CA2207222C - Guide or setting device for elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A guide and/or setting device (400) for elements (404), in particular fastener elements comprises a hollow guide piece (440), a plunger (420) axially displaceably arranged within the guide piece (440), and holding members (462) which are displaceably guided perpendicular to the plunger and have holding noses (489) at their ends associated with the end face of the plunger. In a retracted loading position of the plunger, a respective element can be inserted from the side between the holding noses (489) and the free end face of the plunger (420) and the holding noses (489) can subsequently be moved laterally outwardly during an advance movement of the plunger (420) under the action of the latter, in order to release the element (404). The holding members (462) are biased in the direction towards the longitudinal axis (436) of the plunger (420) or of the guide piece (440) and have respective control surfaces (490) above the holding noses (489) which cooperate with control surfaces (421) provided on the plunger and can be moved outwardly to the side against the bias force until the respective element (404) can be moved under the action of the plunger (420) in the axial direction past the holding noses.The holding members or fingers are mounted to the plunger and hold an element until at least the point when the element is in place between the work piece before the holding members or fingers release the element. Clamping means (495) biased in the direction towards the longitudinal axis are provided beneath the holding noses and exert a clamping action on the element (404) while it is pushed by the plunger (420) past this clamping means.

Description

_ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 GULDE AND/OR SETTING DEVICE FOR ELEMENTS
IN PARTICULAR FASTENER ELEMENTS
The present invention relates to a guide and/or setting de-vice for elements, in particular fastener elements, the guide or setting device comprising a hollow guide piece, a plunger axially displaceably arranged within the guide piece and holding members, displaceably guided perpendicu-lar to the plunger and being provided at their one end as-_ aociated with the end face of the plunger with holding noses, wherein, in a retracted loading position of the plunger, one element can in each case be inserted from the side between the holding noses and the free end face of the plunger, and wherein the holding members are subsequently movable outwardly during an advance movement of the plunger in order to release the element.
In the mass production of parts, fastener installation tools are commonly used to simultaneously install fasteners in, for example, a panel, as the panel is being formed in a press. The installation tool is mounted in the press and, as the press closes, the fastener is instalied_ The installation tool has a housing, a plunger passage, a plunger operatively mounted in the plunger passage, and a fastener feed mechanism that feeds fasteners into the plunger passage. The passage and the fastener have complementary shapes, and the plunger is adapted to drive the fastener through the passage into the panel. To assist in the initial alignment of the fastener with respect to the plunger, catches are used to hold the fastener in the passage as the fastener enters. Once the plunger contacts the fastener, the fastener either drops through to the workpiece or is temporarily held by, for example, spring-loaded detents extending into the passage.
Although the passage and fastener are configured to facilitate the proper alignment of the fastener with rcspcrt to the plunger and the panel, the fastener can become misaligned within the passage_ For example, if the detents stick or fail, the fastener will cock in the passage and be misaligned when it is driven into the panel_ Misalignment problems are exacerbated when the installation tool is not vertically oriented with respect to the workpiece.
Non-vertical orientations are very common. As should be appreciated, misalignment can result in faulty installations, damage to the part, and damage to the installation tool.

A guide and/or setting device of this. kind is known from the international patent application PCT/EP93/00836 with the international publication number WO 93/19890, and in-deed in the form of a setting head Which is, for example, designed for the insertion of fastener elements and auxi,~-iary Fastener elements such as, for example, nuts, bolts, rivets into a sheet metal part. The present invention can also be used as a setting device or setting head for the fastening of parts such as fastener elements and auxiliary fastener elements to sheet metal parts or to other arti-cles, can however also simply serve ae a guide devioe, for example for the placement of individual articles into re-spective mounts.
In the setting device of the international specification WO 93/19990 the holding members which carry the holding noses are formed by two holding fingers which are guided in lateral grooves of the plunger and are pivotally attached to the latter at their upper ends via respective bearing pins. At their outer sides, the holding fingers are pro-vided with a particular shape which cooperates with a guide piece or guide housing which likewise has a special shape.
The holding noses are formed in one piece with the holding fingers and the mounts and the plunger for the bearing pins are realised in the form of elongate holes._ In the loading positions respective elements can be in-serted from the aide into a space which is formed between the holding noses of the holding fingers and the end face of the plunger associated therewith. During a downwardly dixected movement of the plunger relative to the guide piece, the plunger presses the respective element against the holding fingers which move downwardly synchronously with the plunger until they strike the sheet metal part. In this position the shaping of the guide piece permits a ra-dially outwardly directed pivotal movement of the holding fingers, which takes place because of the force exerted by the plunger on the element, whereby the holding noses move away from the respective element in the release position and the element ie riveted to the sheet metal part through cooperation between the plunger and a die button arranged - beneath the sheet metal part.
An arrangement of this kind has admittedly proved itself in practice, it is however relatively complex, and thus costly to manufacture, and indeed ae a result of the special Shap-ing required at the holding fingers and at the guide piece and because of the bearing pins required for the pivotal movement of the holding fingers and their elongate hole mounts in the plunger.
?he installation head illustrated in rTnitcd States patent 5,636,426 ovcrcomea the above problems. However, it does have disadvsntxges.
First, the ftngnrs which hold the fastener against the plunger do not hold the fastener at the critical point of contact with the workpiece. It has been found by Applicant that it is important to hold the fastrncr until at least the installation end of the fastEneT engages the worlcpiccc ao that the fastener is being held between the plunger and the workpiet;e. At this .
po~~ ~e fi"gers cat, be rctnoved and proper installation will be ensured.
Additionally, Applicant has found that in many applications, it is important- that the fingers maintain Euiding contact with the fastrrter until the fastener is completely installed in the panel.
Neither of these holding txhniques can be achieved by the disclosed invention because the fingers are rammed away from the fastener through contact with the panel surface. By definition, the fingers release the fastater prior to the fastener making installation contact with the panel. Although this distance is slight, it is sufficient to result in misalignment of .

