US2079040A - Fastening inserting machine - Google Patents

Description

May 4,1937. 0. A. ROBINSON I Y FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 VENT Q May 4, 1937;

C. A. ROBINSON FASTENING I'NSERTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1936 May 4, 1937. c. A. ROBINSON 2,079,040 7 FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5' May 4, 1937.

C.A.ROHNSON FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 Filed Feb. l2,l936

m MN @m Patented May 4, 1937 cmrso STATES FASTENING 'INSER'RING MACHINE Charles A. Robinson, Salem, Massufiassignor to United .Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 1.1., .a corporation of New Jersey Application February 12, 1936, Serial No. 63,613

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to fastening inserting machines, for example staple forming and driving machines. The illustrated machine embodying the invention is especially designed for sealing radio tube cartons.

A typical staple forming and driving machine is that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,015,930, granted February 13, 1 91 2, upon an application ofWilliam Borden. Such a machine is provided with a wire feeding mechanism, an inside former over which the wire is fed, a cutter tor "then severing an unformed staple from the main bodyof the wire, an outside former for bending the staple legs over the inside former, a driving throat, means for retracting the inside former from the driving path, and means for driving the staple through the work against an anvil. In such machines, as found in use, the

anvil is movable downwardly to admit the work and to permit its movement throughthe machine, and is moved upwardly to hold the work firmly against the throat prior to the driving of :a staple. Such machines drive several staples per second and are generally used to fasten substantially =flat pieces :of work together.

The art is in need of a machine which will Ebe more convenient than the movable anvil machine for use :on work of .such anature that its upward movement the :anvil engenders difiiculty, or inconvenience. Such work, for example, is the stapling otf various types of ornaments :to shoes, as lbows, straps, ,pompons, stapling shank pieces to insoles, and the like. fsuch work requires careflfl adjustment of the piece to lbe sta-pled upon the a main work piece, together with the preservation of the adjustment until after the staple is driven. To this end, it is desirable that the work, once arranged, should not run the risk :of disturbance bye. movement of the anvil.

it has already-been proposedtomove the staple driving mechanism :up and "down above a stationany anvil, for the purposes above discussed, and

to emit the driving throat, driving the staple directly from the outside former into and through the work. Thus, the lower portion of the outside so far from it (two inches or more) that the operator has di-fiicul-tyin placing hisworkaccurately under the outside former upon the anvil, which is hidden by the work, andthe staples are therefore not "driven with sufiicient accuracy. It has not been practicable to lower the inside former sufficiently to avoid this disadvantage without risking interference between the operator's hands or the work and the wire feeding mechanism, which is located at the level of the top of the inside former. 7

It is anobjectof the present invention to provide a simple, cheap and convenient machine for the purpose discussed, which will avoid the disadvantages mentioned. I have accordingly provided a machine in which the threat is retained and is movable instead of the anvil, to the extent, only, that is requisite to accommodate the types of work discussed (roughly inch), th-us avoiding undue movement of the =outside former. I have found it advantageous also to reduce to a minimum the amount of metal so moved. Accordingly, the reciprocatingpart-s (aside from the driver) have been limited to the throat, the outside former and the wire cutter, and to avoid complicating the machine with separate operating means for them all, I have mounted them all on one slide, so that they all "have the same movement and a-sing-le operating means suffices for all. While amovementasgreat as /1 of an inch is not necessary for the outside former and cutter, it does not prejudice the successful operation of the machine.

It is necessary, in staple forming machines, to

provide a space below the outside former, and-beside the inside former, in which the legs of a staple being formed may have room to swing, and it is also necessary, in machines driving staples formed of fine Wire, to provide a guide which will support them against crippling, while being driven. In other words, there must be a continuous guide from the lower end of the outside former to the lower end of the throat. These requirements are all met by the present invention, in accord ance with which the outside former and throat are fixedly mounted in separated positions upon the slide above mentioned, and a movable guide wall carrying block is mounted in the interval between them. This block is movable outward to provide the requisite space for inserting the unformed staple and bending the staple legs and movable inward to close the opening and complete the guide passage after the format-ion of the staple.

This structure enables the machine to "be used upon work requiring a considerable opening between the anvil and throat for arranging the work, without making the opening disadvantageously large and without danger of disturbing the arrangement of the work by movement of the anvil, while the small mass of the reciprocating parts does not engender undue vibration when run at the speed usual for such machines.

