Rectilinear Motion Patents (Class 227/116)
  • Patent number: 11745323
    Abstract: A tool is provided for applying fasteners to a workpiece. The tool has a housing with a nosepiece, a motor, a drive actuator, a magazine assembly that holds fasteners, and a feed assembly with a feed actuator configured to move a lead fastener into the nosepiece. A driver in the housing is driven by a drive system that is associated with the driver actuator. A controller is connected to the feed actuator and the drive actuator to implement a firing sequence for driving each lead fastener into the workpiece using the driver and feeding the lead fastener into the nosepiece assembly. The actuators may be in the form of solenoids. The controller is designed to energize and deenergize the motor selectively while the drive actuator and feed actuator are activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Jongsoo Lim, Jonathan Kirkpatrick, Merrill Myers, Stuart E. Garber
  • Patent number: 11376652
    Abstract: A system and method for feeding and fixing snap connectors of a ripple fold curtain system, in which a drum mixes loose snap connectors, successively introduced individually in an opening in the drum for letting one of the snap connectors out. The orientation of the one of the snap connectors is forced by having the opening have a height smaller than the width of the snap connectors. After travelling while maintaining their orientation aligned with motion, each snap connector is received in the same orientation at a receptacle comprising shoulders for retaining a larger portion of the one of the snap connectors, the receptacle retaining it at a definite location and maintaining the orientation. A rivet is positioned on that larger portion of the snap connector and snapped using a hammer of which the surface is parallel with the snap connector and underlying receptacle bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Inventor: Patrice Chevalier
  • Patent number: 11241729
    Abstract: An in-line fastener track selection device comprises a stator having first, second and third fastener conduits; a rotor, rotatably mounted with respect the stator about a rotation axis, and comprising a rotor body and a connection space. The rotor is rotatable between a first position in which the connection space adjoins the first and second fastener conduits, such that, in use, a fastener may pass between the first and second fastener conduits via the connection space, and a second position in which the connection space adjoins the first and third fastener conduits, such that, in use, a fastener may pass between the first and third fastener conduits via the connection space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Atlas Copco IAS UK Limited
    Inventors: Wojciech Gostylla, Stuart Edmond Blacket
  • Patent number: 11123070
    Abstract: A surgical device comprising a housing, a shaft extending from the housing, an end effector extending from the shaft, a feeder drive, a rotatable clip magazine, and a rotary input is disclosed. The shaft defines a shaft axis and comprises a feeding chamber. The feeder drive is configured to move between a proximal position and a distal position relative the shaft. The rotatable clip magazine is configured to rotate about the shaft axis. The rotary input is selectively engageable with the feeder drive and the rotatable clip magazine. The rotary input is configured to be engaged with the feeder drive and the rotatable clip magazine to consecutively feed a clip from and deliver a clip to the feeding chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Gregory J. Bakos
  • Patent number: 11077542
    Abstract: A metal connector adaptor for a fastening tool having a body including a drive channel extending therethrough. A pendulum member is pivotably connected to the body within the drive channel and biased toward a front portion of the drive channel. A pair of claws is pivotably connected to the body and can surrounding the drive channel so as to retain a lower contact arm of the fastening tool. A guide member protrudes from the lower portion of the body to align the adaptor with designated holes in a metal connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: STANLEY FASTENING SYSTEMS, L.P.
