Patent ID: 8881364

Claim:
A pierce nut insertion tool comprising: a base; a pierce nut-driving punch assembly attached to the base defining a longitudinal axis; a body including an opening through which an end of the pierce nut-driving punch assembly extends when the body is retracted to a pierce nut-fastening position where the body is adjacent the base; a first automatic actuator longitudinally driving the body between the fastening position and an advanced position where a majority of the body is spaced away from the base; a pierce nut-feeder coupled to and moveable with the body operably defining a pierce nut feeding direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis; and a second automatic actuator operably driving the pierce nut-feeder in the pierce nut feeding direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis as defined by the pierce nut-driving punch assembly, the second automatic actuator being at least one of: (a) moveable mechanically independent of the longitudinal movement of the body between the advanced and fastening body positions and longitudinal movement of the first automatic actuator, or (b) fluid actuated including a piston that moves transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the pierce nut-driving punch assembly due to fluid pressure; the second automatic actuator being adapted to causing the pierce nut-feeder to simultaneously move multiple connected pierce nuts per cycle.