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

Abstract

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. A device for practicing the method includes an intermediate reservoir preceding the loading device comprising two storage chambers to accommodate two different connecting elements supplied by the passage, the storage chambers having an entrance opening and an exit opening alternately connectable to the associated segment of the passage.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A riveting apparatus comprising:
 a processing head including a rivet-setting ram;   a rivet-reservoir including at least a first rivet-storage chamber and a second rivet-storage chamber;   a passage coupling the reservoir to the processing head, the chambers being moveable to a position aligned with the passage;   a C-shaped bow having a first end and an opposite second end, the processing head being mounted adjacent the first end;   a die mounted adjacent the second end and aligned with the ram;   an actuator coupled to the chambers;   at least one rivet-presence-sensor, the chambers being linearly moveable by the actuator depending on a sensed condition;   a first rivet supply container remotely located away from the reservoir;   a second rivet supply container remotely located away from the reservoir; and   air pressurized tubes connecting the containers to the reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first self-piercing rivet being sent from the first supply container to the first chamber via at least one of the tubes and then to the processing head. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a second self-piercing rivet being sent from the second supply container to the second chamber and then to the processing head, wherein the first and second self-piercing rivets have a different characteristic. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the rivet characteristic is rivet length. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring-biased latch deterring backwards movement of at least one rivet in at least one of the chambers. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a pneumatic cyclinder. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle operably supplying a jet of blown air directed into an entrance opening of the particular storage chamber connected to the passage. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a switch associated with at least one of the containers to control a container-exit. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises an internal recess covered by a lid, and the chambers linearly slide within the recess. 
     
     
         10 . A riveting apparatus comprising:
 a first set of self-piercing rivets;   a second set of self-piercing rivets having a different length than the first set of self-piercing rivets;   a processing head including a rivet-setting ram;   a rivet-reservoir comprising multiple rivet-storage chambers, the reservoir being affixed to the processing head;   a sensor associated with at least one of the chambers operably detecting presence of one of the rivets in the associated chamber; and   an elongated passage coupling the reservoir to the processing head, the chambers being moveable to a position aligned with the passage to allow air pressure to move the one of the rivets located within the aligned chamber into the passage.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising an automatically powered actuator operably moving the chambers to the aligned position. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the actuator is a pneumatic cylinder and the rivets are fed to the reservoir through yieldable air pressured tubes. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a substantially prism-shaped slide moveable lengthwise in substantially a prism-shaped recess in the reservoir and the storage chambers being elongated transverse to its direction of motion. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a nozzle operably supplying a jet of blown air directed into an entrance opening of the particular storage chamber connected to the passage. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a die coupled to with the processing head; and   sheet metal workpieces located between the ram and the die, the ram and die fastening together the workpieces with the first and second sets of rivets.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a rivet supply container being located away from the processing head by a distance greater than a distance between the reservoir and the processing head, and the rivet supply container supplying at least one of the rivets to the reservoir simultaneously with the reservoir supplying at least one of the rivets to the processing head. 
     
     
         17 . A riveting apparatus comprising:
 rivets;   a head including a ram;   a C-shaped bow having a first end and an opposite second end, the head being mounted to the first end;   a die mounted to the second end;   a reservoir including at least a first rivet-storage chamber and a second rivet-storage chamber, and the reservoir being affixed to the head;   a slide moveable to allow access to at least one of the chambers;   an elongated passage coupling an outlet of the reservoir to the head, the chambers being moveable within the reservoir to a position aligned with the outlet;   a nozzle operably supplying blown air into an entrance of an aligned one of the storage chambers; and   a supply container located away from the head and supplying at least one of the rivets to the reservoir simultaneously with the reservoir supplying at least one of the rivets to the head.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising an automatically powered actuator operably moving the chambers to the aligned position. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the actuator is a pneumatic cylinder. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a moveable barrier operably closing an exit opening of at least one of the chambers. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a switch associated with the container to control an exit of the container. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the reservoir comprises an internal recess covered by a lid, and the chambers linearly slide within the recess. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the rivets are self-piercing rivets which comprise a first set of a first length and a second set of a second and different length. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the rivets are individually conveyed from the supply container by air to the reservoir through a yieldable tube.