US2406516A - Fastener setting machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 27, 1946., J. P. TREcloKAs` FASTENER SETTING MACHINE originalv Filed March 18, 1945 mvENToR Jacob R Treciohas BY im ATTQRNEY Allg- 27, 1946. v J. P. TREcloKAs 2,406,516

FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Original Filed March4 18, 1943 2 'Sheets-Sheet 2 |NvENToR l Jacob P. Trecwhas BY Af. @AfA-m- A ORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1946 UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Jacob P. Treciokas, Oakville, Conn., assigner to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application March 18, 1943,Serial No.

479,563. Divided and this application June 30, 1944, Serial No. 542,925

Claims.

y member within which the shank end of the eyelet member may be upset when attaching the fastener members to their support.

This application is a division of an earlier application, Serial No. 479,563 filed March 18, 1943, now Patent No. 2,373,436, granted April l0, 1945, which pertains to a mechanism associated with the operation of the upper jaws.

The machine in general comprises an anvil upon which the eyelet member may be positioned with the shank projecting upwardly, a pair of jaws by which the button member may be positioned over the eyelet shank, and a setting ktool in the form of a plunger by which the button may be released from the jaws and the button and eyelet secured together by relative movement between the tool and anvil.

Heretofore, it has been the more common practise in machines of the above nature to feed the fastener element, which in this case is the button member, to theupper jaws through feed tracks from a hopper depending entirely upon the force of gravity. In practise in conventional machines in resorting to gravity as a kfeed-- ing means, where the operator is working upon a garment or some device to vwhich fasteners are to be set relatively close together, it has been found that the operator can work faster than the speed in which the fasteners could be fed into the jaws by gravity, and, therefore, resulted quite frequently in a missing `fastener or in aV deformed fastener. This has been particularly true in machines that are Aeither foot-operated, such as disclosed in the Veillette Patent No.

1,836,887, or operated by a, crank connection at tached to a clutch operated drive shaft, suchl as disclosed in the Warner Patent No. 1,575,596.

In order to overcome the above faults, it is one of the prime objects of this invention to Provide a positive means for feeding the button elements into the upper jaws of the machine directly froml the end of a raceway or feed track.

Another object of this invention is the arrangement of the positive feeding means and a race- AWay through which the button elements 'are fed to the jaws such that the axis of the button elements are arranged in a radial fan-like position "y engages the hub of the foremost button element in the raceway and forces it p-ast a releasable detent and into the jaws of afastener setting machine. 1

Another object of this invention is to use the feed means as a temporary cut-olf for the next succeeding button element and others backed up thereby in the raceway during the period of feeding the foremost button into the receivmg aws.

j Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear more fully from vthe following description particularly when taken in connec- 1tion with the accompanying drawings illustratfeeding the fastener elements into the upper and located so that the pusher means selectively jaws in partially retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the upper portion of the machine, showing the mechanism for operating the jaws in` an advanced position, and the Y button feedingl plungerin a retracted position.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary view of the upper jaw feeding means and showing a button element in the process of being picked up from its track and fed into the jaws.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the feeding means having advanced the button completely into its receptive socket in the jaws, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken transversely at the end of the button feed track on 'line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The invention to be described is applied to a portion of the machine comprising a bearing block I0 supported by a head Ilrextending up- .f

wardly and forwardly from a portion of the machine bed plate I2 which in turn may be mounted upon a suitable pedestal or support i3, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1. Mounted upon the bed plate I2 is an anvil I4 for the purpose of receiving a fastener element herein described as anattaching eyelet I5.

,As a vmeans for properly positioning and retainthe attaching eyelet or fastener element I5 upon the anvil I4 a pair of lower jaws I6 may be provided between which the eyelet may be thrust prior to a setting operation. These jaws I6 may be plvotallyconne'cted as at Il to a vertical movable slide I8 connected by means of la link I9 with the forward end of a lever 20, which is adapted to be pivotally mounted upon .the pedthem from the fastener element during the setting operation. The jaws may be yieldingly held in their normal fastener receiving position by a spring 2l.

The attaching eyelets I are fed from a. hopper (not shown) and stacked in a raceway 22 leading to a guideway 23, and prior to eachsetting-operation a single eyelet is picked up from the end of the raceway 22 and thrust forwardly through the guideway 23 to its proper position upon'vthe anvil, as by means of a feed slide 24. The feed slide' 24 in turn is actuated by a rlink 25 o10erated from any suitable mechanism' of the machine.

