U.S. patent number 3,734,377 [Application Number 05/163,665] was granted by the patent office on 1973-05-22 for part feeding attachment for fastener driving tools.
Invention is credited to Ben Munn.
United States Patent |
3,734,377 |
Munn |
May 22, 1973 |
PART FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR FASTENER DRIVING TOOLS
Abstract
A part feeding attachment combined with a fastener driving tool
to advance one part at a time into position to be embraced and/or
pierced by a fastener delivered by said tool; especially for
pneumatically powered tools driving staples and the like and to
advantageously utilize exhaust air to effect automatic operation;
the attachment being universally adaptable to tools of varied type
and of different manufacture, and characterized by its light weight
and minimized space requirements.
Inventors: |
Munn; Ben (West Hollywood,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
22591035 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/163,665 |
Filed: |
July 19, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
227/120 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25C
1/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B25C
1/00 (20060101); B27f 007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;227/8,18,112,120,136 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Custer, Jr.; Granville Y.
Claims
I claim:
1. A part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool having
fluid operated means driving a fastener and control means therefor
effecting discharge of air under pressure following driving of said
fastener, and including, a base having a part deliveryway
therethrough extending from a part supply disposed laterally of the
tool to a delivery portion thereof disposed beneath the tool in
alignment with said first mentioned fluid operated means, a feeder
means advancing a part from said part supply to said delivery
portion responsive to said discharge of air under pressure
following driving of said fastener, there being a return means
retracting the feeder means after feeding said part through said
delivery portion, whereby a part is advanced into alignment with
said first mentioned fluid operated means to receive the next
succeeding fastener driven thereby.
2. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the part supply comprises a tube
disposed normal to said deliveryway and slideably passing the part,
said deliveryway being of a depth to receive a part and the said
feeder means slideably to advance therethrough.
3. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the deliveryway is arcuately formed
and the feeder means comprises a complementary arcuately formed
part feeder blade reciprocably operable through said deliveryway,
said arcuate deliveryway and arcuate part feeder blade being formed
about a common center for reciprocal rotation of the latter through
the former.
4. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
and piston means having one end pivotally anchored to the base of
the other end pivotally anchored to a post actuating the said
feeder means.
5. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by means of a fluid connection
communicating thereto from the control means effecting discharge of
air under pressure.
6. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a fluid connection thereto
bleeding to atmosphere and communicating fluid pressure thereto
from the control means effecting discharge of air under
pressure.
7. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a controlled fluid connection
thereto admitting a portion of said discharge of air under
pressure.
8. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a controlled fluid connection
thereto with a bleed to atmosphere and admitting a portion of the
said discharge of air under pressure to said cylinder for advancing
the piston.
9. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1, wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a fluid connection thereto from
the control means effecting discharge of air under pressure, and
wherein the return means is a spring within the cylinder and
engaging the piston to retract the same.
10. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 1, wherein the part supply comprises a tube disposed
normal to said deliveryway and slideably passing the part, said
deliveryway being of a depth to receive the part, wherein the
deliveryway is arcuately formed and the feeder means comprises a
complementary arcuately formed part feeder blade reciprocably
operable through said deliveryway, said arcuate deliveryway and
arcuate part feeder blade being formed about a common center for
reciprocal rotation of the latter through the former, wherein the
feeder means comprises a cylinder pivotally anchored to the base
with a piston therein pivotally anchored to a post actuating the
said feeder means, said piston being advanced in the cylinder by a
controlled fluid connection thereto having a bleed to atmosphere
and admitting a portion of said discharge of air under pressure to
said cylinder for advancing the piston, and wherein the return
means is a spring within the cylinder and engaging the piston to
retract the same.
11. In combination: a fastener driving tool including, a frame
carrying a head with a fastener guideway opening therefrom at a
delivery face, a magazine supply of fasteners for individual
delivery through said guideway and extending laterally from the
head, fluid operated means with a driver blade entering through and
driving a fastener from the guideway in the head, and a control
means effecting a drive stroke of said fluid operated means
followed by a return stroke thereof and by the exhaust of residual
air under pressure; and a part feeding attachment including, a base
having a part deliveryway therethrough extending from a part supply
disposed laterally of the tool to a delivery portion thereof
underlying the delivery face of the tool in alignment with the
guideway and driver blade thereof, a feeder means advancing a part
from said part supply to said delivery portion responsive to said
exhausting of residual air under pressure following driving of said
fastener, there being a return means retracting the feeder means
after feeding said part through said delivery portion, whereby a
part is advanced into alignment with the guideway and driver blade
to receive the next succeeding fastener driven thereby.
12. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the part supply comprises a tube
disposed normal to said deliveryway and slideably passing the part,
said deliveryway being of a depth to receive a part and the said
feeder means slideably to advance therethrough.
13. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the deliveryway is arcuately formed
and the feeder means comprises a complementary arcuately formed
part feeder blade reciprocably operable through said deliveryway,
said arcuate deliveryway and arcuate part feeder blade being formed
about a common center for reciprocal rotation of a latter through
the former.
14. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
and piston means having one end pivotally anchored to the base of
the other end pivotally anchored to a post actuating the said
feeder means.
15. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by means of a fluid connection
communicating thereto from the control means effecting said
residual exhaust of air under pressure.
16. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a fluid connection thereto
bleeding to atmosphere and communicating fluid pressure thereto
from the control means effecting said residual exhaust of air under
pressure.
17. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
having a piston advanced therein by a controlled fluid connection
thereto admitting a portion of said residual exhaust of air under
pressure.
18. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11 and wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a controlled fluid connection
thereto with a bleed to atmosphere and admitting a portion of the
said residual exhaust of air under pressure to said cylinder for
advancing the piston.
19. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11, wherein the feeder means comprises a cylinder
with a piston advanced therein by a fluid connection thereto from
the control means effecting residual exhaust of air under pressure,
and wherein the return means is a spring within the cylinder and
engageing the piston to retract the same.
20. The part feeding attachment for a fastener driving tool as set
forth in claim 11, wherein the part supply comprises a tube
disposed normal to said deliveryway and slideably passing the part
said deliveryway being of a depth to receive the part, wherein the
deliveryway is arcuately formed and the feeder means comprises a
complementary arcuately formed part feeder blade reciprocably
operable through said deliveryway, said arcuate deliveryway and
arcuate part feeder blade being formed about a common center for
reciprocal rotation of the latter through the former, wherein the
feeder means comprises a cylinder pivotally anchored to the base
with a piston therein pivotally anchored to a post actuating the
said feeder means, said piston being advanced in the cylinder by a
controlled fluid connection thereto having a bleed to atmosphere
and admitting a portion of said residual exhaust of air under
pressure to said cylinder for advancing the piston, and wherein the
return means is a spring within the cylinder and engageing the
piston to retract the same.
Description
BACKGROUND
Fastener driving tools of the fluid actuated type are characterized
by an exhaust of operating fluid during the return stroke of an
actuating piston. These are usually air powered tools that store
the air under pressure and release it under control of a trigger to
accelerate a piston and drive blade with percussive force. At the
end of the work stroke, after the driver blade has forceably driven
a fastener into a workpiece, the piston is returned by spring means
(or is self-returned) and during which interval of time the driver
blade is retracted and the expanded air pressure (residual air
pressure) is exhausted.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The exhaust air of tools of the type under consideration escapes
under considerable residual pressure, usually in the nature of an
audible report; and it is this residual air under pressure which is
usefully employed by the attachment hereinafter described.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an
attachment for feeding parts into position beneath the head of a
fastener driving tool by means of residual exhaust air
pressure.
Fastener driving tools of the type under consideration are
characterized by their ability to forceably drive fasteners into
tight engagement with the workpiece to be secured. In cases where
said workpieces are fragile or otherwise tender, such as thin
sheets of material that tend to rip, a normal staple head will tend
to pull therethrough. Consequently, it is advantageous to apply
plates or washers through which the staples are driven. Therefore,
it is an object of the invention to provide an attachment that
feeds washers or the like into position to be pierced by the
fasteners driven by the tool and to be secured beneath the heads of
the staples so as to increase the ability of the workpiece to
remain intact and in place secured by the said fasteners.
Attachments to tools of the type under consideration are often
cumbersome in nature and are a burden to the person operating the
tool. The delivery plane of the drive head is in close proximity to
the lower extremity of the fastener supply or magazine and to
encumber the front of the tool is prohibitive. Lateral access to
the head beneath the fastener driveway must then be resorted to,
but again avoiding any addition that unduly encumbers the tool.
