RIVET DELIVERY APPARATUS AND METHOD

Background of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to apparatuses and methods for delivering

rivets such as to a rivet tool, and more specifically relates to a rivet delivery apparatus and

method which can deliver rivets quickly and reliably.

Objects and Summary

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rivet delivery

apparatus and method which is configured to deliver rivets reliably one rivet at a time,

without the rivets becoming jammed.

Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rivet

delivery apparatus and method which is configured to quickly deliver rivets to a rivet tool,

one rivet at a time.

Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, an embodiment of the present invention

provides a rivet delivery apparatus and method which is configured to drop a rivet into a

position such that the rivet can be threaded onto a guide wire and shot along the guide wire, such as to a rivet tool for broaching.

Preferably, the rivet delivery apparatus includes a means to clamp the guide wire at

two positions — a first position before a rivet is threaded onto the guide wire, and a second

position after the rivet has been threaded onto the guide wire. Specifically, preferably the

guide wire is clamped in a first position, and the rivet delivery apparatus includes a plate

which shifts, causing a single rivet to fall in place for threading onto the guide wire. Then,

the guide wire is undamped, moved to the second position such that the rivet threads onto the

guide wire, and the guide wire is clamped. Then, the rivet is shot along the guide wire, the guide wire is undamped, moved to the first position, and clamped again so that a new rivet

can be received and threaded onto the guide wire.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the invention, together

with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the

following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a rivet delivery apparatus which is in accordance with an

embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURES 2 through 5 show how a gate of the rivet delivery apparatus moves to

deliver a rivet to guide blocks; FIGURE 6 is a partially exploded view of the rivet delivery apparatus;

FIGURE 7 shows a rivet in the guide blocks of the rivet delivery apparatus;

FIGURE 8 shows a guide wire threaded through the rivet;

FIGURE 9 shows the guide wire advanced and clamped;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view which shows the rivet being blown along the guide

wire;

FIGURE 11 is similar to FIGURE 10, but provides a side view;

FIGURE 12 is similar to FIGURE 10, but shows the guide wire clamped by a wire

clamp provided on a slide block and guide blocks in an open position;

FIGURE 13 shows the guide wire clamped by a wire clamp provided in a push tube

assembly;

FIGURE 14 is similar to FIGURE 12, but shows the guide blocks in the closed

position;

FIGURE 15 shows a control system associated with the rivet delivery apparatus; and

FIGURES 16-20 provide simplified views which illustrate the rivet delivery process.

Description of an Embodiment of the Invention

While this invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is

shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail, a specific embodiment with the

understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the

principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a rivet orienting device 10 as well as a gate 12 and guide blocks

14,16 of a rivet delivery apparatus 18 which is in accordance with an embodiment of the

present invention. As shown, a rivet orienting device (represented by box 10), such as a bowl, provides rivets 20 to a vibrating feed rail 22. An end 24 of the feed rail 22 provides an

opening 26 which generally corresponds to the shape of the rivets 20. The rivet delivery

apparatus 18 includes a moveable gate 12. The moveable gate 12 provides an opening 28 which is similar to the opening 26 in the end 24 of the feed rail 22. As shown in FIGURES 2

through 5, the moveable gate 12 is shiftable from a position where the opening 28 is generally

aligned under the opening 26 in the end 24 of the feed rail 22, to a position where the opening

28 is generally aligned over an opening 30 which is provided in guide blocks 14, 16. Hence,

the moveable gate 12 is shiftable to provide rivets 20, one at a time, from the end 24 of the

feed rail 22 to the guide blocks 14, 16 in the moveable gate 12 and guide blocks 14, 16. By

providing that the openings 26, 28, 30 generally correspond to the shape of the rivets 20, the

rivets 20 do not tend to topple or get jammed. The moveable gate 12 shifts when the guide

blocks 14, 16 are opened and closed (FIGURE 1 shows the guide blocks 14, 16 closed, and

FIGURE 5 shows the guide blocks 14, 16 open). Additionally, the opening 28 in the

moveable gate 12 includes a cutout 32 for receiving and aligning the head 34 of the rivet 20.