In order to supply a complementary fastener element for the attaching eyelet I5, such asa button member 2E, andrcarry it into alinement therewith for thepurpose of attaching the same upon a supporting member, Ymeans is provided 'in the for-'m of a plunger'l mounted in the bearing block I0 and adapted to move longitudinally 'with its axis in alinement with the anvil |11. lTo vp-rovideffor the endwise Ir'novement of "the plunger 21, it -is connected by lmeans of a link 28 tothe forkedend ofa main 'lever '29 through a connect ing pin 3%.A l'Zfheflever 2e 4is pivoted as at 3| v'to the head II. rThe lower end of the plunger 27 is Aprovided with a setting tool or punch 32 having a reduced portion S-'Zcvfor fitting into the hollow ofthe button member andV serving to upset 'the end of the eyelet f5 c oincidenftfw'ith the setting Opeaf001'1--V YAs a convenient means for positioning the'button Yelement A2li in alinementw'ith the lsetting ltool 32,apair ornpper jaws '31% 'are "provided arid slidably V-mounted upon an integral vportion lIlia projecting from the VVfront v face Yoff v they 'bearing bloc-k Hl, v'The lower ends ofthe jaws 33 are provided with inturned portions 35 that are adapted in, norma @einer i@ fue' auna with maremma ena-@if a,;.fe a;iak3e through, whaha@ button elements 25 are fedjfromra vsuitable'hopper (not shown)i n a manneraswill 'befmore fully explain-ed later and lforms the subject matter yof this ,invention The @meer ends .0f the Jaws. 33 aresuitably hinged together as by apivot'screw 3'.' in order to allow the lower intur'inedpor-tions.

3thereof 'porsi/ving outwardly .for releasing the buttonthere-frem and! allow the settingtool 32 to pass therethrough coincident'withfthe setting Operaia-tand te@ .are germany heIdifa' track 35 is formed with a rather abrupt bend or 4 operated with the inventive features of the machine. Y

AsV was pointed out in the objects of this invention in order to speed up the feed of the button elements into the upper jaws 33 provision is made for positively feeding the buttons directly into said jaws from the feed track 315. As best shown in- Figs. 1, 2. 3 and 4, the lower end of the feed arcuate portion 36a that positions the discharge end of the track 36 in a substantially horizontal clamped closed positionVby/means of a spring The inturned ends 35 ofthe jaws-have their adjacent faces Vcut out torprovide a suitable recess Y or socket '3,4 vfor the reception of the, button -ele-A mentQZSwl-ien,fedgthereinto,from the feed track and also Ito allowfor clearance for th'eedescending. setting 'tool 32 when removing the `button from said jaws. The vjaws 33 are held in slidableV and' frictional relation to the face .of the A.block projecting Aportieri Ia as by means of screws 39 and Yll secured thereto. The yupper'f'se'rew 39 supports a friction washer 42 that lis compressed against the face -of the-jaws 33 Y'by means o'f'a n'o part 'of thepresent inventon'e'xcept inasmuch as they cooperate the`rewith,"and"are functionally I..:,.:with a hollowV interior' into which is received'Y4 --"a 'relatively heavycompression spring 59, one'end 'position and directly in alinement with the inturned jaw ends 35 when the latter are in their normal retracted position.

The -fe'ed 'track *66 iis provided with a T-shaped fslo't or -guidew-a'y, the central Wider portion 49 of which Ais adapted to accommodate the enlarged head 'of the button elements, and the narrow portion 5S of which opens through the lower side of the feed track 36 and is adapted to accommodate the shank of the buttons '(see Fig. 5.)..

The buttons are adapted to slide 'by gravityy from a suitable hopper (not shown) down to the arcuate portion 36a ofthe track where the fore.- most button will be stopped by a stop pin 5| slidably mounted in the 'feed track 35, andthe following `buttons will stack 'up in "the T-shaped guideway d'9, '55) of the feed track. The pin BI isheld normally 'in a depressed 'position by means of a leaf spring 52 secured tothe upper face of said feed track. The depth of the guideway'df i's 'somewhat greater than the 'no'rmal thickness of the button vhead sofas to allowthe buttons tov be readily kguided har'ounzl the twisted portion of the track as is indicated at 36h (Fig. '15 without jamming therein. To prevent the 'button heads from overlapping each other when tleyapproach the stop pin 5I 'aV restrictive plate 53 Ais'secured to the arcuate portion "3 5a 'of the'feed'track within' reciprocatory rod L54 to advance in alinement with 'the narrow 'recess '5B of 'the T-slot and engage the shank rof the foremostbutton only .and

