Patent ID: 6942134

Claim:
A self-piercing rivet setting machine comprising a C-shaped frame, a punch disposed at one end of said C-shaped frame, and a die disposed at the other end of said C-shaped frame, wherein said punch is attached to the edge of a receiver unit for receiving a self-piercing rivet fed from a feeding device to hold the self-piercing rivet, and said punch is adapted to be pressed against said die by punch-driving means, whereby a plurality of workpieces are placed between said die and said punch with the self-piercing rivet held therein to be connected with each other by driving said self-piercing rivet in said workpieces to cause said self-piercing rivet to pierce said workpieces; wherein said receiver unit includes; a hollow shaft having one end connected with a feeding tube extending from said feeding device, said hollow shaft being supported by support means provided on said one end of said C-shaped frame, and a receiver head having an edge to which said punch is attached, said receiver head being adapted to receive the self-piercing rivet fed from the other end of said hollow shaft and allow said received self-piercing rivet to be held by said punch one by one, and; wherein said hollow shaft is supported to said support means of said C-shaped frame slidably in the axial direction of and rotatably in the circumferential direction of said hollow shaft, and said receiver head is connected to said hollow shaft to be selectively positioned to either a first position where said punch is faced with said die or a second position where said punch is spaced apart from said die in both said axial and circumferential directions to provide an enlarged distance between said die and said punch, according to the slide and rotation of said hollow shaft.