The illustrated machine is designed for the express purpose of sealing radio tube cartons. The ordinary such carton consists of a straight prismatic pasteboard tube with flanged end caps inserted in its ends and it is desired to staple the flanges of the caps to all of the sides of the tube. Such a machine, to be convenient in use, should be arranged to drive one staple in each side of the tube and then stop, to permit changing the work or changing ends on the same piece. It is desirable also to provide an automatic work handling mechanism which will turn the carton to the proper position to receive each staple.

It is a further object of the present invention to satisfy these requirements. I have accordingly provided a mechanism for holding and centering the work piece, for rotating it an aliquot part of 360 in each staple forming and driving cycle, and for stopping it after the work piece has been rotated 360". Thus, all skill on the part of the operator in managing the work so as to center the staples properly and in stopping the machine promptly is rendered unnecessary.

In accordance with further features of the invention, the machine is capable of driving one staple, if desired, and then stopping automatically, and the work holder is adjustable to a broad range of sizes of cartons without loss of rapidity and accuracy.

These and other features of the invention comprising certain combinations and arrangements of parts will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the staple forming and driving mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the staple forming and driving mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the same;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the same;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the whole machine;

Fig. 8 is a detail, partly in section, of the work handling mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a work piece; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are enlarged perspective details of the work handling mechanism.

The machine is operated from a main shaft Hi mounted in the upper part of the main frame l2. The front end of the shaft ID carries a radially adjustable arm I4 having a roll l6 at its outer end. The roll, as it swings around the axis of the shaft, depresses a lever I8 pivoted at 28 on the main frame. The lever [B is connected to a driver plunger 22 by a short link 24. The plunger 22 slides vertically in a guideway formed in a second plunger 26, which is itself mounted in a guideway in the main frame, and is moved vertically by a lever 28 also pivoted at 20 and having a roll 30, running in a cam slot 32, in a disk 34 mounted on the shaft Iii. The driving end of the lever 28 has a slot 35 working on a roll 36 on the upper end of the plunger 26, The lever I8 is raised by a spring 38, and the lever 28 is operated in both directions: by its cam 32.

The inside former 40 is mounted to slide forward and backward horizontally in a guideway in the main frame I2. It has no vertical movement. It is spring pressed toward operative position by a spring 42, in which position shoulders 43 (Figs. 2 and 5) abut against a surface on the slide or plunger 26 and the former 43 is forced back into inoperative position by a cam lug 44 pivoted on the frame I2, and operated by the plunger 26 as it descends. This withdrawal occurs after the outside former has descended and formed the staple, as is common in machines of this type.

The outside former 46 and driving throat 48 are fixedly mounted on the plunger 26. The driver 58 is mounted on the plunger 22, and works in a guideway 52 formed in the body of the outside former 46. This guideway is nor mally continuous with guideways 54, 56 formed above and in the driving throat 48. The legs of the staple slide down the guideways 52, 54, 56 as the staple is being driven, and the guideways 52, 54, 56 permit free passage of the driver 5 The guideway 54 is formed in a little block 58, mounted in a slot 59 in the front of the throat 48, and capable of forward and backward sliding movement in the slot relatively to the plunger 26. It has a dowel 60 projecting from its rear face which slides in a hole in the throat 48, and is normally pulled back into such a position that the guideways 52, 54, 56 are all in line, by a spring 62. It is forced outward and forward by a cam surface 64 (Fig. '7) on the main frame, cooperating with the rear end of the dowel 66 as the plunger 26 descends. This displacement is for the purpose of permitting the legs of the staple being formed to be bent down behind it, in the space 65, in position to fit in the guideway 54 when the block 58 returns to normal position. after the staple has been formed, the dowel 50 having then passed the cam 64.

The staple forming and driving parts are covered by a slotted cover plate 202 (Fig. 1) which permits easy inspection. The block 58 is readily removable, by disconnecting the spring 62, and permits easy relief of clogging or other trouble below the driver 50.

