US1269622A - Fastener-setting machine. - Google Patents

Description

k-F. LITTLEFIELD.

FASTENER SETTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1913.

Patented June 18, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. F. LI-TTLEFIELD.

' FASTENER SETTING MACHINE.

v APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, I9I 3. 1,269,622.

Patented June 18, 19x

2 $HEETS-SHEET 2.

Wvmvfmz Z r 7? UN 'Tf ITED STATES PAT E NT OFFICE.

AUGUSTINE F. LITTLEEIELD, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON', NEW JERSEY,

v 'A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

rAsrnNEn-snrrING MACHINE.

, Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed February as, 1913. Serial No. 750,837.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTINE F.- LITTIiE- State of Massachusetts, have invented cer-.

tain Improvements in Fastener-Setting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a. specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for setting washers or similar perforated articles in combination with fastening devices such as eyelets or gromets. The, invention is herein shown as embodied in' a machine for setting gromets and washers in sheet material such as awnings, sails, etc.

' In machines of this class the attempt has been made heretofore to handle washers separately, delivering them to the setting dies through a raceway from a hopper in which they are placed in bulk. On account of their thinness, however, it has been found difficult to separate single washers in order to introduce them in the raceway. Ithas also been difficult to prevent them from being jammed in the raceway byv overriding each other, especially at bends in the raceway, and to transfer them satisfactorily from the raceway to the setting dies. In accordance with an important feature of the present invention these difiiculties are obviated by utilizing washers in the form of a continuous strip.

The employment of washers or similar articles in this form its believed has never before been attempted. In one of its aspects, therefore, the present invention consists broadly in the combination with setting devices, of means for feeding a continuous perforated metallic strip thereto and means for severing from the strip the portion upon which it is desired that the setting dies should operate.

In machines of the type contemplated by this invention it is proposed to handle the washers by mechanism of radically diflerent nature from the assorting and delivering mechanism. heretofore employed. For example, a holder or reel for a coil of washers in the strip may be substituted for the hopper previously used, the raceway may be eliminated and the strip may be advanced to position the endmost washer preparatory to the setting operation by strip feeding mechanism, of simple construction and positive operation. In the machine herein shown the strip is advanced to position'the endmost washer between the setting dies and is not until then severed from. the strip. This is a desirable mode of operation in that it eliminatesthe possibility of the washer being displaced.

Another feature of the machine lies in an improved form of feeding mechanism for the washer strips. As herein shown, one form of feeding mechanism comprises a slide arranged to reciprocate relatively to the setting. dies and carrying a strip engaging wheel which is arranged to be rotated at one point inthe path of the slide to advance the strip while it acts to hold the strip stationary with respect to the slide during the re mainder of the cycle of the machine.

Another feature ofthe invention consists in mounting .the cuttingor severing devices upon the-movable. feed slide. ,Among the advantages incident to this construction are that the movement of the cutter may be reduced to aminimum and the severing of the washer at a position closely adjacent to the setting dies is facilitated.

These. and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the ac.- companying drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a view in perspective, partly in section, of the operating parts of the machine, and I Fig. 2 is a view in perspective, partly in section, of the mechanism for feeding the washer strip. 1

The machine herein illustrated has a frame 2 with upper and lower branches. In the upper branch is adjustably mounted the stationary upsetting die l which serves to roll over or clench the end of the gromet barrel when the latter is forced against it by the lower die. The lower die is mounted for reciprocation in the lower branch of the frame and comprises part of the reciprocatory plunger 6. The latter carries the usual center spindle 8 which is normally held in an extended position and is adapted to be passed through the barrel of a gromet and the perforation of a washer preliminarily to the setting operation. At its lower end the plunger 6 is connected to toggle links 10 and 12, which are adapted to be straightened by the cam 18 acting through an intermediate link 16 carrying a cam roller 17. The link 16 is moved reversely and the toggle 10, 12 broken by a spring actuated plunger 22 which acts upon a lever or radius rod 1 L pivoted at one end to the frame of the machine and at theother to the link 16. v

In the lower part of the frame 2 is journaled the driving shaft 20 which carries on one end a pulley and clutch of any desired or usual construction, not shown, and upon the other a cam disk having the cam 18 formed upon its periphery.

