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.

An alignment apparatus for aligning hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at a regular pitch. An insertion position side is configured as a regular pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval that is double the pitch of through-holes in a fin stack. An upstream side is configured as a wide pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval equal to an integer multiple of two or more times the regular pitch alignment unit. The regular pitch alignment unit is provided with stopper apparatuses that stop the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at different positions in an inclined direction for the respective arrangement plates. The wide pitch alignment unit is capable of moving along an alignment direction of the arrangement plates so as to allow the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes to move to the regular pitch alignment unit, where the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes are stopped at a more downstream position.

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 fastening device is equipped with a stocker. The stocker has a circular arcuate shape which is curved in a horizontal plane, and accommodates fastening tools in a state of being aligned in a row. The fastening tool that is positioned at a most downstream side of the stocker is supplied to the receiving site by an unloading and supplying device. Furthermore, the fastening tool supplied to the receiving site is screw-rotated by a screw-rotating device that is displaced toward the fastening tool.

A magazine for storing elements which each have a shaft and a head. The magazine includes a cylinder defining a shell surface in which is formed a helical-shaped groove. The shaft of each element to be stored can be inserted into the groove while the head of each element protrudes outward radially over the groove. The head of each element can be impacted in the peripheral direction by a suitable carrier in order to move the elements through the groove one after the other to an outlet end of the groove where the elements are ejected individually.

[Problem] To provide a screw cutting mechanism that can stably feed screws to a driver bit by stabilizing the position of the screws, and that has an accurate and smooth cutting action. [Solution] Provided is a screw cutting mechanism for cutting screws one at a time from a screw feeder, wherein: the cutting mechanism is equipped with a rotating disk that rotates horizontally; the outer circumference of the rotating disk comprises a recessed section that opens toward the axis of rotation and holds the screws therein; the rotating disk fits into a circular cavity in the upper section on the frame side; a rotating shaft attaches the rotating disk to the upper section on the frame side, is equipped with a fixed bearing section in the middle section on the frame side, and is equipped with an adjustable bearing section that can be secured to the lower section on the frame body side so that the attachment position is adjustable; a slit disk, which is equipped with a slit that corresponds to the recessed section, and a drive gear are fixed at suitable locations on the rotating shaft between the adjustable bearing section and the rotating disk; a detection mechanism for detecting the slit of the slit disk is provided; a stepping motor is controlled by a detection signal from the detection mechanism to drive the drive gear; and the rotating disk is rotated by a prescribed angle in one direction.

The invention relates to a separation unit for a feed apparatus for joining elements, in particular screws, in particular flow-drilling screws, comprising a joining element receiver for receiving a joining element having a head and a shaft, a slider displaceable relative to the joining element receiver, and a rotational element about which the joining element received in the joining element receiver is rotatable on a displacement of the slider.

A self-piercing rivet escapement mechanism for a rivet setting machine includes a self-piercing rivet track in which self-piercing rivets are receivable. A first resiliently biased jaw is biased towards a closed configuration in which the first resiliently biased jaw retains self-piercing rivets in the self-piercing rivet track. The first resiliently biased jaw is moveable to an open configuration in which a self-piercing rivet can escape the self-piercing rivet track. The first resiliently biased jaw is configured to move from the closed configuration to the open configuration upon exertion of a load upon the first resiliently biased jaw.

Equipment for fitting panels for insulating covers, such as standing seam panels for insulating housing roofs, includes an upper sheet, a lower sheet and an expanded polymer intermediate layer. A working unit extends along a longitudinal axis, which corresponds to the working line of the panels. A supply unit is coupled to the working unit, by a transfer unit extending along a horizontal longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the working unit, for supplying reinforcement plates having a thrust portion and a flat portion. The working unit includes a carriage movable along the longitudinal axis. The carriage includes dies configured to cut and deform one end of the upper sheet of the panels and a thrust member for introducing reinforcement plates into a tail end of the expanded polymer intermediate layer. The thrust member is placed downstream of the dies along the working direction of the panels.

The invention relates to a switch arrangement (10, 40) for the selection of joining elements (30), which comprises a switch (14, 42) that comprises at least three supply points (12a, . . . f, 44a, . . . f) in which joining elements (30) can be supplied to the switch (14, 42) in a position-oriented manner. Furthermore, an output point (22, 66) is provided where joining elements (30) can be output in a position-oriented manner, said switch (14, 42) comprising a conveying element (18, 52) which has at least three receiving compartments (20a, . . . f, 56a, . . . f) each being adapted to receive a supplied joining element (30) each at the supply point (12a, . . f, 44a . . . f). A conveying element (18, 52) can convey the joining elements from a receiving position to an output position from the supply point (12a, . . . f, 44a, . . . f) to an output point (22, 66), which is fixed relative to the supply points (12a, . . . f, 44a, . . . f), and output.