The wire handling mechanism is shown best in Fig. 1. The wire is drawn from a reel (not shown) and passes into a guide 82 between two feed wheels 84, 85. The wheel 86 is an idler and is mounted on a lever 88 pivoted at 90 and spring held toward the wheel 84. A lug 92, on the lever 28, forces the lever 88 counterclockwise as the lever 28 swings down, to release the wire 80 at such time, in order that the resetting of the wheel 84 may not withdraw the wire. The wire 86 passes through a conduit 94 at the end of which is an adjustable hardened die 96 the exit orifice in which serves as a cutter. A movable cutter 98, adjustably bolted at 99 to the plunger 25, cooperates with the die 96 to sever a piece of wire as the plunger 26 descends. The wheel 84 is oscillated by an arm I08 mounted on the axis of the wheel 84, and operated by a link I02 adjustable in a slot in the arm I09, and connected to an eccentric strap I04 on the shaft ID. The machine is so timed that the wheel 86 is separated from the wheel 84 when the arm I00 is swinging clockwise, so that the wire 80 will never be dragged backward by the reverse movement of the feed wheel 84. The length of the severed piece of wire, and hence the length of the legs of the staple to be formed, is regulated by adjusting the die 96, and the adjustments of the cutter :98 and of the link 1 02 in the slot in the .arm 4110.

As above stated, the illustrated machine is designed for-the specific purpose of stapling radio tube cartons. Such cartons consist -of square hollow tubes 41x0 ('Figx9) with inserted-caps :I I 2.-at the ends. The caps I I2 have flanges :-I I4 which most inside the ends of the tubes Ill]; and are fastened in place by staples H6, which it is the purpose of the illustrated machine to form and drive. The tube IiI-B is 'heldibetween four slightly resilient arms M8 (Figs. 7, 8 and 10),, so as to hold a ;flange 1H4 ever and in contact with an anvil 4.2-0 directly beneath the throat 8.

The arms .I:I8 are supported ona rotatinghead A22 in which they are radially .slidable. Each arm H8 has a pin- IM working in .a camslot "2.6 in .a swivel plate 1 28 held in adjusted position by a .screw 1.25) which also acts as one of the pins I24. Turning the swivel plate 123 adjusts the arms H8 simultaneously to fit any size of tube -I It and to center it -on the axis of the swivel plate. The head 122 is mounted on a hollow shaft 130 working in'a bearingrl 32,'which =is vertically adjustable at I34 to compensate for varying thicknesses and sizes of work, the anvil I29 being rigidly mounted on the frame I2 by means of the shaft 436 whichiextends through the hollow shaft I30.

It is necessary toadjust :the work :carrier vertically when the arms I-IB arespread wider apart in order to make the work rest on the top of the anvil I20 properly, and also in order that the arms H8 may not strike the throat 38 when they are rotated. A safety device is provided to insure that this be done. When thelower righthand arm M8 (-Fig. 10) is moved outward tar enough, it strikes one arm -.of a little bell crank I31 mounted on the bearing slide IS-2 and having .a cam slot It-I in its other arm cooperating with azpin I31 on aframe member 186 (Fig. 10),. Thus, the arms 1L8 cannot be moved out far enough to interfere with the throat Without interierenoe with the member .I3'I, which will remind the operator that he must vertically drop the whole Work carrier. The element I3!) is driven by an Gldham coupling I38 connecting it with .a rotatable member 14-0 on the shaft I36. The member 1 M3 has .-four teeth shown as pins I '42 equally spacedaround its periphery. These pins are successivelyengaged :by a hook 144 on a rod I45 operated by an eccentric strap I48 (Fig. 7-) on the shaft ID, rotating the work carrier at each revolution of the shaft I0. overthrowing of the work carrier is prevented by a spring pawl [5.0 (Fig. 11) which engages successively in appropriate notches ital in the member Mill.

.The illustrated machine is constructed .to drive four staples at each actuation and then to stop to enable the operator to insert a new carton end for stapling. ,This is accomplished as follows, referring particularly to Fig. 7. The .treadle rod I52 tips a ,bell crank I54, pivoted at I55, clo ckwise. This bell crank has a vertical arm I58, which is thrown out from under the disconnecting cam 160 of a Horton clutch, thus permitting the continuously driven pulley lei! to engage and drive the shaft It). Another vertical arm Hi4 of the bell crank I fiil pulls to the right (Fig. 7) .a rod I66 having a roll I63 on its front end. When the machine is at rest the roll rests in a depression I ll] (Fig. 11) in the periphery of the member M0. After the member I 40 has turned slightly the roll I68 rides on its periphery and holds the bell crank I54 in stripped position, until the depression ;|-l' 0 comes around again and releases the rod .Fl t6 and :bell crank 1554. The bell crank is then thrown' counterclockwise .by the :spring :hl Zyand the member i258 catches ithe'cam I;60;as soon as :it comes around, and stops the machine, the (operator having ,released the :tneadle after the first staple has been driven. The stopping of the machine facilitated by a brake :disk llr'lte which :slides to the right along the shaft ll 0 (Fig. 17') against a disk "H15 liast-on'theshaft 13. "This disk -l 'I ii is released, when the machine is 'treadled, by the link H6, connecting the arm LL94 :and a toggle l til, which, when broken by itreadling the machine, pulls the lever I89 counterclockwise.

