Rivet manifold feed device
First Claim
1. A rivet feed apparatus, comprising:
- a body portion receiving a rivet feed passageway, said feed passageway connecting an upstream region to a downstream region and through which a rivet may be propelled from said upstream region into said downstream region by an airflow, both of said regions being external of said body portion, said body portion including at least one separate air feed port connected to a source of pressurized air, and at least one rivet feed port;
at least one rivet feed member received within said body portion and positioned in said rivet feed passageway so as to divide said passageway into upstream and downstream sections, said feed member being movable between first and second positions, and having a first passageway and a second passageway, said feed member having an outer sidewall that is in sliding contact with an inner sidewall of said body portion, and whereinsaid first passageway includes first and second end openings, said end openings being positioned in said feed member so that said first end opening registers with said upstream section of said rivet feed passageway, and said second end opening registers with said downstream section of said rivet feed passageway, such registration occuring only when said feed member is in said first position, to permit a rivet propelled from said upstream region to pass through said member and onward to said downstream region, and with said second passageway including first and second end openings, said rivet feed port being positioned in said body portion adjacent said feed member in a manner so that said first end opening of said second passageway registers with said rivet feed port only when said feed member is in said first position, and when in such position, said second end opening of said second passageway is positioned in said feed member in a manner so that such second end opening is blocked by said inner sidewall of said body portion, so that a rivet may be fed through said rivet feed port into said second passageway and remain therein while said feed member is in said first position, and further,said second end opening of said second passageway also being positioned in said feed member so that such second opening registers with said downstream section when said feed member is in said second position, wherein said outer sidewall of said feed member blocks said upstream section when said feed member is in such position, and with said air feed port being positioned adjacent said feed member so that said first end opening of said second passageway registers with said air feed port when said feed member is in such position, said air feed port causing said rivet fed into said second passageway when said feed member was in said first position to be blasted downstream through said rivet feed passageway.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rivet manifold feed device (10) including a manifold body (12) that receives a rivet feed passageway (22). The manifold body (12) includes a plurality of rivet feed members or spools (14, 16, 18, 20), a plurality of air feed ports (84), and a plurality of rivet feed ports (82). A separate air feed port (84) and a separate rivet feed port (82) is positioned adjacent each respective feed spool. Each spool reciprocates back and forth between a first and a second position, wherein each spool includes a separate passageway (70, 72) that is in registration with the rivet feed passageway in each position. A rivet placed in one of the passageways (72) is delivered into the rivet feed passageway when a spool shifts into one of the positions and the air feed port adjacent that spool blasts the rivet downstream through the rivet feed passageway.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A rivet feed apparatus, comprising:
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a body portion receiving a rivet feed passageway, said feed passageway connecting an upstream region to a downstream region and through which a rivet may be propelled from said upstream region into said downstream region by an airflow, both of said regions being external of said body portion, said body portion including at least one separate air feed port connected to a source of pressurized air, and at least one rivet feed port; at least one rivet feed member received within said body portion and positioned in said rivet feed passageway so as to divide said passageway into upstream and downstream sections, said feed member being movable between first and second positions, and having a first passageway and a second passageway, said feed member having an outer sidewall that is in sliding contact with an inner sidewall of said body portion, and wherein said first passageway includes first and second end openings, said end openings being positioned in said feed member so that said first end opening registers with said upstream section of said rivet feed passageway, and said second end opening registers with said downstream section of said rivet feed passageway, such registration occuring only when said feed member is in said first position, to permit a rivet propelled from said upstream region to pass through said member and onward to said downstream region, and with said second passageway including first and second end openings, said rivet feed port being positioned in said body portion adjacent said feed member in a manner so that said first end opening of said second passageway registers with said rivet feed port only when said feed member is in said first position, and when in such position, said second end opening of said second passageway is positioned in said feed member in a manner so that such second end opening is blocked by said inner sidewall of said body portion, so that a rivet may be fed through said rivet feed port into said second passageway and remain therein while said feed member is in said first position, and further, said second end opening of said second passageway also being positioned in said feed member so that such second opening registers with said downstream section when said feed member is in said second position, wherein said outer sidewall of said feed member blocks said upstream section when said feed member is in such position, and with said air feed port being positioned adjacent said feed member so that said first end opening of said second passageway registers with said air feed port when said feed member is in such position, said air feed port causing said rivet fed into said second passageway when said feed member was in said first position to be blasted downstream through said rivet feed passageway. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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- 2. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each feed member comprises a cylindrical spool slidably received within a cylindrical spool chamber in said body portion.
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15. A rivet feed apparatus, comprising:
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a body portion through which extends a rivet feed passageway for delivering rivets from an upstream region to a downstream region, wherein said rivets are normally propelled through said passageway by air pressure from an upstream air pressure source, said body portion having at least one cylindrical chamber transversely intersecting said passageway into upstream and downstream sections, and separate rivet and air feed ports positioned in an upper sidewall portion of said body portion, said ports respectively providing passageways for delivering rivets and pressurized airflow to said chamber, and a cylindrical feed spool slidably received within said chamber and intersecting said rivet feed passageway, said spool being movable between first and second positions, and further, said spool having a first passageway and a second passageway, and wherein said first passageway extends diametrically through said spool and has end openings that register with said upstream and downstream sections of said rivet feed passageway when said spool is in said first position, in a manner so as to permit a rivet traveling through said rivet feed passageway from said upstream region to pass through said spool and onward downstream, and wherein said second passageway has first and second end openings positioned in said spool so that said first end opening registers with said rivet feed port when said spool is in said first position, to permit a rivet to be dropped through said rivet feed port into said second passageway, and said second opening is blocked by the inner side wall of said chamber so that the rivet is held in said second passageway, and still further, when said spool is moved to said second position said first and second openings of said second passageway are positioned in said spool in a manner so that said first opening registers with said air feed port and said second opening registers with said downstream section of said rivet feed passageway, to permit pressurized airflow from said air feed port to blast said rivet downstream through said rivet feed passageway. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification