US2158989A - Clinch-on nut - Google Patents

Description

ox iginal Filed Nov. 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l fizderir/tl/lws May 16, 1939.

F. N. ROSS CLINCH-ON NUT Original Filed Nov. 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Shem 2 Patented May 18, 1 939 4 m anion-0am to Ash aesrpsratlsns'fllehigsn' a m seen: No. more, No-

vslsbsr'hmi. Serialile.

The present application for United States LettersPatentofwhichthisspeciflcationisapart constitutes a continuationof my application for ticularly with simple and fabrication of blanks having opposite-faces, preferably flat blanks such as standard nuts, to produce clinchteristics on nuts having novel charac Heretofore there have been threegeneral type of clinch-on nuts used in the industry, one-being the D-type clinch-on nut made as a screw machine product; the second being the cage type of clinch-on nut wherein a standard nut is enclosed in'a'sheet metal cage. which cage performs a clinchingoperation; andathirdtypewhereina bar of special shape is cutoff and fabricated so as to produce ear members which perform the clinch-on operation, one assembly being that shown in the Mitchell United States Letters Patent No. 1.852.978.

'Anyclinch-on nutmaybestated tobean attachment article of manufacture, including a flangeoraheadwithaseatfaceandaahankextending from the seat face, the shank being adapted -for insertion into an aperture of the sheet material usually sheet metal in which the nut is applied, and the seatface of the flange being adapted for abutting against one face of the sheet material, and the extremity of the shank extending beyond the other face of the sheet materialbeingadaptedtobeclinchedoveragainst the other face of the sheet material in opposition to the flange.

1 'It is very desirable in the use of clinch-on nuts to'preventturningoftheshankintheapertures in which they are inserted, and for this P 1 1088 the shanks are preferably multi-cornered and are inserted into multi-cornered apertures.

" The production of an attachment article with thecage,in thataportlonofthewallofthenut itselfls so fabricated as to provide a clinch-on structure; thisproducesaclinch-on nut-whichis (a ss-ss) type. It further provides a nut-which makes it very easy to flnd a thread, which provides a seat all the way around the clinch-on portion to give greater strength, and which when assembled is a thin, neat-appearing nut.

. A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment article having a multi-cornered shank adapted to be formed by machining a blank entirely by rotary cutting operations, so as to enable the attainment of minimum production costs.

A further object of the invention has to do with a method carried out by a machine for continuously fabricating the improved clinch-on nuts from blanks having opposite faces, preferably flat blanks such as standard nuts, said machine being so arranged and constructed as to fabricate and form the clinch-on part of the nut in two operations and to form the clinch-on portion in a D or c shape in another operation.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the attachment articles of manufacture, parts, combinations, and sub-combinations, and methods of making the same, which comprise the present invention, and the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which articles and of a machine for carrying out the method are set forth by way of example in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved attachment article may be stated in general terms as including preferably in a one piece metal article made from a blank having opposite faces preferably by rotary cutting machining operations performed entirely upon one face of the blank, a flange having a transverse seat face, and a shank extending from tachment article may be described as including a,

body having two opposite transverse end faces, side faces bounding the end. faces, and curved or 'tion with 1 cage-type nuts, but which eliminates arcuate rabbets between one of the end faces and the side faces, each rabbet having a transverse seat face located between the end faces and a curved preferably cylindric arcuate face at an 3; cagsor screw machine anglewiththsseatfaceandtheoneendfase.

Other features of the invention have to do with details of the clinch-on nut itself and with details of the method and the construction and arrangement of the fabricating machine, as is more clearly set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings; by way of example Figurre 1 is an elevation view, largely diagrammatic, of a machine for continuously feeding blanks having [opposite faces, preferably flat blanks as shown in the form of standard nuts, fabricating the same to form clinch-on nuts and 20 delivering them as a completed article;

Fig. 2 is a face elevation of a clamping device which is adapted to receive the blanks'having opposite faces, preferably flat blanks as shown in the form of standard nuts and feed the same to 2B the various fabricating stations;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a standard nut blank or unit, and having opposite 80 faces;

Fig. 4a is a longitudinal sectional view of a blank having opposite faces in the form of a fiat unit, which may be preferably provided with a bore as shown in Fig. 4b, and then threaded to form the nut blank or unit of Fig. 4, which may be a preferred blank or unit for fabricating by the machine of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, by which the improved method is carried out, although. the blanks or units of either Fig. 4a or Fig. 41) may be fabricated 40 by the machine, and subsequently bored or pierced and threaded, or threaded;

V Fig. 4b is a longitudinal sectional view of the blank or unit of Fig. 4a after being provided with a bore by boring or piercing; 45 Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 illushating the first step of fabrication of the blank orunit of Fig, 4 to form a novel clinch-on nut;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 except showing the second fabrication step of the blank or '50 unit of Fig. 4 whereby the clinch-on wall or shank is finally formed;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detached fragmentary elevation illustrating the step of fabricating the clinch-on parts or shanks of the improved clinchn nuts to have a plurality of curved faces and corners, and generally D or C shapes; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88, of Fig. 7..

