Medical needle holder assembly and method of and apparatus for manufacturing medical needle holding assembly

Apparatus for assembling together a generally tubular needle holder, a filter element composed of a was of a predetermined length of filament yarn and a generally tubular filter retainer adapted to be received in said needle holder with said filter element fitter to the needle holder, comprising (1) an elongated hollow transport tube having a longitudinal passageway which is open at its foremost end and having formed in its intermediate portion an opening which is sized to permit said filament yarn to pass therethrough, (2) first feeding and positioning means for feeding said needle holder in each cycle of operation into a predetermined position longitudinally aligned with said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube and having its rearmost end located at the open foremost end of said longitudinal passageway, (3) second feeding and positioning means for feeding said filter retainer in each cycle of operation into a predetermined postion within said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube, said predetermined position of the filter retainer being longitudinally spaced apart and aligned with said predetermined position of said needle holder across said intermediate portion of said longitudinal passageway, (4) third feeding and positioning means for feeding said filament yarn in each cycle of operation into a predetermined position in said intermediate portion of said longitudinal passageway of said transport tube through said opening formed in the intermediate portion, (5) pneumatic transfer means for producing in said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube a unidirectional stream of air flowing from said intermediate portion toward said predetermined position of said filter retainer for moving said filament yarn from said predetermined position thereof toward said filter retainer in said predetermined position thereof until the filter element is forced in the form of a tangle against the foremost end of the filter retainer, and (6) drive means for moving said filter retainer from said predetermined position thereof toward said needle holder in said predetermined position thereof with said tangle of said filament yarn carried on the foremost end of the filter retainer and forcing the filter retainer into said needle holder in said predetermined position thereof so that the tangle of the filament yarn is compacted into wad form within said needle holder.