Therefore, lateral access is employed in the attachment herein
disclosed, while discriminately relating the elements of the drive
in the form of a part feeder that lies closely adjacent the
fastener magazine without unduly encumbering the tool.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
With the present invention a parts feeder lies closely adjacent the
usual fastener supply or magazine and is secured partially or
entirely thereto as circumstances require. The parts feeder is a
self-contained and independently operable mechanism that has a
delivery way and parts feeder blade reciprocably operably therein
to retract for reception of a part to be advanced, and operable to
advance for delivery of said part into position aligned beneath the
driveway of the tool. The delivery way and complementary parts
feeder blade are arcuately formed and the latter is reciprocally
operable through the former in an arc and powered by a cylinder and
piston means automatically responsive to a controlled amount of
residual exhaust air pressure. At the end of each fastener driving
work stroke of the tool, a new part is fed into fastening position
preparatory to the next succeeding work stroke thereby
automatically preparing the tool for a part installation after each
preceeding installation is accomplished.
DRAWINGS
The various objects and features of this invention will be fully
understood from the following detailed description of the typical
preferred form and application thereof, throughout which
description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation illustrating a typical embodiment of the
present invention wherein the part feeding attachment is combined
with a pneumatic actuated fastener driving tool.
FIG. 2 is a plan section taken substantially as indicated by line
2--2 on FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the part and fastener combination
that is produced through operation of the apparatus and tool
combination herein disclosed.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by
line 4--4 on FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by
line 5--5 on FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed plan section of a portion of the
attachment shown in FIG. 2, showing the part feeder blade advanced
to place a part in fastening position.
And, FIG. 7 is an enlarged detailed section of the manually
adjustable means which governs action of the attachment and so that
its action is synchronized with operation of the tool.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, I have provided a part feeding
attachment in combination with a fastener driving tool, and
preferably a pneumatic tool wherein residual air pressure from the
exhaust is advantageously employed for cycling said part feeding
attachment. Although the part to be fed can vary widely in size and
configuration, a typical part is a thin disc of stiff material such
as metal and which is usefully employed to anchor a fragile
workpiece; for example to anchor sheet materials of all kinds. Or
the said part can be a tag or the base for another article to be
carried thereby. As shown, the part X is a thin disc-shaped element
that is readily pierced by a fastener such as a staple S. The
staple has a pair of legs 10 joined by a head 11 which would
normally pull through weak materials. Therefore, the disc X with
its circular periphery 12 is held secure by means of the head 11
driven into tight engagement with the disc top 13. The part feeding
attachment Z is therefore combined with the fastener driving tool Y
to place the disc X in position to be pierced by the legs 10 of the
fastener and to be held down by the head 11 thereof.
The part feeding attachment is utilitarian when combined with a
fastener driving tool Y having a fastener supplying magazine M
extending laterally from a drive head H through which there is a
guideway 15 that receives and delivers the staples S from the
bottom end face 16 of the tool when the driver blade 17 is advanced
by a piston 18 operating in a cylinder 19. The essentials of a
fastener driving tool, as above described, can vary widely
depending upon the type of fastener to be driven and upon the size
and configuration of the fastener and/or part X to be fastened.
Such tools include other mechanisms and features as clearly
indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings; including a frame F which
comprises the cylinder 19 and integrally attached handle 20 and
magazine mount 21, the driving head H being carried by the frame
beneath and in alignment with the cylinder 19; including the
fastener supply or magazine M which comprises a fastener guide rail
22 extending laterally from the head H and carried by and beneath
the mount 21 of the frame, and a forwardly biased follower 23 that
urges the fasteners S supported upon the rail 22 to enter them into
the fastener guideway 15 through which the driver blade 17 propels
the fastener S; including a manually controllable compressed air
supply which comprises the interior of the frame which is hollow so
as to store a supply of air under pressure, and a trigger 24 that
operates a release valve and servo mechanism in the cylinder head
25, so as to dump a large volume of air under pressure into the
cylinder 19; and including a safety device, for example, in the
form of a trigger latch that employs a presser foot (the attachment
Z in this disclosure) which shifts a linkage 26 that locks and/or
disconnects the trigger 24.