feed the 'same past the stop pin '51, and thence into the jaw recess 34.v In'forcing thebut'tori .past the stoppin 5I, the latter will be forcedupwardly againstthe iniiuen'ce of the 'spring 52. 'The act of feeding the vforemost'button past .the stoppin 5I lis best shown in Fig. 3, and 'it will alsobe noted in this figure that the upper surface of Yther'feed finger also 'serves as 4a stop for the next succeed' ing button during the 'time 'that it is feeding the foremost 'button "into the `jaw ends '35. V`When' theV feed finger rod B'has v'been retracted toits starting positionY the next succeeding button 'will then by gravitybe 'caused to vslide intoengagement 'with the stop pin 'ready t'o be picked u'pby the feed finger on 'the' next stroke. The. 'feed l nger' rod '54 'is slidab'ly mounted in` a` bracket bearing 55 secured `to thehead 4I"I'.

Specifically the plunger Etiis .slidably mounted in a suitableire'cess BTI'in headfl'l and is y,pifov'ic'ied of which isv abutted, against the base of the hollow linterior and theother end against the vadjacent end of the feed finger54. Outward movement of the feed finger relative to the plunger 56 is prevented by means of a transverse pin 60 secured to the inner end of the feed finger rod 54 and slidably operated in a pair of opposed-longitudinal recesses 6I formed axially in the plunger 56 as shown in the sectional portion of Fig. 1. The plunger is adapted to be reciprocated through a link 62 tied into a suitable operating part of the machine. y

' Since it is the purpose of this machine to positively feed the fastener buttons into the recesses 34 of the jaws at a speed greater than can be attained by gravity, it -is essential that the re-f cesses34 of the jaws 33 be alined with the end of the feed track 36 in proper time relation to the feeding stroke of the feed finger rod 54. The operation of the jaws 33 by a special linkage mechanism generally indicated by the numeral 65 for connecting to and operating said jaws off of the main operating lever 29 is used here to effect this result. A more complete descriptionof this linkage mechanism is not considered necessary here as it forms no part of the present invention and is fully disclosed in the aforementioned application of which this is a division. l

Operation In the operation of this machine during the time that the jaws 33 and plunger 21 are being returned to their normal uppermost position, a fastener element I5 will be fed into the jaws I6 by means of the slide 24 in the usual manner and held in place upon the anvil by the lower jaws I6. The feed finger end 54a of the rod 54 will next move in to pick up the foremost button 26 in the discharge end of the feed track 36,

force it to cam past the stop pin 5I and into the recesses 34 of the inturned jaw ends 35, and immediately start to retract before the plunger 21 descends. During the time that the feed finger end 54a is advancing to deliver the foremost button to the jaws the upper surface thereof will serve as a temporary stop for the next succeeding button and the others backed up thereby in the feed track 36 in a manner as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. When the feed finger end 54a has cleared out of the pathway of the buttons 26, the stack of buttons will feed down the raceway with the next succeeding button, which now becomes the foremost button, engaging against the pin 5I as a stop in line with the feed finger end 54a, completing the cycle of operations.

While there has been illustrated and described a machine that has been built and successfully operated embodying the inventive concepts of my invention, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form disclosed in this application, but should be regarded as including modifications and variations thereof within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a feeding mechanism for feeding fastener elements having a head and a shank from the hopper to the setting station of a fastener attaching machine, said mechanism comprising a guideway leading downwardly from said hopper and terminating in an arcuate portion adjacent the setting station, the fastener elements being disposed in said guideway with their shanks directed outwardly and downwardly and in the arcuate portion with their shanks directed in a radiallydiverging position, thedischarge 'end of said arcuate portion having a releasablev stop means to limit the travel of said elements, and a slide means having its forward end operating tangentially of the discharge end of said arcuate portion, the position of said stop means and o f the pathway of the forward end of the slide'means .relative to the arcuate portion and the lbend of the arcuate portion of said track beingsufilcient to dispose the shank of the foremost elementonly t of a series of normally congurated fastener elements `in direct alignment with the forward end of said slide with the next successive elements disposed in edge-to-edgecontact of their heads and their respective shanks out of alignment with the forward end of said slide and wherein the foremost element only of the series of elements will be fed into the setting station by the feed slide upon one cycle operation of the machine. y Y

