Method and apparatus for dispensing fasteners

Claim 2

Apparatus for advancing connected fasteners which are each formed by a flexible filament angularly connected to an end bar, comprising a housing, means for mounting a slotted hollow needle on said housing, means associated with said housing for advancing each fastener to a position for being dispensed including means for aligning the end-bar of each fastener with the bore of said hollow needle by a cam that is movable back and forth within said housing to rotate said end-bar about a connector joining it to the end-bar of the next fastener that is being advanced.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 2 which comprises rotating a feed wheel to advance the fastener, rotating said end-bar by advancing a cam thereagainst while holding said connector against substantial movement, and forcing the aligned end-bar through the needle bore by advancing a plunger against the exposed end of the end-bar and through said bore, said plunger severing said connector by forcing it against a severing edge, the method further comprising thereafter retracting said plunger and simultaneously retracting said cam and rotating said feed wheel to advance the next end-bar into said transverse position.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 3 comprising the further steps of compressing a spring while retracting said cam, and thereafter releasing said spring to advance the cam to rotate said next end-bar into alignment, whereby retraction of said plunger actuates the feeding and alignment of the next fastener for dispensing through the needle.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein said end-bar is moved into alignment with said bore by a plunger that contacts said end-bar.

Claim 10

The method of claim 5 wherein the fasteners are advanced after the termination of a forward stroke that expels an end-bar from the needle by releasing a spring that is compressed.

Claim 11

Apparatus for dispensing a fastener through a slotted hollow needle, from stock formed by a plurality of fasteners, each having a filament with an angularly disposed bar at one end, comprising means for advancing the fastener to the rear of the needle with its end-bar disposed at an angle to the bore of the needle; means for rotating said end-bar from its angular position with respect to the bore to a position in alignment with said bore, and means for forcing said end-bar through said bore, with said filament projecting through the slot of said needle.

Claim 12

Apparatus for dispensing a fastener through a slotted hollow needle, from stock formed by a plurality of fasteners, each having a filament with an angularly disposed bar at one end, comprising means for advancing the fastener to the rear of the needle with its end-bar disposed at an angle to the bore of the needle; means for rotating said end-bar from its angular position with respect to the bore to a position in alignment with said bore, and means for forcing said end-bar through said bore, with said filament projecting through the slot of said needle.

Claim 13

Apparatus for dispensing fasteners which have flexible filaments angularly connected to end bars, comprising a housing means for mounting a slotted hollow needle on said housing, means associated with said housing for successively advancing the fasteners so that the end bar of each successive fastener is positioned at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the needle, and means for successively aligning said angularly positioned end bars to be parallel to said longitudinal axis and successively dispensing said end bars through said slotted hollow needle with said filament extending through the slots of said needle.

Claim 14

Apparatus for dispensing fasteners which have flexible filaments angularly connected to end bars, comprising a housing means for mounting a slotted hollow needle on said housing, means associated with said housing for successively advancing the fasteners so that the end bar of each successive fastener is positioned at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the needle, and means for successively aligning said angularly positioned end bars to be parallel to said longitudinal axis and successively dispensing said end bars through said slotted hollow needle with said filament extending through the slots of said needle.

Claim 15

Fastener attachment apparatus for dispensing fasteners having a flexible filament and a transversely disposed end-bar at one end, said apparatus comprising a casing, a dispensing needle mounted to said casing and having a longitudinal bore for slidably receiving said end-bar and a slot communicating with said bore for slidably receiving said filament, means for advancing a fastener from a first position remote from said needle bore to a second position adjacent the rear end of said bore with the end-bar transversely disposed to the longitudinal axis of the bore, means for aligning the end-bar with the bore, and means for dispensing the end-bar through the bore.

Claim 16

Fastener attachment apparatus for dispensing fasteners having a flexible filament and a transversely disposed end-bar at one end, said apparatus comprising a casing, a dispensing needle mounted to said casing and having a longitudinal bore for slidably receiving said end-bar and a slot communicating with said bore for slidably receiving said filament, means for advancing a fastener from a first position remote from said needle bore to a second position adjacent the rear end of said bore with the end-bar transversely disposed to the longitudinal axis of the bore, means for aligning the end-bar with the bore, and means for dispensing the end-bar through the bore.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for storing fastener stock comprising a plurality of fasteners having their end-bars joined end-to-end by severable connectors, said apparatus further including means for severing the connector between adjacent end-bars when one of said end-bars is aligned with said bore.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said advancing means comprises a wheel having means for engaging the filaments of said stock to advance the end fastener in an arcuate path to said second position.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 12 further including biasing detent means for retarding motion of said wheel.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means for aligning the fastener end-bar with said bore comprises a cam movable back and fourth within said casing to rotate said end-bar about the connector joining it to the next adjacent end-bar and into alignment with said bore.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said needle is removably mounted in the forward portion of said casing by means of a locking pin, said pin and needle including interlocking parts mutually engagable to secure the needle to the casing, said pin being movable between two positions engaging and disengaging said needle interlocking portion, said casing including biasing means urging the pin into its normal interlocking position.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said needle is mounted in the front portion of said casing, said apparatus further comprising forward and rearward slides mounted for movement back and forth within said casing, means biasing the rear slide in its rear position, means biasing the front slide in its front position, and means for moving said rearward slide toward said needle, said rearward slide being adapted to actuate said dispensing means and said forward slide being adapted to actuate said fastener advancing means and said aligning means, said slides having cooperating means engageable on the return stroke of said rearward slide to move said forward slide to its rearward position.

