Cut-off for clinch nut feed

Abstract

An apparatus for severing a lead nut from a linear arrangement of attached nuts and for securing such a lead nut to carrier material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a punch operated by a ram and disposed within a stripper, and a die disposed within a nut guide and secured to a fixed base. The punch is spring biased within the stripper and is oriented towards the die in such a manner that advancement of the punch toward the die also advances the punch tip towards the die cavity. The nut guide is spring biased away from the base. The nut guide includes two interconnecting passageways, one passageway being laterally disposed toward the other. An arrangement of attached nuts is advanceable, within the first nut guide passageway, toward the die surface. The carrier material is supported upon an upper surface of the nut guide, being interposed between the punch and the die. From a starting position, the ram advances the punch and stripper, as a unit, toward the die causing the stripper to engage the carrier material urging the nut guide downwardly toward the base severing the lead nut from the remainder of the attached nuts. Downward motion of the punch, relative to the die, causes the punch tip to puncture the carrier material drawing portions of the carrier material into the lead nut hole and securing the lead nut to the carrier material.