US2933733A

US2933733A - Machine for securing wire fasteners to boxes

Info

Publication number: US2933733A
Application number: US701068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward A Strollis
Original assignee: KEMP EQUIPMENT Co
Current assignee: KEMP EQUIPMENT Co
Priority date: 1957-12-06
Filing date: 1957-12-06
Publication date: 1960-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 1977-04-26

Description

April 26, 1960 E. A. STROLLIS MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS T0 BOXES Filed Dec. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-She'et 1 INVBNTOR. EDWARD A. STROLLIS .n'romer fl April 1960 E. A. STROLLIS 2,933,733

MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS T0 BOXES Filed Dec. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENT OR. EDWARD A. STROLL/S 4T TORNEY A ril 26, 1960 E. A. STROLLIS MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS TO BOXES Filed D80. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. EDWARDA. STROLLIS ATTORNEY April 26, 1969 E. A. STROLLIS 2,933,733 MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS TO BOXES I Filed Dec. 6. 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 4 I I I l l I l i J 1' b i R LE i i o. i

INVENTOR. l 504mm A. STROLLIS ATTORNEY MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS 'ro BOXES Filed Dec. 6, 195'? April 26, 1960 E. A. STROLLIS 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. EDWARD A. STROLL/S A TTORIVE Y April 26, 1960 E. A. STROLLIS 2,933,733

MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS 'ro BOXES Filed Dec. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNE Y W April 26, 1960 E. A. STROLLIS 2,933,733

MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS TO BOXES Filed Dec. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 I i F g l i 39 i i i i i i 1 4;

INV ENT OR. EDWARD A. STROLL/S ATTORNEY 6 j April 26, 1960 E. A. STROLLIS MACHINE FOR SECURING WIRE FASTENERS TO BOXES Filed Dec. 5, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR. EDWARD A. STROLL/S' ATTORNEY MACHINE FOR SECG WIRE FASTENERS TO BOXES Edward A. fitrollis, Webster, N.Y., assignor to Kemp Equipment Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York App a D r S rial. No. 701.9 6

13 Claims. or. 1-95) of the box, and then bending the free portions of the clips over to secure the two halves of the box together.

Machines for fastening clips to pasteboard boxes, as previously built, have been complex, bulky, and uncertain of operation. They have been expensive, difficult to repair, and difficult to maintain in satisfactory operating condition. The result has been that instead of using inexpensive wire clips for fastening the halves of a box together, in most cases flat strap-metal clips are employed, despite the fact that in themselves the fiat clips are more expensive than the wire clips.

One object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the character described that will operate accurately, day in and day out, at very high speeds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for securing wire clips to boxes and the like that is of simplified, compact construction.

A related object of the invention'is to provide a machine of the character described that will be more economical to maintain and service, and that will require a smaller inventory of replacement parts, than is true of machines currently available.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a machine is shown for aflixing wire clips to boxes that will operate at high speeds, accurately and repetitively to perform the successive operations of feeding and cutting wire to the proper length, shaping the cut length of wire to form a U-shaped staple, driving the legs of the staple through the side of the bottom section of a box, bending the staple so that its bight or loop will project above the top edge of the box section, and clinching the legs in the box section.

The machine is designed to perform these operations at high speed, sequentially, with a minimum number of moving parts. The machine has a single rotary camshaft that has a plurality of cams mounted in axiallyaligned relation thereon to control the operations of the machine. 7

A suitable, measured length of wire is first fed into place. Then a slide, which carries a cut oil? tool and a former, is moved forwardly axially of the camshaft, and transversely of the length of wire, by one of the cams on the rotating camshaft. The cut-off tool cooperates with a relatively fixed bushing through which the wire is fed to cut Qfi a s it l n h oi. w n then the t ms: in the continued forward movement of the slide conited States Patent 2,933,733 Patent d Anr- 26, 19 0 2. operates with a forming plug, which is at the time in relatively fixed position, to shape the wire into generally U-shaped staple form with a shoulder formed in each leg of the U intermediate the ends of the leg. Then an inverted box section is brought into position; and the slide and forming plug are moved forward axially together independently ofthe slide to drive the free ends of the staple through a side of the box a predetermined distance, leaving the bight and parts of the legs at the outside of the box and the other parts of the legs at the inside of the box. Then the forming plug is rocked downwardly out of the way by a cam on the rotating camshaft; and the slide and the forming plug are then returned to their original axial positions axially of the camshaft. Then a cam-operatedanvil is moved upwardly to support the free ends of the staple which project through the inside of the box, and a bending head, also cam-operated, is moved downwardly to cooperate with an anvil, to bend the free ends of the staple at a point spaced inwardly from the inside of the box toward the top edge of the inverted box. Then the anvil is withdrawn by its cam from operative position; and the bending head, continuing to move downwardly, makes a second bend in the inwardly projecting free ends of the staple about fulcrurns at the points where the staple punctures the wall of the box. This bends the inside portions of the legs of the staple flat against the inside wall of the box and thereby forces the free ends of the staple over the top edge of the invented box so that they now project beyond the outside wall of the box. Then a sweep arm bends the bight'portion of the staple and the parts of its legs adjacent thereto downwardly to fold these parts flat against the outside wall of the box. Then a pair of cam-operated clincher arms bend the outwardly projecting extreme free ends of the staple upwardly over the shoulders and toward one another, thereby clinching the staple to the box. The operation is thereupon complete; and the box section can be reversed in the machine to permit fixing a staple in its opposite'end, or can be removed from the machine to permit operation on another box section.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing fragmentarily a part of re machine and illustrating the first step of feeding a length of wire into position; i