Gromets or eyelets are supplied to the spindle 8 of the lower setting die by a pivoted raceway 7 e mounted on the side of the machine not shown in the drawings and oscillated from the main shaft in any desired manner. The mechanism for moving the raceway is so timed as to swing the raceway outwardly when the lower die has been elevated sufficiently to cause the spindle 8 to enter the endmost gromet and in this movement the gromet'is drawnfrom the raceway and slides down into position on the setting die.

The machine herein disclosed is provided with mechanism for feeding to the setting dies a continuous washer strip, this mechanism, as already stated, forming an important feature of the invention. Preferably the washer strip is presented to the machine in the form of a coil and areel is provided for the coil from which the strip is fed to the setting dies. At the rear part of the frame is provided a bracket arm 80 in which is rotatably mounted the reel 82. The washer strip is led from the bottom of the coil on the reel through an opening in the rear part of the frame and advanced by feeding mechanism which will be presently described, into line with the setting dies.

The frame 2 is provided with a horizontal guideway extending from front to rear and leading from the reel into the Vicinity of the setting dies. In this guideway the carriage 30 is arranged for horizontal reciprocation. Movement of the carriage 30 is effected by the cam lever 26 pivoted on a pin 24 to a portion of the frame and connected through a link 28 with'a'downwardly projecting ear on the bottom of the carriage. The cam lever 26 carries a cam roller which is arranged to run in a cam track 27 formed in the inner side of the cam disk on the shaft 20 and this cam track is so shaped as to-advance the carriage early in the cycle of the machine.

At its front end the carriage 30 carries a transverse spindle 32 upon which is rotatably mounted a feed wheel 34 having pins 36 for engaging successive perforations in the washer strip. In the upper surface of the carriage 30 is formed a guideway for the washer strip and the bottom of this guideway is formed by a slide 38 by which the feed wheel is actuated. The feed wheel has set in its side face a number of pins 37 one corresponding to each of the feed pins 36 and pivotally mounted within the slide 38 is a pawl 39 adapted to act upon the pins 37 to rotate the feed wheel. A leaf spring 35 is secured to the lower side of the carriage 30 and serves to maintain the feed wheel yieldingly in the required position by ingaging the lower two pins 37 as shown in it its-rear end the slide 38 is provided with a projecting stem '40 which passes freely through a bore in the rear portion ofthe frame and is provided on either side of the frame with an adjustable collar 4L2, 44. These collars are so set that when the carriage 30 is moved toward the rear the collar 42 engages the frame and holds the slide 38 stationary while the carriage and feed wheel 3% are moved rearwardly relatively to it. During this movement, accordingly, the pawl 39acts upon one of the pins 37.to rotate the feed wheel and so advance the washer strip relatively to the carriage 30. WVhen the carriage 30 is advanced to position the endmost washer in line with the setting dies the collar-4% engages the rear side of the frame and causes the slide 38 to be drawn rearwardly in the carriage 30. In this movement the pawl 39 yields upwardly and clicks over one of the pins 37 into the position shown in Fig. 2, a spring 46 urging said pawl to the bottom of its groove in the slide 38. It will thus be seen that during each rearward movement of the carriage 30 the washer strip is advanced one step and at each forward movement the second washer beyond that acted upon by the feed wheel is positioned in line with the setting dies. During the rearward movement of the carriage a portion of the washer strip is moved rearwardly but this movement is easily taken care of by the slack in the washer strip between the frame and the coil on the reel 82.

The means for severing the endmost washer from the strip will now be described. The carriage 30 at its forward end is provided with a hardened shearing block 71 which is adjustably set in the carrier in order that the distance between the feed wheel 3st and the point at which the strip is severed may be varied to accommodate washer strips of different dimensions. Cooperating with the stationary shearing block 71 is the movable shearing blade which is adjustably mounted in the forward end of a lever 50 pivotally mounted on a journal 52 in the carriage 30. An adjusting bolt 72 is pro vided for regulating the vertical position of the shearing blade and adjustable clamping piece at the end of the lever 50 afford provision for a limited horizontal adjustment.

