Patent GB-372360-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the delivery of fasteners from a supply thereof
IPC: A43D71/00
Filed: 1931-02-06
Abstract: 372,360. Supplying fasteners. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. and ROBERTS, W. T. B., Union Works, Belgrave Road, Leicester. Feb. 6, 1931, No. 3763. [Class 89 (iii).] A fastener-supplying mechanism comprises means for separating individual fasteners from a supply, and then presenting them to an operator in a convenient position and in a definite orientation. In particular, the point of a separated tack is caused to penetrate a roll which is rotated to present the head of the tack to the operator's hand or pincers. The mechanism includes means for stopping it when a fastener is in position, and restarting it when the operator has removed the fastener. The mechanism may be applied, as a supplementary fastener supply, to machines in which the fastener insertion is normally automatic, for example to the heel seat lasting machine described in Specification 351,386. As shown, the mechanism comprises a tack pot 171, a raceway 59, a separator 95, and a pair of tackpresenting rolls, of which the upper one 5 is of hard rubber, and the lower one 7 of wood. The lower end 57 of the raceway is curved, as shown, to conform to the outline of the rolls, and the lower roll is adjustable. The rolls are normally separated by a distance rather less than the length of the tack to be handled. The rolls, mounted on spindles 9, 13, are rotatable in opposite directions by worm wheels 37, 39 in mesh with worms 33, 35 on a vertical shaft 31. The latter is driven from a main shaft 41 through a shaft 49 provided with a clutch, and bevel gearing 53, 55. When the shaft 31 is driven, a tack separated by the separator 95 will pass between the rolls 5, 7. The upper roll acts to press the point of the tack into the lower roll, which then carries the tack forward with its head projecting through a slot in a plate 60. The mechanism is designed to stop when the tack reaches this presented position. To this end, the clutch on the shaft 49 comprises a driven member 89, a sleeve 83 slidable on the shaft and always driven by the member 89, and a clutch member 51 fixed to the gear 53. A pin 79 on a bell-crank lever 75 engages in an annular groove 81 in the sleeve 83. When a tack sticking in the roll 7 reaches presented position, it displaces a light finger 61 arranged near the surface of the roll and linked to the lever 75. The latter thus moves, and disengages the sleeve 83 from the clutch member 51. Movement of the lever 75 also operates the separator to allow one tack to pass down the raceway towards the rolls 5, 7. The separator, Fig. 3, comprises a pair of fingers 99, 101 fixed to a member 95 which is pivoted to one side of the raceway at 97 and is integral with a lever 121. The latter is linked, by a stud-and-slot connection 123, 125, lever 127, and rod 133 to the forward arm of the lever 75, Hence movement of the latter oscillates the fingers 99, 101 to initiate the release of one tack at the moment the rolls 5, 7 are brought to rest. When the operator removes the tack which has been presented to him, the finger 61 is free to return to normal position. A spring 141 connected to the member 95 causes such return movement, as well as the return of the separator members to the position shown in Fig. 3, and of the lever 75 to a position where the sleeve 83 drives the gear 53. The mechanism will then operate to present the newlyseparated tack to the operator, and again stop. The fingers 99, 101 have separating points 107, 109 arranged to lie across the raceway track just below its upper surface, and accommodated in a cut-away portion 111 of the raceway, which portion is bridged by plates 113, 115 with narrow tack-supporting flanges 117, 119. Tacks are lifted from the tack pot into the raceway by a lifting member 169 which slides up and down through a slot in the bottom of the tack pot. The member 169 has an adjustable friction connection with a member 157 which is reciprocated from the shaft 41 through worm gearing and an eccentric. The lifting member 169 carries a thin blade 177 adapted to pass through the upper end of the tack slot in the raceway to clear misplaced tacks. The Provisional Specification describes the provision of a tack-arresting spring at the foot of the raceway, and refers to both rolls as being rubber-covered, the lower roll being grooved or corrugated.