Tag dispensing apparatus

An apparatus for dispensing individual tags from a strip of closure tags in which each one of the tags has a pair of oppositely disposed first and second edges separated by a tag height, an opening accessible through the first edge into which to insert a bag to be closed, and a pair of oppositely disposed forward and rearward edges separated by a tag width, the rearward edge of which is attached breakably to the forward edge of an adjacent tag in the strip of closure tags, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel member through which to feed the strip of closure tags, the channel member defining a pair of first and second generally parallel, elongated channels adapted to slidably receive respective ones of the first and second edges of the tags and thereby guide the strip of closure tags for dispensing purposes;
• a forward end portion of the channel member defining a forward end of the second channel that is disposed slightly ahead of a forward end of the first channel, to enable placement of a bag into the opening in the first one of the strip of closure tags while a substantial portion of the lower edge of the first tag is still disposed within the second channel;
• a generally rigid guide member attached to the channel member to define a surface disposed generally ahead of and facing the second channel;
• and
• first means, including a first portion of the surface on the guide member that extends from a first position that is generally directly ahead of the forward end of the second channel a distance slightly less than the tag width to a second position that is disposed sideways from the longitudinal axis of the second channel, for guiding the forward edge of the first tag sideways as the first tag is pulled from the channel member and for thereby causing the first tag to bend sideways slightly before being pulled completely from the second channel so that the first tag tends to fold slightly where it is attached to the forward edge of the adjacent tag when the first tag is pulled completely from the second channel.

An apparatus for dispensing a strip of closure tags which includes a plurality of closure tags and frangible connecting regions for joining adjacent closure tags together, said apparatus comprising:

• a storage section for storing the strip of closure tags;
• means for guiding the strip of closure tags from the storage section forwardly along a path to a dispensing location at which the tags can be dispensed from the guide means;
• said guiding means includes means responsive to the forwardmost tag of the strip approaching said location for bending the connecting region between such forwardmost tag and the adjacent tag whereby such connecting region is stressed;
• said guiding means including means for guiding the forwardmost tag sideways to stress the connecting region between the forwardmost tag and the adjacent tag;
• and
• said guiding means including first and second sides, and said bending means including at least one of said sides terminating in an end and a guide member spaced forwardly from said end and arranged to direct the forward end of the forwardmost tag sideways.

An apparatus for dispensing a strip of closure tags which includes a plurality of closure tags and frangible connecting regions for joining adjacent closure tags together, said apparatus comprising:

• a storage section for storing the strip of closure tags;
• means for guiding the strip of closure tags from the storage section forwardly along a path to a dispensing location at which the tags can be dispensed from the guide means;
• said guiding means includes means responsive to the forwardmost tag of the strip approaching said location for bending the connecting region between such forwardmost tag and the adjacent tag whereby such connecting region is stressed;
• and
• detent means for allowing unidirectional forward movement of the strip by significantly inhibiting rearward movement of the strip and releasably retaining the strip against forward movement.

An apparatus for dispensing a strip of closure tags which includes a plurality of closure tags and frangible connecting regions for joining adjacent closure tags together, said apparatus comprising:

• a storage section for storing the strip of closure tags;
• means for guiding the strip of closure tags from the storage section forwardly along a path to a dispensing location at which the tags can be dispensed from the guide means;
• said guiding means includes means responsive to the forwardmost tag of the strip approaching said location for bending the connecting region between such forwardmost tag and the adjacent tag whereby such connecting region is stressed;
• and
• said guiding means including a wall having an opening therein through which the strip is accessible for purposes of advancing the strip of closure tags.