Method of applying retainer rings from interconnected retainer ring supply

Claim 1

The method of applying retainer rings, each of which comprises two resilient legs spaced from each other at its front portion and adapted to be forced and snapped into a groove in an object by pressing said legs into said groove initially to spread said legs apart, said rings being arranged successively in the form of a flat strip with the legs of each successive ring integrally connected to the rear portion of the respective directly preceding ring and having the leg ends of one end ring free, said method comprising passing said strip through a substantially rigid hand carried holder, projecting said one end ring from the adjacent end of the holder with its legs outward of the last mentioned end of the holder, pressing said legs of said projected ring into said groove while spreading said last mentioned legs resiliently in the plane of said projected ring and to embrace said object and to engage a portion in said groove, and bending said strip at the juncture of said one end ring with the next succeeding ring by using said holder as a handle to bend and break said strip between said one end ring and the directly adjacent ring while said one end ring is held rigid and clamped-in in said groove.

Claim 2

The method of applying retainer rings, each of which comprises two resilient legs spaced from each other at its front portion and adapted to be forced and snapped into a groove in an object by pressing said legs into said groove initially to spread said legs apart, said rings being arranged successively in the form of a flat strip with the legs of each successive ring integrally connected to the rear portion of the respective directly preceding ring and having the leg ends of one end ring free, said method comprising passing said strip through a substantially rigid hand carried holder, projecting said one end ring from the adjacent end of the holder with its legs outward of the last mentioned end of the holder, pressing said legs of said projected ring into said groove while spreading said last mentioned legs resiliently in the plane of said projected ring and to embrace said object and to engage a portion in said groove, and bending said strip at the juncture of said one end ring with the next succeeding ring by using said holder as a handle to bend and break said strip between said one end ring and the directly adjacent ring while said one end ring is held rigid and clamped-in in said groove.

Claim 3

The method of forcing and snapping retainer rings into grooves of an object each of which retainer rings has two resilient legs interconnected at their one end portion by an arched section and spaced from each other at their other end portion by a distance less than the outer diameter of the groove into which the respective ring is to be forced, which includes the steps of: producing the retainer rings in the form of a continuous hardened flat strip in which the legs of each ring with the exception of one end ring are respectively integrally connected to two spaced portions of the arched portion of the respective directly preceding ring, preparing a rigid sheath-shaped flat and manually operable holder for receiving and closely but slidably surrounding at least a considerable length of said flat strip and provided on one of its wider sides with at least one window permitting manual access to a strip of retainer rings when received by said holder for advancing the strip in said holder and projecting said one end ring from said holder, passing said strip through said holder so that only said one end ring projects from the adjacent end of said holder with its legs outward of the adjacent end of said holder, pressing the legs of said projected ring into the respective groove into which said projected ring is to be forced while spreading said last mentioned legs resiliently in the plane of said projected ring to embrace and engage a portion of said groove and snap into the latter, and bending said strip at the juncture of said one end ring with the next succeeding ring by using said holder as A handle to bend and break said strip between said one end ring and the directly adjacent ring while said one end ring is held rigid and clamped-in in said groove.

Claim 4

The method of forcing and snapping retainer rings into grooves of an object each of which retainer rings has two resilient legs interconnected at their one end portion by an arched section and spaced from each other at their other end portion by a distance less than the outer diameter of the groove into which the respective ring is to be forced, which includes the steps of: producing the retainer rings in the form of a continuous hardened flat strip in which the legs of each ring with the exception of one end ring are respectively integrally connected to two spaced portions of the arched portion of the respective directly preceding ring, preparing a rigid sheath-shaped flat and manually operable holder for receiving and closely but slidably surrounding at least a considerable length of said flat strip and provided on one of its wider sides with at least one window permitting manual access to a strip of retainer rings when received by said holder for advancing the strip in said holder and projecting said one end ring from said holder, passing said strip through said holder so that only said one end ring projects from the adjacent end of said holder with its legs outward of the adjacent end of said holder, pressing the legs of said projected ring into the respective groove into which said projected ring is to be forced while spreading said last mentioned legs resiliently in the plane of said projected ring to embrace and engage a portion of said groove and snap into the latter, and bending said strip at the juncture of said one end ring with the next succeeding ring by using said holder as A handle to bend and break said strip between said one end ring and the directly adjacent ring while said one end ring is held rigid and clamped-in in said groove.