Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to an improved
apparatus for the manufacture of self-locking internally
threaded elements and more particularly to a device for the
continuous manufacture of self-locking fasteners wherein the
self-locking feature is obtained through a deformable plastic
patch which is applied over a desired circumferential segment
of the internal threads of the element.
In prior art patents issued to the assignee of
the present invention, including United States Patent
3,995,074 issued November 30, 1976, United States Patent
4,054,688 issued October 18, 1977 and United States Patent
4,100,882 issued July 18, 1978, there is disclosed apparatus
and method~ for applying }ocking patches of re#ilient resin
to internally threaded articles such as nuts, having openings
at both ends of the threaded portions. In the devices dis-
clo~ed in these patents, generally a rotatable table is
disposed for receiving fasteners about the periphery of thé
table and transporting them through a plurality of stations
to effect application of the patch to the internal threads
of the fastener elements.
In United States Patents 4,054,688 and 4,100,882
there is provided a means whereby a portion of the heat
fusible resin particles is deposited on one area of the hot
threaded surface of an element, and thereafter, resin par-
ticles are deposited on a further area of the threaded
surface to produce two distinct patches at a desired location.
In each of the aforementioned patents, the internally threaded
element is retained on the rotatable support member in a
selected position by means of a slot which receives a portion
of the external hex of a hex headed nut, by way of example.
After a discrete patch is applied to the internal threads of
the fastener, a turning moment is applied to the fastener
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element to move it such that a different external surface
of the hexagonal element is received in the slot, after
whi.ch a second discrete patch is applied to the fastener.
U.5. Patent 3,416,492, issued December 17, 1968, shows a
device for holding a threaded fastener and applying a coat-
ing through 360 of threads thereon.
While the above referred to apparatus and methods
have proved to be successful in achieving the objects for
which they were intended, the particular devices and methods
disclosed are directed to the application of one or more
discrete patches to the internal threads of an element.
It has been found that there are applications in
which it becomes desirable to apply a continuous circumfer-
ential locking patch to the internal threads of the fastener
element. In many instances, it has been regarded that the
locking patch be applied through the entire 360 arc of the
internal threads in uniform manner, while other applications
may require a lesser angle of patch to be applied to the
threads. To accomplish this, it is necessary to uniformly
rotate the fastener elementthrough at least the desired angle
of application, while resin particles are being directed
against the threaded surface only during the desired angle
of application, to build up deposits on the required areas.
It is therefore an object of the present invention
to provide a method and apparatus for the manufacture of
self-locking internally threaded elements wherein the locking
body of resilient resin is applied over a desired arcuate
portion of the internal threads.
It is a further object of the invention to provide
a method and apparatus wherein a self-locking internally
threaded element is manufactured having a locking body of
resilient resin provided over 360 of arc of the internal
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threaded surface.
The above objects, and other objects which will
become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved
by providing apparatus for applying locking patches of
re~ilient resin to a succession of internally threaded
articles having openings at both ends of the threaded
articles comprising a feeder to supply the threaded articles
in substantially continuous succession, a support for re-
ceiving the threaded articles from the feeder and for con-
veying them in a substantially fixed relation with respectto the support for a portion of a path for treatment of
succes~ive articles with the axes of the threaded portions
in an up and down position and with the openings at the
upper and l~wer ends of the threaded portions 3ubstantially
uncovered. Means is provided for heating threaded portions
of the articles to a temperature above the softening point
of the resin to be applied, and means are associated with
each of said articles for directing particles of heat
fusible resin upwardly through the openings at the lower
ends of each of the articles against an area of each of
the threaded portions of the articles in said portion of
the path to cause the resin particles to be softened by heat
from the threaded portions and to build up a deposit on each
of the areas. The support has a plurality of rotatable
platfor~s dispo~ed thereon, one for receiving each of the
threaded articles, and stationary means is located àdjacent
the path of the support contacting a portion of each of the
platforms thereby causing rotation of the platforms and a
fastener disposed thereon whereby said heat fusible material
is deposited onto a desired circumferential segment of said
threaded portion during movement of the ~upport along the
path.
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In a method aspect, the invention provides a pro-
cess for applying locking patches of resilient resin to in-
ternally threaded articles having openings at both ends of
the threaded portions which comprises conveying the articles
in a path for treatment with the axes of their threaded por-
tions in an up and down position and with the openings at
the upper and lower ends of the threaded portions substan-
tially uncovered, heating the threaded portions of the
articles to a temperature above the softening point of the
resin to be applied, directing particles of heat fusible
resin upwardly through the openings at the lower ends of
the articles against an area of each of the threaded portions
during movement along the path to cause the resin particles
to be softened by heat from the threaded portions and to
build up a depo~it on the area, turning each of the articles
about the axis of it~ threaded portions while directing said
resin particles through said openings during a predetermined
arcuate angle at a substantially uniform rate of rotation.
