from each other and out from under said punch assembly after said fastener is delivered to said punch assembly, and control means responsive to the position of said fastener holder assembly for signalling that said fastener has been transferred to said punch assembly and that both the stop and the pusher have moved out from under the punch assembly.

Claim 12

For use in an assembling machine for assembling a fastener in a hole in a workpiece such as the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,410, the combination comprising: a punch assembly including a punch having a holding means for retaining a fastener to said punch without grasping or surrounding said fastener, a fastener holder assembly for transporting said fastener to said punch assembly, said fastener holder assembly comprising a pusher and a stop movable toward each other with a fastener during transfer of the fastener to the punch assembly and away from each other and out from under said punch assembly after said fastener is delivered to said punch assembly, and control means responsive to the position of said fastener holder assembly for signalling that said fastener has been transferred to said punch assembly and that both the stop and the pusher have moved out from under the punch assembly.

Claim 13

The combination recited in claim 10 wherein said holding means comprises a passage communicating with the face of the punch and with which a pump for producing a suitable vacuum is in communication to produce a suitable lifting force at the punch face so as to retain said fastener thereto.

Claim 14

The combination recited in claim 10 wherein said holding means comprises a permanent magnet sufficiently close to the face of the punch to produce a sufficient magnetic force to retain said fastener to the punch face.

Claim 15

For use in an assembling machine for assembling a fastener in a hole in a workpiece such as the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,410, the combination comprising: a punch assembly including a punch having a holding means for retaining a fastener to said punch, a fastener holder assembly for transferring said fastener to said punch assembly, said fastener holder assembly comprising a pusher and a stop movable toward and away from each other from a fastener holding position to a punch assembly actuation position and back to said fastener holding position, said pusher including a surface upon which a portion of said fastener may rest during movement of said pusher toward said fastener holding position and while said pusher remains in said fastener holding position, said pusher and stop remaining in said fastener holding position until said machine is actuated to begin the cycle for inserting said fastener into a workpiece, whereby said fastener is supported below said punch assembly by said pusher, switch means for actuating the machine and initiating the cycle for inserting the fastener, and second switch means actuated by said fastener holder assembly when said pusher and stop have both moved out from under the punch assembly to permit actuation of the latter.

Claim 16

For use in an assembling machine for assembling a fastener in a hole in a workpiece such as the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,410, the combination comprising: a punch assembly including a punch having a holding means for retaining a fastener to said punch, a fastener holder assembly for transferring said fastener to said punch assembly, said fastener holder assembly comprising a pusher and a stop movable toward and away from each other from a fastener holding position to a punch assembly actuation position and back to said fastener holding position, said pusher including a surface upon which a portion of said fastener may rest during movement of said pusher toward said fastener holding position and while said pusher remains in said fastener holding position, said pusher and stop remaining in said fastener holding position until said machine is actuated to begin the cycle for inserting said fastener into a workpiece, whereby said fastener is supported below said punch assembly by said pusher, switch means for actuating the machine and initiating the cycle for inserting the fastener, and second switch means actuated by said fastener holder assembly when said pusher and stop have both moved out from under the punch assembly to permit actuation of the latter.

Claim 17

The combination recited in claim 13 wherein said holding means comprises a passage communicating with the face of the punch and with which a pump for producing a suitable vacuum is in communication to produce a suitable lifting force at the punch face so as to retain said fastener thereto.

Claim 18

The combination recited in claim 13 wherein said holding means comprises a permanent magnet sufficiently close to the face of the punch to produce a sufficient magnetic force to retain said fastener to the punch face.