US3612381A

US3612381A - Snap fastener attaching machine

Info

Publication number: US3612381A
Application number: US875688A
Authority: US
Inventors: Erich A Schmidt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Universal Fasteners Inc
Priority date: 1969-11-12
Filing date: 1969-11-12
Publication date: 1971-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-12
Also published as: CH560524A5; IE34598B1; BE758348A; ZA707091B; ES385099A1; JPS4831337B1; SE367758B; FR2068353A5; DE2053833B2; IE34598L; NL7015840A; GB1327113A; CA937904A; DE2053833A1

Abstract

A machine for attaching the components of a snap fastener to a material, wherein the snap fastener components are fed from strips in spaced relation to each other, are separately cut from the fed strips and are clamped together with the material therebetween by means of a ram and cooperating anvil; the feeding, cutting and clamping operations are performed in a particular sequence and are performed automatically upon initial operation of a control device.

Description

PATENTED um 12mm 3,612,381 sum 10F 6 lNVENTOFL ERJCH A. SCHMIDT AT TORN EYS Unied States Patent inventor Erich A. Schmidt Lexington, Ky.

App]. No. 875,688

Filed Nov. 12, 1969 Patented Oct. 12, 197i Assignee Textron, Inc.

Providence, R]. a part interest SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE 18 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 227/18,

227/95 lint. Cl A4lh 37/04 Field of Search 227/15, 16,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,939,145 6/1960 Lundeberg 227/18 3,225,993 12/ 1965 Hall 227/18 Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr. AttorneyMeech and Field ABSTRACT: A machine for attaching the components of a snap fastener to a material, wherein the snap fastener components are fed from strips in spaced relation to each other, are separately cut from the fed strips and are clamped together with the material therebetween by means of a ram and cooperating anvil; the feeding, cutting and clamping operations are performed in a particular sequence and are performed automatically upon initial operation of a control device.

PMENTEMQH 219?:

ESHEH 2 [IF 6 INVENTOR.

ERICH A. SCH M I DT AT TORN EYS PATENTEU nm 1 2 l9?! SHEET 3 OF 6 mom INVENTOR.

ERICH A. SCHMIDT ATTORN EYS INVENTOR.

ERICH A. SCHMIDT ATTORN EYS PATENTEU GET 1 2 1911 SHEEF 5 BF 6 NON INVENTOR.

ERICH A. SCHMIDT ATTORN EYS PATENTEDUBHZIBYI 3,612,381 SHEET 80F 6 INVENTOR.

ERICH A. SCHMIDT AT TO RN EYS SNAP FASTENER A'll'llAClllllNG MACHINE The present invention relates to a machine for attaching snap fastener elements to a material and, in particular to such a machine having automatic feeding, cutting and clamping operations.

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional snap fastener attaching machines for attaching plastic snap fastener elements to garments or fabric material take a wide variety of forms as exemplified by US Pat. Nos. 2,614,714, 2,735,567, 3,049,462 and 3,238,082. The known prior art machines have not been capable of performing satisfactory clamping operations with respect to snap fastener elements that are made of plastic. For this reason some of the prior art machines have used heating means to facilitate clinching or clamping of the snap fastener elements; while not all of the conventional machines have used heating means, of necessity they have required extremely complicated ram devices operating with such force that the assembled fastener was often deformed. Furthermore, all of the conventional machinery used for attaching snap fasteners have been extremely complicated in their sequence of operation and have utilized a complex arrangement of operating components. The overall construction of the conventional machines employed a considerable amount of space or flow ares which has been an impediment to automating the operation and which has been a hindrance in combining a plurality of machines for plural operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to construct a snap fastener attaching machine having a relatively slirn width and with all mechanisms operable therewithin in a simple manner with enough force to effect proper clamping of snap fastener elements.

The present invention is summarized in that a snap fastener attaching machine is provided with clamping means adapted to clamp a pair of fastener elements to a material, a cutting device for severing the fastener elements from strips, a feeding mechanism adapted to move the fastener elements into positions for operation by the cutting device and the clamping means, the clamping means having a portion for operating the cutting device, a linkage connected to the feeding mechanism for moving the same, and a single actuator operatively connected to both the linkage and the clamping means whereby feeding, cutting and clamping operations are performed in response to actuation of the single actuator.

