The present invention relates to an eyelet and, more particularly, to an eyelet machine.
As disclosed in Taiwanese Patent No. M297178, an eyelet machine includes a mold 20 and a presser 30. A positioning rod 22 extends from an upper face of mold 20. An annular concave face 211 is made in the upper face of mold 20. Annular concave face 211 extends around positioning rod 22. Presser 30 includes a cavity 31 in a lower end. An annular concave face 32 is formed at the lower end of presser 30. Annular concave face 32 extends around cavity 31. An eyelet 10 includes a tubular portion 14 coaxially extending from a lower face of a washer 11. Washer 11 includes an annular convex upper face 12. A work piece 50 is made with an eye 51. In use, tubular portion 14 is inserted through eye 51, and washer 11 is laid on an upper face of the work piece 50. Positioning rod 22 is inserted through tubular portion 14, thereby abutting a free end of tubular portion 14 against annular concave face 211. Annular concave face 32 of presser 30 is brought into contact with annular convex upper face 12 of washer 11. Presser 30 is moved toward mold 20 to further about the free end of tubular portion 14 against annular concave face 211 so that the free end of tubular portion 14 is expanded, enlarged and abutted against a lower face of work piece 50. Thus, eyelet 10 is finished.
As disclosed in Taiwanese Patent No. M481257, an eyelet machine is used to make an eyelet that includes two washers. The first washer includes a tubular portion. To make the eyelet, a free end of the tubular portion is inserted through the second washer before the free end of the tubular portion is enlarged in a proper manner. The eyelet machine includes two handles 1 and 2 pivotally connected to each other by a pin 3. A mold 4 is connected to handle 1. Mold 4 includes an aperture 40.
Another mold 5 is connected to handle 2. Mold 5 includes a rod 50. In operation, the tubular portion of the first washer of the eyelet is inserted through an eye made in a work piece, and the first washer of the eyelet is laid on an upper face of the work piece. The first washer is in contact with mold 4 around aperture 40. The second washer is in contact with mold 5 around rod 50. Handles 1 and 2 are closed to move molds 4 and 5 toward each other. Thus, a free end of the tubular portion of the first washer of the eyelet is brought into contact with an annular concave face of mold 5, and finally expanded, enlarged and abutted against a lower face of the work piece.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an effective eyelet machine.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an eyelet machine that can be held by a hand or attached to a table.
To achieve the foregoing objectives, the eyelet machine includes a frame, a lower mold, a threaded rod, an upper mold and a bearing assembly. The frame includes a lower beam, an upper beam, and a post formed between the lower and upper beams. The lower mold is adapted for carrying a first washer of an eyelet and supported on the lower beam in a detachable manner. The threaded rod is connected to the upper beam so that the threaded rod is translatable relative to the upper beam when they are rotated relative to each other. The upper mold is adapted for carrying a second washer of the eyelet and connected to the threaded rod in a detachable manner so that they are translatable together. The bearing assembly is provided between the threaded rod and the upper mold and adapted for taking a load along an axis of the threaded rod.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of four embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
Frame 10 is a substantially C-shaped element that includes a lower beam 11, a post 15 and an upper beam 17. Lower beam 11 extends substantially parallel to upper beam 17. Post 15 is formed between lower beam 11 and upper beam 17. Post 15 can be used as handle to be held by a hand of a user.
Referring to
Post 15 includes a plate 16 formed on a rear face thereof. Plate 16 extends transversely parallel to the rear section of lower beam 11.
Upper beam 17 includes a ring 18 formed at a free end thereof. Ring 18 includes a screw hole 181.
Threaded rod 20 includes a tool-connecting portion 21 formed at an upper end thereof, a cap 24 formed at a lower end thereof, and a limiting portion 23 formed near the cap 24. Tool-connecting portion 21 includes an aperture 22. An axis of aperture 22 extends perpendicular to that of threaded rod 22 in this embodiment. Cap 24 includes a space 25 that includes an open lower end.
Upper mold 30 includes an insert 32 formed on an upper face (or “end”) thereof, an annular groove 30A in the upper face thereof, a presser 34 extending from a lower face (or “end”) thereof, and an annular concave face 35 on the lower face thereof. Annular groove 30A extends around insert 32. Annular concave face 35 extends around presser 34.
Insert 32 is provided with an elastic locking unit 33. Elastic locking unit 33 includes a ball (not numbered) biased by a spring (not numbered) in this embodiment. The spring is completely inserted in a recess (not numbered) made in insert 32. The ball is partially inserted in the recess of insert 32. However, elastic locking unit 33 can include an elastic loop partially inserted in an annular groove made in insert 32 in another embodiment.
The bearing assembly includes a thrust ball bearing 31 and a C-clip 27A.
Lower mold 36 includes a cavity 39 made in an upper face thereof, an annular concave face 391 formed on the upper face thereof, and an insert 37 formed on a lower face thereof. Annular concave face 391 extends around cavity 39.
Insert 37 is provided with an elastic locking unit 38. Elastic locking unit 38 includes a ball (not numbered) biased by a spring (not numbered) in this embodiment. The spring of elastic locking unit 38 is completely inserted in a recess (not numbered) made in insert 37. The ball of elastic locking unit 38 is partially inserted in the recess of insert 37. However, elastic locking unit 38 can include an elastic annular element partially inserted in an annular groove made in insert 37 in another embodiment.
Mold holder 40 includes a cavity 41 made in an upper face thereof and a threaded bolt 42 formed on a lower face thereof.
In assembly, threaded bolt 42 is inserted through bore 142 before threaded bolt 42 is inserted through a washer 43 and engaged with a nut 45 inserted in chamber 141. Thus, mold holder 40 is connected to the front section of lower beam 11.
Insert 37 is inserted in cavity 41. Elastic locking unit 38 keeps insert 37 in cavity 41. Hence, lower mold 36 is kept on mold holder 40.
Thrust ball bearing 31 is provided around cap before an internal portion of C-clip 27A is inserted in an annular groove 24A made in on external face of cap 24. Thrust ball bearing 31 is in contact with and hence supported on an external portion of C-clip 27A. The bearing assembly is kept around cap 24.
Insert 32 is inserted in space 25. Elastic locking unit 33 keeps insert 32 in space 25. The upper face of upper mold 30 is in contact with a lower portion of thrust ball bearing 31.
Threaded rod 20 is inserted through screw hole 181 before a tool 53 such as a bar is inserted through aperture 22. The bar can be operated to rotate threaded rod 20 relative to ring 18 in a first sense of direction to move upper mold 30 toward lower mold 36. The bar can be operated to rotate threaded rod 20 relative to ring 18 in a second sense of direction to move upper mold 30 from lower mold 36. Limiting portion 23 is used to abut against ring 18 to limit the movement of upper mold 30 from lower mold 36 so that the bearing assembly and upper mold 30 cannot and will not be detached from threaded rod 20 by mistake.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The present invention has been described via the illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.