US2857794A - Nut starter with elastic dispensing nozzle - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 28, 1958 c. J. RED, JR

NUT STARTER WITH ELAsTTc DIsPENsING NozzLE Filed Nov. 30, 1954 FIGA.

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United iStates Patent" 4O NUT STARTER WITH ELASTICDISPENSING NOZZLE Calvin Jackson Red, Jr., Washington, D. C. Application November 30, 1954, Serial No. 471,966

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-64) f articles such as radio, television, electronic equipment in general and in many mechanisms and machines, it is frequently necessary to engage nuts of very small dimensions upon related parts of the mechanism under consideration. Not only are the nuts rather small, but quite usually the screw threaded members associated therewith are relatively inaccessible and may at best be reached with great difliculty with the fingers. Nuts of this type are usually sold in lots of relatively large quantity since it is well known that the waste due to loss may reach rather large proportions. Present methods of engaging such nuts or their associated bolts or other screw threaded members are thus characterized by a great loss of time and by a substantial waste due to loss.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a nut dispensing and starting device which will enable a repairman, assembly operator or the like to rapidly andeasily engage nuts on associated studs or the like substantially without waste or loss and which is further characterized by its simplicity and its ready adaptability to economical manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide an irnproved nut dispenser and starter which incorporates a dispensing headmember which will permit relative misalignment between the dispenser and an associated stud or the like while at the same` time will enable a nut within the dispenser to be properly engaged upon the stud.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved dispensing head which operates eiectively to both dispense a single nut at a time and provide means by which that nut may be started upon an associated screw threaded member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide both manual and automatic feed mechanism for delivering a supply of nuts to the dispensing head.

A further object of this invention lies in the provision of a dispensing head constructed of resilient material and which presents a passageway therethrough of smaller diameter or dimension than the nuts to be dispensed so as to hold the saine both for individual dispensing and for turning or starting the individual nuts upon a screw threaded member.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved nut dispenser and starter which incorporates a tube adapted to receive a supply of nuts, means for feeding the nuts toward one end of the tube, and dispenser head means at the stated end of the tube for holding the nuts against release from the tube `while at the same time enabling them to be started and dispensed one a t a time.

These and other objects inherent in this invention .hereinafter d"ribed will become apparent `as the description vos,

troceeds.

Illustrativeembodiments of the invention are shown".

in the accompanying drawing but it is to be understood that this showing is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting to the exact construction shown since oliviosly changes can be made both in detailed construction and arrangement of parts without forming a departure from the spirit and scope of this invention asl set forth J and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Fig. l is an elevational view of a dispenser constructed in accordance with this invention, showing the same with f a central portion broken away;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through vthe assem-j:

bly shown in Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the section kof lineS-S in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken through a modi-v..`

lied form of dispenser;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along by a cap member 11 engaged upon a screw threaded por-.i

tion 12 of the tube in the manner shown. The lower end of the tube is tted with a dispenser head assembly in-,A

dicated generally by the reference character 13.

The dispenser head 13 includes a sleeve portion 14- fitted about the lower end of the tube 10 and in the instance shown in the drawing in Figs. 1 through 3 is pro- Y vided with a bayonet slot 15 on diametrically opposed sides thereof which receive the bayonet studs 16 and 17` rigidly fastened to the lower end of the tube A10. Beyond the lower end of the tube the dispenser head 13 tapers; inwardly in the section 18 to terminate in a nozzle portion 19 of reduced diameter which presents a passageway 20 therethrough which is of substantially .less diameter than the inside of the tube 10.

The dispenser head, at least the nozzle portionv19 there-y of is formed of elastic material such as plastic, rubber or the like for ay purpose which will be presently apparent. The cap 11 includes the cover portion 21 closing the upper end of the tube and Xedly secured to this cover portion and extendingconcentrically within the tube 10 is an aligning rod 22. The aligning rod terminatesat its lower end somewhat short of the nozzle portion 19 of the dispensing head 13 and a stack or supply ofnuts 23 disposed within the tube 10 interengaged over the aligning rod 22, thereby maintaining the nuts in properly stacked relation within the tube. A coil spring 24 is` disposed about the aligning rod 22 and serves to urge the stack of nuts toward the lower end of the tube into engagementy with lthe nozzle'portion 19 of the dispensing head 1?.

Preferably, a bearing washer 25 is interposed between the ,A

spring and the supply of nuts.

The tube 10 is of slightly greater in order that the spring 24 or merely the force of gravity does not permit the nuts to be released from the lower end of the tube. Howeverysince the dispensing headv nozzle 19 is formed of flexible material individual nuts .Y may be pulled throughA the passageway 20and thus `dis-- pensed. The manner'in which the nuts are dispensed is;A

to merely engage the nozzle 19 overthe threaded end of a stud or other threaded member and by rotating the tube 10 the lowermost nut will engage upon the threaded membei' and vsubsequently the dispenser may be removed leav Patented' occas, 195s,

diameter than the` y largest dimension of the individual nuts in the stack 23 whereas the passageway 20 is ofsomewhat less diameter ing the nut engaged on the threaded member. In this respect, it is important to note that the binding effect had upon the lowermost nut by virtue of the resiliency of the nozzlef.19. is .sufficient `to impartY rotary motion.tothe lowermost nut as the tube is turned. or rotated.