Fig. 2 is a-plan view of the same parts, but showing the slide moved forward to cut off the length of wire and to initially shape the staple; a

Fig. 3'is a plan view showing these parts in a sue ceeding position in which the staple has been driven through the wall of a box, the box itself being shown fragmentarily in section and the pivoted anvils which cooperate with the bending head for bending the staple also being shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3 but showing the bending head about to begin its operation;

Fig. 5 is an elevation from inside the box, showing the same parts and in the same relative positions as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the anvils being shown, however, in fullg Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the parts at another stage ofthe operation where the forming plug has dropped out of the way, and returned to a position, shown in dotted lines, just below. its starting position; Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the slide withdrawn and the forming plug back at its starting position;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view, showing partly in side elevation and partly in section the position of the bendins h ad l n hat of 4 and ho n e o mng aunt g n in oper t e p t on. t f e nds of "the staple being at this stage bent at a right angle to 3 the plane ofthe legs of the staple, and parallel to the adjacent wall of the box;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same parts at the beginning of the next bending step;

Fig. 10 is an elevation looking from inside the box but with the box removed, showing a succeeding step with the anvils pivoted apart away from one another;

Fig. 1 1 is a side elevation showing the next position of the bending head and forming arms and the corresponding position of the staple, the clinching arms being shown fragmentarily ready to begin operation;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation showing the clincher arms at the completion of the clinching operation, the free ends of the staple being now bent diagonally and clinched over the top edge of the inverted box and over the off set portions of the staple legs;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of a box clip machine constructed according to one embodiment of the invention, with the forming arms omitted, the better to illustrate the remainder of the machine; I

Fig. 14 is a transverse section taken on the line 14-14 of Fig. 13, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal section of the machine, looking at the machine from the right side of Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the inner slide and plunger;

Fig. 17 is a section taken on the line 17--17 of Fig. 15, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 18 is a part elevation, taken from the left side of the machine in Fig. l3, showing particularly the detail of the forming arm and its mounting;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary plan view thereof;

Fig. 20 is a section transverse to the axis of the camshaft, and showing the forming arm in front elevation;

Fig. 21 is a section taken at the same point along the camshaft as Fig. 20, but looking in the opposite direction, and with the camshaft in a difierent position;

Fig. 22 is a top plan view of parts shown in Fig. 21;

Fig. 23 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 24 is a section taken on the line 24-24 of Fig. 15, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the box with the Wire clips in place.

The particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings has a base (Fig. 13) on. which the other parts of the machine are mounted. A wire feeding device (Figs. 13 and 14 is mounted on the base 39, to feed wire to the machine. This wire feeding device comprises a carriage 32 that is mounted-on wheels 33 for reciprocatoly movement on the base 30 between parallel guidewalls 34, which project above base 31) and which are secured to or are integral with base 30. The carriage is held against lifting off the base 313 by gibs 38 which are secured to the guidewalls by screws 38. A conventional type of one-way feed member 35 is pivotally mounted by means of pin 26 on an arm 27 of the carriage 32. Provision is made to feed straight wire W to the feed member 35 in any desired manner, as for example, from a reel and conventional wire straighteningdevice, not shown in the drawings. The wire passes over the upper flat surface of the carriage 32 and is gripped by the cam-like gripping surface at the lower end of member 35 during travel of the carriage 32 to the right, but the spring 20, which is interposed between the feed member 35 and a block 29 on the carriage, permits the feed member 35 to rock about its pivot and to slide on the wire as the carriage 32 is returned to the left. A spring 37 connects the carriage 32 and the base 31}, constantly to urge the carriage to the left.

A bushing 36, which is mounted in a block 36 on a guide rail 39 above the base 30 and which is formed with a bore having a diameter on the same order as the diameter of the wire, receives the wire fed by the feed member 35, and insures that the wire is absolutely straight as it enters the shaping part of the machine.