    Inventors: Richard Waterman, Christopher Boyle
  • Patent number: 9089379
    Abstract: A deployment device for a prosthesis includes a driving assembly, including a driving tube and a driving pin. The driving assembly can impact a driven assembly, which is further connected to the prosthesis. The driving assembly can impact the driven assembly multiple times, thereby driving the prosthesis further into a tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: JMEA Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Sack, Jack Y. Yeh
  • Patent number: 8887364
    Abstract: A rivet setter that can efficiently and smoothly perform, and reduce the takt time for a rivet setting operation. The rivet setter can be configured to set a rivet sequentially fed from a rivet supplying means by inserting the rivet into apertures formed at predetermined positions on workpieces. The rivet setter can have delivery paths for delivering the rivet one by one by sliding the rivet down to a settable position and can have a hanging support portion formed in the settable position in the tip end of the delivery path for supporting the head of rivet and for hanging the rivet shank downward. The rivet setter can be configured to enable the rivet to be set in the apertures of the workpieces by moving the hanging support portion substantially horizontally while keeping the rivet suspended in the hanging support portion and inserted into the apertures of the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventor: Tsunetaka Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8690037
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a magazine of a setting device for storing and feeding a plurality of joining elements, particularly of joining elements, such as setting fasteners, to a provisioning module for joining elements and a setting device in combination with the joining elements. The magazine has a base element within the setting device including a storage groove, in which the joining elements can be received in an aligned and jointly moveable manner and one end of the base element ends in a head piece of the setting device. The magazine further includes an advancing mechanism, by which the joining elements can be moved within the storage groove towards the head piece of the setting device, as well as a dispensing mechanism, by which the joining elements can be fed individually from the storage groove to the head piece of the setting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Wenzel, Mathias Krause, Bernd Haesler, Iris Spiller-Bohnenkamp, Torsten Draht
  • Patent number: 6892920
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for actuating a tag attaching tool of the type which dispenses plastic fasteners from a clip of fasteners in response to the depression of a trigger. Each of the fasteners has a T-bar. The fasteners are dispensed by severing the fastener from the clip and ejecting the T-bar of the fastener through the hollow slotted needle of the tool. The tag attaching tool is actuated in two stages. During the first actuation stage, the trigger of the tool is partially depressed as the tool and an abutment are moved relative to each other such that the lead fastener is severed from the clip of fasteners. During the second actuation stage, the trigger of the tool is depressed completely, as the tool and abutment are moved further toward each other, causing the severed fastener to be ejected from the hollow needle of the attaching tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Inventor: Steven Kunreuther
  • Patent number: 6511061
    Abstract: A fastener injector (18) includes a plurality of tubes (86) operable to transfer a plurality of different sizes and types of fasteners (20) in a desired orientation. The injector also includes a receiver (88) operable to receive the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation from the tubes (86). The receiver (88) includes a plurality of receiver fingers (90) operable to receive the fasteners (20) from the tubes (86) and retain the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation. An injector blade (106) is operable to transfer the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation from the receiver (88) to a fastener installation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: VoughtAircraft Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Laszlo Ferenczi, Mark A. Turner, James E. Woods
  • Patent number: 6196414
    Abstract: A fastener injector (18) includes a plurality of tubes (86) operable to transfer a plurality of different sizes and types of fasteners (20) in a desired orientation. The injector also includes a receiver (88) operable to receive the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation from the tubes (86). The receiver (88) includes a plurality of receiver fingers (90) operable to receive the fasteners (20) from the tubes (86) and retain the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation. An injector blade (106) is operable to transfer the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation from the receiver (88) to a fastener installation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Laszlo Ferenczi, Mark A. Turner, James E. Woods
  • Patent number: 6145726
