Solder-feeding apparatus for a soldering iron

Claim 1

A SOLDER-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR A SOLDERING IRON, COMPRISING: LONGITUDINAL APERTURED SOLDER GUIDE MEANS DEFINING A LONGITUDINAL GUIDE APERTURE THERETHROUGH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND GUIDE A LENGTH OF SOLDER THEREALONG, SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS HAVING A REAR ENTRY END PROVIDED WITH A REAR ENTRY OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID GUIDE APERTURE AT THE REAR END THEREOF AND HAVING A FORWARDLY POSITIONED ANGULARLY FORWARDLY AND LATERALLY DIRECTED DISPENSING TIP END PROVIDED WITH AN EXIT OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID GUIDE APERTURE, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH ACCESS OPENING MEANS PROVIDING ACCESS TO AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL SOLDER GUIDE APERTURE MEANS; EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLABLY OPERABLE SOLDER-ADVANCING MEANS MOVABLE MOUNTED ADJACENT TOS SAID ACCESS OPENING MEANS FOR CONTROLLED INTERMITTENT ADVANCING ENGAGEMENT, BY WAY OF SAID ACCESS OPENING MEANS, WITH RESPECT TO A CORRESPONDING PORTION OF A LENGTH OF SOLDER ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED WITHIN SAID LONGITUDINAL SOLDER GUIDE APERTURE; SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS BEING EFFECTIVELY PROVIDED WITH, AND BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO, A BASE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOLDERING IRON AND CARRYING SAID FORWARD DISPENSING TIP END OF SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS IN A POSITION TRANSVERSELY DISPLACED FROM A FORWARD TIP END OF THE SOLDERING IRON WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FOR CONTROLLED MOVEMENT THEREOF TOWARD SAID FORWARD TIP END OF SID SOLDERING IRON WHEN THE SOLDER-ADVANCING MEANS IS TO BE EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLABLY OPERATED TO DISPENSE A DESIRED QUANTITY OF SOLDER FROM SAID FORWARD DISPENSING TIP END OF SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS FOR USE IN PERFORMING A SOLDERING OPERATION BY THE CLOSELY ADJACENT SOLDERING IRON TIP END; SAID SOLDER-ADVANCING MEANS BEING EFFECTIVELY PROVIDED WITH OPERATING MEANS POSITIONED FOR CONTROLLABLE FORCIBLE ENGAGEMENT AND OPERATION THEREOF BY SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS WHEN SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS IS CONTROOLLABLY MANUALLY MOVED TOWARD SAID BASE PORTION FOR MOVING SAID FORWARD DISPENSING TIP END OF SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS INTO SAID CLOSELY ADJACENT DISPENSING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID SOLDERING IRON TIP END; AND BIASING SPRING MEANS NORMALLY BIASING SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID BASE PORTION SO AS TO PLACE SAID FORWARD DISPENSING TIP END OF SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS IN SAID LATERALLY DISPLACED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE FORWARD TIP END OF THE SOLDERING IRON; SAID SOLDER-ADVANCING MEANS COMPRISING AN ANGULARLY FORWARDLY INCLINED ENGAGEMENT TOOTH MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID ACCESS OPENING MEANS, SAID OPERATING MEANS BEING EFFECTIVELY PROVIDED WITH COUPLING MEANS EFFECTIVELY COUPLING SAID OPERATING MEANS WITH RESPECT TO SAID ANGULARLY FORWARDLY INCLINED ENGAGEMENT TOOTH MEANS FOR EFFECTIVELY PIVOTALLY MOVING SAID ENGAGEMENT TOOTH MEANS FROM A FIRST DISENGAGED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO A PORTION OF A LENGTH OF SOLDER ADAPTED TO LIE IN SAID GUIDE APERTURE AT THE REGION OF SAID ACCESS OPENING MEANS INTO A SECOND ENGAGED POSITION WITH RESPECT THERETO IN RESPONSE TO OPERATION OF SAID OPERATING MEANS COINCIDENT WITH FORCIBLE MANUAL INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SOLDER GUIDE MEANS TOWARD SAID BASE PORTION OF SAID SOLDERING IRON TIP WHEREBY TO MOVE SAID FORWARD END OF SAID ENGAGEMENT TOOTH MEANS INTO SAID ENGAGED POSITION FOR ENGAGING AND FORWARDLY MOVING A LENGTH OF SOLDER ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED WITHIN SAID SOLDER GUIDE APERTURE.