- 3 (a) -fiytenets. This is particularly true, since the pane surface is roquired to act as a cam su:fa~ce when, in fact, is is not designod to be a 'cam surface. Therefore, any resnriaion of the >ingcrs can result in the fingers not moving property end resulting in a cocked fastener at the~
cricicai installation point- h should be appreciated that- any tilting of the fastener at ir~st~atioo can result in a~n improper installation of the fastener.
Another disadvantage to the installation head is the potential marring of the panel surface due to the fingers being caromed against the surface at installation.
This marring can be unacceptable in many applications, resulting in rejected panels and increased manufacturing costs.
Thus a further disadvantage of the setting device in accor-dance wsth the 1?C2 appli.catioa PCT/t5P93/OO836 lies in the fact that the holding fingers not only contact the sheet metal part doting the placement of zhe element, but rather can also mark it because of the pi.rotal movement which axises, whereby the surface of the sh~et metal part can be damaged.
The object of the present invenc3.on is to provide a guide axsd/or setaing crevice of ttsQ initially named kind which, with a robust design, opQrates reliably and can be manufac-tured at favourable Cost, and which ensures a reliable guidance of the elements until they are sn content with the panel, with the device not being subjmated to any particu-lar restriction with xeapect to the cross-sectional shape of the plunger, In ordez to satisfy this object, provision is made in ac-cordance with a first embodiment of the invention that the esrxior device is at least substantially only linearly dis_ plaeeably guided; that the holding noses are formed on mem-' bets which are displaceable in the sideways direction and within the carrier device; acrd that th_e inner wall of the guide piece is designed ire such a way that the members which are forced inwardly in the loading position of the plunger can be pushed outwardly on reaching the release po-sition.
The carrier means, which can be formed either in the previ-ous manner as holding fingers or as a sleeve, is only line-arly displaced in the solution of the invention and does not execute any pivotal movement. The guidance of the car-rier device is thus relatively simple to realise.
The radial closing and opening movement of the holding noses is achieved in accordance with the proposal of the invention not by the pivoting of holding fingers, but rather by a displacement within the carrier device of mem-bers having the holding noes, with this radial movement of the members being controlled by a simple profiling of the inner wall of the guide piece in dependence on the position of the carrier device which moves synchronously with the plunger.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the members are re-alised by balls which are available at a favourable price and which can be inserted into simple radial bores of the carrier device which have respective openings at their in-ner ends which have a smaller diameter than the balls in order to prevent the balls being lost in the retracted loading position or the plunger.
At this point, reference should be made for the sake of completeness to CH-PS 539 493 which discloses a screw driver with a screw head holder and a holding means ar-ranged in the latter far the head of a screw inserted into the screw head holder.
Here, the known device likewise includes balls which are arranged within corresponding radial bores of a displace~-able sleeve forming a carrier device, with the balls being pressed inwardly after the insertion of a screw into the screw driver as a result of the shaping of a further dis-placeable sleeve and lying beneath the screw head, so that the latter is held between.the blade of the screw driver shaft and the balls. During the screwing-in movement of the screw, the outer sleeve is forced backwardly relative to the carriAr device and the balls are able to move radially - outwardly under the preeeure exerted by the aorew head, whereby the screw head ie released.
The arrangement of CH-PS 539 493 is not, however, not a guide and/or setting device of the kind to which tho pres-ent invention relates and, moreover, the balls are not forced inwardly in the loading position of the plunger, but must rather first be pushed outwardly in order to insert a screw into the screw driver from below.
In another aspect the invention herein overcomes the above problems by providing an installation tool having fingers that hold a fastener from the point that the fastener enters the plungrr passage until the fastener is either partially or completely installai in, for example, a panel. The term "panel" is used herein to define the worlcpiece, and panel may include, for example.
a plate, sheet metal part, such as a body panel, bracket, or structural member. Further, the present invention includes an improved fastener that has sides that are displaced to mate with the free ends of the fingers in the.installation tool so that the fastener can be held and guided throughout iu path of travel. The present invention is described _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 with respect to pierce-type fasteners but would be suited for other types of fasteners, such as rivet-type fasteners, weld nuts, etc.
The installation tool of the present invention has a maim body with a nosepiece having a bore or fastener passage and a fastener entry path for inserting fasteners into the passage S adjacent the plunger. The nosepiece reciprocates relative to the plunger which has a free end adapted to engage the fastener when the fa9tener is in the bore for driving the fastener through the main body and into a panel or other workpiace. At least two fingers are operatively connected to and pivotally mounted with respect to the plunger and the fastener.
The fingers extend beyond the free end of the plunger for engaging the fastener and, in particular, for engaging a displaced area formed on the fastener. The fingers hold the fastener adjacent the plunger as the plunger drives the fastener to the panel.
This ensures that the fastener is positively held in a properly aligned position with respect w the plunges and the panel from the point that the fastener enters the plunger passage to at least engagement of the fastener against the panel.
1S The fastener of the present invention is speclf5cally designed for installation by the installation Read of the present invention. The fastener includes top, bottom, and sides, with the bottom having a configuration that, when pressed into a workpiece, will interlock the bottom of the fastener with the workpiece material to provide a strong connection between the fastener and the worlcpiece. As will be understood, top, bottom, side, etc., are relative terms used for ease of description; however, the installation head of this invention may be adapted to attach a fastener to a panel in most any attitude and thus such terms are not limiting. The side of the fastener includes a displaced area that is positioned between the top and bottom of the fastener. The displaced area is adapted to receive the fingers in a positive inter-engagement between the fastener and the installation tool fingers to accurately position and align the fastener with respect to the workpiece. The displacement area is defined by a displaced portion in the side of the fastener which mates with the free end of the fingers of the installation tool. The displaced surface can be in the shape of a groove having a generally semi-circular or trianEular cross-section; a ridge having a generally senu-circular cross-section; an indent which is adapted to receive a protrusion on the free end of the 3U fingers; a protrusion which is adapted to be rerxived within an indent on the free end of the . fingers; a slot which extends perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces, ete. It should be _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 appreciated by thox of ordinary skull in the art that many different , s of displaced surfaces will provide the positive engagement between the fingers and the fastener.
The fingers of the present invention are disclosed in three different embodiments;
however, it should be appreciated by those of oNinary shill that other embodiments would fall within the scope of the invention. It is critical that the fingers be mounted to the plunger and hold a fastener until at least the point when the fastener i9 trapped between the plunger and the workpiece before the fingers release the fastener. In one embodiment, the fingers are pivotally mounted to the plunger and the pivotal movement is controlled by adjoining contoured surfaces on the finger and nosepiece which slide with respect to one another as the nosepiece moves with respect to the plunges. In this embodiment, the outer edge of the finger, away from the plunger, is contoured and engages the inner wail of the plunger passage in the nosepiece, which has a complementary contour. The finger contour includes a guide or control portion which engages a complementary guide portion on the nosepiece which corresponds to the finger being forced inwardly in the direction of the plunger to hold l~ the fastener adjacent the end of the plunger. Above the guide surface, in the direcdon opposite the workpiece, there is an offset region which is adapted to mate with an offset region in the nosepiece to provide sufficient spacx for the finger to pivot away from tho fastener. The fingers release the fastener by the withdrawal'of the plunger from the fastener aftPx complete installation. In this embodiment, the gripping tip of the finger and the displaced side of the fastener are formed with cam surfaexs which permit the fingers to pivot with respect to the fastener as the plunger is retracted after installation.
Tn a further~embodiment, the fingers are pivotally mounted to the plunger and have a cam surface at one end opposite the gripping tips of the fingers. The free end of the fingers, which define the gripping tips, are adapted to engage the displaced area of the fastener. The fingers are forced into engagement with the displaced~area of the fastener by a spring or opposed springs which extend betwcxn the finger and the plunger-In one embodiment, there is a recxss formed in the nosepiece which receives a spring head, and legs extend from the head to bias against the finger. Alternatively, a recess could be formed in the plunger which would engage the opposite side of the finger to bias the finger into engagement with the fastener. In.~this embodiment, the spring engages the finger above the pivot point which is between the gripping tip and the spring engagement point.
In this _8_ embodiment, when the faker ha: been fuUy~blled, retraction of the plunger causes the gripping tip to.eam against the displaced portion of the fastener to givot the fingers against the bias of the spring and release the gripping !ips from the fastener.
It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill that other embodiments could be used tp obtain similar t~esults and objectives and still be within the scope of the invention.
In a still further aspect the invention relates to a guide or setting device (400) for elements (404) in particular fastener elements, comprising a hollow guide piece (440) a plunger (420) axially displaceably arranged within the guide piece (440) and holding members (462) displaceably guided perpendicular to the plunger, with holding noses (489) provided at their end associated with the end face of the plunger, wherein, in a withdrawn loading position of the plunger, one element can in each case be inserted from the side between the holding noses (489) and the free end face of the plunger (420) and the holding noses (489) are subsequently laterally outwardly moveable during an advance movement of the plunger (420) under the action of the latter in order to release the element (404), with the holding members (462) being biased towards the longitudinal axis (436) of the plunger (420) or of the guide piece (444) and having respective control surfaces (490) above the holding noses (489) which cooperate with control surfaces (421) provided on the plunger and are outwardly moveable against the bias force until the respective element (404) can be moved in the axial direction past the holding noses under the action of the plunger (420), characterized in that clamping means (495) are provided beneath the holding noses which are biased in the direction towards the longitudinal axis and which exert a clamping action on the element (404) while it is pressed by the plunger (420) past this clamping means.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the fol-lowing with reference to embodiments and to the drawing in which are shown:
Fig. 1 a schematic longitudinal section through a guide and/or setting device in accordance with the inven-tion, and indeed in a loading position before receiv-ing an element to be set, Fig. 2 the same illustration as in Fig. 1, but after the insertion of an element, Fig. 3 the name device as in Pigs. 1 and 2 on achieving the release position, Fig. 4 the same device as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of ter the release of the element, Fig. 5 the device of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 during the reset-.
ting movement after the release of the element, Fig. 6 a side view of a holding finger element of the pre-vious Figures 1 to 5, and indeed as seen in the ar-row direction VI of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 a aide view of the holding finger of Fig. 6 as seen in the arrow direction VII, Fig. a a.erose-section through the device of Fig. 1 in ac cordance with the section plane VIII-VIII, Fig. 9 a schematic longitudinal section through a setting device very similar to the setting device of Fig.
1, but in a longitudinal section perpendicular to the longitudinal section of Fig. 1, with the total setting device being shown after attachment to the upper tool of a press, Fig. 10 a longitudinal section through the total setting device of Fig. 9 along the section plane XI-XI, Fig. 11 the same device ae in Fig. 10, but in the state af-ter insertion of an element into a sheet metal part, Fig. 12 a plan view onto the topside of the setting device of Fig_ 9 as seen in the plane XII-XII, Fig. 13 a schematic illustration of a further setting de-vice in accordance with the invention similar to that of Fig. l, but with other members having the holding noses, Fig. 14 a schematic longitudinal section through the set-ting device of Fig. 13 ae seen in the plane XIV-XIV
of Fig. 13, Fig. 15 an illustration of a yet further setting device of the invention in accordance with Fig. 13, Fig. 16 a aide view of the holding finger of Fig. 15 as seen in the arrow direction XvI, Fig. 1~ the setting device of Fig. 15 in the release posi-lion in accordance with Fig. 4, and Fig. 18 a schematic cross-section through a yet further setting device of the invention having a plunger of circular cross-section, Fig. 19 a drawing corresponding to Fig. 4 but with another element and with small changes in the guide and setting device, Fig. 20 a longitudinal cross-section through an installa-tion tool in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, Fig. 21 a longitudinal cross-section through the retaining device of the installation of Fig. 20, where the retaining device is shown in various operating states in the left and right sides of Figure 20, Fig. 22 a longitudinal cross-section of a further embodi-ment of the retaining device, Fig. 23 an end view of the tool of Fig. 22, Fig. 24 a longitudinal cross-section of a further embodi-ment of the retaining device.

