A feeder mechanism for feeding mechanical fasteners, such as rivets, screws, bolts and similar fasteners, as well as to a robot end effector comprising such a mechanism and a robot being equipped with such an end effector. The feeder mechanism includes a transport means for transporting mechanical fasteners and a stopping and aligning unit with a stopping plate to decelerate transported fasteners.

A fastener delivery system includes an escapement mechanism configured to control dispensing of associated fasteners located in a column one associated fastener at a time and a rotate and present apparatus operable with the escapement mechanism. The apparatus is configured to rotate between a fastener receiving position and a fastener loading position. In the fastener receiving position the apparatus is adapted to receive each associated fastener released from the escapement mechanism, and in the fastener loading position the apparatus is configured to present each associated fastener to an associated fastener installation device. The escapement mechanism is adjustable in a height direction relative to the apparatus.

A container supplying unit is provided with a container storing part, a container discharging part, and a container aligning part. The container aligning part is provided with an aligning rail and a shutter mechanism. The shutter mechanism is provided with a support frame, a rotating shaft, a first shutter member, a second shutter member, and a driver. The first shutter member is fixed to the rotating shaft, and has a first shutter piece which prevents/allows the movement of the container. The second shutter member is fixed to the rotating shaft at a position spaced farther apart from a feeding position than the first shutter member, and has a second shutter piece which prevents/allows the movement of the container.

A method and a system for dispensing bolts are provided. The system includes a dispensing cartridge including a dispensing tube and a dispensing section. The dispensing tube includes a first end, a second end, and a passage provided between the first end and the second end. The passage is configured to store a plurality of bolts to be supplied to the dispensing tube through the first end such that the bolts are moved through the passage. The dispensing section is located near the second end of the dispensing tube and is configured to dispense the bolts one at a time from the second end.

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.

An apparatus and associated method are provided for an automated presentment assembly that sequentially feeds fasteners to an outlet and an escapement apparatus comprising a chuck that has a transport feature for selectively removing a fastener from the outlet and transporting the fastener to a tool station, the chuck being moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein at the first position the transport feature is operably aligned with the outlet and at the second position the transport feature is displaced both linearly and rotationally from the first position.

A fastener driving system, apparatus and method includes a receiver into which the fastener is deposited and a torqueing device extendable into the receiver for applying powered torque to the fastener to install the fastener into the associated work piece.

[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.

Method for aligning single elements (4) arranged in receiving pockets (3) of a transfer means (2), wherein the receiving pockets (3) are arranged in rows and are moved stepwise from one station into a following station, comprising the following steps: determining in which receiving pockets (3) incorrectly aligned single elements (4) are present, ejecting the single elements (4) determined as incorrectly aligned from the associated receiving pockets (3), turning the ejected single elements (4) by 180, and re-inserting the turned single elements (4) into the associated receiving pockets (3).

Processing O-rings in an automated mass production system includes advancing an O-ring retainer toward a loading position in alignment with an output end of a feed device, discharging a leading O-ring from the output end in electronic synchronization with advancement of the O-ring retainer to the loading position to initiate loading of the O-ring into the retainer prior to the retainer arriving at the loading position, after loading the O-ring into the retainer, advancing the retainer away from the loading position toward an unloading position, and moving an end effector in electronic synchronization with advancement of the retainer to the unloading position to synchronize arrival of the retainer at the unloading position with arrival of the end effector at a pick-up position in alignment with the O-ring at the unloading position for pick up of the O-ring by the end effector.