GB934101A - A method of and apparatus for affixing a nut to a panel - Google Patents

Abstract

934,101. Punching; jointing by forging. MULTIFASTENER CORPORATION. Dec. 11, 1959, No. 42225/59. Class 83 (4). [Also in Group XXV] In apparatus comprising a punch 126 and a die 9 between which a nut 6-7, Fig. 12, pierces a panel 8 and the panel is swaged over securing the nut in a single operation, non- magnet means 140, 101 within the punch-housing 16, 26 position the nut beneath the punch. The nut-flanges co-operate with the die in swaging the panel; which may also be formed with a depression by the housing and the die. Alternatively, the depression may be preformed. The lower part 26 of the housing is carried by a post 20 slidable in the upper part 16, which is mounted on the press-slide 12. A spring 88 biases part 26 downwardly and a key 34 prevents its rotation. The punch is fixed to a screw 124 to a plate 68 between the housing 16 and slide 12. Nuts from a hopper 110 are delivered to a shoot 102 located in a slot in the end of post 20 by a plunger 82. A feed finger 152 for pushing the foremost nut beneath the punch 126 is carried by a slide 148 mounted on the shoot 102 and biased by a spring 119 against a cam 40 on the part 16. A clamp-and-stop plunger 56 for the nuts has a side projection 54 and is biased downwardly by a spring 64. Operation.-A depression D is formed as the housing 26 forces the panel against the die 9. In Fig. 1, the nut 7 beneath the punch is held in a sizing passage 132 between pivoted catches 140, Fig. 2, which release the nut when this is moved by the punch, rotation of the nut being prevented by a spring-pressed ball 130. Oversize nuts are reduced to size in the passage 132. Relative movement between the housing parts 16, 26 also causes the plunger 56 to press the next nut 6 out of shoot 102 and towards the floor of passage 27 when the feed finger 152 has been withdrawn, Fig. 7, by cam 40. During withdrawal of the punch, the finger moves nut 6 against the punch while movement of the rest of the nuts in the shoot is prevented by plunger 56. Nut 6 is delivered beneath the punch and the column of nuts in the shoot moves forward when the press returns to the position depicted in Fig. 1. A projection on the punch (Fig. 3, not shown) may deform the top threads in the nut, producing locking threads. The apparatus may have a number of heads for fixing a plurality of nuts simultaneously.