    Abstract: Device for conveying and fitting components which are to be inserted in a workpiece and are guided in a rail, which serves as a magazine and, at one end, has an opening (33) for delivering a component (17). The opening merges into a receiving part for a single component, which receiving part is connected to the rail via a hinge and is aligned with this rail, and the rail, together with the receiving part, is mounted in a longitudinally displaceable manner in a guide in which the receiving part, in order to receive a component, is, in the pushed-back position of the rail, held in a receiving position in which it is aligned with the rail. The receiving part is arranged in such a way that, when the rail is pushed forward, the receiving part, together with the component, projects out of the guide and, via the hinge, pivots through approximately 90.degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: EJOT Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Gerhard-Helmut Hoof
  • Patent number: 6142352
    Abstract: In a roofing washer-dispensing and fastener-driving machine, which has a fastener-feeding tube, a fastener-engaging pawl is mounted operatively to the tube, near its upper end. The pawl is pivotable between a normal position wherein the pawl is arranged to engage a fastener dropped into the tube so as to prevent the fastener from dropping through the tube and a pivoted position wherein the pawl is arranged to disengage from the fastener. An elongate rod is arranged to pivot the pawl from the normal position into the pivoted position when the machine is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Larson, Riaz Hasan, Sigismund G. Paul
  • Patent number: 6079604
    Abstract: An improved escapement mechanism is provided including a reciprocating nesting block which periodically advances a rivet or other fastener to a delivery tube. The escapement mechanism includes a cover plate mounted to the housing and secured in place by a pair of locating pins and a thumb screw assembly which makes removal of the cover plate very simple. The nesting block is provided with an elongated slot which is engaged by a head portion of an end fitting attached to drive rod of a drive mechanism. The sliding engagement of the end fitting with the elongated slot of the nesting block provides for easy changeover to other nesting blocks as well as improved maintenance and cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Emhart, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Banducci, David S. Calkins
  • Patent number: 5642848
    Abstract: A tool for driving fastening elements (40) into a receiving material (U) includes a housing (1) with a throughbore (3), a channel (5) extending transversely and opening into the throughbore, and a guide (8). A driving device (2) is axially displaceable through the guide (8). The driving device (2) has an axially extending guide tube (9) in which a ram (7) is axially displaceable. Axial displacement of the driving device (2) is converted by control elements (10a, 10b) into transverse movement of a slide (6) located within the channel (5). The slide (6) cooperates with a separation device (12) in the form of a spring-loaded pawl at a magazine (11) holding the fastening elements (40). The magazine is mounted on the housing by a quick disconnect fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ralf Ludwig, Hans Gschwend
  • Patent number: 5594985
    Abstract: The invention is to an extractor for removing pins from storage tubes having a plurality of electronic semiconductor devices therein. A movable arm has an extractor pin on one end and is pivotally mounted to a frame on the other end. A head assembly for receiving a storage tube with a pin therein is moved under the extractor pin, actuating a solenoid for causing the movable arm to move the extractor pin toward and forcing the pin to be ejected from the storage tube so that the semiconductor devices can exit the storage tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Jerry M. Varley
  • Patent number: 5193730
    Abstract: A nailing machine according to the present invention comprises a nail push member for separating a nail from a nail band supplied to the nail injection hole of the nose member by the nail supply mechanism before the nail is driven by the percussion driver and for pushing the nail to the front of the nail injection hole; and a nail holding means for holding the body part of the nail pushed to the fore side of the nose member by the nail push member in a state that the pointed end of the nail is protruded. Thereby, the nailing machine can easily be positioned in a manner that the pointed end portion of a nail is protruded from the foremost end of the nose member by a predetermined length before the nailing machine drives a nail supplied to the nailing position, and the protruded end of the nail can be inserted into a through-hole of the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Max Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Michiaki Adachi
  • Patent number: 5135152
