Method and apparatus for dispensing fasteners
AssigneeDennison Manufacturing Company
InventorDavid B. Russell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved system is described for attaching price tags to garments and for other joining applications using plastic fasteners dispensed through hollow, slotted needles. The system comprises a new method and tool for dispensing fasteners supplied in long lengths, together with improved fastener stock adapted for use therewith and for molding in continuous lengths.
Claims22
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.
The method of dispensing a fastener through a hollow slotted needle from fastener stock comprising a plurality of fasteners each of which has a filament with a transversely disposed end-bar at one end, end-bars of adjacent fasteners being joined end-to-end by severable connectors, said method comprising advancing said fastener to a position adjacent the rear portion of the needle bore with the end-bar transversely disposed to the needle bore, rotating the end-bar from said transverse position about the connector joining it to the next adjacent end-bar into a position in alignment with said bore, severing said connector, and forcing said end-bar through said bore.
The method of dispensing fasteners through the bore of a slotted hollow needle, wherein each fastener includes a filament with an angularly disposed end-bar at one end of the filament, comprising the steps of
- (a) advancing each fastener to a position at the rear of the needle with said end-bar disposed at an angle to said bore,
- (b) moving said end-bar from its angular position into alignment with said bore, and
- (c) pushing said end-bar through said bore with said filament extending through the slot of said needle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.