Automatic screw feeder
First Claim
1. Apparatus coupled to a power tool to automatically feed fasteners to said tool for installation, said apparatus comprising means by which to store a supply of fasteners and a swing arm assembly rotating between a feeding position at which to remove a fastener from said supply means to an installing position at which the fastener is installed by said tool, said swing arm assembly having means by which to grasp and retain the fastener removed from said supply means and at least one swing arm to carry said fastener grasping and retaining means, said swing arm having first and second cam surfaces located at respective first and opposite sides thereof, said apparatus further comprising cam actuating means to engage said first cam surface at the first side of said swing arm to cause said swing arm assembly to rotate from said feeding position to said installing position or to engage said second cam surface at the opposite side of said swing arm to cause said swing arm assembly to rotate from said installing position to said feeding position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic screw feeder to be coupled to a conventional electric screw driver so that a plurality of screws may be successively and automatically grasped and relocated from a screw supply to the screw driver bit. The screw feeder includes a swing arm assembly that is rotatable between a screw feeding position, at which the screws are removed from the supply, to a screw installing position, at which the screws are driven into a flat surface, or the like. The swing arm assembly includes a pair of opposing swing arms and a rotatable cam therebetween to control the separation and closing of the swing arms and the grasping and removing of the screws from the supply. The screws are carried on a spirally wound bandolier that is loaded within and removable from a storage drum.
42 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. Apparatus coupled to a power tool to automatically feed fasteners to said tool for installation, said apparatus comprising means by which to store a supply of fasteners and a swing arm assembly rotating between a feeding position at which to remove a fastener from said supply means to an installing position at which the fastener is installed by said tool, said swing arm assembly having means by which to grasp and retain the fastener removed from said supply means and at least one swing arm to carry said fastener grasping and retaining means, said swing arm having first and second cam surfaces located at respective first and opposite sides thereof, said apparatus further comprising cam actuating means to engage said first cam surface at the first side of said swing arm to cause said swing arm assembly to rotate from said feeding position to said installing position or to engage said second cam surface at the opposite side of said swing arm to cause said swing arm assembly to rotate from said installing position to said feeding position.
- 12. The apparatus recited in 13, further comprising rotatable stop means interconnected to said cam means, compression spring means, and rotatable pawl means located between said stop means and said spring means, said pawl means rotating in a first direction into contact with and rotating said stop means when said swing arm assembly moves from the installing position towards the feeding position to cause said cam means to rotate in said cam seat and the jaws of said swing arms to open, and said pawl means rotating in a second direction into contact with and compressing said spring means when said swing arm assembly moves from the feeding position towards the installing position, said spring means absorbing the contact force of said pawl means such that said cam means remains stationary in said cam seat and the jaws of said swing arms remain closed.
- 17. Apparatus coupled to a power tool to automatically feed fasteners to said tool for installation, said apparatus comprising means by which to store a supply of fasteners and a swing arm assembly movable between a feeding position at which to remove a fastener from said supply means to an installing position at which the fastener is installed by said tool, said swing arm assembly including a pair of opposing swing arms having respective normally closed jaws and cam means located between and moving relative to said swing arms to cause said swing arms to alternately move apart and together to thereby open said jaws to grasp a fastener from said supply means during the movement of said swing arm assembly from the installing position to the feeding position and to close said jaws so that the fastener is retained therebetween during the movement of said swing arm assembly between the feeding position and the installing position.
Specification