Combination retaining-ring dispensing and applying means

Claim 1

A COMBINATION RETAINING-RING DISPENSING AND APPLYING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, STACK ROD SUPPORTING MEANS, A STACK ROD AFFIXED TO SAID MEANS AND ADAPTED TO MOUNT A PLURALITY OF OPEN RETAINING RINGS TO BE DISPENSED IN A COLUMN MOVABLE TOWARDS AN END OF SAID STACK ROD, MEANS FORMING A SUPPORT FOR SAID RING COLUMN AND PERMITTING SEPARATING MOVEMENT OF THE ENDMOST RING OF THE COLUMN THEREFROM, AN APPLICATOR COMPRISING A BLADELIKE ARM HAVING A WORKING END PROVIDED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CIRCULAR RING-RECEIVING AND RING-EDGE GRIPPING CUT-OUT WHICH OPENS THROUGH THE END EDGE AND THROUGH BOTH FACES THEREOF AND WITH A FLANGE BOUNDING AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY INTO SAID CUT-OUT FOR A PORTION OF ITS DEPTH THEREBY TO FORM A BACKING FLANGE FOR A RING RECEIVED IN SAID CUT-OUT, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ARM FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE THROUGHOUT AN ARC OF AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY 180* FROM A FIRST POSITION, IN WHICH SAID ENDMOST RING IS RECEIVED IN SAID CUT-OUT AND IS BACKED BY SAID FLANGE FROM MOVEMENT THROUGH THE CUT-OUT IN ONE DIRECTION, TO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID ARM INCLUDING ITS WORKING END AND ITS SAID BACKING FLANGE ARE INVERTED AS COMPARED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE FIRST POSITIONS, AND MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARM FOR POSITIVELY SWINGING SAID ARM FROM AND TO SAID FIRST POSITION TO AND FROM SAID SECOND POSITION AS AFORESAID, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT IN MOVING INTO AND FROM SAID FIRST POSITION THE WORKING END OF THE ARM WILL EDGE-GRIP AND BODILY WITHDRAW THE ENDMOST RING FROM THE STACK ROD WITHOUT SUCH MOVEMENT BEING IMPEDED BY SAID BACKING FLANGE ENGAGING THE RING NEXT ADJACENT SAID ENDMOST RING AND THAT INVERSION OF THE WORKING END AND THE RING BACKING FLANGE DISPOSES THE FLANGE IN A POSITION FAVORABLE TO THE APPLICATOR APPLYING SAID RING TO A SHAFT OR THE LIKE LOOSELY ADJACENT THE END FACE OF A MACHINE PART FOR WHICH SAID RING IS TO FORM A LOCATING SHOULDER.