Patent ID: 6925698
Filing Date: 2005-08-09
Classification: B23P,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of feeding and installing self-attaching nuts in an installation head, said installation head including a base member attached to one shoe of a press, a plunger fixed relative to said base member and extending from said base member, a nose member attached to said base member normally in spaced relation having a feed passage and a plunger passage receiving a free end of said plunger, a first biasing element normally spacing said nose member from said base member, and a feed mechanism including a feed pawl in said feed passage movable in said feed passage toward and away from said plunger passage including an end portion adapted to engage a nut in said feed passage adjacent said plunger passage and a second resilient biasing element biasing said feed pawl toward said plunger passage, said method comprising the following steps: feeding a plurality of self-attaching nuts interconnected by a frangible connector element into said feed passage and one of said self-attaching nuts into said plunger passage; installing said one of said self-attaching nuts in a panel opposite said plunger passage by closing said press, thereby driving said nose member toward said base member and said plunger through said plunger passage; opening said press, thereby spacing said nose member from said panel, said first biasing element thereby spacing said nose member from said base member; and opening of said press releasing said second resilient biasing element, driving said feed pawl toward said plunger passage to feed said one of said self-attaching nuts adjacent said plunger passage into said plunger passage.