The lever :Itt athen forces the yoke I82 counterclockwise, about the fixed pivot Hill :of the lever 51841, :and thus frees :the brake disk. When the roll M8 falls into the depression 'II li, the toggle ,l straightens and the brake is :set.

The anvil and work supporting shaft 136 (Fig. 8-) :is mounted on "a frame bracket .IIifi which is pivotally .mounted on the main frame at 1188, and is supported by :a strong spring Is9ll (Fig. 7), so that the anvil has a certain amount of resilience. under :the blow of the driving throat :43. A rotary adjustment about the center 488 is provided at I82 and a vertical adjustment between "two parts of the bracket I86 is provided at its, 7 and. 11).

It will sometimes'be desired to drive one staple only, stopping the machine at the end of .one revolution instead "of four, ,asabove described. In such case the operator will throw up a little finger I196 (Fig. 10). to the dotted line position. in which it will cam out the wedge-shaped end of the hook M4 against the spring-pressed lever 4'98 pivoted :at 260 :on the member I385, .as the hook is lowered, and prevent its engaging a pin M2 as it rises. This prevents the turning of the Work carrier, and the roll I68 will drop back into the depression .Illll as soon as the treadle is released. Ordinarily the operator will hold the treadle down until after the first staple is driven, so that the turning-of the workcarrier will keep the machine in operation, but in case only one staple is to be driven the operator will merely tap the treadle.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a stapling machine, an inside former, a reciprocable outside former and a reciprocable driving throat having the same amplitude of reciprocation and the same actuating means, the outside former and the throat having .alined guides for a formed staple, and being separated by an interval corresponding to the length of the longest staple the machine is designed to handle, a filler block constructed to fill the said interval and having a staple guide arranged to aline with the previously mentioned .guides when the block is in operative position, means timed to withdraw the filler block after a staple has been driven to provide a space for the feeding of a succeeding unformed staple over the inside former and for the bending of its legs by the outside former, means for returning it to operative position after the said succeeding staple is formed, means for moving the inside former from the driving path of the formed staple, and a driver for driving the staple through the guides in the filler block and throat, the filler block.

remaining in operative position during the driv ing of the staple and being dis-placed therefrom only by the means described above.

I (Figs.

2. In a stapling machine, a normally fixed anvil, a reciprocable slide carrying a driving throat, the throat and the slide above the throat being provided with a guide for the driving of a formed staple therein, a side wall of the guide above the throat being removable away from the opposed wall to provide an opening through which an unformed staple may be fed and in which the legs of the said unformed staple may be bent as it is formed, a cam on the machine frame for removing the said side wall, and means for replacing the said removable wall to complete the driving guide, after the formation of the staple.

3. In a stapling machine, a normally fixed anvil, a reciprocable slide carrying a driving throat, the throat and the slide above the throat being provided with a guide for the driving of a formed staple therein, cam means on the main frame of the machine and on the slide for moving a side wall of the guide above the throat away from the opposed wall to provide an opening through which an unformed staple may be fed and in which the legs of the said unformed staple may be bent as it is formed, and means for replacing the said removable wall to complete the driving guide, after the formation of the staple.

4. In a staple forming and driving machine, an anvil, an inside former located at a fixed distance above the anvil, a slide carrying an outside former movable to cooperate with the said inside former to form a staple and a driving throat located at a fixed distance below the outside former, a filler block constructed to bridge the said fixed distance and to be withdrawn while the staple is being formed, to provide a space for feeding an unformed staple over the inside former and for bending its legs, said throat and said filler block, when it is in closed position, forming a continuous guide for the formed staple while it is being driven, a cam located between the machine frame and the filler block for moving the filler block, and a cam located between the slide and the inside former for Withdrawing the inside former after the formation of the staple.