A characteristic feature of fastener driving tools of the type
under consideration is that the energy of compressed air is used
for actuation and which necessarily involves an exhausting of air
with some residual pressure at the end of each work stroke of the
tool. In practice, the said residual exhaust air pressure is in
excess of that required to actuate the attachment Z next to be
described, due to the forcefulness that is required when driving
such fasteners. Also, the availability of exhaust air necessarily
follows operation of the fastener driving tool, and it is this
feature which inherently cycles the attachment Z in timed relation
to the operation of said tool and thus preparing the combination (Y
and Z) for the next succeeding cycle of operation. As clearly
illustrated in FIG. 1, an exhaust air passage 27 extends from the
upper end of the cylinder 19 and is controlled by an air servo
mechanism in the cylinder head 25 to discharge exhaust air (with
residual pressure remaining therein) at the exterior face 28 of the
cylinder head.
In accordance with this invention, the part feeding attachment Z is
a self contained unit having utility when combined with a fastener
driving tool Y or the like. The prime object is to provide the
automatic feed of and positioning of parts to be individually
engaged and fastened by staples or the like, and all without unduly
encumbering the tool Y. Accordingly, the part feeding attachment Z
involves, generally, a base A and mounting means B therefor, part
supply C carried by the base, a feeder D cooperatively incorporated
in the base A and related to the part supply C and tool Y to
advance parts one at a time into a position aligned with the tool
head H, a drive E for subsequent advancing the feeder D, and a
control K for governing the amount of residual exhaust air from the
tool Y at the end of each work stroke and which is employed to
operate the drive E and thereby advance the feeder D.
The base A is the framework of the attachment Z and is
characterized by its flattened and elongated configuration that
underlies the bottom face 16 of the drive head H (see FIG. 4). A
requirement of this tool and attachment combination is that the
part X must be moved to a position disposed beneath the bottom face
16 in alignment with the guideway 15 and parallel with the plane of
said bottom face. Therefore, a stacked supply of said disc-shaped
parts X must be laterally displaced from the head H in order to
maintain said parallelism, and as shown the part supply C is
carried to one side of the head and magazine M extending therefrom.
Consequently, the flattened and elongated base A is extended to the
same side of the head magazine to complement the part supply C and
to accommodate the feeder D. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2
the base A is comprised of a laminated or stacked construction
having a deliveryway 30 therein and a cover 31 that encloses said
deliveryway and carries the part supply C so that it extends
upwardly at one side of the tool Y. Thus, the base A has a delivery
portion 32 underlying the head H, a supply portion 33 extending
away from and to one side of the head H, and it has a mounting
portion 34 extending to the rear or heel end of the magazine M and
its mount 21. Both the base and its cover include said portions
32-34, being constructed of metal plates of thickness sufficient to
be rigidly durable, as shown.
The mount B for the base A can vary with different tools Y, and it
is shown in a form adapting the attachment Z to a tool having a
trigger latch linkage 26 which requires depressible movement of a
presser foot or the like; and in this instance the base A is the
presser foot. Thus, articulation is required and the base A is
secured to the linkage 26 to shift in the direction of arrow a when
the tool and attachment combination is brought into engagement with
a workpiece. Screw fasteners 35 secure the linkage 26 as supports
to the base A and the rear most end of the mounting portion 34 is
secured to mounting 21 by a pivot 36.
The part supply C that is carried by the base A comprises a
vertically disposed tube 40 that projects normally from said base
cover 31 overlying a complementary opening 41 in said cover. The
complementary cross section of said top and opening is that of the
disc part X, with some clearance; there being a follower 42
releasably biased by springs 43 to yielding urge the stack of parts
X into supported engagement upon the base A (see FIG. 5) the supply
tube 40 lying closely adjacent the side of the tool Y, alongside
the magazine M.
The feeder D that cooperatively relates the parts supply C and tool
Y is adapted to advance one part X at a time from the stacked
supply thereof. In accordance with the invention, the attachment Z
lies alongside the magazine M and functions as a result of
retractably extensible operation of the drive E later described.
The feeder D is unique in its arcuate configuration which enables
the displacement of the part supply C to one side of the attachment
Z without interference from the magazine M, and to this end the
feeder D involves an arcuate deliveryway 30 and a complementary
arcuate part feeder blade 46, both formed about a common center of
rotation b. Although the geometry of a rotational center is
preferred, it is also contemplated that a curved deliveryway (not
shown) is feasible, in which case one or more portions on the part
feeder blade will follow the route directed by said curved
deliveryway; as in a cam follower device. As shown, the part
deliveryway 30 has inner and outer part guiding walls 47 and 48
tangentially coincidental with the peripheral extremity 12 of part
X, and the base A is channeled for this purpose with a flat
guideway bottom 49 that slideably supports the blade 46 and the
disc part X moved thereby. The cover 31 presents a top that
encloses the deliveryway, there being a staple delivery opening 15
extending through said cover.