Fig. 25 a longitudinal section through a further guide and setting device in accordance with the inven-tion in aocordanee with the section plane XXV-XXV
of Fig. 35, Fig. 26 the guide setting device of Fig. 25 in a differ-~enc operating position, Fig. 27 to Fig. 34 the guide and setting device of Fig9. 25 and 26 in further phases of the sequence of operation during the guidance and insertion of a fastener element into a sheet metal part, Fig. 35 a longitudinal section through the guide and set-ting device of Fig. 25 essentially in the section plane XXXV-XXXV of Fig. 25, Fig. 36 a representation similar to that of Fig. 34, but after the setting down and riveting in of a fas-tener element in the sheet metal part, Fig. 37 an enlarged cross-section through the guide and setting device of Fig. 25 in accordance with the section plane XXXVII-XXXVII of Fig. 25, Fig. 3BA, B, C, D drawings to illustrate the shape of the holding fingers used in the guide setting device of Fig. 25.
Tn Figs. 1 to 7 there is shown a setting device to in ac-cordance with the invention which is used for the insertion of a fastener element in the form of a nut element 12 into a sheet metal part 14.

Such setting devices are customarily used in a press which, for example, not only makes available.the setting force for the inoertion of the fastener eloment, but rather also serves for the simultaneous shaping of a sheet metal part.
A detailed description of a possible use of the setting de-vice in a press will be given later with reference to Figs.
9 to 12. Initially, the function of the getting device 10 can be explained with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.
Aa can be seen from Fig. 1, the setting device 10 has a guide piece 16, and also a plunger 20 which is displaceably arranged in the axial direction 18 within the guide piece 16.
In this example both the guide piece and also the plunger are rectangular in cross-section as is in particular evi-dent from Fig. 8, with a loading opening 22 being located in the broad eidewall of the guide piece 16.
To the left and right of the plunger 20 there are arranged two holding fingers 26 which jointly form a carrier device 24 and which each have two bores 28 as can be seen in the side view of Fig. 6. Respective balls 30 are displaceably journalled in the two bores 28 as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and e. Aa Fig. 7 shows, the inner ends 32 of the bore' 28 are each of narrowed design so that the narrowed openings 32 have a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the balls 30 so that the latter cannot fall out of the holding fingers and into the apace 34 beneath the plunger 20.
As can be seen from the sectional drawing of Fig. 8, the holding fingers 26 are guided on three sides by the guide piece 16, with the guide piece 16 being provided with a re-movable cover 36 in order to facilitate the manufacture and assembly of the arrangement. Thus, the holding fingers 26 are guided at the two side surfaces 38 and 40 by the body 42 of the guide piece and are guided at their third sides 44 by the cover 36. At their inner gidee 46, the holding fingers lie partly against the side surfaces 48 of the plunger and are likewise guided here. In other words, each sidewall 48 of the plunger forma with the body 42 and the cover 36 of the guide piece a guide space for the holding fingers which is rectangular in cross-section.
Above the holding fingers 26, the guide piece 16 has two inner shoulders 50 which form respective abutments for the holding fingers 26 and thus restrict the actual position of the holding fingers upwardly. The holding fingers 26 in turn have inwardly projecting noses 52 at their upper ends which project into respective elongate, lateral recesses 54 of the plunger, with these lateral recesses 54 contacting the noses 52 at their lower ends 56 in Fig. Z.
As will subsequently be explained in more detail with ref-erence to Figs. 9 to 12, the guide piece 16 is downwardly biased while the plunger 20 is secured at its upper end. As a result of this downward pre-bias of the guide piece 16, the noses 52 of the holding fingers are clamped between the abutments 50 and the lower ends 56 of the cut-outs 54 of the plunger. In this Way, the lower end face 58 of the plunger ie kept at a predetermined spacing from the holding noses 60 formed by the rounded surfaces of the balls 30, whereby a receiving space 62 is provided for receiving a fastener part 12.
In the lower region of the guide piece 16 there are two broadened regions 64 which merge via respective rounded shoulders 66 into the inner side walls 68 of the guide piece 60.

_.. .. . . . -CA 02207222 -1997-06-p9 .. . . _ .....

