US2042912A

US2042912A - Machine for making binding strips

Info

Publication number: US2042912A
Application number: US730432A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr William Stuebing
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-06-13
Filing date: 1934-06-13
Publication date: 1936-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 1953-06-02

Description

June 2, w sTUEBlNG JR 9 2,042,912

MACHINE FOR MAKING BINDING STRIPS Original Filed June 1:5, 1934 e Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR W. STUEBING. JR

MACHINE FOR MAKING BINDING STRIPS Jum 2, 1936.

Original Filed June 13, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 i W rm 3 2 g ms Mm @HHT 3 mm) WM Q mm mm m: w: W P A? N3 5 mm 9x 3 In 8: M r; w 8 i a a 0V W a e m: 9:\ mm Q W4fl kw -1 A? n@ NQ Q. m% 3 m MN $2 8 H Q m w M g H. NT fi f N 9 J M H .q f 5 N I w? m, W2 hfi P2 June 2, 196.

W. STUEBING, JR

MACHINE FOR MAKING BINDING STRIPS Original Filed June 15, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR -.Fune 2, W $TUEB|NG JR 2,042,912 I MACHINE FOR MAKING BINDING STRIPS Original Filed June 15, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR- Wl'llzam Siueiny, Jr.

ATTORNEYS June 2, 1936. w. STUEBING. JR

MACHINE FOR MAKING BINDING STRIPS Original Filed June 15, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR m'llz'am Sfae in W ro M ATTORNEYS gether.

Patented June 2, 1936 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 13, 1934, Serial No. 730,432 Renewed October 28, 1935 14 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for making binding strips for calendars, display cards, and the like. More specifically the invention relates to a machine for cutting a strip from a sheet of metal and folding it to the form of a V-shaped trough having relatively wide and narrow sides; forming an eyelet from a metal tape; and subsequently fastening theeyelet to the wider side of the metal strip so as to form the strip and eyelet into an integral binding member.

A binding strip of the above character forms the subject matter of United States Patent No. 1,906,024.

United States patent to William Stuebing, Sr., No. 1,057,295 shows a machine for mounting metal strips on the edges of cards, calendars, etc. The present invention is an improvement upon the machine of Patent No. 1,057,295.

One object of the present improvement is to provide means for indenting or embossing the metal strips sothat when a number of the strips are nested together their wider sides will be separated slightly by the indentations. This lessens the tendency of the nested strips to cling to- Another object is to provide means for fastening the eyelet to the strip. A further object is to provide means for nesting the finished strips and subsequently delivering them in nested form to a magazine hopper or other receptacle. Another object is to provide a completely automatic machine for performing all of the above functions. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine with the frame legs cut away and the feeding mechanism for the eyelet tape removed;

Fig. 2 is a plan and horizontal sectional view,

the section being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Fi 2;

Fig. 5 is aside elevation of a part of the machine showing some of the operating mecha- 'n1sm;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a metal strip with the eyelet in position to be fastened to the wider side of the trough;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing clinching fins struck up from the metal of the strip and eyelet;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the fins clinched to fasten the strip and eyelet together;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 99 of Fig. 6, showing the indentation;

Fig. 10 is an end view of a plurality of binding strips without eyelets, in nested formation;

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a plurality of binding strips with eyelets, in nested formation;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the devices that cooperate to unite an eyelet with its binding strip, the parts being shown at a stage of operation next succeeding that shown in Fig. 4; and

Figs. 13 and 14 are similar views showing the same parts in succeeding stages of operation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawmgs.

The machine comprises metal sheet feeding mechanism; a strip cutting and folding device and its operating mechanism; a strip indenting device and its operating mechanism; a pusher for feeding the cut strip to the device for indenting and folding, and its operating mechanism; a strip delivery device and its operating mechanism; a second strip pusher or feeding device and its operating mechanism; a movable strip-receiving table and its operating mechanism; eyelet tape feeding mechanism; an eyelet punch and die unit and its operating mechanism; a pressure bar and its operating mechanism; a fin punching device and its operating mechanism; a fin clinching device and its operating mechanism; means and mechanism for delivering the finished strips from the machine in nested formation; and main driving and control mechanisms.