The base 30 is formed with a slot 31 (Fig. 14) that extends lengthwise of the machine. A main slide 40 is mounted to reciprocate on the base 30 in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of wire feed carriage 32. The slide 40 travels in the slot 31 and is guided in its movement by parallel spaced guide rails 39 of which one carries the block 36 mentioned above. The guide rails 39 also act as gibs to hold carriage 40 down on the base.

A secondary slide 41 (Figs. 13, 15 and 16) is mounted to slide a guide slot 141 (Fig. 14) on the main slide 411. This secondary slide is held in placeand guided by the spaced, parallel, gib-like portions which are mounted on the slide 441 and which bound the slot 141.

As best shown in Figs. 13 and 16, a stop plate 48 is secured by a screw 48 transversely across the top of the secondary slide 41, with its ends projecting beyond the sides of the auxiliary slide into a transverse slot 49 that is formed in the upper surface of the main slide 40. Slot 45 is wider from front to back than stop plate 48; and stop plate 48 is adapted to abut against the front and back walls of slot 49 to limit relative movement between the two slides.

A plunger 44 is detachably secured on the slide 41 by a screw 44 that passes through an aperture in the plunger 44, which is of slightly larger diameter than the shank of the screw, to permit a small amount of movement of the plunger relative to slide 41 to compensate for small variations in the diameter of the feed wire. Plunger 44 slides in guides 42 which are secured by screws 142 to gib portions 140. The front end face of the plunger 44 constitutes a female die adapted to receive and shape the wire as a staple. To this end it is formed with a loop portion 45, and with a pair of opposed shoulders 46.

The gib portions 146 that are mounted on the main slide 43 are formed with grooves along their forward edges, as denoted at 43 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 13), and so are the guide plates 42, as denoted at 143, to receive the wire fed from bushing 36. The grooves 143 in the guide plates 42 extend not only across the front faces of these plates in alignment with the grooves 43 of gib portions 140, but also along the confronting side edges of these plates. These confronting grooves 143 in the side edges of the plates 42 serve not only to receive the wire after it is bent, but also as guideways for the plunger 44. This plunger, as shown in Fig. 16, has guide portions 144 at its sides which engage in the grooves 143 in the guide plates 42.

A male forming plug 47 is secured by a screw 47 to a slide 93 (Fig. 15). The forming plug 47 is disposed to cooperate with the female die portion of the plunger 44 to shape a cut length of wire W, Fig. 1, as a staple S, Fig. 3, having a bight or loop portion, a pair of legs, and an offset shoulder on each leg adjacent the loop portion.

A clamping member 50 (Fig. 13), which is J-shaped in plan and U-shaped in cross-section, is secured to one of the guide portions 140 of the slide 40. The long arm of this member has a transverse face 51 that acts as a cutting edge and cooperates with the wire feed bushing 36, to cut the wire upon forward movement of the main slide 40. The shorter arm of the J-shaped member 59 has a transverse face 52 that is disposed to enter a slot 136 in block 36' and bushing 36 to clamp the cut end of the wire stock W in the bushing 36 when the main slide 40 is at the limit of its forward movement, thereby to hold the feed wire in the bushing 36 when the carriage 32 is returned to its original position.

A sweep arm 53 (Figs. 15, 18, 19 and 20) is mounted for pivotal movement on pivot pins 54 that are secured in the guide walls 39 (Fig. 13). The sweep arm straddles both slides 40, 44 (Fig. 20). It has a head 153 of generally triangular shape secured to it by a screw 153,

with the base of the triangle facing downwardlyg'asshown in Figs. 12 and 18.

A block 55 (Figs. 18, 13, 21, 22, 24) is mounted on the base 30 at the front end of the machine. The box section B, into which the staple is to be inserted, is seated against this block to aflix the wire clip to the box section. The block 55 forms a support on which a bending head 56 (Figs. 4, 8, 9, 11), anvil arms 57 (Fig. and clincher arms 60 (Fig. 21) are movably mounted.

Referring to Figs. 15 and 22 in particular, the bending head 56 is secured by a screw 56', to a vertical slide 68 that is mounted for reciprocatory movement in a vertical slot 79 in the front of the block 55. A cover plate 58 is secured along its edges tothe block 55 to retain the slide 68 in the slot 79. The bending head 56 is formed with a downwardly depending pair of arms 62that are mounted to make a first bend in the free ends of the staple (Fig. 4). These arms have projections 63 thereon that are disposed to further bend the free ends of the staple as shown in Figs, 8 and 9. The block 55 is also formed with a recess 89. A pair of anvils 57 are pivotally mounted by means of pins 57 (Figs. 5 and 24) in these recesses. A pair of springs 59 (Fig. 24) are interposed between the anvils and the walls of the re cesses 89, constantly to urge the anvils to pivot toward each other. A guide block 69 (Fig. 5), which is secured to the block 55 by a screw 69 (Figs. 3, 6, 7, and 22), is adapted to limit the pivotal movement of the anvils '57 toward each other.