Starting from the position of Fig. 1, a single element, here in the form of a fastener part 12, can be inserted laterally through tha opening 2~ into the spaoe 62 ac can be seen from Fig. 2.. The element 12 is in this embodiment a so-called pierce and rivet nut, for example from the Profit company, having a rectangular cross-section in plan view.
The non-ii.lustrated thread lies coaxial to the longitudinal axis 18 of the setting device 10 and of the plunger 20.
The lower side of the elements 12 is thus supported on four balls and is reliably held against tilting movements.
During the operation of the setting device, the guide piece is first pushed downwardly together with the plunger until the lower end 70 of the guide piece contacts the sheet metal part 14 and presses the latter firmly against a lower tool of a press. During a further closing movement of the press, the plunger ie then pushed forward relative to the guide piece 16, i.e_ the guide piece deviates rearwardly relative to the plunger and the plunger presses the element 12 downwardiy as is shown in Fig. 3. As the balls 30 cannot deflects sideways, and as the force of the plunger acts on the holding fingers 26 via the element and via the holding noses 60 formed by the balls 30, the holding fingers are moved dawnwardly synchronously with the plunger 20, and in-deed until the position of Fig. 3 has been reached_ In this position, the balls 60 deviate into the region of the lateral broadened portion 64 of the guide piece and can defleot sideways, and indeed by a distance which ie suffi-cient to release the element 12, i.e. a release position is achieved in which the plunger 20 is able to press the ele-ment 12 further downwardly in the direction towards the sheet metal part 14. During this, the lower ends of the holding fingers 26 do nor contact the sheet metal part 14 and they cannot therefore mark it. However, even if the holding fingers were made somewhat longer than shown in Figs. 1 to e, or if they were to move for some reason or other further downwardly and contact to the sheet metal part, then no notable downwardly directed force would be exerted on the holding fingers in the release positicn, 90 thac any surface pressure which arises at the sheet metal part 14 at the lower ends of the holding fingers is so small that even here marking of the sheet metal part need not be feared.
It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the noses 52 of the holding fingers 26 slide along the elongate cut-outs or recesses 54 of the plunger during the placement phase of the element, i.e. a relative axial movement takes place between the holding fingers 26 and the plunger 20 in this phase. So long ae the cut-outs S4 have an adequate length, the noses 52 cannot reach the upper limit 72 of the cut-outs 54 and, as explained above, no notable downwardly directed forces can be exerted onto the clamping fingers.
After the insertion of the nut element into the sheet metal part, the press opens again and lifts the plunger 20 and the guide piece 16 away from the sheet metal part 14, as shown in Fig_ 5. The bias force which acts on the guide pieces presses the balls inwardly again and the plunger 20, the holding fingers 26 and the guide piece 16 return into the starting position of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 hag not been correctly drawn to the extent that with fastener parts in the form of a pierce nut, the sheet metal part 14 will be pierced by the pierce portion 74 of the pierce nut and through the cooperation of a die button which is not shown, but which is arranged beneath the sheet _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 metal part 14, with the clamping force between the plunger and the die button also serving for the riveting of the pierce nut to the sheet metal part. This piexcing and riv-eting method ie however known per ee and dose not therefore need to be explained in more detail here. One can, however, also consider the embodiment of Fig. 5 in such a way as if it is only showing a placement procedure in which the set-ting device simply has a guide function and can thus be re-garded simply ae a guide device.
Figs. 9 to 12 show how the setting device 10 of the kind shown in Figs. 1 to 8 looks on installation into a press.
Here, the reference numeral 80 represents the upper tool of the press. The guide piece 16 is axially displaceably guided within the mounting housing 82 which is fixed to the upper tool 80 of the press by four screws 84 and two dowel pins 86. The guide piece 16 is biased downwardly away from the tool 80 by means of one or more springs 88. The plunger 20 is centred by means of a further dowel 90 relative to the mounting housing 82, so that the central longitudinal axis of the plunger is aligned with the central longitudi-nal axis of the setting device as a whole. The plunger 20 is broadened in its upper region, as shown in Fig. 10, and is secured to the mounting housing 82 by means of two screws 92. The plate 94 forms a cover for the mounting housing 82 and at the same time an abutment for the one end of the compression coil spring 88, with the other end of the spring engaging into a bore 96 of the guide piece and being supported at the end of this bore. Although only one spring is shown here, several springs or other spring means, Such as for example compressed air, can be used.
As Figs. l0 and 11 show, the lower end of the plunger, the guide piece and the holding fingers is in principle formed in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 8; the guide piece is _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 merely made in several parts so that the upper and lower parts are joined together at a partition plane 96 Which fa-cilitates the machining of the individual parts.
As can be seen from Fig. 9, the mouth piece 98 of a hose-like supply device 100 projects into the insertion opening 22 of the guide piece so that the respective elements can be inserted one after the other into the receiving space 62. This receiving apace 62 is so dimensioned that only one element has space there.
A detector device 102 which is formed ae a proximity senscr and which ie used to determined whether an element 12 i9 located in the receiving space 62 is arranged opposite to the mouth piece 98. The working cycle of the press can only be initiated when a nut element is present here.
Fig. 11 shows how the guide piece 16 deflects rearwardly relative to the mounting housing 82 on closing of the press, i.e. with downwardly directed movement of the upper tool 80, and how the plunger connects the nut element 12 to the sheet metal part 14.
The holding fingers 26 behave in this embodiment in just the same way as was described in connection with the em-bodiment of Figs. 1 tv 8.
Fig. 13 corresponds to the illustration of Fig. 1, however, the elements 30 forming the holding noses 60 are formed here not by balls, but rather by prismatic guide pieces.
The~e are of rounded design at the contact surface with the element (not shown in Fig. 13) so that they can deflect rearwardly in a gentle manner on reaching the release posi-tion of Fig. 4.

It is evident that the embodiment of Fig. 13 functions in the same way and means as the embodiments of Figs. 1 to a and 9 to 12. Here, ae in the other Figures, the same refer-ence numerals are used as the manners of operation of the different embodiments are all the same, it is not necessary to give a detailed description of the respective manner of operation~for each individual embodiment.
Fig. 14 shows a schematic cross-section XIV-XIV of Fig. 13 from which the movement 108 of the individual elements 12 through the supply channel in the direction of the receiv-ing apace 62 can be seen.
The reference numeral 106 refers to a spring which can be used in the holding fingers for resetting of the members 30. If such a resetting spring is used, then it can, for example, be realised in the farm of a polyurethane cushion.
If a spring of this kind is selected, then a respective spring is provided for each member.
The holding noses 60 of the prismatic guide pieces 30 of Fig. 13 are rectangular in the view of Fig.l4 which has the advantage that an extended suppoxt surface is present for the elements 12.
Fig. 15 shows an alternative design of a prismatic guide piece 30 and in this drawing, as in the further Figs. 16 to 17, the same reference numerals are used as have previously been used and the functional description of the previous figures also applies for this embodiment and does not therefore need to be repeated here.
Fig. 17 shows a further variant in which the holding fin-gers 26 are flush in the release position with the lower CA 02207222 1997-06-09~-----end of the guide piece 16, i.e. contact the sheet metal part (not shown). In this case also an extended surface is available for support of the respective element 12.
Although the previous description has only been given in connection with nut elements which are rectangular in plan view, no restriction is present here, but rather the guide and/or setting device of the present invention can also be - used with arCicles of different shape, such ae for example round, oval, polygonal or cornered elements.
Fig. 18 shows a cross-section through the guide piece 16 of a guide and/or setting device 10 at the level of the re-ceiving apace 6~, with this receiving space being Of sub-stantially cylindrical shape here for receiving the cylin-drical elements 12. The plunger is of corresponding cylin-drical shape.
In this example two holding fingers 26 are again shown which can be designed as explained in connection with the previous embodiments.
The detector device 102 lies opposite to the insertion opening 22 for elements 12 and serves, as previously, to determine when an element 12 is present in the receiving space 62.
The reference numerals 26~ show two additional holding fin-gers which can be selectively used with the holding fingers 26 and can be designed in just the same way as the latter.
Through the provision of four holding fingers in this exam-ple, the element 12 is supported at several positions and thus held in an extremely tilt-free manner.