    Abstract: A pneumatic fastener driving tool includes a main valve operable to cause compressed air to be alternately introduced into and discharged from the upper piston chamber, a first passage leading the compressed air into the main valve chamber, a repeat valve disposed in the first passage for opening and closing the same, and a second passage extending between the lower piston chamber and a repeat valve chamber in which the repeat valve is reciprocably received. With this construction, the repeat valve is reciprocally movable in response to a change of pressure in the lower piston chamber to cause the main valve to reciprocate, thereby reciprocating the piston repeatedly. Since the reciprocating fastener driving movement of the piston is directly related to the reciprocating movement of the repeat valve, the fastener driving work can be achieved reliably without causing any operational failure such as a non-load striking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akira Uno, Isamu Tanji, Kaoru Ichikawa, Sueji Tachihara
  • Patent number: 5100041
    Abstract: A surgical stapler which closes a staple during the downstroke of the former and strips the closed staple during the upstroke of the anvil by pressing the crossarm of the closed staple against a bevelled cam surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Technalytics, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony Storace
  • Patent number: 5080275
    Abstract: There is disclosed a surgical instrument for implanting in bodily tissue, wound staples each comprising two legs and a crown connecting the legs. The staples are moved in succession out of a magazine onto an anvil, to be deformed thereon by means of a driver. The driver is lowered from a position of rest towards the staple on the anvil, and is further moved to close the staple on the anvil by bending the staple theraround, and to insert the legs of the staple into the bodily tissue. For problem-free and symmmetrical deformation of the staple, a hold-down device is lowered onto the anvil and upon deformation of the staple thereon presses the crown of the staple onto the anvil and so prevents the staple from moving laterally during its deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Beiersdorf AG
    Inventors: Albert Heimerl, Holger Kartheus, Hans Pietsch, Bernd Voss
  • Patent number: 5033664
    Abstract: An improved system for attaching price tags to garments and other joining applications, in which individual fasteners are severed from fastener stock having a continuous, elongated plastic side member joined to a plurality of space-apart filaments. The fastener stock is advanced to a transfer site along a feed axis which is parallel to and proximate the axis of the needle through which severed fasteners are dispensed. A knife is mounted on a support slide which is slideable transversely to the feed axis, such support slide being urged toward the feed axis to cause the knife to sever an individual fastener from the fastener stock. A transfer slide engages a portion of the side member which becomes a T-bar of the severed fastener, and urges it toward the needle axis. The transfer slide is yieldably coupled to the support slide to permit the transfer slide to lag behind the knife until severing occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Dennison Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Arnold R. Bone, Donald L. Bourque
  • Patent number: 4993588
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating objects of the same kind, in particular electronic components such as integrated circuits (IC's), that are delivered in succession in a sloping delivery passage, the apparatus having a stop member arranged in the region of the delivery passage that is displaced substantially transverse to the direction of delivery so that it holds back or holds fast the respective foremost object, and having a control circuit (P) that cyclically controls the displacing movement of the stop member, is to be designed so that while ensuring a relatively long service life it is suitable for use for different components, in particular with regard to their length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Multitest, Elektronische Systeme GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Heinrich Willberg, Ekkehard Ueberreiter, Thomas Ulrich
  • Patent number: 4988028
    Abstract: An automatic riveting machine is disclosed which counts the rivets, as set, to control the feeding of rivets from a feeder to the rivet track or chute. The track will be resupplied after a selected number of rivets are set or sooner should the track become prematurely empty by removal of rivets from the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: Emhart, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles F. Smart, Raymond H. Varian, Anthony D'Aquila
  • Patent number: 4930673
    Abstract: An explosive powder charge operated setting device includes a housing containing a barrel with a muzzle forming a muzzle bore at the outlet end of the barrel. Nails held in a carrier strip are fed from a magazine through a first or insertion aperture into the muzzle bore. Each nail has a head projecting outwardly from one side of the carrier strip and the nail heads have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the muzzle bore. The heads serve as stops limiting movement of the carrier strip out of the magazine. Due to the diameter difference between the nail heads and the muzzle bore, the nail heads in the stopped position do not align with the muzzle bore axis. When a nail is to be driven, it is displaced opposite to the feed direction out of the magazine into axial alignment with the muzzle bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Norbert Pfister
  • Patent number: 4919320
