Nail feeding device of nail rolling machine

Abstract

Disclosed is a nail feeding device of a nail rolling machine. Unlike a conventional nail rolling machine in which a finger is used to input (feed) objects to be processed, i.e. nails into a rolling zone defined between a ring dies and a segment dies one by one, thus having low productivity, the nail feeding device includes a worm screw to accurately and rapidly input nails into the rolling zone one by one to ensure successful rolling of the nails, which results in a considerable enhancement in productivity and quality.

1 . A nail feeding device of a nail rolling machine, comprising:
 a ring dies;   a segment dies;   a segment dies support member;   a rolling zone defined between the ring dies and the segment dies;   an inclined chute extending to an entrance of the rolling zone; and   a gap regulator to adjust a distance between the ring dies and the segment dies,   wherein a worm screw having a drive device is installed between the inclined chute and the entrance of the rolling zone, whereby a nail, fed from the inclined chute, is moved forward in a vertically aligned state while being caught at a head thereof by a spiral protruding ridge of the worm screw to thereby be sequentially introduced into the entrance of the rolling zone.   
     
     
         2 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the worm screw includes a vertical tip end surface. 
     
     
         3 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein an air injection nozzle, having an air pressure source and an opening/closing valve, is installed at the entrance of the rolling zone. 
     
     
         4 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive device of the worm screw includes:
 timing pulleys secured respectively to a shaft of the worm screw and a rotating shaft of a motor that is controlled by a controller;   a timing belt installed to connect the timing pulleys to each other so as to rotate the worm screw in a given direction to move and input the nail into the rolling zone;   a sensing object secured to one end of the timing pulley;   a proximity sensor located in the vicinity of the sensing object and serving to sense access of the sensing object,   wherein the proximity sensor is connected to an input side of the controller having a setting unit.   
     
     
         5 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein a guide member, provided with a planar portion, is installed below the worm screw and serves to assist nails in being sequentially introduced into the rolling zone by the worm screw in a state in which lower ends of the nails are aligned. 
     
     
         6 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 5 , wherein the guide member includes:
 a fixing portion having a through-hole;   a horizontal portion formed at the top of the fixing portion;   a connecting portion formed at a distal end of the horizontal portion;   the planar portion formed at an outer surface of the connecting portion to assist the nails in being aligned when introduced into the rolling zone by the worm screw; and   a recess indented in an upper surface of the connecting portion so as to be located close to the worm screw.   
     
     
         7 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lifting restrainer installed to the inclined chute at a position above the worm screw so as to prevent the head of the nail  5  from being lifted. 
     
     
         8 . The nail feeding device according to  claim 7 , wherein the lifting restrainer includes:
 a shaft pin to connect a rear end of the lifting restrainer to an additional lifting restrainer;   a handle provided at a front end of the lifting restrainer and adapted to be manually lifted about the shaft pin so as to correctly align misaligned nails or to remove defective nails; and   a spring installed to a middle portion of the lifting restrainer to allow the additional lifting restrainer to be elastically supported downward onto an upper surface of the inclined chute so as to prevent the head of the nail from being lifted.