Automatic tagging apparatus and method therefor

Claim 3

An apparatus as in claim 1, said clamp means and table being relatively movable to clamp the selected layers of an article therebetween in said tagging position.

Claim 4

An apparatus as in claim 2, said clamp means having a surface on which the selected layers of an article are placed and having walls bordering said opening therein shielding the remaining layers of the article from contact with said tack feeding means when the tack feeding means and tack are received therein and move thereinto.

Claim 5

An apparatus as in claim 1, said tack feeding means being a needle movable between a position wherein the same is free of tacks and a position wherein the same receives a new tack from said tack supply and feeds the same through said tagging position, and said tack supply being a plurality of interconnected tacks supported on said apparatus for receipt of an end-most one of said tacks by said tack feeding means.

Claim 6

An apparatus as in claim 1, said supply of tags being on said table and including means adjustable to accommodate tags of different sizes and including said tag feed means to feed at least one tag at a time from said supply of tags to said tagging position.

Claim 7

An apparatus as in claim 1, said means feeding said tag portion to said tagging position moves the fed tag such that a portion of the feed tag remains in said tag supply.

Claim 8

An appartus for automatically tagging a selected layer of a layered article comprising a table having a tagging position, a clamp, said table and clamp being normally relatively spaced to receive the selected layer of a layered article therebetween in said tagging position, means to locate the selected layer in said tagging position below said table and between said table and said clamp, a supply of tags having means to feed a tag therefrom to said tagging position on said table, means to feed a tack to said tagging position and through said tag in said tagging position, and means operable automatically to move said table and said clamp relative to each other to clamp the selected layer of the layered article therebetween and spaced by said table from said tag in said tagging position, and to feed a tag to said tagging position, and to feed a tack to said tagging position and at least partially through said tag and said selected layer in said tagging position to thereby join said tag to the selected layer.

Claim 9

An appartus for automatically tagging a selected layer of a layered article comprising a table having a tagging position, a clamp, said table and clamp being normally relatively spaced to receive the selected layer of a layered article therebetween in said tagging position, means to locate the selected layer in said tagging position below said table and between said table and said clamp, a supply of tags having means to feed a tag therefrom to said tagging position on said table, means to feed a tack to said tagging position and through said tag in said tagging position, and means operable automatically to move said table and said clamp relative to each other to clamp the selected layer of the layered article therebetween and spaced by said table from said tag in said tagging position, and to feed a tag to said tagging position, and to feed a tack to said tagging position and at least partially through said tag and said selected layer in said tagging position to thereby join said tag to the selected layer.

Claim 10

In an automatic tagging apparatus as in claim 7, said table being stationary and said clamp being movable relative to the table to clamp the selected layer therebetween, and said relative space between said clamp and layer being at the front thereof to enable the selected layer of the article to be inserted into said apparatus through the front thereof and to be removed therefrom at the front thereof.

Claim 11

In an automatic tagging apparatus as in claim 7, said operable means automatically releasing said clamp to release the selected layer and returning said table and clamp to their normally relatively spaced positions and moving said tag feed means to a position to feed a new tag to said tagging position, and moving said tack feed means to a position to receive a new tack to feed to said tagging position.

Claim 12

In an automatic tagging apparatus as in claim 9, said operable means including means to adjust the relative times of operation of said clamp, tag feed means and tack feed means and the duration of their respective operations.

Claim 13

In an automatic tagging apparatus as in claim 10, a continuous supply of tacks interconnected with and separable from each other on said apparatus with the leading one of said supply of tacks received by said tack feed means when said tack feed means is moved to said tack receiving position.

Claim 14

In an automatic tagging apparatus as in claim 7, said clamp being movable in response to the operation of said operable means to clamp the selected layer beneath said table.

Claim 15

In an automatic tagging apparatus as in claim 12, said clamp having shielding means about said opening therein to enclose and avoid contact between said tack feed means and the layers of the article other than with the selected layer.

Claim 18

The method as in claim 14, moving the anvil to unclamp the selected layers after the tag is joined thereto by the tack, and removing the article and joining tack from between the anvil and table.

Claim 19

The method as in claim 14, wherein the step of moving the tack feeding needle through the tag and the selected layers further comprises feeding the tack through the tag and the selected layers.

Claim 20

The method as in claim 16, shielding the tack feeding needle for contact with only the desired portion of the article and from contact with other portions of the article as the tack feeding needle moves through the selected layers.

Claim 21

The method as in claim 17, moving the tack feeding needle to receive a tack supplied to the same while feeding another tack to a position to supply the same to the needle while removing the article from between the anvil and table.

Claim 22

The method as in claim 14, placing the selected layers on the anvil and below the table, and feeding the tag on the table above the desired portion of the selected layers and below the tack feeding needle.

Claim 23

The method as in claim 14, retaining a portion of the fed tag in the tag supply while the desired portion thereof is in line with the tack feeding needle.