Claim 23

Apparatus for storing, feeding and dispensing fastener stock having a plurality of connected fasteners, each fastener comprising a flexible filament and a transversely disposed end-bar at one end, end-bars of adjacent fasteners being joined end-to-end by severable connectors at a portion of their peripheries, said apparatus comprising a hollow casing, means for storing a plurality of fasteners, a dispensing needle having a central bore for slidably receiving said end-bar and a slot communicating with said bore for slidably receiving said filament, said needle being removably mounted in the forward portion of said casing, a plunger movable in and out of said needle bore for dispensing fastener end-bars therethrough, a slidable support for said plunger, means biasing said plunger support in its rearward position, means actuating said plunger support to move it to its forward position, a forward slide within said casing between said needle and said plunger support, said slide being supported in said casing for movement back and forth, means biasing said slide in its forward position, cooperating means carried by said slide and said plunger support engagable for moving the slide to a rearward position as the plunger support returns towards its rearward position, a rotatable wheel within said casing having spaced peripheral means for engaging successive filaments of said fastener stock to advance the fasteners along an arcuate path from a storage position to a second position adjacent the rear portion of the needle bore with the end-bar of the first fastener transversely disposed to said bore, said slide and said wheel carrying cooperating means engageable for rotating said wheel when the slide is moved from its forward to its rearward position, means for retarding motion of said wheel, said wheel being spaced from an interior wall of said casing to define therebetween a passageway for said end-bars as they are rotated about said wheel, said slide actuating cam means for aligning the end-bar of a fastener with the bore of a needle by rotating the end-bar about the connector joining it with the adjacent end-bar, and means for severing the connector after said end-bar is aligned with said bore.

Claim 24

Apparatus for storing, feeding and dispensing fastener stock having a plurality of connected fasteners, each fastener comprising a flexible filament and a transversely disposed end-bar at one end, end-bars of adjacent fasteners being joined end-to-end by severable connectors at a portion of their peripheries, said apparatus comprising a hollow casing, means for storing a plurality of fasteners, a dispensing needle having a central bore for slidably receiving said end-bar and a slot communicating with said bore for slidably receiving said filament, said needle being removably mounted in the forward portion of said casing, a plunger movable in and out of said needle bore for dispensing fastener end-bars therethrough, a slidable support for said plunger, means biasing said plunger support in its rearward position, means actuating said plunger support to move it to its forward position, a forward slide within said casing between said needle and said plunger support, said slide being supported in said casing for movement back and forth, means biasing said slide in its forward position, cooperating means carried by said slide and said plunger support engagable for moving the slide to a rearward position as the plunger support returns towards its rearward position, a rotatable wheel within said casing having spaced peripheral means for engaging successive filaments of said fastener stock to advance the fasteners along an arcuate path from a storage position to a second position adjacent the rear portion of the needle bore with the end-bar of the first fastener transversely disposed to said bore, said slide and said wheel carrying cooperating means engageable for rotating said wheel when the slide is moved from its forward to its rearward position, means for retarding motion of said wheel, said wheel being spaced from an interior wall of said casing to define therebetween a passageway for said end-bars as they are rotated about said wheel, said slide actuating cam means for aligning the end-bar of a fastener with the bore of a needle by rotating the end-bar about the connector joining it with the adjacent end-bar, and means for severing the connector after said end-bar is aligned with said bore.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said casing includes a hollow handle, a trigger pivotally mounted to said casing, said lever means within said handle actuated by said trigger to move said plunger support from its rearward to its forward position, said biasing means for urging the plunger support in its rearward position comprising a spring within said handle.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said spring is a compression spring pivotally mounted at one end to said handle and pivotally mounted at the other end to said trigger in a position whereby actuation of said trigger rotates said spring to bring an extension of the longitudinal axis of the spring closer to said trigger pivot point to decrease the force required to compress said spring.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said cooperating means carried by the plunger support and said slide comprises engageable detents one of which is flexible, the casing supporting means for disengaging the detents when the slide is in its rearward position.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said cooperating means for rotating said wheel comprises projections on the side of said wheel and cooperating detent means engaging one of said projections when the slide is moved from its forward to its rearward position.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said means for aligning said end-bars with the needle bore comprises a cam surface carried by said slide.