An arrangement is also conceivable in which three holding fingers are provided. In this case an adequately large in-sertion opening 22 must be provided at one location between two adjacent holding fingers in order Lo be able to insert the corresponding elements into the receiving apace 62.
By way of example a third holding finger could be provided in place o~ the detector device 102. The holding fingers - 26' could Lhen be omitted, or one of the holding fingers 26' could be replaced by detector device 102. When three holding fingers are present, these can be arranged at angu-lar intervals of respectively about 120°, insofar as the two holding fingers which lie at Lhe insertion opening 22 are partly cut away in order to permit the insertion of an element into the receiving space 62.
In principle there is no restriction with respect to the number of holding fingers that are used, providing the re-spective element can be supported in a tilt-free manner.
It is not absolutely essential to realise the carrier de-vice with holding noses in the form of holding fingers. In-stead of this, it would also be entirely possible to use a carrier device in the farm of a sleeve, and indeed with at least two laterally displaceable members on which corre-sponding holding noses are formed. When a sleeve of this kind is used, then it must have a corresponding cut-out in the region of the insertion opening so that the elements can be inserted through the sidewall of the sleeve into the receiving space 62. It is also favourable in this embodi-ment to provide a further opening in tha sleeve, so that the detector device can detect the respective element.
When using a sleeve, which can in particular be considered with a cylindrical design of the plunger, the abutments for _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 restricting the axial position of the sleeve can be formed by pine or threaded pins which are arranged in the sleeve and in this way take care of the requisite angular position of the sleeve with respect to the guide piece and/or the plunger. Hy way of example, the shoulders 50 of the embodi-ment of Fig. 1 could either be formed by a ring shoulder of the guide piece 16 or by a ring screwed into the guide piece or they could be formed by the surface of one or more - pins which are arranged at selected angular positions in the wall of the guide piece. The pins could also be in-serted into the sleeve forming the carrier device and then project into corresponding elongate slots of the guide piece.
The noses 52 of the previously described holding fingers could also be formed by pins when using a sleeve ae a car-rier device for holding noses, with the pins either being Secured aL suitable angular po9ition9 in the plunger or at suitable angular positions in the sleeve and sliding in cut-outs or elongate slots formed in the other respective part, with the ends of the cut-outs or elongate slots form-ing the required abutments.
When using a carrier device in the form of holding fingers, the required abutments can also be realised in the same sense by cooperating pins and cut-outs or elongate slots.

The guide and/or setting device 211 in accordance with the further solution of the invention is shown in general at 211 in Fig. 20.
Installation tool 211 i~ mounted to a pre98 whlCh 19 shown generally at 202. Press 202 can be moved up and down by a conventional actuator which is not illustrated. Installa-tion tool 211 has a housing 204 which is positioned with respect Lo press 202 by centering pins 206 and 208 and ie tightened against the lower side of press 202 by screws 210 or by clamping catches 212. The clamping catches 212 have protrusions that engage into transverse grooves 216 of the housing and are attached by screws 214 to press 212.
A plunger 220 is securely attached to housing 204 through a pressure plate 222 located between the plunger and the housing 204. The pressure plate 222 is attached by screws 224 Co housing 204. A centering pin 226 ie received within a bore in the pressure plate 222 and extends into a bore of the housing 204 adjacent centering pin 206. The centering pin 226 provides relative positioning between the housing 204 and the plunger 220 and pressure plate 222.
A guide piece or nosepiece 232 is mounted in an opening 234 located in housing 204. The nosepiece is adapted to longi-tudinally reciprocate with respect to the housing 204. The nosepiece 232 defines an interior plunger passage 236.
Plunger 220 extends into passage 236 and slides in the plunger passage 236 during any relative shift in position between the nosepiece 232 and housing 204.
The nosepiece 232 is held under tension by four helical , compression springs 239, which are arranged around the plunger 220 within the guide opening 234. In the disclosed embodiment, springs 238 extend between nosepiece 232 and press 202. Tension is applied againet~nosepiece 232 in a direction away from the press 202, forcing the nosepiece in the direction of the workpiece or panel 264. A locking key 240 limits the outward movement of nosepiece 232. Key 240 is held in place by a locking screw 242 which extends into housing 204. Key 240 has a protrusion that extends info a slot 244 in the nosepiece 232.
In the disclosed invention, the plunger 220 and the plunger passage 236 have the same rectangular cross-section and the nosepiece 232 and guide openings 234 have the same rectan-gular cross-section. Thus, a precise control and position-ing of the plunger 220 relative to the nosepiece 232 and the nosepiece 232 relative to the housing 234 ie assured.
At the same time, the choice of this cross-sectional shape achieves a simple rotational lock of the plunger 220 and of the guidepiece 232.
Fasteners 260 are fed into the plunger passage 236 by a conventional feeding device 254, which is not shown in de-tail. Feeding device 254 has an inlet 258 with an inlet opening 256 that laterally intersects the nosepiece 232.
The inlet line 258 feeds fasteners 260 into the plunger passage 236 through lateral inlet opening 256. The fasten-ers 260 are sequentially pushed into the passage 236 adja-cent or below the plunger 220 which then drives the indi-vidual fasteners 260 in the direction of a workpiece which is disclosed as a sheet metal panel 264.
A stationary die 262 is mounted below the nosepiece 232.
Sheet metal panel 264 is positioned on the die 262 between the die 262 and plunger 220. The fasteners 260 are then pressed into the sheet metal panel as press 202 closes. As the press closes, the nosepiece 232 is displaced relative to the housing 204 and relative to the plunger 220, so that the plunger 220 drives the fastener 260 from its position in plunger passage 236 adjoining the inlet opening 256, downward through the'plunger passage to the panel 264.
eased upon the simple rotation-lock control between guide-piece 232 and the guide opening 234 and between plunger 220 and the passage 236, accurate alignment of the plunger pas--. sage 236 to the Stationary bottom die 262 is achieved. Thia is critical when the joined parts, such as rectangular pierce or clinch nuts, must be pressed into the sheet metal 264 in accurate aligned relationship with respect to the panel.
It is preferable that the parts slide with respect to each other. It is also preferable that the parts do not require lubrication. Therefore, the housing 204 and the guidepiece 232 are preferably manufactured from bronze, while she plunger 220 is manufactured from tool steel.
With reference to Fig. 21, the fastener control fingers 270 are illustrated . In the preferred embodiment, there are two fingers 270 positioned to generally intersect the entry path of the fasteners entering through inlet opening 256.
The fingers 2~O,are pivotally mounted to the plunger 220 through pivot pins 272. The plunger 220 has slots 274 for receipt of the Fingers 270 to reduce the overall size of the plunger 220 and nosepiece 232. The control fingers 270 pivot with respect to the plunger 220 to engage and disen-gage the fasteners 260. The free end 276 of each finger 270 is configured to thate with a displaced area 266 on the aide of the fastener 260. The displaced area 266 will be de-scribed in greater detail below.

