Multi-row magnetic dial for the conveyance of workpieces and related method

Abstract

A multi-row magnetic dial assembly that conveys work pieces, such as fasteners, includes a work piece engaging surface disposed around an outer perimeter, adjacent a first dial surface and/or adjacent a second dial surface. Multiple magnets are disposed adjacent the work piece engaging surface to exert a magnetic force on work pieces to magnetically hold them against a dial. The magnets include a first magnet and a second magnet that exert magnetic forces so that the work piece engaging surface magnetically attracts and holds first and second rows (or more) of work pieces, the first row being distal from the second row by a row separation distance. The dial can be oriented in a horizontal plane or a non-horizontal plane. Related methods of operation are also provided.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A dial assembly for a machine adapted to apply material to a work piece, the dial assembly comprising:
 a dial including a first dial surface, a second opposing dial surface and outer dial perimeter, the dial rotatable in a dial plane about a dial axis;   a work piece engaging surface disposed at least one of around the outer dial perimeter, adjacent the first dial surface, and adjacent the second dial surface;   a plurality of magnets disposed adjacent the work piece engaging surface, the plurality of magnets including a first magnet and a second magnet placed one over the other in different magnet levels, the plurality of magnets in magnetic communication with the work piece engaging surface, a first north pole of the first magnet positioned adjacent and facing a second north pole of the second magnet, with the first north pole of the first magnet and the second north pole of the second magnet disposed between a first south pole of the first magnet and the second south pole of the second magnet,   wherein the plurality of magnets hold the work pieces against the dial in a first work piece row and in a second work piece row, the first work piece row offset from the second work piece row by a work piece row separation distance along at least a portion of the first work piece row.   
     
     
         2 . The dial assembly of  claim 1  comprising a lower plate located along a lowermost portion of the outer dial perimeter, the lower plate being nonmagnetic, whereby fasteners ejected adjacent to lower plate are prevented from being magnetically daisy chained to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The dial assembly of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first magnet is disposed in a first magnet level wherein the second magnet is disposed in a second magnet level disposed vertically below the first magnet level,   wherein the second work piece row is located below the first magnet level.   
     
     
         4 . The dial assembly of  claim 1  comprising a third magnet placed adjacent the first magnet,
 wherein a third south pole of the third magnet faces toward and is adjacent at least one of the first south pole of the first magnet and the second south pole of the second magnet. 
 
     
     
         5 . The dial assembly of  claim 4  wherein the third south pole is disposed between a third north pole of the third magnet and the first south pole of the first magnet. 
     
     
         6 . The dial assembly of  claim 4  wherein the third south pole is disposed between a third north pole of the third magnet and the second south pole of the second magnet. 
     
     
         7 . The dial assembly of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dial is positioned adjacent a feed station that sequentially feeds individual ones of the plurality of fasteners so that a head of each fastener is magnetically attracted to the work piece engaging surface, with a longitudinal axis of the fastener extending radially outward from the dial axis,   wherein the dial is positioned adjacent an application station that applies a material to fasteners in the first work piece row, which is an upper work piece row, as the fasteners in the upper work piece row pass by the application station,   wherein the application station applies the material to fasteners in the second work piece row, which is a lower work piece row, the lower work piece row being under the upper work piece row, as the fasteners in the lower work piece row pass by the application station.   
     
     
         8 . The dial assembly of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dial is positioned adjacent a feed station that sequentially feeds individual ones of the plurality of fasteners so a head of each fastener is magnetically attracted to the work piece engaging surface, with a longitudinal axis of the fastener extending radially outward from the dial axis,   wherein the dial is positioned adjacent an application station that applies a material to fasteners in the first work piece row, which is an upper work piece row, as the fasteners in the upper work piece row pass by the application station,   wherein the application station does not apply the material to the second work piece row, which is a lower work piece row, the lower work piece row being under the upper work piece row, as the fasteners in the lower work piece row pass by the application station.   
     
     
         9 . The dial assembly of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first magnet is housed in a first magnetic module housing, the first magnetic module housing including a first magnetic member disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet, the first magnetic module housing including a first non-magnetic member, the first non-magnetic member disposed between the first magnet and the work piece engaging surface,   wherein the second magnet is housed in a second magnetic module housing, the second magnet module housing including a second non-magnetic member disposed between the second magnet and the work piece engaging surface.   
     
     
         10 . The dial assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the second magnetic module housing includes a second magnetic member disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet. 
     
     
         11 . The dial assembly of  claim 4  comprising a fourth magnet placed adjacent the second magnet,
 wherein a fourth south pole of the fourth magnet faces toward and is adjacent the second south pole of the second magnet, 
 wherein the third south pole of the third magnet faces toward and is adjacent the first south pole of the first magnet. 
 
     
     
         12 . A dial assembly for a machine adapted to apply material to a work piece, the dial assembly comprising:
 a dial including a first dial surface, a second opposing dial surface and outer dial perimeter, the dial rotatable about a dial axis; and   a plurality of magnetic modules joined with the dial, the plurality of magnetic modules including a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet oriented with a first north pole facing upward, the second magnet oriented with a second north pole facing downward toward and facing the first north pole, the second magnet including a second south pole, the plurality of magnetic modules including a first non-magnetic member adjacent the first magnet, and a second non-magnetic member adjacent the second magnet,   wherein first and second magnetic modules provide first and second magnetic fields that secure a first row and a second row of fasteners to the dial, respectively, the first row being separated from the second row by a row separation distance,   wherein the first row of fasteners is disposed adjacent the first non-magnetic member,   wherein the second row of fasteners is disposed adjacent the second non-magnetic member,   wherein the dial conveys the first row and second row of fasteners around the dial axis so that the fasteners can undergo processing.   
     
     
         13 . The dial assembly of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first non-magnetic member is between the first magnet and a work piece engaging surface,   wherein the second non-magnetic member is between the second magnet and the work piece engaging surface.   
     
     
         14 . The dial assembly of  claim 12  wherein the plurality of magnetic modules are stacked vertically in vertical levels, one vertical level upon another level. 
     
     
         15 . The dial assembly of  claim 12  comprising a processing station that applies material to the first row of fasteners, but not the second row of fasteners, as the first and second rows of fasteners pass the processing station. 
     
     
         16 . The dial assembly of  claim 12  comprising a processing station that applies material to the first row of fasteners, as well as the second row of fasteners, as the first and second row of fasteners pass the processing station. 
     
     
         17 . A method of processing a plurality of elongated work pieces comprising:
 providing a feed station adapted to feed a plurality of fasteners having longitudinal axes toward a dial assembly;   magnetically attracting the fasteners toward a work piece engaging surface of the dial assembly so that the fastener longitudinal axes of the fasteners project generally perpendicular to the work piece engaging surface;   rotating the dial assembly so that the plurality of fasteners move around a dial axis in a first row;   diverting the plurality of fasteners from the first row so that the plurality of fasteners move around the dial axis again in a second row, at least a portion of the first row being offset from the second row by a row separation distance; and   removing the plurality of fasteners from the dial assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  comprising:
 applying a liquid material to the plurality of fasteners in the first row, but not the second row, as the plurality of fasteners move around the dial axis. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  comprising:
 applying a liquid material to the plurality of fasteners in the first row, as the plurality of fasteners move around the dial axis; and 
 applying the liquid material to the plurality of fasteners in the second row, as the plurality of fasteners move around the dial axis. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  comprising:
 a plurality of magnets, each magnet arranged so that only like poles of all adjacent magnets face one another.