Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
Apparatus for dispensing fasteners, each fastener having a pair of side members coupled by a link, comprising: at least one slotted hollow needle; first means for expelling individual ones of said fasteners through said needle, said means being reciprocable in an expulsion direction and a withdrawal direction; second means for advancing a connected plurality of said fasteners; third means for actuating said first and second means, said third means reciprocating said first and second means along an expulsion and a withdrawal direction, said third means moving said first means in the withdrawal direction at the same time as it moves said second means in the expulsion direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
107 words
Apparatus for dispensing fasteners, each fastener having a pair of side members coupled by a link, comprising: at least one slotted hollow needle; first means for expelling individual ones of said fasteners through said needle, said means being reciprocable in an expulsion direction and a withdrawal direction; second means for advancing a connected plurality of said fasteners; third means for actuating said first and second means, said third means reciprocating said first and second means along an expulsion and a withdrawal direction, said third means moving said first means in the withdrawal direction at the same time as it moves said second means in the expulsion direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus for dispensing fasteners as defined in claim 1 wherein said fasteners are expelled over a first path and advanced over a second path displaced from said first path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each individual fastener is separated from said connected plurality by a blade which is pivotally mounted with respect to a knife block to move transversely with respect to said plurality.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said blade is controlled by said third means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the advancing means comprises a spring loaded feed finger having a plurality of triangular feed teeth and means for reciprocating said feed finger.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said third means are a linear cam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said linear cam contains a plurality of distinctive, connected regions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said cam includes a first region for providing lost motion movement of the plunger and a second region disposed at an angle with respect to the first region for controlling the feed of the connected fasteners.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said cam further includes an additional region for controlling the severance of the connected fasteners.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the further region of said cam is interposed between the lost motion region and the feed region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the severance region of said cam is at an angle with respect to the first or lost motion region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as described in claim 11 wherein the severance region of said cam is at a greater angle to the lost motion region than for the feed region.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said slotted hollow needle comprises two concentric cylinders, of which the lesser diameter cylinder is formed into a hypodermic point at the outward extremity of said needle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein one side of said slotted hollow needle includes a flat on the upper cylinder at the inward extremity of said needle to permit interchangability for the plural needle operation of said apparatus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14 including a groove on the opposite side of said cylinder parallel to said flat for the releasable retention of said needle.