Alternatively, the support has a plurality of cir-
cumferential notches which each receive a threaded article,and rotary means direct a resin nozzle within an arcuate
path in the threaded article. The rotary means is engageable
with stationary means located adjacent the path of support
to effect rotation of the nozzles whereby heat fusible material
is deposited onto a desired circumferential segment of ~aid
threaded portion during movement along the path.
For a more complete understanding of the invention,
reference should be made to the following description of a
preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawing
thereof, wherein:
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FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a device
for the manufacture of self-locking internally threaded
fa~3teners constructed in accordance with the teachings of
the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevational view taken
along the line II-II of Figure 1, showing details of the
structure of Figure 1:
FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective elevational
view, taken on an enlarged scale, showing elements forming
a typical nut supporting platform in the structure of
Figures 1 and 2,
FIGURE 4 is a top plan view showing a typical nut
supporting platform of the structure of Figures 1 and 2,
taken on an enlarged scSale to show further details of the
elements '
FIGURE 5 is an elevational sectional view taken
along the lines V-V of Figure 4,
FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional elevational view
of an alterna~ive embodiment of the manufacture of self-
locking internally threaded fasteners: and
; FIGURE 7 is a view taken along the lines VII-VII
of Figure 6.
Referring to the drawings, and in particular to
Figures 1 and 2, there is shown apparatus for the manufac-
ture of a self-locking internally threaded article in the
form of a flange nut N, which generally co~prises a rotat-
ably mounted transport member in the form of a table 10
movable along a predetermined rotary path about its central
axis, in the direction shown by the arrows of Figure 1.
As the table 10 is continuously rotated about a
fixed housing 11, a point on the table 10 will be seen to
pass through a plurality of stationary work areas referred
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to as stages of the Operation for the purposes of the present
de~cription.
In the first stage of operation, loading chute 12
which is inclined downwardly toward the surface of the table
10 is effective to deposit a flange nut N onto the table,
and during the next stage a resilient thermoplastic material
in powdered form is applied to the internal threaded surface
of the nut. This stage is substantially enclosed by a vacuum
hood 13 the operation of which is explained in detail below.
The next stage in the operation is identical to
the first stage, in that the flange nut ~ is subjected to
a second deposit of resilient thermoplastic material in pow-
dered form which is applied to the internal threaded surface
of the nut in the enclosed vacuum hood 13a.
~ uring the next stage, an arm 14, connected to an
inclined ramp 14a, and having a cam surface disposed adjacent
the upper surface of the table 10 is effective to unload the
nut ~ from the support structure 24 and convey it into an
opening in the ~upport structure. ~uring a subsequent stage
of operation, which sub~tantially covers that portion of the
table 10 located between the unloading station and the load-
ing station, the means for applying thermoplastic material to
the nut N are purged of residual material, and are readied
for the next sequence of operation.
Referring to Figure 1, the stationary housing 11
is provided with a funnel shaped hopper 15 which serves to
receive the powdered resilient thermoplastic resin for appli-
cation to the internal threads of the nut N.
Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the
table 10 is provided with a hub 16 which recei~es a ball-
; bearing member 17. The central housing 11 is provided at its
upper portion with a bearing surface 18 on which the table hub
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16 and bearing 17 are received.
The external surface of the housing 11 further
provides a second bearing surface 20 on which is mounted a
rotatable block 22. The rotatable block 22 rests on a ball-
bearing unit 23 disposed on the upper surface of support
structure 24, which also supports the housing 11.
As will be noted from Figure 2, that cylindrical
portion of housing 11 on which the bearing surface 20 is
formed, is substantially perpendicular to the support struc-
ture 24 and therefore the rotatable block 22 moves in a planesubstantially parallel to the surface of the support struc-
ture 24. However, that cylindrical portion of the housing
11 on which the bearing surface 18 is formed is slightly
canted with respect to the surface of the support structure
24, providing for rotation of the table 10 in a plane forming
a slight angle with the surface of the support structure 24,
and the plane of rotation of the block 22. The importance of
thi~ feature will become apparent as the description proceeds.