Another object of the present invention is to utilize movements of both a cylinder and a piston shaft therein for effecting the feeding, cutting and clamping operations of a snap fastener attaching machine.

The present invention has another object in that the cylinder movement from an actuated air cylinder is transmitted to a linkage for operating the feeding mechanism of a snap fastener attaching machine.

It is another object of this invention to operate the cutting device of a snap fastener attaching machine in response to movement of the clamping ram of such machine.

Still another object of the present invention is to preload the anvil of a snap fastener attaching machine.

This invention has another object in that a cutting device of a snap fastener attaching machine is actuated in response to movement of an anvil by the ram of such machine.

The present invention has another object in that an anvil arm is pivotally moved by the ram of a snap fastener attaching machine to terminate machine operation at the end of its cycle.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatically operated snap fastener attaching machine with a manual operator to terminate the operation of the machine.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an automatically operated snap fastener attaching machine with a manual operator to effect the cutting operation of such machine.

Another object of this invention is to adjust the clamping stroke of an automatically operated snap fastener attaching machine in accordance with the thickness of the material being utilized.

A further object of this invention is to provide a snap fastener attaching machine with an initial operation causing one snap fastener element to pierce the material and with a subsequent operation causing the one snap fastener element to be clinched to another snap fastener element.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snap fastener attaching machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a strip of fastener elements utilized in FIG. ll;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial side view of details of FIG. 1;

FIG. d is an enlarged partial section of a detail of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the lower casing of FIG. I with a sidewall removed to illustrate the operating mechanisms;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 6 showing the operating mechanisms in their next step of operation;

FIG. is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 7 showing the operating mechanisms in their next step of operation,

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 8 showing the operating mechanisms in their next step of operation; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 9 showing the operating mechanisms in their next step of operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a snap fastener attaching machine according to the present invention is indicated generally at 110, having a generally rectangular boxlike configuration formed of relatively thin upper and lower hollow casings. The upper casing 12 has an open top wall to receive a pair of reels M and 16 disposed in side-by-side relation to each other. The reel 14 includes a continuous strip of plastic snap fastener backing elements 18 joined together by severable links; similarly, the reel 16 includes a continuous strip of plastic snap fastener socket elements 20 (or stud elements) joined together by severable links. The plastic snap fasteners utilized in the present invention are of the type adapted to close the opening in material, such as an article of clothing. This type of snap fastener has a fastener backing element joined to a fastener socket element with a piece of the material clamped therebetween. A mating part of the snap fastener is attached to a cooperating piece of the material and includes the same fastener backing element 18 whereas the part clamped thereto would be a stud element.

The lower casing 22 of the machine is supported on a horizontal rod 24 adjacent its front lower edge by any suitable means such as a clamping mount 26, while the lower rear edge of the casing 22 merely rests on any suitable support such as a table top. The casing 22 includes a front wall 28 which is bolted or otherwise secured to spaced sidewalls 30 and 32; in order to illustrate the operating mechanism, the sidewall 32 is removed from Fig. 3 and Figs. 6-10.

As is illustrated in Fig. 6 the operating mechanism for the machine 10 includes an air cylinder 34 having a shaft 36 integral with and projecting from the left end of cylinder 34 so that the cylinder 34 and shaft 36 will always move as a unit. The left end of cylinder 34 is supported on the sidewalls 30 and 32 by means of a trunnion block 38 which encircles the shaft 36 and which has pivot pins 40 rotatably carried in suitable apertures of the casing sidewalls 30 and 32. Adjacent its free end, the shaft 36 has a spring retainer block 42 secured thereto; a coil spring 44 surrounds the shaft 36 and is mounted in compression between the trunnion block 38 and the retainer 42.