Specifically, the moveable gate 12 maybe keyed to the left guide block 14 such that when the

guide blocks 14, 16 are closed, the opening 28 in the moveable gate 12 is positioned and

aligned under the opening 26 in the end 24 of the feed rail 22, as shown in FIGURE 1, and

when the guide blocks 14, 16 are open, the opening 28 in the moveable gate 12 is positioned

and aligned over the opening 30 in the guide blocks 14, 16 as shown in FIGURE 5.

As shown in FIGURE 6, each guide block 14, 16 preferably has a front surface 38, 40

that provides a notch 42, 44. When the guide blocks 14, 16 are closed, the notches 42, 44

come together to form a circular opening 46 (see FIGURE 3) which is large enough to allow a

guide wire 48 to travel therethrough, but is too small to allow a head 34 of a rivet 20 to pass therethrough.

Each guide block 14, 16 has a cut out profile which provides a rivet well 50, a guide

wire passageway 52, and preferably a funnel cut out section 54. The rivet well 50 is

configured to receive a rivet 20 from the moveable gate 12 such that the rivet 20 drops down

in the well 50 with the head 34 of the rivet 20 pointing toward the opening 46, as shown in

FIGURES 6 and 7. The guide wire passageway 52 is in communication with the rivet well

50, and the funnel cut out 54 is provided in communication with the guide wire passageway

52. The funnel portion 54 tends to direct an end 56 of a guide wire 48 into the guide wire

passageway 52, as shown in FIGURE 7, and the guide wire passageway 52 leads the guide

wire 48 to, and through, a rivet 20 which is disposed in the rivet well 50, as shown in

FIGURE 8, such that the rivet 20 threads onto the guide wire 48 and the end 56 of the guide

wire extends out the opening 46.

The guide blocks 14, 16 are mounted on a slide plate 58, and the slide plate 58 is

mounted on a track plate (not shown) such that the slide plate 58 can translate along a single

axis, and is generally prevented from moving along either other axis. Specifically, the slide

plate 58 can slide back and forth as represented by arrow 60 in FIGURE 6, but not in any

other direction relative to the track plate. The track plate is preferably further secured to a

base plate (not shown).

The guide blocks 14, 16 include projections or cam followers 62 which are secured to the track plate and extend through slots 64 in the slide plate 58 such that when the slide plate

58 slides back and forth, the guide blocks 14, 16 open and close. Preferably, the slide plate

58 is connected to an air cylinder 66 which is operable to selectively slide the slide plate 58

back and forth and open and close the guide blocks 14, 16.

Preferably, a stationary push tube assembly 70 is provided, and the assembly 70

includes a push tube 72. As shown in FIGURE 10, the stationary push tube assembly 70 also

includes a sensor (represented by arrow 74), such as a photo eye, for sensing the guide wire

48, and one or more wire clamp cylinders 76 which are configured to selectively clamp and

unclamp the guide wire 48 (see FIGURES 9 and 13). The stationary push tube assembly 70

also includes an air supply inlet 78 for receiving air from an air supply (represented by box

79) for blowing a rivet 20 along the guide wire 48 and into a rivet supply tube 80 which is

connected to a rivet tool (represented by box 82 in FIGURE 14).

As shown in FIGURE 6, preferably one or more wire clamp cylinders 84 are provided

on the slide plate 58, as well as a support block 86 which includes a through bore 88 through

which the rivet supply tube 80 extends. The wire clamp cylinders 84 are configured to

selectively clamp and unclamp the guide wire 48 (see FIGURES 10 and 12). As shown in

FIGURES 10 and 12, a single wire clamp cylinder 84 can be provided which consists of a cap

90 and plungers 92 disposed therein, which are moveable in the cap 90 to clamp the guide wire 48 as shown in the progression from FIGURE 10 to FIGURE 12.