The rotatable block 22 is provided with a ring
gear 26 in meshing engagement with a gear 28 connected to a
drive motor. Extending upwardly from the block 22 is a pin
29 which is slidably received in a cylindrical bore 30 formed
in the table 10. It will therefore be evident from Figure 2,
that operation of the motor to drive the gear 28 causes
rotation of the block 22 which in turn drives the table 10
by virtue of ~he interconnecting relationship between the
pin 29, the table, and the block. It should further be
evident that rotation of the block 22 and the table 10 causes
the block and table to move to a position where the two
members are in close relation to one another, to a relation
where they are separated a maximum distance apart as shown.
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Referring still to Figures 1 and 2, the block 22
is shown to have formed therein a plurality of circular
cross-section apertures 32 each having an opening inwardly
toward the housing 11 and receiving at the opposite end a
tube 33, the tube and aperture forming in combination a
conduit means.
As be~t shown in Figure 2, the table 10 comprises
an upper plate 35 and lower plate 34, the lower plate having
a plurality of circular openings 36 formed about its peri-
phery and the upper plate having a plurality of semi-circular
walls 37 forming the outer periphery thereof, adjacent the
openings 36. As a tube 33 is provided at each of the open-
ings 36, rotation of the table 10 and block 22, as described
above, cause~ the tubes 33 to be moved upwardly through the
openings 36 to a position shown at the left of Figure 2 and
downwardly to a position shown at the right of Figure 2, due
to the angular orientation of the plate and block.
As best shown in Figures 3 to 5, at each of the
openings 36 in the plate 34, a pinion gear 38 is assembled
by inserting a tubular flange 39 of the gear through the
opening 36 from the underside of the plate 34, after which
a locking ring 40 is press-fit onto the flange 39. The
locking ring 40 is of a thickness to be rec~ived in a counter
bore formed in the plate 34 such that the upper surface of
the ring is flush with the top surface of the plate 34.
Clearance between the opening 36 and the flange 39 is such
that the pinion gear 38 is free to rotate when so assembled.
Referring now to Figure 1, taken together with
Figures 4 and 5, at ~elected arcuate segments of the path
of circular rotation of the table 10 and block 22, one or
more racks 41 are disposed ~uch that the teeth of the rack 41
will be brought into meshing engagement with the teeth of a
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l ~613~
pinion gear 38 during rotation of the table and block
combination. The blocks 41 are mounted to the upper surface
of the stationary support structure 24 as best shown in
Figure 2.
A first rack 41a is pi~otably mounted at one end
by a pin 60, and at the opposite end thereof is guided by
a stationary pin 62 slidably received in a slotted opening
64 in the rack. As each pinion gear 38 enters the series
of racks 41 and 41a, the possibility of jamming the device
10 due to the angle of tooth-to-tooth engagement of a pinion
gear with the initial rack i~ prevented, in that should such
engagement occur, the rack 41a is pivoted away from the
pinion gear 38 against the force of a spring 65, allowing
the gear to rotate and properly align itself with the teeth
of the rack 41a.
~ hile the means for contacting the pinion gear 38
is shown herein as one or more stationary racks, it should
be evident that such means could be a circular ring gear
having internal téeth aligned to mesh with the pinion gear
20 38 at desired locations, or portions of such a gear employed
in a similar fashion as the described rack~3.
As is further shown in Figure 1, at each of the
stages wherein the hood 13 and 13a are located, means are
provided to contact the outer flange face at the periphery
of the nut ~, while the nut N is being processed at that
stage. In the preferred embodiment, a silicone belt 42 is
threaded over a plurality of pins 43 to form a sub~tantially
arcuate belt surface, conforming substantially to the cir-
cumference of the outermost periphery of the ~lange on the
30 nuts ~, as they are rotated.
~ n operation, the present device employs the
principles taught in U.S. Patents 3,995,074, 4,054,688 and
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4,100,882 in dispensing material from the funnel 15 to the
exit point from the outer end of each tube 33. Briefly
stated, a preferred material as provided for in U.S. Patent
No. 3,858,262 assigned to the assignee of the present inven-
tion, is provided at the hopper 15, and is forced through
the tubes 33 by fluid pressure caused by an air pump, the
air pressure being introduced into the circular bore 45 in
the housing 11. In the present invention, however, as it is
desired to provide continuous deposition of material on the
fastener throughout an arcuate segment of rotation of the
table 10, an arcuate bore 48 is provided in the housing 11
extending over that arcuate segment through which continuous
depositing of material is desired, and extending through the
housing from the bore 45 to the circular aperture 32, when
aligned with the arcuate bore 48.