A piston shaft 46 projects from the right end of the cylinder 34 and is secured to a clamping clock 48 which is pivoted at 50 to the center of a toggle linkage. As is shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the pivot pin 50 defines a pivotal connection with one end of the toggle link 52, the other end of which is provided with an opening 54 which receives an eccentric pin 56 mounted in aligned apertures in the sidewalls 30 and 32. The opening 54 and the eccentric pin 56 cooperate with each other to define a support for the suspension of the right-hand of the piston shaft 46 as well as the attachments thereto. An adjustment lever 60 is threaded to eccentric pin 56 in a direction perpendicular to the axis of pin 56 to adjust the axis of the pin 56 and thereby selectively vary the stroke of the ram plunger; the lever 60 extends through the front wall 28 and is locked in place by screws 62. Adjacent its inner end, the toggle link 52 has a pivot pin 64 which carries one end of a lower toggle link 66; the other end of the link 66 is pivotally connected to a pivot pin 68 for a purpose to be described more fully hereinafter.

As is shown in Fig. 6, the right end of the air cylinder 34 is secured to a bar 70 for unitary movement therewith. The bar 70 is disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 34 and a second bar 72 is fixed intermediate its end to the free end of bar 70; the bar 72 is disposed in spaced parallel relation to the cylinder 34 and because of its rigid connection with the bar 70, the bar 72 will always move in the same direction as the cylinder 34. As will be explained hereinafter, the cylinder 34 has an initial linear movement along its longitudinal axis as well as being pivoted about the trunnion axis 40. A pivot pin 74 connects the free end of a lever 76 to the left end of the bar 72. The other end of lever 76 is connected by means of a pivot screw 78 to the end of a lever arm 80 which is disposed generally transversely to the lever and 76. The opposite end of the lever arm 80 is fixed to an intermediate portion of a lever 82 at that point where it is pivotally connected to the sidewall 30 by means of a pivot pin 84. As viewed in Fig. 6, the upper end of lever 82 is connected to a return spring 86 which is mounted in tension between lever 82 and a retainer 88 fixed to the casing wall 30. A stop member 85 fixed to the casing sidewall 30 to limit the pivot movement of the lever arm 80 in a downward direction.

The lower end of the lever 82 is pivotally connected to the end of a lower feed arm 90, the forward end of which is slidably disposed in a channel box 92 which receives the strip of fastener elements 18 from a guide or chute 94 fixed to the casing sidewall 30 by brackets 96. As best seen in Fig. 3, the forward end of the feed arm 90 is provided with multiple spaced apart grippers 98. The grippers 98-98 project upwardly between the connecting strips of fastener elements 18. The forward edge pushes the element to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 during pivotal movement of the arm 90 and lever 82 about the pivot point 84. Although the grippers 98-98 are only shown on one side of the fastener elements 18, it is to be understood that similar spaced apart grippers 98-98 may be placed on the opposite side of feed arm 90 to project upwardly therefrom to engage the opposite side of the fastener elements 18. A flat ribbon-type spring 100 engages the undersurface of the feed arm 90 to normally bias the same in an upward direction.

The above described lever system is operated by the bar 72 to cause advancement of the lower strip of fastener elements 18. The same bar 72 is also utilized to advance the upper strip of fastener elements 20. As is shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the right end of the bar 72 engages the end of an adjustment pin 102 transversely carried on one end of a lever 104 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends by means of a pivot pin 106 carried by the casing sidewall 30. The lower end of the lever 104 as viewed in Fig. 3 pivotally carries an upper feed arm 108 intermediate its ends. A coil spring 110 is mounted in tension between an upper portion of the lever 104 and one end of the upper feed arm 108 which is accordingly biased normally in a clockwise direction. A stop member 111 is fixed to the casing sidewall 30 to limit the counterclockwise movement of the lever 104.

The forward end of the feed am 108 is slidably disposed in an upper channel box 1 12 which receives the strip of fastener elements 20 from a guide or chute 114 fixed to the casing sidewall 30 by bracket 116. The forward end of the feed arm 108 is provided with multiple spaced apart grippers 118 on each side similar to the lower feed arm 90. Each of the grippers 118 projects downwardly and has a forward edge.