The above mentioned devices and mechanisms are all supported in a frame comprising sideframe leg members 10 and supporting upper sideframe members I I. The said frame members are connected together by means of a lower transverse frame-plate l2 and upper transverse frame-plates l3 and I3. Plate l3 provides an upper surface for supporting the metal sheet 14 as it is fed to the strip cutting and folding mechanism. Plate l3 also supplies a lower surface supporting a block 15. Similarly plate l3 supports a block 16. The block I6 is movable toward the block I5 to adjust the gap therebetween by means of adjustment screws I! mounted in the plate 13 and adjustable from the front of the machine.

The drive and control mechanism comprises a cam shaft l8 and an eccentric shaft I9, both extending across the machine and rotatively with a spur gear 22 rigidly mounted upon the eccentric shaft I9. Thus these two shafts receive their motion from the main driving mechanism. Adjustable connecting rods 23 extend from the ends of the eccentric shaft l9 to the sheet cutting and folding bar 24. This folding bar extends across the machine and slides up and down in guideways 25 formed in the upper side frames, and is shaped as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. It is provided with a sheet cutting knife 26 and folding blade 2?. The knife 26 cooperates with a lower knife 28 rigidly supported upon the crossmember l3, the twoknives serving as a shear to sever a metal strip 29 from the metal sheet 14.

The metal sheet 44 is advanced toward the front of the machine by sheet feeding devices, herein not shown but fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,057,295, until the advancing edge engages a gauge plate 39 which is adjustably mounted in the folding bar .24 by means of adjustable screws 3|. The cut strip 29 falls upon the block I5. The folding bar 24, after this first strip is cut, rises and then again descends, but during the ascent of the folding bar pusher fingers 32 are moved forwardly and push the cut strip over the gap between members l5 and I6 until the strip engages an adjustable gauge plate 33 mounted upon the block it. In this position the strip is held by the pusher fingers 32 until operated upon first to produce therein the indentations 34, see Fig. 9, and then is folded by the folding blade 2'! upon the next descent of the folding bar 24.

The pusher fingers 32 are connected by means of links 35 to the upper ends of arms 36 mounted upon a rock shaft 38. There are two of these pusher fingers 32 symmetrically disposed upon either side of the center line of the machine, each connected to a rock arm 36. The rock shaft 38 has bearings in the side-frames and carries an arm 39 having a roller 40 riding upon a cam 4| on the cam shaft l9. The arm 39 has a rearward extension 42 connected by means of a spring 43 with the frame of the machine. This spring causes the cam roller to follow the contour of the cam 4|. Thus the movement of the pusher fingers is coordinated with the movement of the folding bar 24.

In the upper side-frames there is also rotatably mounted a rock shaft 44 which carries a pair of embossing arms 45., These arms have pin-shaped or cone-shaped noses 46 which are adapted to form the indentations 34 in the metal strip, when the said arms 32 are rocked into engagement with the metal strip forcing the metal downwardly into cooperating recesses 41 formed in the upper face of the block it. The shaft 44 is rocked by-an arm 48, see Figs. 1, 2, and 4, which is connected to a cam link 49. A roller 50 carried by the cam link 49 rides in contact with a cam 5| also mounted on the eccentric shaft l9. Immediately after the embossing arms have indented the strip the folding bar 24 makes its next downward movement and the folding blade 27 engaging the strip 29 forces it downwardly in the gap between blocks l5 and I6 folding the strip and giving it its V-shaped form.

During this movement the pusher fingers releases the strip and move backward into their rear position ready to carry forward the next strip cut off. The blade 21 forces the folded strip through the gap and lets it fall into the V-shaped ends 52 of delivery fingers 53. The

fingers 53 now move forwardly and downwardly and lay the folded strip upon the movable table 54 in a position from which the strip may be pushed by the lower pusher fingers 55 to the point where the strip is united with an eyelet.