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The production of standard nuts such as shown at 2, Fig. 4, has become a highly specialized industry; machines for upsetting and threading blanks to form the standard nuts are so highly specialized that these standard nuts can be purchased on the open market at an extremely low price. As many hundreds of clinch-on nuts are used on very automobile, it will be seen that the 7 question of cost is a very important one. This is one of the reasons why I prefer in many cases to start with a standard nut, because the same can be purchased already threaded, at an extremely low price. A standard nut is however a 75 blank having opposite faces made from fiat ma- 2,1sa,esa

terial which may be either sheet or strip material, usually metal, and most frequently steel.

Instead of placing the blank having opposite faces, as shown herein a standard nut, in an automatic screw machine or the like, and fabricating or cutting the same by tools fed towards the sides as well as the ends or opposite faces, I preferably fabricate the blank, as shown a nut, only by rotary cutting tools fed along their axes of rotation into one end or face of the blanks, the first operation being shown in Fig. 5 wherein the center portion of one end or face of the blank, as shown a nut, is cut away to form a tapered seat portion or shoulder 3 and an internal tapered wall portion 4. A second longitudinal operation cuts down the outer wall so as to form an annular clinch-on wall portion or shank 5, a seat 6 being formed all the way around the blank, as shown a nut. It will be seen that the clinch-on nut as shown in Fig. 6 may be placed in a square hole or a hexawith the smaller side thereof curved concavely outward, and being preferably cylindric from being formed by a rotary end cutter fed along its axis of rotation.

The larger side of the multi-cornered shank 5 r of the nuts of Figs. 7 and 8 is curved convexly outward, and corners of the shanks are formed by the outer side edges of the curved faces thereof, the outer corners being as shown, common to each of the curved shank faces.

The attachment article of Figs. 7 and 8 may thus be described, in other words, as including a flange with a seat face and a shank extending from the seat face, the shank having a plurality of side faces, the side faces being curved about different axes, and being preferably cylindric.

To produce such a clinch-on nut as shown in Fig. 6 or as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 on a production scale, and at a minimum of cost, I have provided an improved method which may be carried out by a fabricating machine as best shown in Fig. 1. This machine includes two conveyor members I and 8 provided with star wheels 9 for intemiittently advancing the conveyor means.

Each conveyor unit is provided with a plurality of chucks or clamping members it, which are best shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. Each chuck is so arranged as to receive the blanks, as shown the nuts 2, which are clamped in position by suitable pivotally mounted clamping arms ii. A toggle member I! controls clamping or release of the blanks, as shown the nuts 2, and while no means is shown in Fig. 1 for actuating the toggle member II, it will be understood that the clamping takes place at the position l3 and release takes place after the chucks pass the station it. I

The blanks, preferably flat units, as shown- 9,168,989 performing the operation shown in Fig. 8 and a tool, the milling cutter 2|, for giving the clinch over walls or shank a D or c shape with a pinralityof corners, as best shown in Figs. '1 and 8.

. In the operation of the machine, the centering and fabricating or cutting tools II to II will be continuously rotated by a suitable driving mechaaim. The back and forth oscillation of the table ll by the cam 22 and the step by step advancement of the conveyors I and I will be synchronized; that is, for example, the conveyor 1 will be moved so that the chucks ll will be in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and the table ll will be moved to 'the left to the position shown. In this position of the table, the centering tools II will select two blanks having opposite faces, preferably flat units, as shown nuts, from the vertically positioned chutes It and center the same in.the chuck ll. Inasmuch as the chucks are positionedthe same distance apart as the tools ll, ll, 20 and II, it will be seen that during the centering action at station II, the blanks, fiat units, or nuts positioned in the chuck at the station It will each be subjected in one face thereof to a counter-boring action to produce the tapered wall portion 4 as shown in Fig 5. Likewise the blanks, flat units, or nuts, held in the chuck at shanks I as shown in Fig. 6. At station ll, the shanks l of the two blanks, fiat units, or nuts positioned in the chuck II will be faced off and formed with a plurality of curved faces and corners by the cylindric end milling cutter-2|, as best shown in F18. '7.

