Sewing apparatus using thermoplastic staples

Claim 1

A sewing apparatus comprising: a bed adapted to receive thereon work; a rigid arm fixedly positioned above said bed, said arm having fixed thereto a stationary external cylinder; an internal cylinder mounted within said external cylinder for vertical movement with respect thereto toward and away from said bed, said internal cylinder having therein a vertical passage; staple feeder means attached to said external cylinder for housing a supply of synthetic resin staples each having an inverted U-shaped configuration with spaced downwardly extending legs and for feeding said staples sequentially through said external cylinder and said internal cylinder into said vertical passage; means, operatively connected between said external cylinder and said internal cylinder, for selectively vertically moving said internal cylinder between an upper position spaced from said bed and a lower position adjacent said bed; said internal cylinder having at a lower end thereof outwardly extending work presser means for pressing against said bed work received thereon when said internal cylinder is in said lower position thereof; staple driver means, mounted for vertical movement within said vertical passage, for driving said staples one at a time downwardly through said vertical passage and for causing said legs of said staples to penetrate through the work on said bed; said bed having therein recessed anvil means for bending said legs of said staples inwardly into abutting relationship with each other after penetration of said legs through the work; said anvil means having extending upwardly from the bottom thereof projection means for cooperation with said staple driver means to press said abutted staple legs together and into tight attachment with the work; and heater means, located adjacent said anvil means, for heating and fusing together said abutted staple legs to form an integral and uniform dimensioned member on the underside of the work.