Tag attaching apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for attaching tags using fasteners, the fasteners being arranged in an assembly, each fastener including a bar section and a head section joined by a filament section, the fasteners being coupled to a common carrier member by respective coupling members, the apparatus comprising: a body, a hollow needle having an elongated slot along one side supported by the body and extending outwardly of the body, a push rod supported by the body for driving a bar section of a fastener through the needle while a filament section of the fastener extends through the slot, means engageable with the coupling members for feeding the fastener assembly to bring the bar sections one-at-a-time along a path into alignment with the push rod, means for severing the bar sections from the respective coupling members, the feeding means including a toothed wheel, a pawl for engaging the wheel to advance the wheel, the pawl being movable between first and second positions, and means for moving the push rod and the pawl in a sequence, the moving means including a slide having rack teeth, a gear segment in mesh with the rack teeth, the gear having a groove with spaced apart abutment faces, a projection received in the groove, a link connected to the pawl and to the projection, a manually operable actuator coupled to the gear segment, the projection cooperating with one abutment face upon manual actuation of the actuator to move the pawl from the first position to the second position, means for returning the push rod, the slide, the gear segment, and the actuator to their initial positions, the projection being cooperable with the other abutment face after the push rod has moved clear of the path of movement of the bar sections for moving the pawl from the second position to the first position to effect advance of the toothed wheel.

Claim 3

Apparatus for attaching tags using fasteners, the fasteners being arranged in an assembly, each fastener including a bar section and a head section joined by a filament section, the fasteners being coupled to a common carrier member by respective coupling members, the apparatus comprising: a body, a hollow needle having an elongated slot along one side supported by the body and extending outwardly of the body, a push rod supported by the body for driving a bar section of a fastener through the needle while a filament section of the fastener extends through the slot, means engageable with the coupling members for feeding the fastener assembly to bring the bar sections one-at-a-time along a path into alignment with the push rod, means for severing the bar sections from the respective coupling members, the feeding means including a toothed wheel, a pawl for engaging the wheel to advance the wheel, the pawl being movable between first and second positions, and means for moving the push rod and the pawl in a sequence, the moving means including cooperating gears, one of the gears having a groove, the push rod being connected to one of the gears, a projection received in the groove, means defining first and second abutment faces at the groove, means connecting the pawl and the projection, a manually operable actuator coupled to the gear with the groove, the projection cooperating with the first abutment face upon manual actuation of the actuator to move the pawl from the first position to the second position, means for returning the push rod, the gears and the actuator to their initial positions, the projection being cooperable with the second abutment face after the push rod has moved clear of the path of movement of the bar sections for moving the pawl from the second position to the first position to effect advance of the toothed wheel.

Claim 4

Apparatus for attaching tags using fasteners, the fasteners being arranged in an assembly, each fastener including a bar section and a head section joined by a filament section, the fasteners being coupled to a common carrier member by respective coupling members, the apparatus comprising: a body, a hollow needle having an elongated slot along one side supported by the body and extending outwardly of the body, a push rod supported by the body for driving a bar section of a fastener through the needle while a filament section of the fastener extends through the slot, means engageable with the coupling members for feeding the fastener assembly to bring the bar sections one-at-a-time along a path into alignment with the push rod, means for severing the bar sections from the respective coupling members, the feeding means including a toothed wheel, a pawl for engaging the wheel to advance the wheel, the pawl being movable between first and second positions, and means for moving the push rod and the pawl in a sequence, the moving means including cooperating gears, one of the gears having a groove, the push rod being connected to one of the gears, a projection received in the groove, means defining first and second abutment faces at the groove, means connecting the pawl and the projection, a manually operable actuator coupled to the gear with the groove, the projection cooperating with the first abutment face upon manual actuation of the actuator to move the pawl from the first position to the second position, means for returning the push rod, the gears and the actuator to their initial positions, the projection being cooperable with the second abutment face after the push rod has moved clear of the path of movement of the bar sections for moving the pawl from the second position to the first position to effect advance of the toothed wheel.

Claim 5

Apparatus for attaching tags using fasteners, the fasteners being arranged in an assembly, each fastener including a bar section and a head section joined by a filament section, the fasteners being coupled to a common carrier member by respective coupling members, the apparatus comprising: a body, a hollow needle having a elongated slot along one side supported by the body and extending outwardly of the body, a push rod supported by the body for driving a bar section of a fastener through the needle while a filament section of the fastener extends through the slot, means engageable with the coupling members for feeding the fastener assembly to bring the bar sections one-at-a-time along a path into alignment with the push rod, means for severing the bar sections from the respective coupling members, the feeding means including a toothed wheel, a pawl for engaging the wheel to advance the wheel, the pawl being movable between first and second positions, and means for moving the push rod and the pawl in a sequence, the moving means including a slide having rack teeth, a gear segment in mesh with the rack teeth, the push rod being connected to the slide, a manually operable actuator coupled to the gear section, the pawl including a link member and a toothed member coupled to the link member and cooperable with the toothed wheel, a groove in the gear segment, a projection received in the groove, the groove having spaced abutment faces, a link connecting the link member and the projection, the projection cooperating with one abutment face upon manual operating of the actuator to move the pawl from the first position to the second position, means for returning the push rod, the slide, the gear segment and the actuator to their intitial positions, the projection being cooperable with the other abutment face after the push rod has moved clear of the path of movement of the bar sections for moving the pawl from the second position to the first position to effect advance of the toothed wheel.

Claim 6

Apparatus for attaching tags using fasteners, the fasteners being arranged in an assembly, each fastener including a bar section and a head section joined by a filament section, the fasteners being coupled to a common carrier member by respective coupling members, the apparatus comprising: a body, a hollow needle having a elongated slot along one side supported by the body and extending outwardly of the body, a push rod supported by the body for driving a bar section of a fastener through the needle while a filament section of the fastener extends through the slot, means engageable with the coupling members for feeding the fastener assembly to bring the bar sections one-at-a-time along a path into alignment with the push rod, means for severing the bar sections from the respective coupling members, the feeding means including a toothed wheel, a pawl for engaging the wheel to advance the wheel, the pawl being movable between first and second positions, and means for moving the push rod and the pawl in a sequence, the moving means including a slide having rack teeth, a gear segment in mesh with the rack teeth, the push rod being connected to the slide, a manually operable actuator coupled to the gear section, the pawl including a link member and a toothed member coupled to the link member and cooperable with the toothed wheel, a groove in the gear segment, a projection received in the groove, the groove having spaced abutment faces, a link connecting the link member and the projection, the projection cooperating with one abutment face upon manual operating of the actuator to move the pawl from the first position to the second position, means for returning the push rod, the slide, the gear segment and the actuator to their intitial positions, the projection being cooperable with the other abutment face after the push rod has moved clear of the path of movement of the bar sections for moving the pawl from the second position to the first position to effect advance of the toothed wheel.