Delivery fingers 53 are fastened to a'rock shaft 56 which extends across the machine and is operated by means shown in Fig. 5. As seen in that view the shaft 56 carries a toothed segment 51 meshing with a toothed segment 58 carried by one arm of a segment lever 59. The segment lever is mounted upon a stud 69 carried by a sideframe and the segment lever is provided with a rearwardly extending arm supporting a cam roller 6! adapted to ride upon a cam 62 mounted upon cam shaft 18. A spring 63-holds the roller 6| against the cam. The delivery fingers 53 are thus rocked by action of the cam from the raised position shown in Fig. 4 where their V ends underlie the folding blade 21, to a lowered position where they deliver the metal strip to the movable table 54. This table 54 is slidably mounted upon the cross-plate I 2 and is moved toward and away fromythe front of the machine by a toggle mechanism composed of parts 64 and 65 connected together by a pin 66 upon which a cam roller 61 is rotatably mounted. The said roller rides in contact with the cam 68 mounted upon the cam shaft Hi. There are two of these toggle members, one on each side of the center of the machine, which together produce reciprocation of the table 54. Toggle members 64 are connected to the table 54 by means of pins 69 and the toggle members -65 are connected'to suitable supports 19 carried by the plate l2 by means of pins H.

Seated upon the cross-plate 12 in front of the sliding table 54 is a cross-member 12 in which is seated the punch and die unit 13. Securely mounted in the cross-member 12 are a pair of guide rods 14 which extend above the cross member to serve as guides for the pressure plate 15 and below the cross-member 12 to serve as guides for the reciprocating punch holder 16. These guides are notched as at 11, Fig. 4, to provide a stop for the advancing edge of the folded metal strip 29 as it is pushed toward the front of the machine by the pusher fingers 55. These pusher fingers, best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, project forwardly from a pusher plate 18 slidably mounted upon the table 54. This plate is connected by means of rearward extensions 19 and links to the upper ends of rock levers 8| mounted respectively just inside the side-frame members on either side of the machine upon studs 82. The lower ends ofthese levers carry cam rollers 83 maintained by means of springs 85 in engagement with earns 84 mounted on c'am shaft l8. The cams serve to advance the metal strip and then are withdrawn and substantially simultaneously the eyelet tape 86 is fed rearwardly across the upper surface of the transverse member 12 and die and punch unit block I3 until the end of the tape engages the upstanding narrow side of the metal strip. In this position the eyelet tape overlies the wider side of the folded metal strip and an eyelet member 31 is ready to be cut off from the tape and secured to the metal strip. As soon as the parts are in the position described, see Fig. 4, the pressure plate I5 descends and resiliently holds the strip and eyelet in proper juxtaposition. The means for operating the pressure plate will be described later.

The punch and die unit is similar to that described in the above-mentioned Patent No. 1,057,295. In the die block I3 are slidably mounted the rods 81 to upper ends of which is afilxed the reciprocating die member 88 which is provided with a downwardly extending semicircular shaped cut-off knife 89 and a round punch 90. In the unit block 13 is a semi-circular shaped die 9| which meshes with the cut-off knife 89 and forms therewith a shear for cutting off the eyelet from the tape. Also in the die block I3 is a die 92 which meshes with the punch 90 constituting a circular punch and die for punching out a round hole in the eyelet tape. It will be obvious that the hole is punched in the tape one step before the tape is advanced to overlapping engagement with the metal strip and that when the cut-off knife operates to cut the eyelet from the tape the eye has already been formed in the eyelet.

An oscillating bail member 93 connected to rock with a rock shaft 94 is provided with a lug 95 to which is .pivotally secured a link 96 pivotally connected at its upper end to a plate 91 which unites the lower ends of the reciprocating rods 81. The rock shaft 94 is oscillated by means of a cam 98 mounted upon shaft I8. This cam rocks shaft 94 by means of a cam roller 99 carried at the end of an arm I which is fastened to the shaft 94. Thus as the shaft I8 revolves motion is imparted to the rock shaft 94 and swinging bail 93 giving first a downward action to the die member 88 to cause it to operate as a punch and cut-off and then causing the die 88 to rise and release the eyelet and tape.