Since the wire clamp cylinder 84 is mounted to the slide plate 58, when the guide wire

48 is clamped and the slide plate 58 is slid to the right as shown in FIGURE 4, the end 56 of

the guide wire 48 is moved toward the stationary push tube 72, into the funnel 54 and guide

wire passageway 52 provided in the guide blocks 14, 16, through the rivet 20 which is

disposed in the rivet well 50, and into the stationary push tube 72. As the slide plate 58 is slid

to the right as shown in FIGURE 4, the left-most end of the slots 64 move toward the cam

followers 62 of the guide blocks 14, 16, and the guide blocks 14, 16 open, as shown in

FIGURE 13. Once the guide wire 48 has been threaded through the rivet 20, and the sensor

74 senses the guide wire 48, the guide wire 48 is clamped by the one or more wire clamp

cylinders 76 in the stationary push tube assembly 70 (see FIGURE 9) and is undamped by the one or more wire clamp cylinders 84 on the slide plate 58 (see FIGURE 10). Then, air is

supplied through the air supply inlet 78 to blow the rivet 20 along the guide wire 48, to the

rivet tool 82.

Once the rivet 20 has been blown into and through the rivet supply tube 80, the guide

wire 48 is clamped by the one or more clamp cylinders 84 provided on the slide plate 58 and

undamped by the one or more wire clamp cylinders 76 in the stationary push tube 72. Then,

the slide plate 58 is slid to the left as shown in FIGURE 6, causing the right-most end of the

slots 64 to move toward the cam followers 62 of the guide blocks 14, 16, causing the guide

blocks 14, 16 to close, as shown in FIGURE 1. Because the guide wire 48 is clamped by the clamp cylinder(s) 84 provided on the slide plate 58, the end 56 of the guide wire 48 is pulled

out of the stationary push tube 72 and the rivet well 50 provided in the guide blocks 14, 16.

Thereafter, another rivet 20 can be received by the guide blocks 14, 16 (see FIGURE 7) and

thereafter threaded on the guide wire 48 (see FIGURES 8 and 9) for subsequent air transport

through the rivet supply tube 80.

Preferably, as shown in FIGURE 15, the sensor 74 in the stationary push tube 72 is

connected to a controller 94 which is operably connected to the air cylinder 66 that moves the

slide plate 58, the air supply 19 which provides air to the air supply inlet 78, and the wire clamp cylinders 76, 84. Preferably, the controller 94 is configured to move the slide plate 58,

provide air to the air supply inlet 78, and actuate the wire clamp cylinders 76, 84, in the

appropriate manner and at the appropriate times during the process.

FIGURES 16-20 provide simplified views which illustrate the rivet delivery process,

wherein arrow 84 represents the wire clamp(s) which is/are contained on the slide plate 58,

arrow 76 represents the wire clamp(s) which is/are contained in the stationary push tube 72,

and the "x" represents the sensor 74 in the stationary push tube 72. As shown in FIGURE 16,

initially the guide wire 48 is clamped by the wire clamp(s) 84 on the slide plate 58 (see

FIGURE 12), then a rivet 20 is delivered as shown in FIGURE 17 (see FIGURE 3). Then, as

shown in FIGURE 18, the guide wire 48 is advanced (see FIGURE 8) to thread the rivet 20

onto the guide wire 48. Then, as shown in FIGURE 19, once the sensor 74 in the stationary

push tube 72 senses the guide wire 48, the guide wire 48 is clamped by the wire clamp(s) 76

which is/are contained in the stationary push tube assembly 70 (see FIGURE 9) and is

undamped by the wire clamp(s) 84 on the slide plate 58 (see FIGURE 10). Then, air is

blown through the air inlet 78 to drive the rivet 20 along the guide wire 48 (indicated by

arrow 95) to the rivet tool 82. Then, as shown in FIGURE 20, the guide wire 48 is

undamped by the wire clamp(s) 76 which is/are contained in the stationary push tube

assembly 70 (see FIGURE 7) and is clamped by the wire clamp(s) 78 on the slide plate 58

(see FIGURE 10). Then, the guide wire 48 is retracted (indicated by arrow 96), and another

rivet 20 can be received.

While an embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it is envisioned that

those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and

scope of the foregoing description.