The part feeder blade 46 is arcuately elongated and has a follower
portion 50 that tracks in the arcuate deliveryway 30, there being a
concave drive face 51 at its front end and a drive post 52
projecting upwardly therefrom at its rear end. The drive face 51 is
complementary to the cross sectional configuration of the supply
tube 40 and opening 41 and is adapted to have interface engagement
with the outer periphery 12 of the part X. The drive face 51 is
positioned coincidental with the opening 41 when the feeder blade
46 is retracted (see FIG. 5) in which position the drive post 52 is
at the rear of a slot 53 in the cover 31 that accommodates the
required travel of the post and attached driver blade 46. When the
part driving blade 46 is in its forward most position (see FIG. 6)
the part X is stopped in alignment with the fastener guideway 15
and a downwardly opening recess 54 through the base A. Like the
tube 40 of the parts supply C, the recess 54 is complementary in
shape to the shape of the part X to be delivered therethrough, and
in the case under consideration is round with clearance sufficient
to pass the part X with facility. Thus, the side of recess 54
extending between the inner and outer walls 47 and 48 forms the
stop for part X, while the drive face 51 forms the diametrically
opposite positioning wall.
Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the disc-shaped part X is
shown stopped by said recess wall and held supported in position in
alignment with the fastener guideway 15 by means of a pliable ring
55 that deflects so as to permit release of and downward movement
of the part X when a fastener is driven therethrough. The ring 55
is made of a relatively soft plastic or elastomeric material and is
replaceably seated in a step or groove, a small portion of its
inner margin having underlapped supporting engagement with the part
X. It will be apparent that forecful driving of a fastener S
through the part X and engagement of the head 11 with the top 13
will pull the part X from its supported engagement upon the pliable
rings 15.
The drive E that sequentially advances the feeder D is preferably a
pneumatic cylinder and piston means for coordinated operation with
the pneumatic tool Y with which the attachment Z is combined. The
cylinder and piston means is disposed on an axis that extends
longitudinally of the base A and substantially parallel with the
magazine M. As shown, the cylinder 60 of drive E is pivotally
anchored at 62 on a vertically disposed axis at the extreme pivoted
end of the base A, while the piston 61 is pivotedly connected to
the drive post 52 by a piston rod. The piston and cylinder means of
drive E is single acting with a fluid pressure connection 64 at its
anchored end for pressurizing the cylinder 60 to advance the piston
61 and its rod connected to the drive post 52, there being a return
spring 63 that retracts the piston 61 and its rod connected to the
drive post 52.
The control K that governs the amount of residual exhaust air from
the tool Y involves a fluid line 65 between the exhaust port 27 of
the tool Y and the pressure connection 64 of the drive E. All or
part of the exhaust air from tool Y can be employed to operate the
drive E, and in accordance with the invention there is a bleed port
66 which permits complete exhaust from both the tool Y and the
drive E of the attachment Z. In practice, only a portion of the
exhaust air from tool Y need be used to gain full actuation of the
cylinder and piston means of drive E, in which case the bleed port
66 is of substantial capacity. Further, controlled actuation of the
drive E is desired, so as to compensate for environment and any
mechanical discrepancies, there being a manually adjustable bleed
screw 67 having a needle valve 68 moveable relative to a seat 69 at
the port 66.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that upon operation of the
fastener driving tool Y and following release of its actuating
trigger, a charge of exhaust air flows rapidly from port 27 under
residual pressure. The said exhaust port 27 is restricted to flow
to atmosphere through the bleed 66 by manual adjustment of screw
67, and there is a consequent flow of residual exhaust air under
pressure through line 65 to the cylinder 60. The piston 61 of drive
E is thereby advanced to place a part X in position, the previously
placed part having been delivered from the attachment Z by the
preceeding work stroke of tool Y. In practice, a sufficiently great
restriction is applied to bleed port 66 in order to assure complete
actuation of the drive E, following which the bleed port 66 permits
retraction of the piston 61 under the bias of the return spring 63
and simultaneously prepares the fastener driving tool Y for the
next succeeding work stroke.
Having described only a typical preferred form and application of
my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the
specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself
any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in
the art:
* * * * *