- ~~ CA 02207222 2004-11-05 Pivotal movement of the fingers 270 is controlled by mating cam surfaces on the fingers 270 and the inner wall of the nosepiece 232. Each of the fingers 270 has a contoured edge 278 opposite the fastener z60. The edge 278 has an offset 280 and a guide or control surface 282 which are joined by a transition surface 283. As disclosed, the control surface 282 ends in an angled surface 284. The inner wall of the nosepiece 'is contoured with a control surface 286 and. an - offset2A8 which are joined by a transition surface 287. In the preferred embodiment, the surfaces 286, 287 and 288 are the baee of slots cut into the inner wall of the nosepiece 232 to reduce the width of the nosepiece. The opposite edge of the finger 270 includes a stop 2e9 which controls the amount of inward pivotal movement of the finger 270.
In operation, with the plunger 220 in the position illus-trated to the right in Fig. 21, a fastener 260 is fed into.
the passage 236 through inlet opening 256. In Fig. 21, the inlet opening 256 is generally perpendicular to the Figure and therefore is hidden from view. As can be seen, the con-trol surfaces 282 and 286 are in contact and the free end 276 is inserted into the displaced area 266 of fastener 260. In this position, the fingers 270 control the position of the fastener with respect to the plunger 220 and the panel 265. The stop 289 prevents the fingers 270 from-, .
pressing against the fastener 260, which is important be-cause the fastener 260 has to be freely fed-into the pas-sage 236 between the fingers 270: The stop 289 allows easy insertion of the fastener 260 between the fee ends 276 of the fingers 270, but will still allow sufficient engagement between the fingers 270 and the fastener 260 to support and control the fastener during its travel to the panel and through installation. While the surfaces 282 and 286 are in contact, the fastener 260 is controlled by the fingers 270 as .it moves with respect to the nosepiece 232. The control . y CA 02207222 2004-11-05 is achieved by the surfaces 282 and 286 sliding against each other and maintaining engagement between the free end 276 and displaced area 266 of fastener 260.
Referring now to the left side of Figure 21, the fastener 260 has been installed into panel 264. The fingers 270 have controlled the position of the fastener 260 throughout its travel from the introduction of the fastener 260 into. the passage 236 through installation into the panel 264. As can be teen, the control surfaces 282 and 286 are no longer en-gaged. There is a clearance space 285 between the control surface 282 and the offset portion 288 of nosepiece 232 and between the offset f80 of finger 270 anQ control surLace 286 of nosepiece 23a. Thi$ clearance space 285 allows the fingers 270 to pivot with respect to the plunger 220 and the fastener 260. To facilitate the pivoting of finger 270, the finger 270 is rounded about pivot pin 272.
As the press opens, the plunger 220 is pulled away from the fastener 260. This movement causes the free ends 276 of fingers 270 to cam against the displaced area 266 and pivot the fingers 270 into the clearance space 285 away from the fnetener 260 to release fastener 260. As the press 202 con-tinues to open, the transition surfaces 283 and 287 cam against one another.to smoothly bring the control surfaces 282 and 286 into sliding contact. As the press reaches its open position, the feeding device feeds another fastener 2so into the plunger Dassage 236 between the closed fingers 270 for another installation cycle.
As discussed above, the fastener 26o has a displaced area 266 which mates with the free end 276 of the fingers 270. As illustrated, the displaced area 266 ie between the top 265 and bottom or-installation end 267 of fastener 260. By po-sitioning the displaced area 266 above the installation end _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 267, the fingers 270 can control the position of the fas-tener 260 throughout its path of travel as discussed above.
The displaced area 266 is preferably a lateral groove which extends across the width of the Fastener 260. see Fiaurr 23. It should be appreciated that the displaced area could take many different forms, although a concave groove will be preferred in some applications. It could be a notch, a flange, a 'dimple, a protrusion, a ridge, etc. ~~ will be - understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the free end 276 of the fingers would be shaped to compliment the shape of the displaced area 266.
With reference to Figure 22, a further embodiment of the present invention ie illustrated. In this embodiment, the fingers 290 are attached to the plunger 220 through the en-gagement of a protrusion 292 within a recess 294 formed in the plunger 220. As illustrated, the free end of the pro-trusion 292 ie rounded to faoilitate pivoting of the finger 290. The finger 290 has a free end with a cam surface 298 which ie adapted to cam against the cam surface 299 of the displaced area 266 of fastener 260. As in the previous em-bodiment, the finger 290 has a stop 289 to limit the amount of engagement between the finger 290 and the fastener 260.
As illustrated in Figure 22 in solid lines, the fastener 260 has just been fed between fingers 290, and there is a space between the fingers 290 and fastener 260.
Unlike the previous embodiment, this embodiment uses a bi-asing means 300 to force the finger 290 in the direction of the fastener 260. The biasing means 300 is illustrated as a 9prlrig with a head 302. The spring 300 is positioned in a slot 303 formed in nosepiece 232 and the head 302 is in-serted into a recess 304 in the nosepiece 232. A pin 306 extends through the head to hold the spring 300 in place during assembly. The spring includes opposed legs 308 that bias against the finger 290 and the nosepiece 232 to force the finger 290 in the direction of the plunger 220.
In operation, the finger 290 slides along the leg 308 and ie biased into the fastener 260. The solid lines of Figure 22 show the open position of the press 202 with the fas-tener 260 fed between the finger 290. The phantom lines il-lustrate the position of the finger 290 and the spring 3o0 as the finger 260 i9 installed. Ae can be seen, as the press opens, the cam surface 298 cams against cam surface 299 and pivots the fingers 290 against the bias of spring 300 releasing the fastener 260.
Aa can be seen from Figure 23, the fastener 260 is spaced from the walls of the nosepiece 232. It should be appreci-ated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the fas-tener 260 may slide along the inner walls of nosepiece 232 to further guide the fastener X60 throughout its travel path.
With reference to Figure 24, a further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, the fingers 310 are pivotally mounted to the plunger 220 by a pivot pin 312. As in the previous embodiments, the free end 314 of finger 310 engages the displaced area 266 of fas-tener 260. The fingers 310 are mounted in slots 315. The' opposite end of the finger 310 has a cam surface 316 which engages the inner wall of nosepiece 232. The cam surface 3,16 is a rounded surface to reduce friction. A stop 289 is provided as in the previous embodiments. In this embodi-ment, Lhe fingers 310 are biased by a coil spring 318 to pivot the free end 314 in the direction of the plunger 220.
After the fastener is installed, the fingers 310 cam against the displaced area 266 to overcome the bias of springs 318 and release fastener 260.