    Abstract: A surgical stapler which closes a staple during the downstroke of the former and strips the closed staple during the upstroke of the anvil by pressing the crossarm of the closed staple against a bevelled cam surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Technalytics, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony Storace
  • Patent number: 4872603
    Abstract: An insert installation machine is provided which features a power operated reciprocating quill mounted on a frame and an insert guide tube fixed to a carriage. The carriage is supported on the frame for reciprocation, toward and away from a workpiece, with the guide tube coaxially aligned with the quill. A shuttle is mounted on the carriage for transferring an insert from a stacking tube in the carriage to the guide tube in timed relation and in response to quill movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Assignee: Spirol International Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph A. Stearns
  • Patent number: 4867364
    Abstract: Bulk nails from a single outlet track of a vibrating feedbowl are selectively diverted into a plurality of nail tracks. During each nailing operation of a pallet-making machine, one nail from each track is picked from the track and delivered to a nail-driving chuck. The presence of nails in the track is sensed, and the selective filling of the tracks is based upon the presence or absence of nails in the individual tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Viking Engineering & Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger W. Wallin, Jack Gresham
  • Patent number: 4863089
    Abstract: Improvements in the guide body and nail feed mechanism of a nail driving tool, using wire collated nails, to eliminate the formation of loose pieces of collating wire and the trapping thereof under the heads of driven nails to form flags. The tool has a driver, a magazine containing a coil of nails joined together in spaced relationship by collating wires welded to each nail, a guide body providing a drive track for the driver and the nails, and a feed pawl which advances and retracts in guideways in the guide body and has fingers engaging nails of the coil to locate the forwardmost nail thereof in the drive track. As the forwardmost nail of the coil is driven into a workpiece the collating wires break near the forwardmost nail leaving forwardly extending wire segments on the next succeeding nail. The drive track is provided with windows positioned to receive the wire segments of the forwardmost nail and bend them upwardly along the nail shank as the nail is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Senco Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. McCardle, Taylor, J. C., Thomas E. Hentz
  • Patent number: 4858812
    Abstract: An improved nosepiece and nail feeding assembly operable to accommodate different nail packages within a range of nail sizes of 11/2" to 4". The assembly includes structure defining the lower end of the drive track which includes a replaceable annular member at the discharge end made of wear resistant material and a feed tooth of substantial length disposed thereabove when a nail is being driven which closes the adjacent area of communication between the drive track and the nail feed track to avoid jams but is capable of resiliently yielding to avoid damage during inadvertent jams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Stanley-Bostitch, Inc.
    Inventor: William S. Fealey
  • Patent number: 4830255
    Abstract: A fastener conveying apparatus, for a fastener assembling machine, comprises a chute defining a first passageway for guiding therethrough fastener members in succession, a guide pivotally mounted on a fixed guide holder and defining a second passageway for guiding therethrough one fastener member at a time as it is pushed by a pusher. The guide is pivotally movable downwardly away from the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Takeshi Arai
  • Patent number: 4811886
    Abstract: A flexible positioning tab is provided for placement in the staple forming track of skin staplers. This flexible tab causes only one staple from a staple stack to be moved into a staple stack for forming the staple at an anvil forming surface. This prevents the skin stapler from jamming multiple staples in the staple forming track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Murray
  • Patent number: 4809900
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a driving apparatus for fasteners each of which has a shank and a head, and a characteristic of the invention is that a feeding mechanism for feeding fasteners from a magazine for a row of fasteners to a laterally offset firing track in the apparatus is in the form of a reciprocatory slide the path of movement of which is perpendicular both to the row of fasteners and to the fastener firing track of the apparatus, that the slide has two opposite arms with oblique end surfaces forming a gate device which is movable during the movement of the slide to allow one fastener at a time to pass from the magazine to the firing track, and that one arm of the slide serves as a separating means which during the movement of the slide in one direction is moved in between the fastener introduced into the gate device and the next following fastener so that these fasteners are separated from one another, and which at the same time positively moves the fastener introduced into the gate dev