The knife lever 50 is normally maintained in an elevated position by means of a spring plunger '58 which acts against a projection 54: on the lever 50, while a set screw threaded into a lug 56 on the side of the carriage limits its movement. The knife lever 50 is depressed to effect the shearing operation by the cam lever 64 to which it is connected bya vertical rod 62 adjustably connected to a block 60 pivoted to an arm formed integrally with the knife lever and disposed at one side of the carriage. The cam lever 6a in turn is oscillated by a cam roller which runs inthe cam track 68 formed in the outer face of the cam disk on the shaft 20.

The machine is illustrated in Fig. l with its parts in their initial positions. The raceway 7& is located with its end vertically over the spindle 8, the latter being in its lower position, and the carriage 30 occupies itsrearmost position. WVhen the machine is set in motion, the cam disk is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 and the parts of the machine operated as follows :-The cam lever 26 is first swung forwardly and the carriage 3O advanced to present the endmost washer of the strip in line with the spindle 8/ In this movement the washer strip just clears'the end of the stationary setting die 4:. Almost immediately the cam 18 acts to straighten the tog-.

gle 10, 12 elevating the lower setting die and lifting the spindle 8 which passes through the gromet barrel, the perforation in the work which has been presented above the gromet and the perforation in the washer. The cam 68 then acts through the cam lever 64 to pull down the arm 50 and cause the blade 70 to shear the endmost washer from the'strip and immediately after this is done the carriage 30 is moved toward the rear and away from the setting dies. Dur

ing'the severing operation the cam roller '17 has been running upon a concentric portion of the cam 18 and the lower plunger has consequently remained at rest. After the carriage 30 has been withdrawn, however, the cam 18 imparts further upward movement to the lower setting die and in this movement the gromet barrel is clenched upon the upper surface of a washer.

Itwill be imderstood that in operating the machine the work, which has been'previously punched, is presentedby hand in position above'the spindle 8. A work table having a perforation through which the gromet maybe carried up by the lower setting die is usually provided to facilitate the presentation of the work but as this may be of any usual or well-known construction it has been omitted from the drawings for the sake of clearness.

In the illustrated machine there is shown a washer strip having a reduced portion bethat shown the shape and location of the severing knife would be correspondingly modified' Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a frame carrying a stationary upsetting die, a movable eyelet inserting die, a raceway for delivering eyelets to the eyelet inserting die, a sliding carrier arranged to reciprocate in a path approximately at right angles to the path of the inserting die and having means for positively advancing a perforated strip to bring its endmost perforation into line with the inserting die, and means for severing the end of the strip, the inserting die being moved to pass an eyelet barrel through the piece so severed and to clench the eyelet without transversely moving said piece.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, setting dies, a guideway leading toward said dies, strip feeding means comprising a wheel journaled below the guideway and having teeth for entering and positively feeding the strip, and a strip severing knife disposed above the guideway and movable relatively thereto.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating setting dies means for severing a washer from a strip while the washer is located adjacent to the setting dies, means for withdrawing the forward end of the strip from the severing means, and means for actuating the dies to clench a gromet barrel upon the washer while the Washer remains in substantially the position in which it was severed.

4:. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating setting dies, means for supplying a fastener to the dies, intermittently acting feeding means for a perforated strip arranged to enter succes sive perforations in the strip and advance the end of the strip into alinement with the dies, and means for severing the end of the strip after each feeding step. I