Figure 19 shows how the further solution of the invention in accordance with Figs. 20 to 24 can~be used in the first solution in accordance with the invention. one notes that the holding noeee formed by the balls 30 engage into lat-eral recesses 13 of the element 12, so that the element is first released when its lower side contacts the sheet metal part 14, and indeed without the holding fingers themselves - contacting the sheet metal part. This ie possible because the surfaces formed by the recesses 13 are spaced from the lower aide of the element.
The third solution of the invention in the form of the guide sad setting devive 400 of Figs. 25 to 38 will now be described, and indeed first of all with reference to the Figs. 25 and 35.
The guide and setting device 400 ia, as will be explained in more detail in the following, secured at the upper end to the upper tool 402 of a press, and is used to insert fastener elements 404, which are shown here in the form of nut elements but which can also be bolt elements or spigot elements or like parts, into a sheet metal part or into a metal panel 406, with the sheet metal part 406 being sup-ported on a non-illustrated lower tool of the press. A die, which is likewise not shown, is arranged beneath the coni-cal raised portion 408 of the sheet metal part iri order to achieve the riveting of the element to the sheet metal part 406.
This riveting process can, for example, take place in ac-cordance with the so-called clamping hole rivet process of the applicants, which is described in more detail in the European patent application publication number EP 0539739. The guide and setting device 400 can, however, also be used with all _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 other known setting and riveting processes. The precise way in which the respective method is carried out is not impor-tant here but rather the guidance of the elements, for which in principle only the outer shape of zhe elen~FntR is important. It is only important that the elements have two outer dimensions which are different. For round elements these can, for example, be two different diameters. with elements ~Jhich are rectangular in plan view the latter can, for example, have two different width dimensions in a transverse direction. It is only important that steps are formed through these different dimensions at at least two points which preferably lie opposite to one another and which enable a form fitted holding of the respective ele-m~nt by holding members. Tha steps do no necessarily have to be formed by outwardly projecting parts of the element, but could rather also be achieved by one or more recesses in the side wall of the element.
In the specifically illustrated embodiment, the element 404 is a round nut element with a centrally arranged cylind~~i~
cal flange 510. It should, however, be emphasized that the dements reed not be only round or rectangular but could rather have almost any desired cross-sectional shape, for example a multi-cornered or polygonal shape or a grooved shape with longitudinal grooves.
Expressicn should also be given to the fact that the guide and setting device 500 need not necessarily be secured to an upper tool of a press. The guide and setting device 400 can, for example, be secured to an intermediate plate rf the press or Lo the lower tool of the press. In just the same way the sheet material 406 could be secured to an in-termediate plate of the press or on the upper tool ef the press.

The guide and setting device 400 has a mounting housing 412 which is secured via screws 414 and dowel pins 416 to the upper tool 402 of the press. The mounting housing 412, which has a cover 418; serves, on the one hand, for the mounting of a plunger 420 on the upper tool 402, but acts, on the other hand, also as a guide for the actual setting head 422.'The plunger 420 has an upper section 424 of large diameter and a lower likewise cylindrical section 426 of smaller diameter. The upper region 424 of the plunger is provided with a transverse bore 42B which serves to accom-modate a dowel pin 430, the head of which projects into an axial groove 932 in the aide wall of the cylindrical bore 434 and in this manner specifies the position of the plunger 420 about its longitudinal axis 436. The plunger 420 is received in a firm seat in the bore 434 and is in other respects fixed in its axial position by the cover 418 which is secured by bolts, for example bolt 438, to the lower Bart of the mounting housing 412. The plunger can thus not move further upwardly as a result of the cover 418 and it can also not move downwardly from the illustrated position as a result of the dowel pin 430 which lies at the end of the axial groove 432. The substantially cylindrical lower part 426 of the plunger is slidably guided in the guide piece 440 of the setting head 422, and the guide piece 440 is secured by bolts 442 and dowel pins (not shown) to a part 444 of the setting head, which is slid-ingly received within a bore 446 of the mounting housing 412. The part 444 which is guided parallel to the plunger 420 projects through the lid 418 into a recess 448 of the upper tool 402 and has a cylindrical chamber 450 which re-ceives a compression coil spring 452. This compression coil spring 452 ie braced at one against the upper tool 402 and at the other end, at the lower end of the cylindrical cham-ber 450, and serves to bias the part 444 in the direction away from the upper tool 402. The part 444 has a guide groove 454 into which a sliding block 456 projects so that the part 444 retains its alignment relative to the mounting housing 412. In this way it is ensured that the guide piece 440 is guided coaxially to the plunger 420.
At the bottom right in Fig. 36 there is shown a supply de-vice 45?, with the supply hose 458 for the elements 41o to-be inserted. The ~tupply hose 45A is secured via a mouth-piece 460 to the guide piece 440. The part 458 can also be a magazine which ia, for example, filled with a restricted number of fastener elements. The mouthpiece 460 can, for example, be designed in accordance with the European patent application publication number EP 0633825.
Within the guide piece there are located two holding mem-bers or holding fingers 462 which are shown in more detail in the Figs. 38 A to D. It can be seen that each holding finger 462 has a cylindrical bore 464 which respectively accommodates a compression coil spring 466 which is braced at its one end against a ring step 468 of the bore 464 and at its other end against a respective cover plate 470 of the guide pieco 440 and in this manner biases the respec-tive holding finger 462 in the direction towards the ele-ment 404. A further bore 474 is located coaXially to the central longitudinal axis 472 of the cylindrical bore 464 and has a smaller diameter than the cylindrical bore 464.
As can be seer_ from Fig. 25, a respective centering pin 476 projects into the bore 474 and the holding fingers are sli-dably mounted along these centering pins and in correspond-ing mounts 475 (Fig. 37) of the guide piece 440. The ends of the centering pins 476.have a spacing from one another corresponding to the diameter of the flange part 410 of the elements, so that the elements which are inserted into the guide piece are centered there by the centering pine.
The centering of the elements can best be seen from Fig.
37. Here the supply channel 478 can first be recognized, through which the respective elements 404 are guided into a receiving chamber 480 between the two oppoeitely disposed holding f i'ngers 462 .
It is also apparent from Fig. 37 that the cylindrical flange 410 of the element 404, which is located between the two holding fingers 462, is centered between the end faces of the centering pins 476 in the receiving chamber 480. It can also be seen that the cylindrical flange 410 contacts two contact points 482 of the guide piece 440, which like-wise contribute to the precise centering of the element 404. Opposite to the supply channel 478 there is located a proximity sensor 486 which serves to determine whether an element 404 is located between the holding fingers 462.
Although only two holding fingers 462 are shown in this ex-ample, further holding fingers can also be provided if this is desired.
The holding fingers 462 which are linearly displaceable in the hollow guide piece 440 and which are displaceable per-pendicular to the central longitudinal axis 436 of the plunger are so arranged that the elements 404 which are to be handled with the guide and setting device 400 can slide through the supply channel 478, with the cylindrical por-tion 410 of their contour, into a groove-like recess, i.e.
into the guide groove 488 of the holding fingers 962. Hold-ing noses 489 are formed by the guide grooves 488, which temporarily hold the element 404. The supply channel 478 is _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 arranged approximately at a right angle to the channel 421, in which the axially displaceable plunger 420 is moved.
The centering pins 476 integrated into the holding fingers are so arranged that their central axes cross at the point of intersection with the central longitudinal axis of the element 404 to be handled. The holding fingers 462 have a control edge or a control surface 490, by which they can be lineally displaced by the dieplaceably arranged plunger 420 parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the centering pins 476. During this movement of the holding fingers 462, the position of the centering pine 476 relative to the guide piece 44o is rigid.
This movement takes place against the force of the springs 466, which attempt to displace the holding fingers into their end position previously restricted by abutments.
These abutments are formed by projections 492 of the hold-ing fingers which come into contact at the end of a corre-sponding recess 494 (Fig. 25) of the guide piece. In addi-tion, clamping surfaces 496 are formed on the holding fin-gers 462, via which the respective element 404 can be held in a force-transmitting manner after the opening of the holding fingers. The force of the spring 466 which closes the holding fingers 462 is used for this purpose. The clamping surfaces 496 form a clamping means 495.
In the loading position of Figs. 25 and 35 the plunger 420 frees the supply channel 478 so that one element 404 can slide into the receiving chamber 480, which has arisen be-tween the holding fingers 462 beneath the plunger 420. The element 402 is centered in this position between the cen-tering pine 476 and the points of abutment 488 integrated into the guide housing and also by the boundary surfaces 498 of the guide grooves 488 machined into the holding fin-_ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 gets 462. A sensor 486 can, as already mentioned, be built into one or more of the points of abutment in the guide piece 440 which indicates the preeise.positioning of the element 404 held in the holding fingers 462.
If the plunger 420 ie moved in the guide housing towards the respective element 404, then the holding fingers open in their movement synchronously to the movement of the _ plunger or ram. This is brought about by the cooperation of the control surfaces 490 at the holding fingers and the in-clined surfaces 421 at the free end of the plunger 420. The arrangement is so conceived that the holding fingers 462 have already moved over a stroke transverse to the longitu-dinal axis of the plunger directly before the contact of the plunger or ram 420 with the element 404, such that no overlap is any longer present between the element 404 and the holding fingers 462 in the region of the guide grooves 488 machined in the holding fingers 462.
At this moment the part is centered between the centering pins 476 and the points of abutment 482 integrated into the guide housing. Towards the plunger side a form-fitted guid-ance ie present and, for example, a cylindrical part of the element can be received into a corresponding cylindrical recess at the end face of the plunger. Towards the open side of the channel a force transmitting guidance is pres-ent between the clamping surfaces 496 of the holding fin-gers 462. During the further movement of the plunger the element 404 is displaced through the guide piece by the plunger 420 against the clamping forces which are acting sideways onto the element. zn this way contact of the ele-ment at the plunger is ensured and thereby, in conjunction with the points of abutment 488 machined into the guide body, a positional fixation of the element 404.