A coil spring 120 is mounted in tension between a retainer 122 on the casing wall 30 and an intermediate part of the lever 104, which part is located between the pivot pin 106 and the lower end of lever 104 so that the lever 104 is normally biased in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin 106. A second coil spring 124 is mounted in tension between the retainer 122 and an intermediate portion of a manually operated knife arm 126 which has one end mounted on a pivot 128 carried by the casing wall 30 so that the arm 126 is normally biased in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 128. As is shown in Fig. 3, the other end of the arm 126 extends through a slotted opening 130 in the edge of easing front wall 28; the upper and lower edges of the slot 130 define the limits of movement for the knife arm 126.

During manual operation of the knife arm 126, a knife blade 132 is abutted by such arm 126 and is depressed to sever the connections between the upper strip of fastener elements 20. A projecting lug 134 on the side of the knife blade 132 is engaged by the end of a flat spring 136 which causes the return of the knife blade in an upward direction upon release of the force applied thereto. The knife blade 132 is slidably mounted in a cover plate 138 (see Fig. 6) that is attached to the casing sidewall 30 and cooperates therewith to define a channel for the knife blade 132 as well as a channel for a plunger or ram 140.

The upper end of the ram 140 carries the pivot pin 68 so that the ram is pivotally connected to the link 66 of the toggle mechanism. A stop element 142 projects upwardly beyond the pivot pin 68 and cooperates with a stop 144 secured to the inner surface of the casing front wall 28. An actuating plunger 146 for the knife blade 132 is also carried by the upper portion of ram 140 for unitary movement therewith. The plunger 146 is shown in Fig. 3 is disposed in spaced parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the ram 140 and it carries a compression coil spring 148 to absorb shock and to provide override compensation at the end of the ram stroke.

The lower end 150 of the ram 140 has a generally square configuration in cross section so as to be slightly less in size than the cross section of the fastener element 20. As is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the ram end 150 engages the upper surface of that fastener element 20 which has been severed and which has been moved out of the channel box 112. Any suitable spring means such as the spring strips 152 and 154, are mounted in the channel box 112 to engage the opposite sides of the severed fastener element 20 and retain it in position for engagement by the ram end 150.

During its downward movement, the ram end 150 moves the upper severed fastener element 20 toward the lower fastener element 18 which has been severed from its strip and which is resting on the top surface of a lower die or anvil 156. The anvil 156 is fixed on one end of an anvil arm 158 that is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin 160 carried by the casing sidewall 30. Between the pivot pin 160 and its free end, the anvil arm 158 carries an adjustable spring retainer 162; a preloaded, heavy duty compression spring 164 is mounted in compression between a retainer 162 and a fixed block 166 secured to the casing sidewall 30. Between the pivot pin 160 and the retainer 162 the anvil arm 158 is pivoted to a connecting link 168 which has a loose fitting connection with a pivot pin 170 intermediately carried between the ends of a lower knife arm 1172. One end of the knife arm 172 is pivoted to the fixed block 1133 by a pivot pin 174; the other end of the knife arm 172 projects through a suitable slot 176 in the easing front wall 23. Between the pivot pin i173 and the free end of the knife arm 172, the knife arm 172 carries a knife blade 175 which projects upwardly to sever the connections between adjacent fastener elements 113 as will be explained more fully hereinafter. The free end of the anvil arm 153 carries an adjustable actuating stem 1173 so that clockwise movement of the an '1 arm 153 about its pivot pin 133 will cause operation of acontrol device by the actuating stem 173.

The control system for operating the mechanisms of the snap fastener attaching machine may be of any suitable type such as electric, electromechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic systems. The present embodiment of this invention utilizes a pneumatic control system and only those parts necessary for an understanding of the invention are being described for the sake of brevity. For example, a pneumatic source of air pressure is supplied through inlet 203 to a pneumatic relay control, indicated generally at 232. While the system may be initiated automatically as in any other type of automated machinery, it may be also started manually as by a linkage 234 leading to a foot pedal (not shown). The relay control 202 is provided with a pair of fittings, having flexible tubes 236 and 233 connected to opposite ends of the air cylinder 34 for actuation thereof. A second pair of fittings 213 and 212 from the pneumatic relay 232 are connected to a pneumatic switch 214 which functions as a control device for terminating operation at the end of the cycle. This end of cycle relay 2114 has a pivoted operator 216 which is actuated by the stern 1173 on the anvil arm 1153 as it is pivoted clockwise at the end of each cycle.