Referring now to Figure 1, a sequence of operation
will be de~cribed in which it is desired to provide a lock-
ing patch over 360 of a portion of the internal threads of
the fastener element N and where it has been determined that
two applications of the resilient thermoplastic material
are necessary to ensure the desired thickness of the locking
patch. In practicing the teachings of the present invention,
the fasteners N are fed from a vibrator device or other known
means (not shown) into a chute 50 which is surrounded by a
heating coil 51 where the fa~tener N is raised to a tempera-
ture sufficient to cause a thermoplastic powder to adhere to
the threaded surface of the fastener when contacted thereby,
and to be fused by heat from the surface to form a continuous
plastic body. As each fastener ~ approaches the table 10,
the fastener will be deposited in registry with a semi-
circular wall 37 of the plate 35.
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In the described typical cycle of operation, a
plurality of the fasteners ~ are contained on a vibratory
fe0der or other device (not shown) which is effective to
feed the fa~teners into the chute 50 where they are passed
through the heating coil 51 and raised to a temperature
sufficient to cause a thermoplastic powder to adhere to the
threaded surface of the fastener.
Each fastener ~ is in turn therefore, located in
a position as shown in Figures 4 and 5 wherein the flange
of the fastener is disposed on the surface of the table 10
adjacent the semi-circular wall 37, supported partially by
the tubular flange 39 of the pinion gear 38 forming a rotat-
able platform for the fastener. The fastener N is then
pas~ed into an area along the circular path of the table 10
wherein the circular cross-~ection aperture of the tube 33
is open to the arcuate bore 48 providing the flow of resin
material through the bore and tube 33 and into the flanged
nut ~ in the manner described in the prior art, heretofore
referenced. As each fastener approaches the point at which
the aperture 32 of the tube 33 is subjected to the flow of
material, the pinion gear 38 on whic-h the fastener N is
resting is brought into meshing engagement with a rack 41,
and the gear is caused to turn, thereby rotating the fas-
tener during the deposit of material onto the threads. In
the area of table rotation where the material is being
deposited in the fastener threads, the flange of the fastener
also contacts the silicone belt 42 to thereby retain the
fastener in proper position relative to the tube 33 during
the depositing of material onto the fa~tener.
As previously described, the arcuate bore 48 is
designed and fabricated to cover that arcuate portion of the
table rotation adequate to cover the desired portion of the
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internal threads on which the patch is to be deposited,
taking into account the rotation of each fastener ~ relative
to the rotation of the table 10. As an example, if it is
de~ired to deposit a patch covering the full 360 degrees
internal surface of the fastener threads, the arcuate bore
48 will be disposed over an arc through which the table 10
travels during at least one rotation of the fastener N
through 360 degrees.
In the present embodiment, a second stage of
depositing material is provided in that a greater build-up
of material was deemed necessary than that which could be
provided in a single stage of application. It should be
evident that during this second stage, or any subsequent
stages, the objective is achieved by the disclo~ed device
in arrangement of the elements as described above, during a
subsequent arc or rotation of the table 10.
As the dial 10 is moved towards the arm 14, the
dial is moved away from the block 22 and the fastener is
lifted above the relatsd tube 33 such that it is easily
removed by sliding motion onto the ramp 14a.
It should here be noted that each of the hoods 13
and 13a are provided with a negative pressure by vacuum
producing means (not shown) and function in a similar manner
to those systems disclosed in the aforementioned U~S. patents
assigned to the assignee of the present invention, ~erving
to remove excess material during the application of the
locking patch.
From the foregoing, it should be evident that
Applicant's novel structure and method is effective to pro-
vide a flange nut, or other type fastener, with a lockingpatch of resilient thermoplastic material which may be dis-
posed over 360 degrees of the internal threads, or such
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portions of the threads as is desired.
Further, the present invention provides an easydischarge of the fasteners from the table by rotating the
table at an angle to the tube supporting means, which is
disposed to maintain the tubes in a desired location for
depositing material at the depositing station, but below
the surface of the support table at the location where
fasteners are removed from the table 10.
