Apparatus for fastening casings and the like

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING A CLIP AROUND AN ARTICLE SUCH AS A CASING END, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING STANDARD, A GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING TRACK IN SAID STANDARD AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN A U-SHAPED PRONGED CLIP PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF LEGS ADAPTED TO BE BENT AROUND SUCH ARTICLE, A DIE AT THE LOWER END OF SAID TRACK FOR BENDING SAID LEGS, AN ELONGATED PUNCH SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID TRACK FROM AN UPPER POSITION OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CLIP TO A LOWER POSITION URGING SAID CLIP INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DIE, A RACK SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID PUNCH AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STANDARD, A PINION ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID STANDARD AND IN MESH WITH SAID RACK, DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID PINION INCLUDING AN ELONGATED ARM CONNECTED AT ITS INNER END TO SAID PINION AND ADAPTED AT ITS OUTER END TO BE GRASPED BY AN OPERATOR WHEREBY SAID ARM MAY BE SWUNG TO ROTATE SAID PINION AND DRIVE SAID PUNCH ALONG SAID TRACK FOR FORCEABLY FEEDING SUCH CLIP INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DIE, SAID ARM BEING PROVIDED AT ITS OUTER END WITH A WEIGHT, AND, STOP MEANS FOR ARRESTING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RACK AND PUNCH AT A POINT AT WHICH SAID ARM HAS PASSED A VERTICAL UPWARDLY EXTENDING POSITION AND ASSUMES A POSITION OF REST ANGULARLY OFFSET FROM SAID VERTICAL POSITION.