The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 1991
Filed:
Nov. 16, 1989
Dale H Goodsmith, Brighton, MI (US);
Harold T Woods, Livonia, MI (US);
Multifastener Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
An installation head for attaching self-attaching fastening elements, including self-clinching, self-riveting and self-piercing fasteners. The installation head of this invention includes a self-cleaning means built into the installation head for cleaning the fastener sensing means, such as a conventional proximity switch, each time a fastener is installed by the installation head. The installation head may be a conventional installation head, including a first passage receiving the fastening elements, a second passage intersecting the first passage through which a plunger reciprocates to install the fasteners and a fastener sensor means, such as a proximity switch, in the second passage opposite the first passage to sense the presence of a self-attaching fastening element ready for installation beneath the free end of the plunger. The cleaning means in the improved installation head of this invention comprises an air passage in the plunger having an outlet adjacent the free end of the plunger, preferably angularly directed toward the fastener sensor means, which sweeps across the sensor means with each stroke of the plunger, thereby cleaning the fastener sensor means of oil, burs, chips and other debris which may collect on the fastener sensor means during normal operation. In the most preferred embodiment, the plunger includes a plurality of generally parallel ports directing a plurality of air jets toward the fastener sensor means, sequentially sweeping across the sensor means as the plunger reciprocates through the second passage to install a self-attaching fastening element.