The actuating lever 216 may also be operated manually at any time by means of a plate 221, having a ledge 225, which will actuate lever 216. Plate 221 is slideably carried between casing sidewalls 30 and bearing plate 220. A coil spring 224 is mounted in tension with one end attached to pin 222 and its opposite end attached to retainer 226 intermediately disposed between the ends of a roller bar 223. One end of the roller bar 223 is pivotally mounted on plate 221 by means of a pivot pin 233 while its other end carries a roller element 232 which rests in valley 223 of the cam surface in plate 220, which determines the neutral position. Movement is imparted to the plate 221 and the roller 232 by the terminus 234 of a manual lever which has a push-type handle 2316 on its other end extending through the casing front wall 23.

in the following description of a sequence of operation of the snap fastener attaching machine, reference is being made to Figs. 6 through 10, inclusive, as being representative of the sequential steps of operation. However, it is to be understood that a complete cycle of the machine is performed in such a rapid manner that the various steps of operation illustrated in the drawings would not necessarily be visible to a viewer.

It is also to be understood that various types of plastic snap fastener elements may be utilized with the machine of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present description relates to snap fastener elements having a base 13 and a socket 23 with the material clamped therebetween, the cooperating part of such a snap fastener device would be attached by a second machine and would include the same common base 113 but the socket 23 would be replaced with a snap fastener stud (not shown), Thus a complete snap fastener device includes a base element 13 joined to a socket element as the first unit, and a base element 13 joined to a stud element as the second unit. in such an arrangement, the base 113 and the socket 23 form the female unit while the base 13 and the stud form the male unit of the complete fastener device. For a more complete description of the type of fastener elements that may be utilized in the present invention reference is made to copending application Serial No. 868,544 filed Oct. 22, 1969 by Alfred E. Carlile and Bernard H. Cox, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and entitled Molded Plastic Snap Fastener and Strip of Components Therefor. Another example of such snap fasteners is found in US. Pat. No. 3,401,434.

The ready condition of the machine is represented by Fig. 6. In this condition, the cylinder 34 is displaced from the trun nion block 33 and the coil spring 44 on the shaft 36 is compressed. The piston shaft 43 extending from the other end of the air cylinder 34 is at its minumum extension whereby the toggle mechanism is in its unactuated condition with the ram 143 located in its uppermost condition. In addition, the cylinder 34 has not yet been moved so the bar 72 is in engagement with the pin 1132 which retains the lever 134 in its ex treme clockwise position; the upper feed arm 1133 is thus placed in a ready condition.

After placing the material between the ram head 153 and the anvil s, operation is commenced with movement of the linkage 234 as by a foot pedal, whereupon the pneumatic relay supplies pressurized air to the cylinder 34 which is initially moved along its longitudinal axis against the trunnion block 33. The operating mechanisms are now moved to their positions as illustrated in Fig. 7 which dififers from Fig. 6 only in that longitudinal movement of cylinder 34 and its bar 72 permits counterclockwise movement of the lever 1134 by the tension spring 1123 until the lever 134 engages the stop member Till. The feed arm 1133, which is normally biased by its tension spring 1113 in such a manner that its grippers 1113 (Fig. 3) are disposed against the edges of snap fastener elements 113, causes the fastener elements 113 to be advanced as is shown in Fig. 4. A spring ratchet member (not shown) prevents withdrawal of fastener elements 113 and aids in positioning element 113 in its proper position.

As the pneumatic relay 202 increases the airflow in the cylinder 34, the piston shaft commences its extending movement as shown in Fig. 3. Since the upper toggle link 52 is fixed on pivot pin 56, the toggle mechanism begins its downward movement. The ram head 153 is thus moving downwardly and as is apparent from comparing Figs. 7 and 3, the cylinder 34 is pivoting clockwise about the trunnion pin 40. Fig. 3 merely represents the position of the components during their movement and the only operation taking place is the lower feeding mechanism. The downward movement of bar 72 causes lever 73 and lever arm 30 to likewise move downward in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 34; such movement continues until lever arm 33 engages the stop member 35 and transfers the pivot screw 73 from an upper to a lower plane relative to the plane of pivot 34. During such movement, the lever 32 is permitted to pivot counterclockwise about the fixed pivot 34 because of the tension spring 33. As a result, the lower feed arm 33 moves in the channel box 32 causing the grippers 33 to advance the snap fastener strip 23.

