A projection portion is formed on a distal end surface of a supply rod with which a surface of a flange is brought into close contact. A circular-arc receiving surface is formed at a boundary portion between the distal end surface and the projection portion, and is configured to fit a flange outer peripheral portion. One side of the circular-arc receiving surface is continuous with the distal end surface, and another side of the circular-arc receiving surface is continuous with an inclined guide surface. The close contact of the flange with the distal end surface is achieved with a magnet of an advancing/retreating type provided in the supply rod.

A switch arrangement for the selection of joining elements, which comprises a switch that comprises at least three supply points in which joining elements can be supplied to the switch in a position-oriented manner. Furthermore, an output point is provided where joining elements can be output in a position-oriented manner, the switch comprising a conveying element which has at least three receiving compartments each being adapted to receive a supplied joining element each at the supply point. A conveying element can convey the joining elements from a receiving position to an output position from the supply point to an output point, which is fixed relative to the supply points, and output.

Provided is apart stopping/passing unit for apart including a unit main body having a part passage, an opening/closing member configured to open and close the part passage, and an attracting mechanism. The opening/closing member includes a stopper surface for stopping a part and a passing hole for allowing the part to pass therethrough. The attracting mechanism is configured to position the part by an attracting force when the stopper surface takes a part stopping position, and to allow the part to pass by elimination of an attraction force when the passing hole takes a part passing position.

A nose arrangement for a fastener setting tool having a punch for setting fasteners comprises a support that receives the punch and a nosepiece for guiding the punch and a fastener during a fastener setting operation. The nose arrangement defines first and second fastener transfer areas where wait to be transferred under the punch. A transfer mechanism transfers the fasteners from the first and second fastener transfer areas under the punch and comprises a movable member that can be moved between first and second configurations. In the first configuration the movable member holds a first fastener in a stand-by position under the punch while it collects a second fastener from the first fastener transfer area. In the second configuration, the movable member holds the second fastener in the stand-by position while it collects a third fastener from the second fastener transfer area.

A bolt feeder includes: a rotating plate (12) arranged adjacent to a hopper (27) storing bolts (10); one or more magnets (15) to attract the bolts (10), from a back surface of the rotating plate (12), onto a front surface of the rotating plate (12); a selection block (13) having a gap space (13a) through which one bolt in a predetermined orientation out of the bolts (10) attracted by the one or more magnets (15) is allowed to pass; a motor (26) to cause the one or more magnets (15) to rotate and move from the hopper (27) toward the selection block (13); and a guide plate (29) extending upstream in a moving direction of the one or more magnets (15) from an entrance of the gap space (13a), and guiding the bolts (10) attracted by the one or more magnets (15) to the gap space (13a).

A feeder for a swage gun comprises a collar magazine and a guide-block assembly. The guide-block assembly comprises a guide block that comprises a slot, configured to receive the lock collar from the collar magazine at a first guide-block position along the slot. The guide-block assembly also comprises an actuator, operable to move the lock collar along the slot from the first guide-block position to a second guide-block position. Feeder further comprises a feed tunnel, coupled with the guide-block assembly, and a dispensing bulkhead, coupled with the feed tunnel. Feeder also comprises a gripping assembly, coupled with the dispensing bulkhead.

A system for controlled distribution of components, the system including a vibrating bowl provided with an enclosure having a wall extending right around an axis of revolution of the bowl and in which the components are placed in bulk, and an articulated gripping arm provided to distribute the components to the automatic assembly installation, the vibrating bowl including an ascending helical ramp extending along an internal face of the wall between a base and an upper edge of the vibrating bowl constituting an exit of the ramp, the components being able to travel along this ramp towards a supply platform, particularly a slide, on which at least one component is arranged in advance of its seizure by the articulated gripping arm, the supply platform being connected to the exit and extending above or in the enclosure of the vibrating bowl.

A member supply device including: a storage configured to store members; a lower stopper cylinder including a first rod and an upper stopper cylinder including a second rod, the first rod and the second rod being configured to: sandwich at least one of the members stored in the storage; and stop movement of a member above the first rod and a member above the second rod and position the member above the first rod and the member above the second rod; a receiver provided below the storage, the receiver being configured to receive a member that fell from the storage and guide the member to the outside; and a controller configured to alternately advance and retreat the first rod and the second rod in a horizontal direction such that a predetermined number of the members among the members stored in the storage fall to the receiver.

An apparatus for supplying a fastener for joining two different types of panels includes: a first bowl which accommodates fasteners of at least three specifications, aligns first fasteners of a first specification by a first guider, sequentially supplies the first fasteners to a supply unit through a first rail, and drops downward fasteners other than the first fasteners by a first dropping unit of the first guider; and a second bowl which is disposed at a lower side of the first bowl, accommodates the first fasteners dropped from the first bowl, aligns second fasteners of a second specification by a second guider, sequentially supplies the second fasteners to the supply unit through a second rail, and drops downward fasteners other than the second fasteners.

The invention relates to an apparatus for braking and holding a processing element that has a head and that is automatically supplied to a tool. The apparatus has a guide channel for the processing element; and a braking element that is movably supported between a braking position and a release position and that can be at least partly introduced into the guide channel to brake and hold the processing element supplied. A part of the braking element that projects into the guide channel in the braking position and thereby narrows the guide channel has an end face that faces the guide channel and that forms a latch recess for holding the head of the processing element.