Referring now morer particularly to Figs., 4 andrS` whereima modied fornlof the invention lis shown, `the dispenser willy beseen to include a tube 26 ,which is openl at4 both 'ends andy whichl is provided at its lower end with` th'edi'spenser headassembly 27. The dispensi-ng head 27 includes' the sleeve portion 28, the tapering portion 29 beyond the lower end of the tube andthe terminal nozzle portion .30. The mannerof attachment of the dispensing headZ' to` the tubeispreferably `by means of frictio'nal` engagement therewith as forexampl'e-byforming the entireV dispensinghead of failexible material such that the sleeve portion 28 will bind upon and frictionally engage on .the lowerend ofthe tube 26. As in the case of the previously' described dispensing headY 13, the nozzle portion30 of the dispensing head 27 presents a passageway 31"o'f `reduced' diameter with respect to' the largest dimension ofthe supply of nuts 32 and with respect to the insid diameter of the tube 26. However, manual feed means is.utilized toA position the lowermost nut inthe st'ack at least'partillywithin the passageway31 and this means will be seen to consist of an' ,elongate feed rod 33 tele'scopi'cally received in the tube 26 and projecting from the upper-end thereof in` the manner shown.

The manner of utilizing the modified form of assembly is substantially the' saine as the previously described assernbly with the exception that the thumb or finger is utilied'to' depressthe' feed `rod 33 and thus feed the lowermost nt in the stack 32 at least partially within the passageway 31 formed bythe dispenser head nozzle 30.

With reference now to Figs. 6 and 7 a still further moditied'. construction will be seen which consists of an elongate tube 34fprovided along a substantial portion of its length andA opening upon the lower end thereof with afslot `or groove 35 having inwardly directed projections onQopposite sides thereof such as the teeth 36 and 37.

The teeth along one side of the slot or groove are opposite or in opposed relation with those on the opposite side and there are formed by this arrangement a series of longitudinally spaced, relatively large openings.

The numeral 42 designates a feed block member positioned within thel bore of the tube` 34 for sliding movement: This block has a longitudinally extending groove 43"fornt`edtherein an'd an additional groove or depression cornriil'lnicatin'g"A With the groove 43 and which is designated 44.Y The numeral 45 designates an elongate spring leafadap'te'd to lie inthe groove 43 and at its ends this spring leaf f terminates in the pressure feet 46 and 47 whiclrber against the inner surface ofthe tube 34and the spring is biasedso that'the feet will press againstthe wll`1 ofthe tube'and force the intermediate portion Vofthe spingintothe depression 44.

4The numeral 39 generally-designates a plunger'assembly which includes aninner end portion 40 secured tothe spring-45' midway o'f the ends and which is slidably-positioned in` the transverse bore 41 in the feed block 42, which bore isdirec'ted toward the slot 35`of the tube; The portion 40'of theplunger` assembly has joined tothe outer end, thereof the reduced neck portion 38 which projects thrcmghl the ,slot 35 and carries on its outer end' the head 48.

lThelopenings formed in the edges of the slot 35 are ofs'ucient size' to receive the inner end portion 40 of theplunsier' assembly, when the assembly is projected outwardlyby' `the spring 45 and in this manner the feed block' 42 is held against movement axially in the tube. When the nuts are to be moved forwardly in the tube bythe feed block 42,` the block is released for such movement by pressing the plunger assembly 39 inwardly against the resistance of the spring 45 so as to remove the inner end portion 40 from the openings between the teeth 36 and bring the reduced neck portion 38 into the slot 35. This neck portion is sufliciently reduced in diameter to move longitudinally of the slot between the oppositely positioned opposed teeth and'` thus the block can be fed downwardly to the next position where, upon release of the plunger, the spring will again project the plunger outwardly to engage the inner end portion 40 between the next pair of openings. Thus the stack of. nuts 49 will be fed downwardly toward the lower end of the tube 34 into at least partialy engagement within theV passageway. 50 formed by the nozzle portion 51 of. the dispenser head 52. The dispenser head 52 as shown is identical to the dispenser head 13.

Fig. 6 also shows the manner in which the dispensing and starting mechanism may be utilized in connection with both nuts and washers. cludes alternate nuts 53 andwashers 54 so that every time a nut is dispensed an` associated washer will be properly associated therewith.

It will be appreciated that due to the elasticity and resiliency of the dispensing head, particularly the nozzle portion thereof, the dispensing tube need not necessarily be positioned in precise alignment with the screw threaded member to which a nut is desired to be applied but may be substantially misaligned therewith and still permit the dispensed nut to be properly engaged upon the screw threaded member. Furthermore, it is to be understood thatthe dispensing head nozzle may be located a sub-` eter of the tube, a tubular dispenser head carried by` oneend of said tube, said dispenser head embodying an.` upper relatively long sleeve portion having an inside` diameter to snugly receive one end of the magazine tube and a lower end nozzle portion, said nozzle portion. joining the sleeve portion by a sort tapered intermediate` portion', at least' the nozzle portion of the head being."

elastic and of substantially constant inside diameter throughits length and the inside diameter of the elasticnozzle portion being materially less than the inside diameter of the tube whereby to frictionally engage and nor-` mally restrain the lowermost nut of a supply stack in the tube from freely passing through the nozzle but the nozzle being stretchable to permit such lowermost nut to be forced therethrough, and means within the tube urging movement of the stack therethrough and for urging the lowermost nut of the supply stack toward and into the nozzle.

2. The invention according to claim l, wherein said sleeve and tube end are detachably coupled by a bayonet slot in the sleeve andl a pin carried by the tube end.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,436 Hermand Oct. 15, 1907 2.611.289 Frank Sept. 23, 1952 2,701,491 Ross Feb. 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 481,231 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1938 The supply of nuts 49 in

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