Specification

This invention generally refers to a punch for applying an eyelet to an article, such as the upper of a shoe or other similar article. More specifically, it is a punch for the application of an eyelet made of plastically deformable material.

As is well known, to apply an eyelet made of deformable material, e.g. metal or plastic, to a shoe or other similar article, application punches are used, consisting of an upper part and a lower part.

The upper part pushes the eyelet downwards, while the lower part acts as a base on which the eyelet is beaten and deformed, thus creating the washer shaped portion that fixes the deformed eyelet to the article.

The punch can be of the conventional type, for the simple application of the eyelet on an already perforated article, or it can be of the self-drilling type, for application on non-perforated articles. In the latter case, the punch itself drills the hole on the article, simultaneously with the application of the eyelet at the point where the hole is made.

The punches according to the known art can be used on manual or fully automatic application machines, with automatic feeding of the eyelets during the application itself.

Usually, the applied eyelets are made of metal material.

In recent years, however, the use of non-metallic materials, such as plastic or composite materials, has been increasingly used to overcome wear problems and to meet the aesthetic requirements of the market. If eyelets made of plastic or composite materials are applied, with the punches currently used, a washer with a defined shape and stable over time is not obtained.

A washer of this type does not guarantee a perfect fastening of the eyelet to the article. The purpose and function of this invention is to provide a punch for applying an eyelet to footwear or similar articles, which overcomes the problems of the known art.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a punch that allows a plastic or composite eyelet to be applied to an article in a stable and durable manner. A further purpose of this invention is to provide a punch for applying eyelets, which produces a fixing washer with a defined and non-deformable shape at the end of the application procedure.

These and other purposes are achieved by a punch that can be fixed to an applicator machine, to apply an O-eyelet with a head and an annular portion to an article to be transformed into a fixing washer.

The punch comprises an upper and a lower part, and is characterized by the fact that the upper part includes a fixing block for connection to the applicator machine, and a housing to receive the head of the O-eyelet.

The punch is also characterized by the fact that the lower part includes: - a central body with a lower portion attached to the applicator machine, and a first upper portion attached to the molding of the fixing washer;

- elastic means resting on the lower portion of the central body;

- an annular body resting on the elastic means, translating with respect to the central body and with a second upper portion adapted for the molding of the fixing washer. The first upper portion (28) of the central body (24) includes a first surface and the second upper portion of the ring body (32) includes a second surface; in particular, the first surface and the second surface are continuous when the elastic means are not pressed by the ring body (32).

Due to this conformation, when applying the O-eyelet to an article, after the upper part of the punch has lowered, the end of the annular portion of the O-eyelet is plastically deformed by the first upper portion of the central body and the second upper portion of the annular body, in particular the first surface and the second surface.

Since the central body and the annular body are translating to each other, the second upper portion of the annular body can translate with respect to the first upper portion of the central body, so that on the fixing washer created by the deformation of the annular portion of the eye loop O, two portions of different heights and concentric to each other are formed.

The upper portion of the upper part can include a cylindrical pin with a head for drilling the article, and a hole of the same shape and size as the cylindrical pin can be drilled into the upper portion of the central body.

In this way, the punch not only creates the fixing washer, but also allows the article to be drilled.

Furthermore, in the first upper surface of the upper portion and in the second upper surface of the annular body a continuous annular cavity of semi circular shape can be obtained.

Thus, in the course of the deformation that creates the fastening washer, when the beaten material comes into contact with the first upper portion of the central body and the second upper portion of the annular body, the annular body lowers with respect to the central body and the deformation of the O-eyelet is completed, thus forming a fastening washer that remains in one body with the head of the same O-eyelet.

In particular, when the annular body is lowered, the annular cavity is also lowered in its portion obtained on the second surface of the same annular body, so that an additional concentric ring is created, slightly higher than that created by the portion of the annular cavity obtained in the first surface of the upper portion of the central body.

The upper surface of the annular body can advantageously include a flat annular surface on the outside of the annular cavity, forming the outermost portion of the retaining washer evenly and flatly.

A suction system can be applied to the top of the punch to retain the O-ring when applying it to the article.

Further features and details of the invention may be better understood from the following description, given as a non-exhaustive example, as well as from the attached drawing, wherein:

Figs. 1, 2 are axonometric and side views, respectively of a punch according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of a lower part of the punch in Fig. 1. With reference to the attached figures, Figure 10 indicates a punch suitable to be fixed to an applicator machine to apply an O-eyelet made of plastic or composite material on an article and including a head and an annular portion.

In particular, punch 10 must modify the annular portion of the eyelet so as to form a fixing washer opposite the head of the eyelet. Punch 10 comprises an upper part 12 and a lower part 14. The upper part 12 includes:

- a fixing block 16 for connection to the applicator machine;

- a housing 18 to receive the O-eyelet head;

- a cylindrical pin 20 with a spherical head 22 for drilling the article.

The lower part 14 includes:

- a central body 24 with a lower portion 26 suitable for fixing with the applicator machine, and an upper portion 28 suitable for forming the fixing washer;

- a pack of cup springs 30 resting on the lower portion 26 of the central body 24, in particular on a protruding cylindrical element;

- an annular body 32 resting on the disc spring pack 30 and translating with respect to the central body 24.

In the central body 24 there is a hole 34, in the upper part of which the shape and dimensions are the same as those of the cylindrical pin 20 of the upper part 12, so that when the same cylindrical pin 20 is inserted in the hole 34, a hole is made in the shoe or similar article through which the O-eyelet is fixed.

In the upper surface of the upper portion 28 and the annular body 32 a semi-circular shaped annular cavity 36 is obtained.

At the end of the annular cavity 36, the upper surface of the annular body 32 includes a flat annular surface 38.

The procedure for applying the O-eyelet to an article first requires the upper part 12 to be lowered so that the cylindrical pin 20 with the head 22 holes the article and is brought inside the hole 34 made in the central body 24 of the lower part 14.

At the same time, the end of the annular portion of the O-eyelet is plastically deformed by the annular cavity 36. In the course of this deformation, when the beaten material comes into contact with the annular surface 38, the annular body 32 is lowered with respect to the central body 24 and the deformation of the O-eyelet is completed, thus forming a fixing washer which is held in one body with the head of the O-eyelet itself. Basically, the annular surface 38 determines, in the final phase of crushing of the O-eyelet, the consolidation and final fixation of the fixing washer shape.

The fixing washer thus is shaped like a double concentric ring and is made more solid having an articulated outer surface.

In fact, when the annular body 32 is lowered, the annular cavity 36 is also lowered in the portion obtained in the same annular body 32, so that an additional concentric ring is created, slightly higher than that created by the portion of annular cavity 36 obtained in the upper portion 28 of the central body 24.

There are possible variants to be considered included in the scope of protection; for example, the upper part 12 and the lower part 14 of punch 10 can be turned upside down.

In addition, the upper part 12 as described above may be without the cylindrical pin 20 and therefore the item must be drilled before the O-eyelet is applied. In this case, the upper surfaces of the upper portion 28 and the annular body 32 do not vary from the previous description. A suction system can be applied to the upper portion 12 of punch 10 to correctly hold the O-eyelet during the application phase on housing 18.