Integrated clamping parts 504 are located in the guide piece 440, within the other part of the guide piece 440 and beneath the holding fingers. The integrated clamping parts have the form of half shells and are braced via polyure-thane cushions 453 against the guide piece 440 but are, however, so biased in the direction towards the central longitudinal axis of the guide piece that they contact the element during the further movement through the guide piece and apply clamping forces to this element which ensure that the element 404 is centered and only moved synchronously with the movement of the plunger 420. Thus friction arises between the clamping surfaces 503 of the clamping parts 504 and the flange part 410 of the element, and indeed at least until the lower cylindrical part 405 of the element 404 has been inserted into the hole 407 of the sheet metal part 406, and preferably for a sufficient period of time until the riveting process has been terminated. The clamping eur-facee 503 thus also belong to the clamping means 495.
In a modification, the discrete polyurethane cushions (of which only one is shown in Fig. 25y could be realised ae a ring-shaped part surrounding the two half shells. This would be particularly useful with an embodiment for use with fastener elements of circular cross-section. In such cases the clamping parts could take the form of'more than two shell-like elements, which then typically extend over lees than 180 of arc.
It is also possible to combine the clamping parts 504 with the clamping surfaces 496, and indeed for example in that the clamping parts 504 represent a downwardly directed con-tinuation of the holding fingers 462. By way of example the clamping parts 504 which are formed as a right angle can be molded onto the holding fingers or can be screwed to the _ CA 02207222 1997-06-09 latter. It is also possible to realize the clamping means 495 exclusively by clamping surfaces provided at the hold-ing fingers or to provide no clamping surfaces 496 at the holding members but rather Lo operate exclusively with a separate clamping device 495 provided beneath the holding fingers 462.
In the coufee of the further closing movement of the guide and setting device 400 the element 404 is driven forwardly by the plunger against the clamping forces which are acting sideways onto the element and is first released directly prior to or after it has been riveted in place or set in place.
As has already been expressed, the Figs. 25 and 35 show the loading situation. This signifies that the press is open and that the upper tool 402 has moved upwardly, with the spring 452 (which can also be replaoed by other spring means, such as, for example, gas pressure) pressing the guide piece 440 away from the mounting housing 412 so that the receiving chamber 480 is free. In this position the supply means 461 can press a further element into the re-eeiving chamber a80. As soon as the sensor 486 determines that the element 404 is centrally positioned between the two holding fingers 462 the press is permitted to close again, i.e. a new working stroke can be commenced. During this new working stroke the upper tool 402 moves downwardly until the end face 508 of the guide piece 440 has contacted the sheet metal part 406 and pressed the latter against the non shown lower tool of the press or the die and indeed with a force which is determined by the spring 452. This position ie shown in Fig. 26.
During the further closing movement of the press, the set-ting head 422, i.e. the guide piece 440 with the part 444, moves backwardly relative ~J the mounting housing 412. This signifies that the end face of the plunger 420 has started to move through the guide piece.
In the stage of Fig. 27 tho inclined surfaces 421 at the end of the plunger have reached the control surfaces 490 and the holding fingers start to open.
Fig. 28 shows this opening movement before it has termi-nated.
As soon as the position of Fig. 29 is reached, the cylin-drical flange 410 of the element is located between the clamping surfaces 496 of the holding fingers. In the fur-ther course of the movement the ring flange 410 of the ele-ment 404 is transferred to the clamping surfaces integrated into the guide piece as a result of the movement of the plunger and is held therebetween. The element ie then pro-gressively pushed downwardly via the intermediate stages of Fig. 30 to 32 until - in the stage shown in Fig. 33 - the cylindrical lower part of the element is introduced into the hole of the sheet metal part. The clamping surfaces 503 in the guide piece can be so arranged that the element is also held by these clamping surfaces in the stage shown in Fig. 32.
Fig. 34 then shows the state in which the press has been fully closed after the riveting of the element into the sheet metal part.
The same situation is shown in Fig. 36. The press then be-gins to open again, with the sheet metal part with the ele-ment riveted in place being removed from the press and be-ing replaced by a new sheet metal part, and the press re-turning into the loading situation in accordance with Figs.
25 and 35.
In this embodiment is can also be seen that the element ie guided without tilting over the full path from the loading position until it is inserted into the sheet metal part.
The centering pins 476 are not absolutely essential and could optionally be omitted. In this case the centering could also be brought about via the holding fingers 462.

Claims (9)

1. A guide or setting device for elements comprising a hollow guide piece a plunger axially displaceably arranged within the guide piece and holding members displaceably guided perpendicular to the plunger, with holding noses provided at their end associated with the end face of the plunger, wherein, in a withdrawn loading position of the plunger, one element can in each case be inserted from the side between the holding noses and the free end face of the plunger and the holding noses are subsequently laterally outwardly moveable during an advance movement of the plunger under the action of the latter in order to release the element, with the holding members being biased towards the longitudinal axis of the plunger or of the guide piece and having respective control surfaces above the holding noses which cooperate with control surfaces provided on the plunger and are outwardly moveable against the bias force until the respective element can be moved in the axial direction past the holding noses under the action of the plunger, and having clamping means provided beneath the holding noses which are biased in the direction towards the longitudinal axis and which exert a clamping action on the element while it is pressed by the plunger past this clamping means.

2. A guide or setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the elements are fastener elements.

3. A guide or setting device in accordance with claims 1 or 2, wherein the clamping means are formed at least in part by clamping surfaces provided at the holding members.

4. A guide or setting device in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the clamping means are formed at least in part by clamping parts which are arranged beneath the holding members in the guide piece and which are equipped with their own bias device.

5. A guide or setting device in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein centring pins are provided in the guide piece and centre the respective element while it is being held by the holding fingers.

6. A guide or setting device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the centring pins project through the holding forgers.

7. A guide or setting device in accordance with claims 6 or 7, wherein the guide piece has contact points or contact areas for the respective element at points which lie opposite the loading opening for the elements.

8. A guide or setting device in accordance with claim 4, wherein friction arises between the clamping surfaces of the clamping parts and a flange part of the element, at least until a lower cylindrical part of the element has been inserted into a hole of a material to which it is to be fastened.

9. A guide or setting device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the friction is maintained for a sufficient period of time to permit fastening to occur.