While the blanks, fiat units, or nuts held by the chucks in the conveyor 1 are being simultaneously fabricated'at the respective stations, the conveyor I will be advanced one step s? that when the fabricating has been completed on the one side the table II will be shifted so that the blanks,.flat units, or nuts held in the respective chucks on the conveyor -8 will be subjected simultaneously to the respective fabrications of the several tools.

.It will be thus seen that by using blanks having opposite faces, preferably flat units, as shown standard nuts, and fabricating the same by means of a machine such as shown in Fig. l, clinch-on nuts may be produced on a large production scale at an extremely small cost. The fabrication of the face of the blanks, flat units, or nuts so as to form a clinch-on portion or shank is in every case an axial fabrication'produced by an axial movement of the fabricating tool; that is, axial with respect to the axis of the thread of the nut, whether or not. the thread is formed prior or subsequent to the fabrication of the clinch-on portion, or between steps of such fabrication.

In other words, the feed of each rotary cutting or fabricating tool is along its axis of ro tion into icle bein one face only of the blank, or others subject to the cutting action of the tools of the machine of Fig. 1.

In fabricating a clinch-on nut from a blank having opposite faces, preferably a flat unit, as shown a standard nut, it will be seen that I have produced an annular clinch-n wall or shank I formed of the same material as the blank, flat unit, or nut body, thus producing a strong wall which may be easily clinched over. Inasmuch as I reduce a preferably square body, it will be seen that the fabrication of the clinch over wall maybeleftinanannular shapeasin Fig.6or

whether the same is given a D or c shape by the operation shown in Fig. 7. This makes for much greater strength as compared to the. standard 0 clinch-on nut, because in such standard D clinchon nut, there is no seat or backing surface adjacent the cut-away D part. Furthermore, the preferred square baseof the nut makes it much easier to hold in position with a suitable clamping tool. As standard nuts have small rounded corners, it will be seen that the clinch-on nut fabricated from the standard nut, will present a neat appearance with corners that will notcatch or tear upholstery or the like which must be pushed past the same.

It will be understood that the counterboring tools II rotate in a counterclockwise direction, so that when the tool reaches the threads of the preferred nut, there will be a clean cut-oif; it will be seen that if the two operated clockwise that the tendency would be to turn the edge of the nut over instead of cleanly cutting it off. Each of the tools and 2| .may be otherwise described as rabbetlng tools, each cutting a plurality'of curved or arcuate rabbets in one portion of each blank, or other articles subject to their action. 1

From this standpoint, the nut shown in Figs. 7 and 8 may be described as constituting an attachment article including a body having two opposite transverse end faces, and curved or arcuate rabbets between one of the end faces and the side faces, each rabbet having a transverse seat face located between the end faces and a curved preferably cylindric arcuate face at an angle with the seat face and the one end face.

Each of the improved attachment articles hereof may be otherwise described as including a flange or head and a multi-ccmered shank'extending from the head, the shank having a plurality of external side faces, each side face comprising a surface of revolution, and being thus adapted to be machine cut by a rotary cylindric cutting tool.

- in, an arcuate shank extending from one face of the head and about the aperture. and the head having a tapered shoulder formed between the internal face of the arcuate shank and the threaded aperture.

The embodiment of the improved clinch-on nut and the method of making the same illustrated and described herein attains the above stated objects of the invention, butis by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the same or to the particular details thereof. but is commensurate with any and all novel subject matter contained herein. and

which may at any time properly underthe patent laws be set forth in claims hereof or which may originate herein, the elements of any of the claims being intended to' include their reasonable equivalents.

I claim: 7

1. As a new product. a standard rectangular nut having one face fabricated to form an arcuate clinch over wall, a portion of said wall being cut away to form a C-shape clinch over por- 7 5 tion, a shoulder portion of the nut body adjacent the base of the clinch over wall being tapered .to center the bolt relative to the thread.

2. As a new product, a standard rectangular nut having one face fabricated to form an arcuate clinch over wall, a portion of said wall being cut away to form a C-shape clinch over portion, said wall being spaced from the edges of said nut to form a shoulder extending completely around the nut for receiving the sheet to which the nut is to be clinched, and another shoulder portion of the nut body adjacent the base of the clinch over wall being tapered to center the bolt relative to the,

thread.

masses and the side surfaces joining each other at the shank corners.

4. An article of manufacture adapted for use as an attachment unit and the like, including a head and a shank extending from the head, the shank having a c-shape, the external and inter.- nal larger curved surfaces of the C and the smaller end surfaces of the c each being a surface of revolution and comprising a side surface of the shank.

FREDERICK N. R088.

Images