As shown in Fig. 5, each anvil 57 is provided at its upper end with a notch 64 in which a free end of the staple S can be received. The anvils 57 are each also formed with opposed, inwardly inclined surfaces 65, that are disposed to be engaged by the projections 63 of arm 62 as the arms move downwardly, to pivot the two anvils apart.

Clincher arms 60 (Figs. 11, 12 and 21) are mounted in slots in the block 55 for limited reciprocatory move, ment, to. operate after the staple has been bent to the position shown in Fig. 11 to bend the free ends of the staple over the offset portions in the staple as shown in Figs. 25 and 12. Each clincher arm is formed with a finger 113 that is integral with a rocker arm 114 (Fig. 11). Each rocker arm 114 is pivotally mounted in the associated clincher arm 60 on a pin 115. Each rocker arm is formed with a tail portion 116 that ex? tends along one side face of the associated clincher arm. A spring 117 is interposed between each clincher arm and the associated tail portion 116, constantly to urge the rocker arm in one direction about its pivot. Pivotal movement of each rocker arm in the opposite direction is limited by tail 1 16.

Referring now to Figs. 13, 15, and 17, there is a rotary camshaft 66 journalled on base 30 in spaced bearing blocks, one of which is denoted, at 122. A cam 67' is keyed to the rear end of camshaft 66. This cam 90-. operates with a roller or follower 123 to oscillate a lever 70 which in turn actuates the wire feed slide 32. Lever 70 (Fig. 13) is mounted to pivot in a horizontal plane about a pin 71 that is secured in the base 30. A roller 72 is mounted at one end of the lever 70 to engage against the left hand end of the carriage 32. The opposite end of the lever 70 is formed with an offsetportion 170 that is connected by a pin 73' and link 73 with a reciprocatory slide 74 thEltIiS mounted to slide in a guideway in the bearing block 122. Roller 123 is mounted at the end of the slide 74 to engageagainst the surface 1 of the cam 67.

Keyed to the cam shaft 66 at the opposite side of bearing 122 from cam 67 is a barrel cam 76. A thrust bearing 75 is mounted on the camshaft 66 between this cam 76 and the bearing 122. The barrel cam 76 effects reciprocation of main slide 40 as the cam shaft 66 rotates. It is formed with a groove 77. A cam follower- 80, that is secured inth'emain slide 40, is engaged in this groove 77.

A segmental face cam 81 (Figs. 15 and 17) is mounted on the rear face of the barrel cam 76, being secured thereto by a screw 81'. This cam effects reciprocation of secondary slide 41 during the rotation of shaft 66. A. lever 82 is pivotally mounted by means of pin 82' on the rear end of the slide 40. A roller 83 mounted on the upper end of the lever 82 is engaged against the rear end of the secondary slide 41. A roller or follower 84 is rotatably mounted on a pin 85 in the lower end of the lever 82. The roller 84 is mounted so that it will engage the segmental face cam 81 when the slide 40 has been moved far enough forward by barrel cam 76, thereby causing the secondary slide 41 to move relative to main slide 40 in the continued rotation of cam shaft 66.

A rotary cam is also keyed on the shaft 66 forward of the barrel cam 76; and a face cam 86 is secured to the rear face of the rotary cam 90 by a plurality of screws 91. These two. cams control the rocking movement of the sweep arm 53 and the up and down movement of the slide 93, which carries former 47, respectively.

The sweep arm 53 has a downwardly depending leg 87 (Figs. 15, 18 and 20). A roller 88 is rotatably mounted at the end of the leg 87. This roller is disposed to engage against the face cam 86, so that the sweep arm is rocked about its pivots at the proper time in the rotation of cam shaft 66. A spring 191 (Fig. 15), which connects leg 87 with slide 40, serves to. hold roller 38 against cam 86..

The cam 99 engages the roller 92, which is rotatably mounted on the stud 189 threaded in vertical slide 93.

The slide 93 is mounted to slide vertically in a channel between a pair of gibs 99 that are fastened by screws 99' to a block 98. A spring 116 is interposed between the block 98 and the slide 93, constantly to urge cam follower 92 into engagement with cam 90. The cam 90 is formed to raise and lower slide 93 and the forming plug 47 at the proper times in the cycle of operation of the machine; and itis provided with a segmental face cam portion 190 which also operates to move the slide 93, the forming plug 47, and the block 98, forward and rearward, axially of the camshaft, at the proper times in the machine cycie. This cam portion 199 has a plane shoulder surface portion 192 lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of shaft 66; and it has inclined surfaces at both ends of this shoulder surface, one of which is denoted at 193 in Fig. 15. When the roller 92 is riding on cam 99 against surface 192, slide 93 is held in the position shown in Fig. 15. As shaft 66 rotates, surface 193 will come into registry with roller 92 and slide 93 will move forward. When cam 90 and shaft 66 have rotated far enough for the sloping surface (corresponding to surface 193) at the other end of cam segment 199 to come into engagement with roller 92, slide 93 and block 98 will be moved back again to the position shown in Fig. 15

The slide member 68 is integral with a bifurcated yoke 94 (Figs. 15, 21 and 24) which straddles the camshaft 66. A bar 95 is mounted between the furcations of the yoke 94 at their lower ends. A rotary cam 96 is keyed to the camshaft 66 to engage a roller 97 that is mounted on the yoke bar 95. Springs 100, that connect the furcations of the yoke 94 with the block 55, hold the roller 97 against the surface of the cam 96. The cam 96 is formed to effect reciprocation of the bending head 56 at the proper times in the cycle.