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Inventors: Ragnar Ingelsten, Folke Nilsson
  • Patent number: 4796495
    Abstract: The magazine hammer has a hammer head (1) and a hammer shaft (2) running transversely to the latter. A guide channel (3) for guiding nails (4) from a nail magazine (5) runs in the longitudinal direction of the hammer shaft (2). The guide channel (3), in its end facing the hammer head (1), forms a deflection channel (7) for swinging round the nails (4) fed individually in their longitudinal direction. For this purpose, the deflection channel (7), on its lower side or its side remote from the hammer head (1), is provided with a passage slot (11) for the nail shank so that, in this area, a nail (4) fed individually in its longitudinal direction can swing about its nail head as a rotational axis into the desired setting position at the hammer head (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Hammermat AG
    Inventor: Anton Schar
  • Patent number: 4775089
    Abstract: An impact nailing and dimpling apparatus is described. In the apparatus there is provided a dimple forming member and a number of valve members for causing the dimple forming member to be repetitively hammered for providing a dimple in a wallboard or other surface and for setting a nail in the dimple. An adjustable nut is provided for shutting off the apparatus when the dimple and nail have been set to a predetermined depth. A nail feed mechanism automatically feeds nails from a cartridge to a position located beneath the dimple forming member. The baseplate is provided with recesses coupled to a source of vacuum for providing a negative pressure between the base and the wallboard or other surface against which the apparatus is held during nailing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Inventor: Donald K. MacDonald
  • Patent number: 4768696
    Abstract: An arrangement for advancing a continuous strip of nails to a nail driving section (5) of an apparatus having a safety-catch device (24) and a nail strip magazine, and holding the strip in the driving section. One nail at a time is separated from the strip and then driven into a workpiece. A strip guide path (7) in the magazine (6) adjoins the driving section (5), and the strip is biased therein towards a driving location. A rotatable and sideways movable nail positioning element (35) positions the foremost nail in the driving position. The movable safety-catch device (24) is biased to a forward safety position and has a surface (31) near said element (35). A movable latching element (38) is arranged between said surface (31) and positioning element. As the device (24) is retracted, said surface (31) is urged against the latching element (38) thereby moving the positioning element (35) into position-fixing engagement with the strip, immediately behind the foremost nail in the driving position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Nordisk Kartro AB
    Inventor: Borje Sjogren
  • Patent number: 4765524
    Abstract: A garment-fastener assembling apparatus includes a drive mechanism for reciprocating an optical position indicator toward and away from an indicating position located in registry with the path of movement of a punch. The drive mechanism is constructed to operate under direct control of the movement of the ram so that the position indicator is reciprocated without interference with the punch or any other movable part of the apparatus and without causing prolongation of the cycle time of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Keiichi Yoshieda
  • Patent number: 4714419
    Abstract: A system for producing confectionary products, especially lollipops, is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of molds mounted on a conveyor belt assembly. A dispensing means adapted for injecting a predetermined quantity of fluid into each of the molds is positioned proximate the belt. A stick handle inserter for receiving a plurality of elongated sticks, and thereafter inserting a single handle into each of the fluid retaining molds, is positioned adjacent the belt either before or after the dispensing means. A cooling means for cooling the viscous fluid to aid in its solidification is associated with the belt. A transfer means positioned proximate the belt is adapted to remove the finished confectionary product from the mold and thereafter transfer that product to a station for wrapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Inventor: A. Lamont Nielsen
  • Patent number: 4706868
    Abstract: A system to facilitate installation of push-in type fasteners including apparatus to feed fasteners to an escapement unit and a manually actuable hand tool to take the fasteners from the escapement unit and insert them in a workpiece. The apparatus includes a vibratory bowl feeder for providing a continuous supply of fasteners to a track member extending between the vibratory bowl feeder and the escapement unit. The escapement unit aligns a first fastener for receipt in the fastener inserting tool, positions a second fastener for subsequent alignment, and limits advancement of the second fastener until the first fastener has been removed from the escapement unit. The fastener inserting tool comprises an outer housing or handle that carries a press rod and an outwardly biased insert body. The insert body has fastener grasping jaws at one end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Hammerle, Philip M. Allen, Richard Geddes, Gary R. Malone
