Reciprocating Fastener Feed Head for Higher Cycle Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastener feed systems, particularly those using pneumatic feeders, are limited by the rate at which fasteners can be transferred from a hopper to an installation head, leading to reduced cycle rates and inefficiencies in mass production processes.
Innovation Solution
A fastener feed head mechanism that includes a movable carriage with pivotable pawls and a reciprocating cam system, which cyclically advances fasteners from an upstream queue to a downstream queue within a chute, ensuring consistent orientation and efficient transfer to the installation head, thereby increasing the cycle rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pneumatic feeders are used to propel fasteners through a chute, then fasteners can be fed to the installation head, but the feed rate is limited and becomes the rate determining step
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic feed system with a mechanical feed mechanism. A feed head with a reciprocating carriage and pawls directly mechanically advances fasteners from the hopper to the installation head, eliminating the pneumatic propulsion method that limited the feed rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a feed head as an intermediary mechanism between the hopper and the installation head. This feed head contains a carriage that physically bridges the gap and actively transports fasteners, rather than relying on pneumatic flow through a chute.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a long chute is used to guide fasteners from hopper to installation head, then fastener orientation is maintained, but the transfer time increases and limits cycle rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fastener transfer function into two parts: the hopper stores and orients fasteners, while the feed head actively transports them. This segmentation allows the chute to be shorter since the feed head completes the transfer actively rather than relying on gravity flow through a long chute.
Solution Approach 2:
The feed head performs preliminary action by pre-positioning and actively transporting fasteners before they reach the installation head. The carriage picks up fasteners from the hopper and delivers them directly to the installation head, reducing the distance and time needed compared to a long gravity-fed chute.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener feed head includes a chute having a feed passage along a feed axis to support and guide fasteners from a chute inlet to a chute outlet connected to a fastener installation head. A carriage is movably attached to the chute along a feed axis. Opposed pawls are pivotably attached to the carriage. The carriage reciprocates along the feed axis between a retracted position and a feed position. The carriage cyclically advances a predetermined number of fasteners from a queue of fasteners in an upstream zone into a queue of fasteners in a downstream zone by: retracting to the retracted position from the feed position; abutting the lead fastener in the upstream queue with the pawls; and, driving the lead fastener with the pawls until the carriage reaches the feed position.