The clincher arms 60 are held, respectively, by springs 107 (Fig. 21) against

arms

101, 102, respectively. The springs are seated in recesses in block 55 and are interposed between block 55 and lugs on the clincher arms. The arm 101 is pivotally connected by pin 101 at one end to block 55, and a roller 103 is mounted at its other end. The arm 102is pivotally connected at one end by pin 102 to block 55, and carries at its other end aroller 105. 'A rotary cam 104, which is keyedto the camshaft 66, serves to oscillate these arms about their respective pivots 101', 102 to effect movement of the clincher arms at the required time in the cycle. Cam 104 is formed with two separate cam surfaces, 104a and 104b. The roller 103 is mounted to engage the cam surface 104b. The roller 105 rides on the cam surface 104a. The two

cam surfaces

104a and 104b of the rotary cam 104 are formed so that the clincher arms 60 oscillate simultaneously.

A hand wheel 124 (Fig. 15) is keyed to the camshaft 66 to permit manual operation of the machine while making any necessary adjustments, repairs, etc.

The machine feeds a predetermined length of wire, shapes the cut length of wire into a staple, drives the staple into one wall of the box, and bends the staple to form a clip that is secured in place in the wall of the box, once for every revolution of the rotary camshaft 66. Conventional equipment can be used to feed boxes to the machine at the desired rate. The machine can operate at exceptionally high speeds, that can be regulated by adjustment of the rate of rotation of the camshaft 66.

In the operation of the machine, as the camshaft 66 starts to rotate, the cam 67 (Figs. 13, 15 and 17) first comes into operation. It acts through roller 123, arm 74, link 73, lever 70, and roller 72 to move the carriage 32 to the right, toward shaft 66 (Figs. 13 and 14), to cause the clamp 35 to grip and feed wire through the bushing 36 into the groove 43 in the front face of the main slide 40 (Fig. 1).

When the desired length of wire has been fed into the groove 43, the barrel cam 76 (Fig. 15 will have rotated sufficiently to move the main slide 40 forward through cam follower 80. The cutting edge 51 (Fig. 13) on the member 50 is thereby carried forward past the bore of the bushing 36, to sever the desired length of wire.

Continued forward movement of the main slide 40 en gages the length of wire W against the forming plug 47, and bends the wire around the plug 47, between the plug 47 and the female die portion carried by the plunger 44, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, the cut-off length of wire is bent out of the grooves 43 in the front face of slide 40 and forced into the grooves 143 (Fig. 1) along the guide portions of plates 42. The bight 200, the shoulders 201, and leg portions 202, illustrated in Fig. 7, are thus formed in the cut-off length of wire.

As the main slide 40 moves forward it also brings the clamping surface 52 of member 50 into engagement with the wire remaining in the bushing 36 to hold this wire against being retracted when the slide 32 (Fig. 13) returns to original position as roller 123 (Fig. 17) rides off the lobe of cam 67.

During formation of the staple with the loop portion 200, shoulders 201 and legs 202 as described above and as shown in Fig. 7, the forming plug 47 is held against movement because the front face of roller 92 is riding against the plane face 192 (Fig. 15) of cam segment 190 and because the periphery of the roller 92 is riding on a dwell portion of the cam 90, that is, a portion which is at a constant distance from the axis of shaft 66.

As the main slide 40 moves forward the secondary slide 41 remains stationary, and the stop plate 48 slides in the groove 49 in the main slide, until stop plate 48 engages against the rear wall of this slot. Then secondary slide 41 and the plunger 44 move forward with slide 40 in the continued movement of slide 40.

As the slide 40 continues to move forward, carrying with it secondary slide 41 and plunger 44, lever 82 (Fig. 15 is carried forward to bring its roller 84 into operative relation with cam segment 81. Thereupon, as the shaft 66 continues to rotate, cam segment 81 rocks lever 82 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 15, about its pivot 82,

causing roller83 to move secondary slide 41 and plunger 44 forward relative to main slide 40.

