Nut feed system and method of feeding nuts

Abstract

A nut feed system and method of feeding nuts through a nut feed passage which avoids contact between the feed pawl and the nut bore. The end face of the nut includes a nut feed groove extending perpendicular to the nut bore and the free end of the feed pawl is received in the groove to drive the nuts through a nut feed passage without contacting the bore. The disclosed embodiment of the nut includes a counterbore through the end face and radial channel-shaped feed grooves and the feed pawl includes a cylindrical center portion and radial portions received in the counterbore and feed grooves.

1 . A method of feeding nuts through a nut feed passage, each of said nuts including a body portion having an end face and a bore extending through said body portion through said end face, said method comprising the following steps: 
 forming a nut feed groove in said end face of said nut on opposed sides of said bore extending generally perpendicular to an axis of said bore;    locating an end portion of a reciprocable nut feed pawl located in said feed passage in said nut feed groove; and    reciprocating said nut feed pawl to feed said nut through said nut feed passage.    
   
   
       2 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said method includes forming said nut feed groove in said end face through an axis of said bore, thereby forming separate nut feed grooves on opposed sides of said bore, each having an open inner end opening into said bore.  
   
   
       3 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said method includes forming a channel-shaped nut feed groove in said end face having a bottom wall and opposed side walls.  
   
   
       4 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said method includes forming a counterbore in said end face coaxially aligned with said bore and said groove extending through said axis of said bore, thereby forming nut feed grooves on opposed sides of said bore, and locating said end portion of said reciprocable feed pawl having a semicircular portion in said counterbore and radial portions in said nut feed grooves.  
   
   
       5 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said method includes forming channel-shaped nut feed grooves on opposed sides of said bore, each having a bottom wall and opposed side walls extending generally perpendicular to said end face and engaging an end portion of said nut feed pawl against one of said side walls.  
   
   
       6 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said method includes locating radial portions of said reciprocable feed pawl in said grooves having a width less than a width of said grooves measured between said side walls and engaging one of said side walls.  
   
   
       7 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said method includes forming linear wire grooves in said end face of said nut on opposed sides of said nut feed groove extending generally perpendicular to said nut feed groove and locating frangible wires in said linear wire grooves interconnecting said nut to adjacent nuts in a continuous strip.  
   
   
       8 . A method of feeding nuts through a nut feed passage, each of said nuts including a body portion having an end face and a bore extending through said body portion through said end face, said method comprising the following steps: 
 forming channel-shaped nut feed grooves in said end face of said nuts on opposed sides of said bore having an axis intersecting said bore;    locating end portions of a reciprocable feed pawl in said channel-shaped feed grooves; and    reciprocating said feed pawl to feed said nuts through said feed passage.    
   
   
       9 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said method includes forming said channel-shaped nut feed grooves in said end face of said nuts each having a bottom wall and opposed side walls extending generally perpendicular to said end face of said nut.  
   
   
       10 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said method includes forming linear wire grooves in said end face of said nuts on opposed sides of said channel-shaped nut feed grooves extending perpendicular to said nut feed grooves and locating frangible wires in said linear wire grooves interconnecting said nuts in a continuous strip.  
   
   
       11 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said method includes forming a counterbore in said end face of said nut coaxially aligned with said bore having a diameter greater than said bore, and locating said end portion of said feed pawl having a central semicircular portion received in said counterbore and radial portions received in said channel-shaped nut feed grooves.  
   
   
       12 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said method includes forming said channel-shaped nut feed grooves in said end face of said nuts having a width measured between said side walls less than a width of said radial portions of said end portion of said feed pawl.  
   
   
       13 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 1   1 , wherein said method includes forming said counterbore in said end face having a cylindrical outer surface.  
   
   
       14 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said method includes forming said channel-shaped nut feed grooves with each groove extending perpendicular to said bore, each having an inner portion communicating with said counterbore.  
   
   
       15 . A method of feeding nuts through a nut feed passage, each of said nuts including a body portion having an end face and a bore extending through said body portion through said end face, said method comprising the following steps: 
 forming a counterbore through said end face of said nuts coaxially aligned with said bore having a diameter greater than said bore and radial nut feed grooves having an inner portion communicating with said counterbore;    forming a reciprocable nut feed pawl having an end portion including an arcuate central portion configured to be received in said counterbore and radial portions configured to be received in said radial nut feed grooves;    receiving said nuts in said nut feed passage with said end face opposite said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl;    receiving said arcuate portion in said counterbore and said radial portions in said radial nut feed grooves of one of said nuts; and    reciprocating said reciprocable nut feed pawl to feed said one of said nuts through said nut feed passage.    
   
   
       16 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said method includes forming channel-shaped radial nut feed grooves in said end face of said nuts each having a bottom wall and opposed planar side faces and forming said radial portions of said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl having planar end faces adapted to engage one of said planar side faces of said radial nut feed grooves.  
   
   
       17 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said method includes forming said counterbore having a cylindrical outer surface coaxially aligned with said bore and forming said arcuate central portion of said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl having a cylindrical surface adapted to be received in said cylindrical outer surface of said counterbore.  
   
   
       18 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said method includes forming a chamfered arcuate end surface on said cylindrical surface of said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl.  
   
   
       19 . The method of feeding nuts as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said method includes forming linear wire grooves in said end face of said nuts on opposed sides of said radial nut feed grooves extending generally perpendicular to said nut feed grooves and locating frangible wires in said linear wire grooves interconnecting said nuts in a continuous strip, whereby said method includes reciprocating said reciprocable nut feed pawl to feed a plurality of said nuts through said nut feed passage.  
   
   
       20 . A reciprocable nut feed pawl for feeding nuts through a nut feed passage, said nut feed pawl having an end portion including a generally semicircular central portion and radial portions extending from a midportion of said generally semicircular portion each having a planar drive face intersecting said generally semicircular central portion.  
   
   
       21 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said generally semicircular central portion has a cylindrical outer surface.  
   
   
       22 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said generally cylindrical outer surface defines an arc of less than  150  degrees.  
   
   
       23 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl includes a planar back face.  
   
   
       24 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 23 , wherein said planar back face is inclined relative to an axis of said generally semicircular portion from an end of said end portion.  
   
   
       25 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said back face is inclined relative to a tangent of said generally semicircular surface at an angle of between  20  and  60  degrees.  
   
   
       26 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl includes an inclined back face inclined relative to an axis of said generally semicircular central portion and an arcuate end surface blending into said inclined back face.  
   
   
       27 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said generally semicircular central portion of said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl includes an arcuate chamfered end surface.  
   
   
       28 . A reciprocable nut feed pawl for feeding nuts through a nut feed passage, said reciprocable nut feed pawl having an end portion including a nut engaging face having a generally cylindrical surface defining an arc of less than 180 degrees and radial portions extending radially from said generally cylindrical surface each having a planar drive face intersecting said generally cylindrical surface.  
   
   
       29 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said cylindrical surface defines an arc of less than 150 degrees.  
   
   
       30 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl includes an inclined planar back face.  
   
   
       31 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl includes an inclined back face inclined relative to an axis of said generally cylindrical surface at an angle of between 20 and 60 degrees.  
   
   
       32 . The reciprocable nut feed pawl as defined in  claim 31 , wherein said end portion of said reciprocable nut feed pawl includes an arcuate end face blending into said inclined back face.  
   
   
       33 - 50 . (canceled)