5. In a staple forming and driving machine, an anvil, a driver, an inside former located at a fixed distance above the anvil, an outside former movable to cooperate with the said inside former to form a staple, a driving throat located at a fixed distance below the outside former, and a filler block constructed to bridge the said fixed distance and to be withdrawn while the staple is being formed, to provide a space for feeding an unformed staple over the inside former and for bending its legs, said throat and said filler block, when it is in closed position, forming a continuous driver-fitting guide for the formed staple while it is being driven.

6. In a stapling machine, a staple driving means, a work holder arranged to hold a work piece around the periphery of which staples are to be driven, mechanism for giving said work holder a step-by-step rotation, one step in each staple driving cycle of the machine, a clutch controlling member, and a cam mounted integrally with the work holder cooperating with the member to hold the clutch in operation until the work holder has rotated 360 and then to disconnect the clutch.

7. In a stapling machine, a staple driving means, a work holder arranged to hold a work piece around the periphery of which staples are to be driven, mechanism for giving said work holder a step-by-step rotation, one step in each staple driving cycle of the machine, a driving clutch resiliently urged toward inoperative position, a member arranged to hold the clutch in operative position, and a cam mounted integrally with the work holder arranged to cooperate with the said member to hold the clutch in operative position during a complete rotation of the work support, and to release said member at the end of such rotation to stop the machine.

8. In a stapling machine, staple driving mechanism, an anvil, and a work support arranged to hold and to rotate a work piece between the anvil and the staple driving mechanism, said work support having work contacting members simultaneously and equally adjustable toward and from the axis of rotation of the work support to accommodate work of different sizes.

9. In a stapling machine, staple driving mechanism, an anvil, a work support arranged to hold and to rotate a work piece between the anvil and the staple driving mechanism, said work support having a head and a plurality of work holding fingers laterally adjustable to different fixed positions on said head, and a member arranged to effect such adjustments of all the said fingers simultaneously and equally.

10. In a stapling machine, staple driving mechanism, an anvil, and a work support arranged to hold and to rotate a work piece between the anvil and the staple driving mechanism, said work support having work contacting members simultaneously adjustable toward and from the axis of rotation of the work support, the work support, as a whole, being adjustable along the line in which the driving mechanism operates, to bring work of varying sizes, when held in the work support, into proper relation to the anvil.

11. In a stapling machine, staple driving mechanism, an anvil, a work support arranged to hold and to rotate a work piece between the anvil and the staple driving mechanism, said work support having work contacting members simultaneously adjustable toward and from the axis of rotation of the work support, the work support, as a whole, being adjustable along the line in which the driving mechanism operates, to bring work of varying sizes, when held in the work support, into proper relation to the anvil, and a member for inhibiting the said adjustment of the work contacting members beyond a certain amplitude, unless the work support, as a whole, is adjusted away from the staple driving mechanism, in order to prevent interference between the work contacting members and the staple driving mechanism.

12. In a stapling machine, staple driving mechanism, an anvil, a work support arranged to hold and to rotate a work piece between the anvil and the staple driving mechanism, said work support having work contacting members simultaneously adjustable toward and from the axis of rotation of the work support, a slide on which the work support is mounted, whereby the work support, as a whole, is adjustable in the line of operation of the staple driving mechanism, and a cam mechanism connecting the slide and the machine frame, and having an arm lying in the line of adjustment of one of said work contacting members, whereby the work contacting members cannot be adjusted outward beyond a predetermined amount without adjusting the said slide also, whereby interference between the work contacting members and the staple driving mechanism is prevented.

13. In a stapling machine, staple driving and clenching means, a rotatable work holder, means for giving the work holder a rotation of an aliquot part of 360 in each staple driving cycle of the machine, said means comprising teeth on. the holder and a reciprocable pawl engaging said teeth, one by one, to turn the holder, and a member for inhibiting the action of said pawl, in case it is desired todrive only one staple in a work piece.

14. In a stapling machine, staple driving and clenching means, a rotatable work holder, means for giving the work holder a rotation of an allquot part of 360 in each staple driving cycle of the machine, said means comprising teeth on the holder and a reciprocable pawl engaging said teeth, one by one, to turn the holder, said pawl having a cam surface, and a cam member movable to engage said cam surface to direct the pawl away from said teeth, to inhibit the rotation of the work holder, when desired.

CHARLES A. ROBINSON.

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