"'At this time, the front face of roller 92 rides off the plane face '192 of cam segment 190 and the slide 93, block 98 and forming plug 47 are carried forward also, with the secondary slide and plunger, to drive the legs of the staple through the confronting wall of the box section B. The block 69 (Fig. 3) acts to hold the box section in position for driving the staple legs therethrough; and at the end of the driving movement, the forming plug 47 will abut against the outside of the box section as shown in Fig. 3.

When the legs of the staple are driven through the wall of the box, they project into the notches 64 of the anvils 57, straddling the guide block 69, and projecting beneath the forming head 56, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The peripheral surface of the rotary cam 90 is so formed that immediately after the legs of staple have been driven through the wall of the box section B, the roller 92 rides onto a low part of the cam surface 90, and drops down, carrying the former 47 down also. At the same time, the roller 92 rides on the slope of cam segment or cam lobe 190, at the other side of the cam lobe from slope surface 193, and thence onto plane surface 192. This forces the slide 93 and the associated block 98'to the left, as viewed in Fig. 15, to carry the forming plug 47 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

After the forming plug 47 is out of the way, the barrel cam 76 moves the main slide 40 to the rear through roller (Fig. 15 When the main slide 40 has moved to the rear far enough to engage the stop plate 48 against the front wall of the slot 49, the secondary slide 41, and the plunger 44, are carried to the rear also to the positions shown in Fig. 7.

A high portion on cam thereupon rotates into engagement with roller 92, raising slide 93 and forming plug 47 back to their starting positions (Fig. 7).

The cam 96 is so formed that as soon as the

slides

40 and 41 have commenced their rearward movement, the roller 97 is forced down, carrying the yoke 94 and slide 68 down with it, and moving the forming head 56 down to engage the arms 62 against the legs of the staple, and to bend the tips of the staple legs downwardly as shown in Fig. 8. The portion of the legs of the staple immediately adjacent the wall of the box are supported in the notches 64 of the anvils 57 at this time.

As the downward movement of the yoke and forming headcontinues, the ends of thearms 62 engage against the inclined portions 65 of the anvils (Fig. 10), and spread the anvils apart, as in Fig. 10, to leave the staple unsupported, save by the box section itself.

As this is occurring, the face cam 86 will have rotated into position to engage the roller 88 to rock the sweep arm 53 clockwise (Fig. 15), downwardly, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9; and the projections 63 of the arms 62 will have moved into position to engage against the legs of the staple, as shown in Fig. 9. The head 153 of the sweep arm then bends the part of the staple which is projecting outside the box section; and the projections 63 cooperating with the head 153 bend the legs of the staple at the points where they enter the box section shown in Fig. 9.

As this is occurring the forming head 56 continues its downward movement; and the projections 63 thereof bend the parts 204 (Fig. 9) of the legs of the staple against the inside of the box section causing the previously bent portions 205 of the staple to project, in the case shown. over the top edge of the box section as illustrated in Fig. 11. Meantime the head 153 of the sweep arm will have completed its downward movement to bend the portion 206 (Figs. 9 and 11) of the staple down against the outside of the box section. The head 153 and the projections 63 cooperate in bending thestaple, as shown opposing jaws of a pincer.

The

lobes

104a and 104b of the cam 10.4 (Figs. 15. and

21) now engage'the

rollers

105 and 103, respectively, rocking the arms 1&1, 102 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 21 to cause the clincher fingers 113, which are carried by arms 60, to engage the projecting ends 205 of the staple and to bend them over the shoulders 201 of the staple as shown in Fig. 12. The inverted triangular head 153 of the sweep arm controls the direction of this final bend of the staple. The operation of securing the wireclip in the box'section is now complete.

The springs 167 (Fig. 21) return the arms 60 to their lower positions when the shaft 66 has rotated far enough for the

rollers

103 and 105 to ride down off the high parts of cam 104. When the shaft 66 has completed a revolution the several cams and the parts operated there? by will have returned to their starting positions.

In a production machine, the unit herein described is preferably duplicated, two such units being provided so that a box section may be placed between them in order to aflix separate wire clips or fasteners simultaneously in opposite ends of the box section. In such a machine the two units may be mounted on a common fi'ame, and a single cam shaft may be used for carrying the control cams of the two uni-ts, the cam shaft running from one unit to the other beneath the support for the box section. In such case, however, the cams (such as the

cams

67, 76, 90, 96) of one unit are splined to the shaft, so that said one unit can be moved toward or from the other unit in accordance with the distance between the ends of the box section. A handwheel-operated pinion meshing with a rack on the movable unit may be provided to effect adjustment of one unit toward or from the other.