Slidably mounted in the cross-member I2 are a pair of punches IOI having chisel-like points at their upper ends for piercing the metal strip and overlying eyelet and striking up from both of these parts metal fins, clearly shown in Fig. '1. These metal fins are subsequently clinched or riveted by means of a pair of hammer pins I03 which reciprocate in the pressure plate I5 and strike a hammer blow upon the upturned fins. While these operations of punchingthe fins and clinching the same are being carried on the pressure plate I5 rests with resilient force upon the superposed strip and eyelet, holding them in position. The fin punches IOI are adjustably seated in the punch block I6 where they are held in place by means of screws I04.

The punch block I6 is made to move up and down in timed relation to the other movable parts of the machine through a connection with the swinging bail member 93. This connection, see Fig. 1, comprises a lever I05 pivotally supported between its ends by links I08 themselves pivotally connected to a lug I01 extending downwardly from the crossplate I2. At one end the lever I05 is pivotally connected by means of a clevis member I08 to the fin punch block 16 and at the other end the lever I05 is pivotally connected by means of a clevis connection I09 with the said bail 93. Thus as the bail rocks to operate the punch and die member 88 it also operates the fin punches I 0 I. It will be noted that the pressure plate I5 is provided with vertical passages therethrough, as more clearly shown in Figs. 12, 13, and 14. These passages, numbered 3;

H0, serve not only to guide the hammer pins I03 but also serve as clearances for the upwardly operating punch rods IOI as they pass through the metal strip and overlying eyelet, thus enabling the punches to raise the fins to the position 10 shown in Fig. '7.

The mechanism for operating the pressure plate I5 and operating the hammer pins I03 will best be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 4. On the cutting and folding bar 24 is positioned a bracket III provided with an upper guide and bearing member I I2 and a lower guide and bearing member H3. Fastened in the bearings H2 are a pair of pressure rods H4. These rods pass slidably through guide member I I3 and carry adjacent their lower ends a pressure bar H5 which is adjustably secured to the rods by set screws H6. Beneath pressure bar H5 and between it and the pressure plate I5 are disposed compression springs H'I. These springs surround the lower ends of rods I I4 and the upper ends of rods I4. Small springs H8 interposed between the lower side of pressure plate I5 and the upper face of cross-member I2 serve to hold the pressure plate normally in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4. A hammer rod H9 is slidably mounted in guide members I I2 and H3 and is provided with a shoulder as indicated at I20. This shoulder supports a spring plate I2I which is guided by pressure rods H4. A hammer spring I22 surrounds the hammer rod H9 and is interposed between the spring plate I2! and the guide block H2. Beneath the lower end of hammer rod H9 is positioned a hammer plate I23 to which are secured the upper ends of the hammer pins I03. A spring I24 is interposed between hammer plate I23 and the upper side of pressure plate I5 in order to hold the hammer plate in the raised position shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

