Patent ID: 6047466
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: B23P,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for placing an angle plate in channel shaped flanges of a duct, the apparatus comprising:an angle plate holder configured for holding a stack of angle plates with a first one of the angle plates of the stack being in a lower plate position, said first one of the angle plates being the bottom-most angle plate of the stack when it is in the lower plate position, a second one of the angle plates of the stack being in a second plate position generally above the lower plate position when said first one of the angle plates is in the lower plate position;a duct holding mechanism configured for holding the duct in a generally upright fixed position in which the flanges of the duct are generally horizontal;means for moving the first one of the angle plates from the lower plate position and into registration with the flanges of the duct when the duct is in said fixed position, said means for moving including means for separating the first one of the angle plates from the second one of the angle plates without first sliding the first one of the angle plates relative to the second one of the angle plates; anda press having a press member moveable between first and second press positions for releasably pressing said first one of the angle plates against the flanges;the apparatus being configured to permit said second one of the angle plates to move from the second plate position to the lower plate position after said first one of the angle plates is moved from the lower plate position;the angle plate holder including an upwardly-extending angle plate guide surface slanted relative to horizontal for slidably receiving at least some of the angle plates of the stack, so that said at least some of the angle plates are supported in a non-vertical arrangement, said angle plate guide surface being configured to permit said at least some of the angle plates to slide generally downwardly along a slanted pathway defined by the angle plate guide surface as said second one of the angle plates moves from the second plate position to the lower plate position.