Pellet feed soldering iron

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION OF A SOLDERING IRON WITH A DEVICE FOR FEEDING INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF SOLDER COMPRISING: A SOLDERING IRON INCLUDING A HANDLE OF LOW THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MATERIAL AND A SHANK PORTION ADAPTED TO HAVE A SOLDERING TIP ON THE FORWARD END THEREOF; A HOPPER FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF SAID INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF SOLDER MOUNTED ON SAID SOLDERING IRON ADJACENT SAID HANDLE; A FEEDER TUBE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED SOLDER PIECES EXTENDING FROM SAID HOPPER TO ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF THE SOLDERING IRON, SAID FEEDER TUBE BEING SPACED FROM THE HOT PARTS OF THE SOLDERING IRON, WITH THE OPEN END OF THE FEEDER TUBE SO POSITIONED THAT IT IS DISPOSED OVER A SOLDERING TIP ON THE FORWARD END OF THE IRON; A PASSAGE FOR TRANSFER OF SAID SOLDER PIECES BETWEEN SAID HOPPER AND SAID FEEDER TUBE; MEANS FOR PUSHING INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF SOLDER FROM SAID PASSAGE INTO SAID FEEDER TUBE; GATE MEANS FOR PREVENTING SAID SOLDER PIECES FROM ESCAPING FROM THE OPEN END OF SAID FEEDER TUBE, WHILE PERMITTING THE FOREMOST PIECE OF SOLDER IN THE FEEDER TUBE TO BE EJECTED THROUGH THE OPEN END THEREOF WHEN SAID PUSHING MEANS IS OPERATED AND THE MOVEMENT THEREOF IS TRANSFERRED TO THE FOREMOST PIECE OF SOLDER.