On the forward edge of the upper transverse plate I3 is fastened a bracket I25 in which I I have pivotally mounted a trigger I26, best seen in Fig. 4. To the upper end of the trigger is secured a spring I21 the other end of which is secured to bracket I25. A hook I28 is formed on the other end of the trigger and spring I2I serves to hold this hook in engagement with a notch I29 formed in the hammer rod H9. The pressure bar H5 is beveled at its rear side and this bevel in the downward descent of the pressure bar engages the rounded nose of an adjustable screw I30 mounted in the trigger. The trigger also carries a spring retainer ISI for gripping and holding the upper ends of fiat springs I32. As stated above, the folding bar 24 has an up-and-down motion. As this bar carries the bracket III, as the folding bar descends, the pressure rods H4 are moved downwardly compressing springs III to force the pressure plate I5 downwardly against the work in opposition to the small springs H8. While the parts are held in this position the punches IOI operate to strike up the fins from the metal of the strip and eyelet, while the pressure rods H4 continue to descend further compressing springs III until 0 the trigger is released from the notch I29 by engagement with the screw I30 of the pressure bar I I5. As soon as the trigger releases the hammer rod H9, the hammer spring I22 which has been compressed during the descent of the guide block hopper II 2 imparts a sudden downward movement to the hammer rod which striking hammer plate I23 causes the hammer pins I03 rapidly to descend and strike a hammer blow upon the struckup fins. This clinches the fins and securely fastens the eyelet to the metal strip so that the finished product is a substantially unit structure. As the trigger is swung about its pivot by the pressure bar I I5, the flat springs I32, which at their lower ends are stopped in their rearward movement by the upturned edge of the V-metal strip, are put under a slight tension, for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 show the corelated action of the pressure plate I5, the hammer mechanism comprising the hammer rod I I9 and the hammer plate I23 with its depending hammer pins I93 and also the action of the trigger I26 and the fin punches IIiI. Fig. 4 shows all these parts in their normal unoperated position. In Fig. 12 the pressure plate has descended to clamp the eyelet in engagement with the wide side of the metal strip. In this figure the punches I6I have not yet operated nor has the hammer rod I I9 been released by the trigger. In Fig. 13 the hammer rod is about to be released by the trigger and the fin punches IIII have been raised to strike up the fins upon the metal strip and eyelet. Fig. 14 shows the parts in the final stage. Here the trigger is held back by the pressure bar' II5, the fin punches have descended out of the way of the hammer pins I93 which have been given a hammer blow to clinch the fins, thus riveting the parts together to form the completed strip, disclosed in Fig. 8.

As the binding strips are finished, each one is removed from the position it occupies in Fig. 4 as follows: By this time the movable table 54 has been drawn back by the toggle and cam 68 causing a gap to exist between the forward edge of the table and the die block 72. The pusher fingers 55 have also been withdrawn from contact with the metal strip. As soon, therefore, as the pressure of the pressure plate I5 is removed from the finished binding strip the flat springs I32 which, as described, have been put under tension by the. movement of the trigger, react to flip the finished binding strip through the said gap where it falls into the mouth of a I33. This hopper comprises a lower frame or slide member I34, which is secured at its upper end to the cross-member I2 and an upper guide or frame member I35 which is fastened to the transverse frame member I2. As the. strips descend the hopper they are held substantially parallel to one another, each in a horizontal position. The strips slide down the hopper member I34 until their advance is stopped by contact with flat springs I36. These springs I are fastened to brackets I31 which are in turn I38 carries a roller I4I operating on cam' I42.

This cam is mounted upon rock shaft 94. A spring I43 causes the roller to follow the cam. Slots I44 are formed in the lower hopper member I34 to allow the ends of the delivery fingers I39 to pass below the plane of the said member 134. As the V strip passes down the hopper I33 passes between feed rollers I45 and I46.

I36. The rock shaft 94 now oscillates and cam 5.

I42, bearing against roller I4'I, forces lever I38 rearwardly, thus pressing the binding strips beneath the flat springs I36 to a predetermined point. Each succeeding strip is stopped at this said point and then as the next succeeding strip reaches the point all of the strips which have preceded are pushed rearwardly in the machine along the hopper member I34 until they reach the end of said member where they may be received in any suitable receptacle. Thence they 1 may be removed from time to time from the machine in their nested condition.

The tape 86 from which the eyelets '31 are formed is fed from a suitable roll, not shown, and

rollers are carried by shafts I4"! and I48. The shaft I41 and its roller I45 are adjustable against the roller I46 and, by means of a spring I49, the roller I45 is held in contact with the surface of the roller I46 with the proper degree of pressure. 2 The said shafts I 47 and I48 are suppotred in a bracket I50 which is secured at the front of the machine to the cross-plate. Shaft I48 extends laterally beyond the side of the machine and is supported by bracket I5I. Beyond the bracket 3 I5I a ratchet wheel I52 is fastened to shaft I48. Also mounted pivotally on shaft I48 and adjacent to the ratchet I52 is a lever I53 which at its upper end carries a pawl I54 in position tomesh with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. At its lower end 3 lever I53 is pivotally connected to a cam link I55 which extends rearwardly and has a forked end 3 and 4. Roller I 51 carried by the link I 55 in These 20 contact with a cam I58 formed on shaft I8 serves, 40

as the shaft I8 rotates, to rock the lever I53 and cause the ratchet pawl I54 to advance the ratchet wheel one notch at each revolution of the shaft. This timing of the ratchet co-ordinates with the other parts of the machine so as to feed the tape to the pressure plate to furnish an eyelet for each folded strip received beneath the pressure plate.