  • Patent number: 4699306
    Abstract: A mechanical feeding mechanism for delivering plugs seriatum from a cylindrical delivery chute having upper and lower latching mechanisms. Each of the upper and lower latching mechanisms are movable from a latching position wherein the latching mechanism engages a plug in the chute and an unlatching position. Linkage mechanism connects the upper and lower latching mechanisms such that when one of the latching mechanisms is in the unlatching position the other latching mechanism is biased toward the latching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Allen C. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4691853
    Abstract: A surgical stapler device of the so-called pistol grip type includes a stack of staples loaded into a lower cartridge in an orientation similar to a conventional paper stapler. A former rotates and turns a leading staple 90.degree. or normal to its prior orientation in the stack of staples as the former slides between a start position and an intermediate position. The rotational movement of the staple insures maximum clarity in the surgeon's line of visions when placing a staple in position. The former is further displaced between an intermediate and a final position wherein the staple is formed around a staple forming surface of an anvil. The former also cams the anvil downwardly separating the formed staple from the anvil lip, thereby allowing the former to receive a staple from the stack of staples onto its staple transport surface for sequential stapling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1987
    Assignee: Technalytics, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony Storace
  • Patent number: 4634035
    Abstract: The prior art discloses a surgical stapler having means for forming a staple, and means for activating the forming means. The forming means have an anvil surface terminating in a movable flange and a track movably containing a forming blade. The improved stapler of this invention comprises the activating means cooperatively attached to the forming means, and the anvil surface having a boss and the forming blade having an opening. The anvil surface boss has an arcuate motion dependent on the linear motion of the forming blade opening. Alternatively, the improved stapler also comprises a formed staple stripping surface adjacent at least two opposing sides of the anvil flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: American Cyanamid Company
    Inventors: Lehmann K. Li, Michael Marra
  • Patent number: 4615473
    Abstract: An apparatus, for assembling a pair of fastener elements of a garment fastener, including a lower or die unit having a retainer which is disposed immediately upstream of a die and which is vertically movable between a retracted position in which an upper end portion of the retainer is retracted below a top of the die to allow one fastener element to be supplied onto the die, and a projected position in which the upper end portion of the retainer projects from the top of the die to engage a peripheral edge of the head of the fastener element to thereby prevent the latter from being displaced on the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Notion Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Taga
  • Patent number: 4606487
    Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a fastener such as a snap closure composed of a first fastener member and a second fastener member to be combined together through a web-like material such as a fabric therebetween, includes a lower pocket mechanism for supporting the second fastener member thereon, a punch mechanism movable toward the lower pocket mechanism for fixing the first fastener member to the second fastener member with the web-like material interposed therebetween, and an upper pocket mechanism for supporting the first fastener member, the upper pocket mechanism being movable toward the lower pocket mechanism and having means for centering the first fastener member in alignment with the second fastener member. A safety mechanism is operatively coupled with the upper pocket mechanism for actuating the punch mechanism only when the upper pocket mechanism reaches a predetermined position with respect to the lower pocket mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Notion Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Douri
  • Patent number: 4605150
    Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a pair of fastener elements of a garment fastener to a garment fabric, comprises an optical indicator for designating a position of the garment fabric where the two fastener elements are to be attached. The indicator includes a light projector having a light source for projecting a beam of light, a reflector for reflecting the light beam downwardly, and means defining an aperture for the passage therethrough of the reflected light beam. An actuator is operatively connected to the light projector for reciprocating the same toward and away from a position where the aperture is in registry with a common vertical axis of the two fastener elements. The indicator is structurally and functionally separated from a pusher mechanism for supplying one fastener element to an upper unit of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Notion Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ichiro Ikehara
