AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLY APPARATUS

There is provided an apparatus for the assembly of a male member such as a bolt blank and a female member, such as a washer, which apparatus is characterized by an element for supporting and moving the male member along a predetermined pathway. A guideway for the female member is provided which is coextensive with at least a portion of the pathway and which is adapted to change the relative spacial relationship of the female member to the male member in the predetermined pathway as the female member moves along the guideway. Means are provided for moving the female member along the guideway in synchronized relation with the male member whereby the male and female members are moved relative to one another in the pathway to a final assembled condition. In a specific embodiment, the predetermined pathway is circular, and the guideway for the female member is not only circular to correspond with the predetermined pathway, but also converges toward the supporting the moving means for the male member. In this manner the parts are assembled while in the pathway.