Method and device for supply of connecting elements to a processing apparatus

摘要

In a method of supplying connecting elements to a processing unit, in which the connecting elements are placed in readiness by a supply unit and conveyed individually by a passage to a loading device arranged on the processing unit, the conveyance of the connecting elements takes place in two separate steps, a first step in which the connecting elements are individually conveyed by the supply unit into a intermediate reservoir arranged near the loading device, and a second step in which a single connecting element at a time is conveyed from the intermediate reservoir into the loading device of the processing unit. Specifically, at least two different connecting elements are picked up by the intermediate reservoir, and of the several connecting elements accommodated in the intermediate reservoir an arbitrary one determined by the processing operation is selected for the second step and conveyed to the loading device.

主权项

1. A method of fastening, the method comprising:
(a) pneumatically feeding rivets from remotely located supply containers to a reservoir; (b) moving the reservoir with a C-bow, the C-bow being coupled to a rivet-setting ram and a die; (c) supplying a first type of the rivets to a first chamber within the reservoir via a feed inlet; (d) supplying at least a second type of the rivets to at least a second chamber within the reservoir via the feed inlet; (e) moving the chambers within the reservoir; (f) interrupting movement of the rivets and temporarily storing the rivets when in their associated chambers in the reservoir; (g) feeding the first type of the rivets from the first chamber to a location adjacent the rivet-setting ram via a single outlet tube always being aligned with the feed inlet; and (h) feeding the second type of the rivets from the second chamber to the location adjacent the rivet-setting ram.