Fig. 9 is similar to Fig. 3 in illustrating an intermediate stage of the operation. Thus, in Fig. 9 the toggle links 52 and 66 have not yet reached their full extension and the ram end is only slightly away from performing the clamping operation.

Full extension of the piston shaft 46 is shown in Fig. 13 as fully extending the toggle links 52 and 36 causing completion of the stroke of the ram 143. At this time the plunger 146 moves the upper knife blade 1132 completely to sever the connections between adjacent snap fasteners 20. The rarn end 153 carries a previously severed fastener 23 against the fastener 13 on the anvil 156 whereby the two fastener elements are cinched together with the material therebetween. Upon initial impact by the ram end 153, the prongs (Fig. 5) on the fastener element 20 are squeezed through the material without destroying the material. This squeezing through effect is obtained by the preloaded or spring pressed anvil arm 153 which is then pivoted by the impact force against the coil spring 1134. As soon as the impact force overcomes the preload spring force, the four prongs of the fastener element 23 are deformed or cold flowed in aligned bores on the fastener element 13.

The pivot movement of the anvil arm 1153 causes the link M3 and the knife arm 172 to move upward whereby the lower knife blade 175 severs the connections between adjacent fastener elements 18. This pivotal movement also causes the activator stem 178 to pivot the lever 216 whereby the pneumatic switch 214 ends the cycle and exhausts the air cylinder 34. The cylinder 34 then returns to its initial position as shown in Fig. 6. During such return movement the upper and

lower feed arms

108 and 90 are retracted and slightly pivoted permitting the sloping edges of the

grippers

118 and 98, respectively, to ride over the fastener elements and 18, respectively.

It should be understood that the apparatus of this invention described hereinabove is applicable to all fastener attaching machines and is particularly applicable to those machines that are to attach a plurality of fasteners spaced closely adjacent to each other in a single operation. Also, this invention is not limited to a multiple fastener attaching operation, but would specifically include apparatus for attaching a single snap fastener element.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for severing snap fastening elements from a pair of spaced strips and attaching the snap fastener elements to a material comprising:

guide spring means adapted to support one of said fastener elements,

anvil means adapted to support another of said fastener elements in spaced relation to the said one fastener element, ram means oppositely disposed to said anvil means for movement thereagainst,

cutting means adapted to sever each fastener element from its strip, said ram means including a portion for moving said cutting means,

advancing means adapted to move each strip into position for severing by said cutting means and to advance the severed fastener elements to said rarn means and said anvil means,

lever means connected to said advancing means for movement thereof,

actuator means connected to said lever means to effect movement of said advancing means, and

means defining an operative connection between said actuator means and said ram means whereby movement of said ram means and said advancing means are effected by the same actuator means.

2. A snap fastener attaching machine comprising:

clamping means adapted to clamp a pair of fastener elements to a material,

cutting means for severing the fastener elements from strips,

feeding means adapted to move the fastener elements into positions for operation by said cutting means and said clamping means,

said clamping means including a portion for operating said cutting means,

linkage means connected to said feeding means for moving the same, and

single actuator means operatively connected to both of said linkage means and said clamping means whereby feeding, cutting and clamping operations are performed in response to actuation of said single actuator means.

3. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said single actuator means includes a cylinder and a piston shaft slidably extending from said cylinder, and wherein means defining an operative connection is between said piston shaft and said clamping means.

4. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 2 wherein said cylinder is movable mounted and wherein said linkage means is connected to said cylinder for movement thereby.

5. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 3 wherein said operative connection includes a toggle mechanism pivotally connected to said piston shaft.

6. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 5 wherein said toggle mechanism includes a pair of links having adjacent ends pivoted together, means defining a pivotal mount for the other end of one of said links, and a piuotal connection for the other end of the other one of said links whereby the same is pivotally connected to said clamping means.

7. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 6 wherein said clamping means includes a ram slidahle disposed in a channel and said pivotal connection is located at one end of said ram whereby the ram is moved in response to movement of said toggle mechanism.

8. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 7 wherein said pivotal mount for said one link includes adjustment means whereby the stroke of said ram is selectively varied.

9. A machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said anvil means includes an anvil arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, an anvil mounted on one end of said anvil arm, and spring means engaging said anvil arm to preload the same.

10. A machine as recited in claim 9 wherein a cycle terminating actuator is mounted on the other end of said anvil arm.

11. A machine as recited in claim 9 wherein said cutting means includes a knife blade for each of said strips and a knife arm for one of said knife blades is disposed adjacent said anvil arm, and wherein a link extends between said anvil arm and said knife arm to actuate said one knife blade in response to pivotal movement of said anvil arm.

12. A machine as recited in claim 1 I wherein said knife arm has a manual operator to operate said one knife blade manually.

13. A machine as recited in claim 11 wherein the other of said knife blades is disposed adjacent said ram means and wherein said portion on said ram means includes a plunger to actuate said other knife blade in response to movement of said ram means.

14. A machine as recited in claim 13 wherein a manual lever is operatively connected to said other knife blade to operate the same manually.

15. A machine as recited in claim 11 wherein said advancing means includes a feed arm for each of said strips, and wherein said lever means includes a linkage connected between one of said feed arms and said actuator means, and a pivoted lever between the other of said feed arms and said actuator means.

16. A machine as recited in claim 15 wherein said actuator means includes a cylinder and a piston shaft slidably extending from said cylinder, mounting means for said cylinder permitting axial and pivotal movement thereof, and wherein said linkage is connected to said cylinder for movement thereby.

17. A machine as recited in claim 16 wherein said cylinder includes a fixed bar element actuating the pivotal lever on the said other feed arm.

18. A machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said ram means includes a ram slidably disposed in a channel, and wherein said operative connection includes a toggle mechanism pivotally connected between said piston shaft and said ram.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3.612.381 Dated October 1221971 lnven fl Erich A. Schmidt It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In column 7, line 64-, in claim 3, the dependency reference reading claim "1" should read claim 2 In column 8, line 2, in claim 4, the dependency reference reading claim "2" should read claim 3 Signed and sealed this 26th day of September 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR ROBERT GOTTSCHA LK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents ORM Po-1050 [1069) USCOMM-DC scam-P69 U 5, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1969 D355-334

Claims

1. A machine for severing snap fastening elements from a pair of spaced strips and attaching the snap fastener elements to a material comprising: guide spring means adapted to support one of said fastener elements, anvil means adapted to support another of said fastener elements in spaced relation to the said one fastener element, ram means oppositely disposed to said anvil means for movement thereagainst, cutting means adapted to sever each fastener element from its strip, said ram means including a portion for moving said cutting means, advancing means adapted to move each strip into position for severing by said cutting means and to advance the severed fastener elements to said ram means and said anvil means, levEr means connected to said advancing means for movement thereof, actuator means connected to said lever means to effect movement of said advancing means, and means defining an operative connection between said actuator means and said ram means whereby movement of said ram means and said advancing means are effected by the same actuator means.

2. A snap fastener attaching machine comprising: clamping means adapted to clamp a pair of fastener elements to a material, cutting means for severing the fastener elements from strips, feeding means adapted to move the fastener elements into positions for operation by said cutting means and said clamping means, said clamping means including a portion for operating said cutting means, linkage means connected to said feeding means for moving the same, and single actuator means operatively connected to both of said linkage means and said clamping means whereby feeding, cutting and clamping operations are performed in response to actuation of said single actuator means.

6. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 5 wherein said toggle mechanism includes a pair of links having adjacent ends pivoted together, means defining a pivotal mount for the other end of one of said links, and a pivotal connection for the other end of the other one of said links whereby the same is pivotally connected to said clamping means.

7. A snap fastener attaching machine as recited in claim 6 wherein said clamping means includes a ram slidable disposed in a channel and said pivotal connection is located at one end of said ram whereby the ram is moved in response to movement of said toggle mechanism.

12. A machine as recited in claim 11 wherein said knife arm has a manual operator to operate said one knife blade manually.