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, relatively movable set-' dies, said means including a member shaped to enter each successive perforation in the strip, and means for severing the end of the strip at a point in the path of movement of the strip.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, relatively movable setting dies between which the work is presented, means for supplying eyelets to one of the dies, means for feeding a perforated metallic strip along a. path intersecting that of the dies, and means for shearing the end of the strip at a point in the path of move ment of the strip, said means being so disposed as to leave the bur on the strip on the side toward the work.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, relatively movable setting dies between which the work may be presented in a substantially horizontal position, means for supplying eyelets to oneof the dies, means for feeding a perforated strip into position above the work, and a shear blade movable to sever the end of the strip while the body portion of the strip is held stationary.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating setting dies, means for presenting fasteners to the dies, a guideway for leading to the dies a perforated metallic strip having alternate enlarged portions adjacent the perforations and contracted portions between the perforations, feeding means constructed and arranged to co-act with the enlarged portions of the strip and movable with the strip in a path which, if extended, would intersect the path of the dies, and means arranged to insure severing the end of the strip at a contracted portion and approximately midway between two perforations after each feeding step.

9. A machine of the class described having, in combination, relatively movable set ting dies, a reciprocating feeding member for a perforated strip, and a cutting blade carried by said feeding member and movable relatively thereto.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, relatively movable setting dies, a reciprocatory feeding member for a perforated strip, a cutter movable bodily and simultaneously with the feeding member, and means for automatically moving the cutter in a path at an angle to the path of said reciprocatory member.

11. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a movable setting die, a feeding member for a perforated strip movable laterally with respect to the path of movement of the die, and a cutter arranged for movement relatively to the feeding member to sever the strip at a. predetermined point in the path of movement of the feeding member.

12. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a movable setting die,

a feeding member for a perforated strip movable bodily laterally with respect to the path of movement of thedie, a cutter movable toward andv from the die simultaneously with the feeding member, and means foroperating the cutter at one extremity of the path of the feeding member.

13. A machine of the classdescribed having, in combination, a setting die, a cutter constructed and arranged for oscillatory cutting movement and to be moved bodily toward and from the die, and means for oscillating the cutter at a predetermined point in its path of bodily movement.

14. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a setting die, cooperating shearing blades movable bodily toward and from the die, and means for moving the blades relatively to one another when they are positioned at a predetermined distance from the die. I

15. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a setting die, a movable carriage, an oscillatory cutting blade mounted thereon and shaped to sever strip material, strip feeding means, and means for oscillating the cutting blade with respect to the carriage arranged to have connection with the blade at all points in the path of the carriage.

16. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a setting die, a strip feeding member having a cutter mounted thereon, a cam lever for reciprocating the feeding member, and a second cam lever arranged to operate the cutter.

17. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a setting die, a feeding member movable toward and from the die, a pin wheel journaled in the feeding member, a reciprocatorypawl mounted in said member, and a stop arranged to rotate the pin whee]. one step through the pawl when the feeding member is moved in one direction.

18. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, cooperating settin dies, means for presenting fasteners to the ies, a guideway for leading to the dies a metallic strip of washers which is weakened transversely and perforated at regular intervals, feeding means constructed and arranged to intermittently engage the strip between the weakened portions and to feed it positively so that a fastener may be set through a portion located between the weakened portions, and means to insure severing the end of the strip at a weakened portion and approximately midway between two perforations after each feeding step.

19. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, cooperating setting dies, means for feeding toward said dies a metallic strip having alternately perforated and contracted portions, said feeding means he ing constructed and arranged to act upon the perforated portions only and to hold the strip at rest bet-ween the feeding steps with a perforated portion in line with the dies, and means for operating one of the dies.

20. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, cooperating setting dies, means for feeding a strip of washers to position the endmost washer in alinement with the dies, and means for severing said Washer from the strip after it has been so positioned, said feeding means being constructed and arranged to retract the forward end of the strip after the severing operation.

21. A machine of the class described, having in combination, cooperating setting dies, means for conducting the end of a perforated strip into alinement with and. be-

tween said dies, a movable slide30, means for adjusting the path thereof, and feeding means arranged to act on the strip by engaging its perforations.

22. A machine of the class described, having in combination, cooperating setting dies, means for feeding a perforated strip to- Ward the dies, and a strip cutting device movable from inoperative to operative position in a direction parallel to the feeding movement of the strip.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUSTINE F. LITTLEFIELD.

Witnesses:

HERBERT W. KENWAY FRED W. Gumonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents, Washington, D. G.

Images