A further preferred embodiment for applying lock-
ing resin to a threaded article "H", is shown in Figures 6and 7, wherein a table 69 comprises a generally horizontally
disposed upper locating plate 70 and a lower support plate
72. Both plates 70 and 72 rotate about a horizontal plane
on a hub 74 which hub 74 receives a bearing member 76 mounted
on a bearing surfa~e 78 of an upper housing 80. The upper
housing 80 is supported on a lower housing 82, which lower
housing 82 is skewed slightly with respect to the horizontal
and has an axis "L" which is skewed correspondingly with
respect to a generally vertical axis of rotation "U" of the
upper housing 80. A rotary block 84 is supported on a lower
bearing unit 86 and is journalled about the skewed lower
housing 82. A ring gear 88 is attached at its inner peri-
phery, to the rotary block 84, and at an upper edge thereof,
to an annular support member 90. The rotary block 84 and
the annular support member 90 are each secured to and support
a lower disc 92, an intermediate disc 94 of slightly smaller
diameter and an upper disc 96. The lower housing 82 and the
lower bearing unit 86 are supported on a tapered base 98
which may be disposed on a horizontally arranged support
surface 100. An empowered gear, not shown, is engageable
with the ring gear 88 to rotate the totality of rotatable
units in this embodiment in a manner similar to what was
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described in the aforementioned embodiment.
At least one wide conduit 102, of a wedge of tri-
angular cross-section in the horizontal plane, as shown in
Figure 7, is arranged in the lower housing 82 and is serially
communicable with a plurality of radially directed cylindri-
cally shaped channels 104, only one being shown in the rotary
block 84. A tube 106 extends radially outwardly from each
channel 104, through a radially directed orifice 108 in the
annular support member 90, and extends into a generally up-
wardly arranged orifice 110 in the lower disc 92. The tube
106 includes a flexible portion 112 therealong facilitating
assembly of the device. Each orifice 110 is in communica-
tion with an opening 114 in the lower end of an applicator
mechanism 116. Each applicator mechani~m 116 includes an
elongated conduit 118 rotatively supported in a bushing 120
spaced adjacent the periphery of the lower disc 92. A
pinion gear 122 is securedly arranged about the conduit 118
and is in continuous engagement with an annular rack 124
having teeth directed inwardly, completely encircling the
periphery of the intermediate disc 94. The annular rack 124
is rigidly supported on an outer support 126 and is arranged
on the same rotation plane as the intermediate disc 94.
Each conduit 118 is journalled in an upper bushing 128
arranged in openings adjacent the periphery of the upper
disc 96, and is extendable through a generally rectangularly
shaped array of orifii 130 arranged near the periphery of the
lower support plate 72.
The upper locating plate 70 has a peripherally
spaced array of notches 132 arranged to mate with the par-
ticular side configuration of any threaded article "H" dis-
posed therein, which disposition therein is facilitated as
in the aforementioned embodiment, and which notches 132 are
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arranged so as to be spaced above the orifii 130 in the
lower support plate 72.
Operation of the locking resin disposition mechan-
ism is begun, as mentioned, by disposing a plurality of
heated threaded articles "H" seriatum in each notch 132 as
the table 69 rotates. The resin, not shown, is injected as
in the aforementioned embodiment, into the lower housing
82, through each of the wide "wedge shaped" conduits 102
into the respective channels 104 as they each rotate into
communication with each wide conduit 102, through the tube
106 and into the applicator mechanism 116, which has at its
uppermost portion, a flange 134, to deflect the moving resin,
towards the mid-portion of the thxeaded article "H". Both
the upper locating plate 70 and the lower ~upport plate 72
rotate at the same speed as the lower, intermediate and
upper discs 92, 94 and 96, because of the interaction of
the aforedescribed pin 29 from the upper disc 96 in sliding
registration with the cylindrical bore 30 in the upper and
lower plates 70 and 72. As they rotate, the teeth of the
pinion gear 122 engage the teeth of the annular rack 124 to
effectuate rotational motion within each respective appli-
cator mechanism 116 itself about its: longitudinal axis,
thereby causing the deposition of the locking resin through
the entire internal circumference of each threaded article
"H'l, or through whatever angular portion is desired, depend-
ing upon the width of the exit end of the wedge conduit 102.
Continued rotation of the upper locating plate 70
and the lower support plate 72 in a horizontal plane and
rotation of the applicator mechanism 116 in a plane slightly
askew therewith, effectuates withdrawal of the applicator
mechanism 116 from traveling along in a portion of the cir-
cumferential path of each orifice 130, to traveling along a
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Circumferential path beneath the orifii where the planes of
motion are spread apart, thereby permitting subsequent off-
102lding of locking resin coated threaded arti¢les "H" there-
from, and subsequent on-loading of uncoated thre2~ded
articles "H" into the circumferential notches 132, which
then will subsequently be "entered" by the respective appli-
cator mechanisms 116 in the appropriate portion of the cir-
cumferential path.
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