  • Patent number: 4592499
    Abstract: There is disclosed a fastener applying apparatus for applying fasteners to articles by passing each fastener severed from a fastener assembly through a hollow needle. This fastener applying apparatus includes an alignment passage in which the fastener assembly is loaded, a guide slot formed at the uppermost end of the alignment passage, means for feeding the fastener to be placed at the uppermost end of the fastener assembly to the guide slot and a force rod adapted to forcibly introduce a cross bar section of the fastener into a cross bar section guide passage positioned on the axis of the hollow needle by advancing the fastener placed at the uppermost end of the fastener assembly in the guide slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1986
    Assignee: Toska Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masami Kato
  • Patent number: 4589583
    Abstract: A conventional fastener attacher is fixedly mounted on a support. A stack of hooks is situated in a retainer which is movably mounted with respect to the support. A dispensing slide is movably mounted on the retainer, below the stack. As the retainer is moved towards the attacher, the slide automatically moves relative to the retainer to align a hook with the attacher. Slide movement is achieved through the use of a cam surface on the support and a cam follower extending from the slide. A single air cylinder moves both the retainer and the slide. The retainer can hold the stack in one of two orientations. In order to avoid jamming, the hook is held on the slide as it retracts or is realigned with the stack, if the hook has not been removed from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Kunreuther and Beringhause
    Inventors: Steven J. Kunreuther, John T. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4586363
    Abstract: A blind-riveting machine comprises a transfer device having suction means to hold a mandrel stem and carry it into vertical alignment with a bore in a nosepiece of a rivet-setting device. With the blind-riveting assembly thus poised, the suction is released and the mandrel stem drops into the nosepiece, which holds the assembly when the transfer device retracts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1986
    Assignee: USM Corporation
    Inventors: Sidney Dean, John G. Butcher
  • Patent number: 4572183
    Abstract: An improved clip feed system for a surgical ligating instrument of the type having first and second clip-clamping jaws at its forward end, a pair of handles to shift the jaws between open, clip-feeding and closed, clip-clamping positions, an elongated tube-like clip magazine containing a plurality of clips lying in a row, one behind the other, in the same plane and a feeder shoe to constantly urge the row of clips toward the forward end of the instrument and the forwardmost clip to a staging area in front of the magazine, a pusher track parallel to the clip magazine and extending to the forward ends of the jaws, and a pusher actuated by the handles between a retracted clip-receiving position when the handles and jaws are in their clip-clamping positions and an extended position locating a clip at the forward ends of the jaws when the handles and the jaws are in their clip-feeding positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: Senmed, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald D. Juska
  • Patent number: 4569470
    Abstract: In a button orienting and placing apparatus, a pushing mechanism, for pushing a button out of a guide channel in a horizontal guide, includes a slide slidable in and along the guide channel, and a horizontal pushing plate pivotally mounted on the slide and having on its forward end a pushing surface engageable with a shank of the button so as to push the latter forwardly and against one of a pair of opposed side walls of the guide as the slide is moved forwardly along the guide channel. The pushing mechanism also includes a locking lever vertically pivotally mounted on the slide and having at its forward end a single downwardly directed claw projecting through an opening in the pushing plate for catching a tab of the button to thereby stop turning of the button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Notion Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tanaka
  • Patent number: 4566622
    Abstract: A fastener striking apparatus for fasteners, especially for staples, nails, etc., comprising a housing with a plunger to be struck arranged therein, a tool portion arranged at the housing containing a fastener channel with the plunger guided therein during the striking operation, and a magazine for the fasteners with the fasteners advanced therein with the aid of a spring-biased feeder in the direction of the fastener channel, with an adjustable resetting member provided which when in the normal position has a cam projecting into a recess formed in the tool portion on the side of the fastener channel opposite the magazine and which upon adjustment against the feeding direction of the fasteners in the magazine is adapted to be adjusted to such an extent that the respective foremost staple, together with the cam is disposed outside the fastener channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: Esco Metallwaren Martin Huhnken
    Inventor: Bruno Ghibely