2. In a feeding mechanism for feeding fas tener elements having a head and a shank from a hopper to the setting station of a fastener lattaching machine, said mechanism comprising a guideway terminating at its discharge end in an arcuate portion, said arcuate portion having an opening thro-ugh which the'shanks of said elements project in a downwardly radialpositional releasable stop means adjacent the discharge end of said guideway serving to check the travelof said elements and cause them to stack uplin said guideway, and a rectilinearly operated feed finger operating tangentially of said guideway,

said guideway terminating in its arcuate portion and said arcuate portion being of sufficient curvature and the feed finger being so positioned relative to the arcuate portion that with normally congurated fastener elements the feed finger will engage the shank of only the foremost fastener element to force said element past said stop means and into said setting station upon each cycle operation of the machine.

3. In a feeding mechanism for feeding fastener elements having a head and a shank from a hopper to the setting station of a fastener attaching machine, said mechanism comprising a guideway terminating at its discharge end in an arcuate portion, said arcuate portion having an opening through which the shanks of said elements project in a downwardly radial fan-like position, a releasable stop means adjacent the discharge end of said arcuate portion serving to check the travel of said elements and cause them to stack up in said guideway with their heads in edge-to-edge contact, and a rectilinearly operated feed finger` operating tangentially of the dis- Jcharge end of said guideway` said guideway terminating in its arcuate portion and said arcuate portion being of suicient curvature and the feed finger being kso positioned relative to the opening in said arcuate portion that with normally congurated fastener elements the feed finger will engage the shank of only the foremost element in said guideway and force said element past said stop means and into said setting station, said feed finger acting as a cut-olf for the next succeeding element and those supported thereabove in the guideway during the period of feeding the foremost element and returning toward retracted position.

4. In a feeding mechanism for feeding fastener elements having a head and a projecting lshank from a hopper into the setting station of a fastener attaching machine, said mechanism 7 comprising a feed track leading downwardly from said hopper and serving to hold the -elementsin uniform ystacked position, the discharge end of said feed track having an arcuately Yleent portion of a character t'o dispose the adjacent elements in the feed track with their axes in 'radial relationship and their Shanks in a generally depending `and diverging position, a rectilinearly ad` Vanceable and retractable feeding means operating tangentially of the arcuate portion of said track, a releasahle stop means located vadjacent the discharge end of said arcuate portion for releasably maintaining the foremost radially positioned velement `Within the lend of Asaid track, the position -of the stop mean-s and of the 'path- Way ofthe feeding means relative to the arcuate portion and the loer-1d of the arcuate portion of said -track being suiiic-ient to dispose the shank of the foremost element only of las'eries -of normally congurated fastener elements in ldirect alignment With said feeding means with the next successive elements stacked iin said arcuate portion by edge-to-edge contact of the element heads such as to dispose their respective shanks out of alignment with said .feeding means land so that the next succeeding elementv will be ready to assume the position of the rst element with the minimum amount of travel in said 4track immediately upon the retraction of the feeding means. l

5. In a feeding mechanism for feeding fastener elements having a head andan .axial proiecting portion from a hopper to the setting sta-.- 'tion vof a'fastener attaching-machine, saidlmechanism comprising a feed track leading :down- Wardly from said hopperand terminating in 'a relatively short `arcuate portion, said feed track providing a lpathway of .a shape -complementa-ry to the elements and opening rthrough fone side thereof, a releasable stop `means operatingwithin the pathway to check the yforemost of the eiements passing through said pathway directly from said hopper and hold any succeeding elements with 'their heads 4in stacked edge-:to-edge `contact relationship in said feed track, and a rectilinear feed inger `ope*rating 'tangentially Soi and through the lopening in the discharge .end of the arcuate portion of the feed track, said feed trackterminating in its arcuate portion and the arcuate portion being of sufficient curvature and the feed finger Abeing so positioned relative to the opening rin said arcuate portion that with nor# mally con'igurated fastener lelements the leading end of said finger during forward motion will engage the axial projecting por-tion of the foremost element and clear the projecting portion of the next succeeding stacked `elements, in said vfeed track, and said feed iinger acting as a cut-off for said succeeding elements in the feed track during the advancing and .retracting stroke.

JACOB P. TREcIoKAs.

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