Mechanism for assembling nut members and washers

Claim 1

A MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING WORKPIECES SUCH AS NUT MEMBERS HAVING A BODY AND A NECK PORTION DEPENDING FROM A CLAMPING SURFACE THEREOF AND APERTURED WASHERS, COMPRISING A FIRST ROTARY TURRET MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A PREDETERMINED AXIS FOR FEEDING A PLURALITY OF WASHERS SUCCESSIVELY ALONG A PREDETERMINED ARCUATE PATH OF TRAVEL, A SECOND ROTATABLE TURRET DISPOSED CLOSELY ABOVE SAID FIRST TURRET AND MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED AXIS FOR FEEDING SUCCESSIVE NUT MEMBERS ABOVE SAID PATH OF TRAVEL AND INTO AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SUCCESSIVE WASHERS, SAID AXIS OF SAID SECOND TURRET BEING LOCATED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID ARCUATE PATH OF TRAVEL, SAID SECOND TURRET HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST TURRET, SAID SECOND TURRET HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED NUT MEMBER RECEIVING AND RETAINING MEANS MOVABLE ALONG A PATH OF TRAVEL FROM A NUT MEMBER RECEIVING POSITION LOCATED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED PATH OF TRAVEL, TO A SECOND POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED PATH OF TRAVEL AND THEN RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED PATH OF TRAVEL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING NUT MEMBERS TO SAID SECOND MENTIONED TURRET AT SAID FIRST POSITION, MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MENTIONED TURRETS AT SAID FIRST POSITION FOR SUPPORTING NUT MEMBERS ABOVE SAID FIRST MENTIONED PATH OF TRAVEL AT SAID FIRST POSITION AND FOR LOWERING THE NUT MEMBERS INTO PARTIALLY ASSEMBLY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WASHERS DURING MOVEMENT OF THE NUT MEMBERS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION, AND MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH SAID FIRST TURRET AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID PATH OF TRAVEL FROM ADJACENT SAID SECOND POSITION FOR ENGAGING NECK PORTIONS OF SUCCESSIVE NUT MEMBERS FOR GUIDING THE NUT MEMBERS ALONG SAID FIRST MENTIONED PATH OF TRAVEL AND DISENGAGING THE NUT MEMBERS FROM SAID SECOND MENTIONED TURRET.