Where a single unit machine, such as illustrated, is used, the box-section may be removed manually from the unit after securing a wire clip or fastener in one end of the box section, and the box-section may then be repositioned to fix a wire clip in the opposite end of the box section on a new cycle of operation of 'the machine, or a new box-section may be fed automatically into position or may be positioned by hand, after operation on one end of a box-section is completed.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or

adaptations of the invention following, in general, the

principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come Within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener to an article comprising a work support, a base, a slide reciprocable rectilinearly on said base toward and from said work support, a plunger reciprocable rectilinearly on said slide in the direction of reciprocation of said slide and having a die at its front end, means providing a lostmotion connection between said plunger and said slide to cause said plunger to move with said slide after said slide .has moved a predetermined distance in either direction,

a block reciprocable on said slide in the direction of reciprocation of said slide, a former reciprocable on said block in a direction at right angles to the plane of reciprocation of said slide toward and from a position of alignment with said die, means for disposing a length of wire between said former and said die, and control means for in sequence effecting forward movement of said slide while said former is in alignment with said die to cause said die and former to shape said length of wire into a staple, for then moving said plunger forward independently of said slide to force said staple into the article, for

. 10 then moainsisaid former out f a ig with Said and for then retracting said plunger and said slide.

2. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a plurality of cams, one. for the slide, one for the plunger, one for the block, and one of the former, a single shaftto which all said cams are secured, and followers secured to, said slide, plunger, and former, respectively, for engaging the respective earns, the follower which is secured to said former, being positioned to cooperate with both the cam that controls the movement of the block and the cam that controls the movement of the former independently of the block, and the follower, which is secured to the plunger being positioned to be brought into engagement with its associated earn when the lost-motion connection between the slide and the plunger is taken up by the forward motion of the slide.

3. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener to an article comprising a work. support, a base, a slide reciprocable rectilinearly on said base toward and from said work support, a plunger reciprocable on said slid-e in the direction of reciprocation of said slide and having a die at its front end, means providing a lest-motion connection between said plunger and said slide to cause said plunger to move with said slide after said slide has moved a predetermined distance in either direction, a block reciprocable. on said slide in the direction of reciprocation of said slide, a former carried by said block in a position of alignment withsaid die, a head reciprocable rectilinearly in a direction at right angles to the plane of movement of said slide, means for disposing a length of wire between said former and said die, and control means or in sequence effecting forward movement of said slide to shape said length of wire between said die and former into a staple, for then moving said plunger and said block further forward independently of said slide to drive the staple into the article, and for then moving said head in one direction to bend the portion of said staple which projects through said article at right angles to the rest of said staple.

4. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener to a sheet, comprising means for supporting the sheet in a plane, a base, a slide reciprocable rectilinearly on said base toward and away from said plane, a plunger reciprocable rectilinearly on said slide in the direction of reciprocation of said slide and having a die at its front vend, means providing a lost-motion connection between said plunger and said slide to cause said plunger to move with said slide after said slide has moved a predetermined distance in either direction, a block reciprocable on said slide in the direction of reciprocation of said slide, a former carried by said block in position of alignment with said die, a head reciprocable rectilinearly in a direction parallel to said plane and disposed at the opposite side of said plane from said plunger and said former, two forming members carried by said head and disposed, respectively, at different distances from said plane and at different distances, also, from the plane of movement of said slide, means for disposing a length of wire between said die and said former, and control means for in sequence effecting forward movement of said slide to shape said length of Wire between said die and said former into a staple, for then moving said plunger and said block further forward independently of said slide until said former abuts against said sheet to drive the staple into said sheet with a first part of the staple extending at one side of said sheet and with a second part of it projecting beyond the other side of said sheet, and for then moving said head in one direction parallel to said plane to bring its forming members successively into engagement withthe second projecting part of said staple to first bend said projecting part at a distance from said sheet to be parallel to said plane, and to then bend it again at a point contiguous to said sheet parallel to said plane so tlliat the first bent portion extends perpendicular to said p ane.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 in which said control means comprises a rotary shaft, and a plurality of cams secured thereto, one for said slide, one for said plunger, one for said block and one for said head, followers secured to said slide, said plunger, said block and said head, respectively, to cooperation with said cams to effect movement of the slide, plunger, block, and head in the described sequence, and means for rotating said shaft.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 having means for bending the first part of the staple parallel to said plane, and wherein said bending means comprises a cam secured to said shaft, a sweep arm pivotally mounted on said base, and a follower secured to said sweep arm and engaging the last-named cam.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 7 having means also for clinching said first bent portion over said first part of the staple after said first part of the staple has been bent parallel to said plane.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7 having means also for clinching said first bent portion over said first part of the staple after said first part of the staple has been bent parallel to said plane, and wherein said clinching means comprises a pair of arms pivotally mounted on said base, a follower carried by each of said arms, and a cam mounted on said shaft and operatively engaging the last-named follower.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 4 having also means for bending the first part of the staple parallel to said plane.

10. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener to a sheet, comprising means for supporting the sheet in a plane, a base, a slide reciprocable rectilinearly on said base toward and away from said plane, a plunger reciprocable rectilinearly on said slide toward and away from said plane and having a die at its front end, means providing a lost-motion connection between said plunger and said slide to cause said plunger to move with said slide after said slide has moved a predetermined distance in either direction, a block reciprocable on said slide toward and from said plane, a former reciprocable on said block in a direction parallel to said plane, means for feeding a length of wire between said die and said former when said former is at one limit of its movement on said block and is in alignment with said die, a head reciprocable rectilinearly in a direction parallel to said plane and disposed at the opposite side of said plane from said plunger and said former, two forming members carried by said head and disposed, respectively, at different distances from said plane and at different distances, also from the plane of movement of said slide, a pair of anvils mounted on said base at the same side of said plane as said head for pivotal movement about axes perpendicular to said plane and adapted to cooperate with said forming members, a sweep arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement about an axis parallel to said plane, a pair of clinching arms mounted on said base for movement about axes perpendicular to said plane, and control means for effecting forward movement of said slide to shape said length of wire between said die and said former into a staple, for then moving said plunger and said block further forward independently of said slide until said former abuts against said sheet to drive the staple into said sheet with a first part of the staple extending at one side of said sheet and with a second part of it projecting beyond said opposite side of said sheet, for retracting said former, for retracting said block, for retracting said slide, for moving said anvils into place to support said second part of the staple, for then moving said head in one direction parallel to said plane to bring one of said forming members into engagement with the second projecting part of the staple while said second projecting part is supported on said anvils to first bend said projecting part at a distance from said sheet to be par- I to bend said second projecting part of the staple at a point contiguous to said sheet parallel to said plane so that the first bent part extends perpendicular to said plane, for pivoting said sweep arm in one direction to bend said first part of the staple parallel to said plane, and for then actuating said clinching arms to the first bent portion of said staple over said first part of the staple.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein said control means comprises a plurality of cams, and followers cooperating therewith, there being one cam for said slide, said plunger, said block, said former, said anvils, said head, said sweep arm, and each of said clinching members, respectively, and there being a follower secured to said slide, said plunger, said block, said former, said anvils, said head, said sweep arm, and each of said clinching member to engage the associated cams, respectively, all said cams being mounted on a single rotary shaft, and means for rotating said shaft.

12. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener to an article, comprising a rectilinearly reciprocable slide having a groove in its front face to receive a length of wire, said grooves extending at right angles to the direction of reciprocation of said slide, a relatively stationary tubular member disposed at one side of the path of reciprocation of said slide so that its bore is in alignment with said groove when said slide is at the rear limit of itsreciprocatory movement, reciprocating means for feeding wire through said bore into said groove, said tube having a transverse slot therein at one side of its bore and communicating with said bore, a cut-off member secured to said slide in position to cooperate with the adjacent end of said tube as said slide moves forwardly from said rear limit position to cut off the length of wire that has been fed through said bore into said groove, a clamping member carried by said slide and positioned to extend through said slot to clamp the wire in said tube and prevent retraction thereof on retraction of said feeding means, a die carried by said slide and disposed rearwardly of the front face of said slide at said rear limit position, a former positioned to cooperated with said die and disposed in front of said slide when said slide is at said rear limit position, means for reciprocating said feeding means for effecting feeding and retracting movements thereof, and means for reciprocating said slide to cut off a length of wire and shape it between said die and former on forward movement of said slide and to return said slide to its rear limit position on rearward movement thereof.

13. A machine for forming and applying a wire fastener to a sheet, comprising means for supporting the sheet in a plane, a slide reciprocable rectilinearly toward and from said plane at right angles thereto, a pair of laterally-spaced guides secured to said slide to extend in the direction of reciprocation of said slide, said guides having aligned grooves in their front faces to receive a length of wire, said grooves extending at right angles to the direction of reciprocation of said slide, a relatively stationary tubular member disposed so that its bore is in alignment with said grooves at one limit of the reciprocatory movement of said slide, said tubular member having a radial slot therein, reciprocatory means for feeding wire through said bore into said grooves, a cut-off member secured to said slide in position to cooperate with the adjacent end of said tube as said slide moves forwardly from said one limit position to cut off the length of wire that has been fed through said bore into said grooves, a clamping member carried by said slide and disposed behind said cut-oif member in position to extend through said slot and to clamp the wire in said tube and prevent retraction thereof when said feeding means is retracted after a feeding operation, a plunger reciprocable in said guides in the direction of reciprocation of said slide, said plunger having a die at its forward end, a

former positioned to cooperate with said die to form said length of wire between said die and former into a generally U-shaped staple, when said slide is moved forward, means for actuating said feeding means, and means for reciprocating said slide to cut off a length of wire and shape it between said die and former on forward movement of said slide and to return said slide to said limit position on rearward movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Craig Sept. 3, 1929 Berthold Sept. 29, 1931 Hile Mar. 13, 1934 Lewis Nov. 29, 1938