The operation of the various instrumentalitie's of the machine have been described in detail. A

brief resume connecting together these separate 50 operations will tend to make clearer the operation of the machine as a whole. It should be understood then that a sheet of metal I4 and an eyelet tape 86 are both fed into the machine at the same time. The metal-plate has sheared therefrom a fiat metal strip '29 each time the cutting and folding bar 24 descends. After each strip has been out off, while the folding head rises, the cutoff strip is moved by the pusher fingers 32 against the gauge plate 33 and while held between these parts is indented by the members 45 rocking upon the rock shaft 44. The folding blade 2! is then brought down to fold the strip and deliver it to the delivery fingers 53. In its passage to the delivery fingers the strip is guided by a guide member I59. Upon being received by the fingers 53, these are rocked forward to deliver the folded strip upon the table 54 which at this time occupies a position closing the hopper I 33. The pusher fingers 55 then advance the folded strip to the position shown in Fig. 4, where the forward edge is stopped by the notched portion TI of guide rods I4. 'While this has been taking place the eye of an eyelet 31 has been punched by the die punch 90, the metal tape 86 has then been advanced beyond the die punch 90 by means of the ratchet mechanism until the end of the tape comes in contact with the upturned side of the metal strip. The pressure plate is now operated to hold the strip and eyelet tape together while the die 88 descends to cut the eyelet 31 free from the tape 86.

While still held in its proper position by pressure plate 15 the fin punches lfll rise and strike up fins from the two plies of metal which lie together. These punches then retreat and a blow is struck upon the hammer pins l 03 causing them to clinch the fins, thus uniting the metal strip and eyelet member. Then, as the table 54 and the pusher fingers 55 have been moved out of the way, opening the mouth of the hopper I33, upon the ascent of the pressure plate E5, the tensioned springs I32 flip the finished binding strip into the hopper l33 where it is delivered by means of the delivery fingers I39 beneath the spring I36 to take its place at the rear end of the row of nested strips which have preceded it. The removal of the nested strips from the machine may be accomplished in any desired manner.

It will be seen from the foregoing that this invention provides a machine having devices and mechanisms for accomplishing automatically all of the aims and objects hereinbefore set forth in a simple and eflicient manner. Each of the instrumentalities employed is simple in structure and simple in its operative connection with the driving mechanism of the machine. The various operating mechanisms for the different instrumentalities are so co-ordinated as to their times of operation that each step takes place in its regular order. Thus, one after the other the folded strips and punctured eyelets are made, brought together, united and then delivered from the machine in nested formation.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hopper, a movable table, means for periodically moving said table alternately to close and open the mouth of said hopper, means for successively feeding folded metal strips across said table to a position beyond the mouth of said hopper, means periodically operative in the said position of said strips to perform a finishing operation thereon, and means responsive to the operation of said finishing means for delivering said strips into the open mouth of said hopper when the finishing operation has been completed.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hopper, a movable table, means for periodically moving said table alternately to close and open the mouth of said hopper, means for successively feeding folded metal strips across said table to a position beyond the mouth of said hopper, means periodically operative in the said position of said strips to perform a finishing operation thereon, means responsive to the operation of said finishing means for delivering said strips into the open mouth of said hopper when the finishing operation has been completed, and

'means acting successively on said strips as they pass through said hopper for collecting them and discharging them from the machine in nested formation.

3. In a machine of the character described, in

combination, a hopper, a movable table, means for periodically moving said table alternately to close and open the mouth of said hopper, means for successively feeding folded metal strips across said table to a position beyond the mouth of said hopper, means for indenting a portion of each of said strips before it is acted upon by said feeding means, means perodically operative in the said position of said strips to perform a finishing operation thereon, and means responsive to the operation of said finishing means for delivering said strips into the open mouth of said hopper when the finishing operation has been completed.

4. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hopper, means for successively feeding unfinished articles to a finishing position adjacent the mouth of said hopper, means periodically operative in the said position of saidarticles to perform a finishing operation thereon, and means responsive to the operation of said finishing means for delivering said articles into the mouth of said hopper when the finishing operation has been completed.

5. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hopper, means for successively feeding unfinished articles to a finishing position adjacent the mouth of said hopper, means periodically operative in the said portion of said articles to perform a finishing operation thereon, means brought into action responsive to the operation of said finishing means at the end of the finishing operation for delivering said articles into the mouth of said hopper, and means acting successively on said articles as they pass through said hopper to collect them and discharge them from the machine in compact formation.

6. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a movable pressure plate, means for successively feeding folded metal strip members beneath said pressure plate, means for successively feeding metal eyelet members beneath said pressure plate in overlapping relation to said strip members, means for automatically causing said pressure plate to engage said overlapping members, means for automatically punching and striking up portions of said overlapping members, and means for automatically clinching said struck-up portions.

7. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a movable pressure plate, means for successively feeding folded metal strip members beneath said pressure plate, means for successively feeding metal eyelet members beneath said pressure plate in overlapping relation to said strip members, means for causing said pressure plate to engage said overlapping members, means for punching and striking up portions of said overlapping members, and means for clinching said struck-up portions.

8. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a movable pressure plate, means for successively feeding folded metal strip mem bers beneath said pressure plate, means acting in advance of said feeding means for forming indentations at predetermined points along said strip members, means for successively feeding metal eyelet members beneath said pressure plate in overlapping relation to said strip members, means for automatically causing said pressure plate to engage said overlapping members, means for automatically punching and striking up portions of said overlapping members, and means for automatically clinching said struck-up portions.

9. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a horizontal support for a plurality of overlapping plies of metal, a pressure plate movable downwardly toward said support to hold said plies in operative position, punching means slidable in said support adapted to cooperate with an opening in said pressure plate to form on said overlapping plies coacting clinching members, hammer means movable upwardly and downwardly in said pressure plate, and means responsive to the downward movement of said pressure plate for causing said hammer means to strike and clinch said clinching members.

10. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a horizontal support for a plurality of overlapping plies of metal, a pressure plate movable downwardly toward said support to hold said plies in operative position, punching means slidable in said support adapted to cooperate with an opening in said pressure plate to form on said overlapping plies coacting clinching members, hammer means movable upwardly and downwardly in said pressure plate, means responsive to the downward movement of said pressure plate for causing said hammer means to strike and clinch said clinching members, and means for operating said pressure plate, punching means and hammer means in a predetermined timed relation.

11, In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a. hopper, means, for successively feeding unfinished articles to a finishing position adjacent the mouth of. said hopper, means periodically operative in. the said position of said articles to perform a finishing operation thereon,

means operative at. the end of each finishing operation for successively delivering said articles.

into the mouth of said hopper, and means acting successively on said strips as they pass through the hopper for collecting them and discharging them from the machine in nested formation.

12. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, movable holding means, means for successively feeding strip members into operative relation to said holding means, means for successively feeding other members to said holding means in overlapping relation to said strip mem- 10 bers, means for causing said holding means to engage said overlapping members, means for punching and striking up portions of said overlapping members, and means for clinching said struck-up portions.

13. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, movable holding means, means for successively feeding strip members into operative relation to said holding means, means for successively feeding other members to said hold- 0 ing means in overlapping relation to said strip members, means for causing said holding means to engage said overlapping members, means for punching and striking up portions of one of said overlapping members, and means for upsetting said struck-up portions in a manner adapted to fasten said members together.

14.v In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for automatically feeding a plurality of folded metal strips and a plurality of tab members one by one into juxtaposition, means for automatically fastening together each pair of juxtaposed members, and means for automatically delivering a plurality of united pairs of members in nested form ready for packing.

WILLIAM STUEBIN G, JR.