Fastener applying press method and dies therefor

A hand held press for installing fasteners in a sheet of fabric, said press comprising:

• a rigid frame having first and second arms forming a C-shaped recess, said arms having fixed spaced apart ends which intersects a press axis;
• a handle extending from the frame;
• a lever pivotally attached to the frame and having a grip portion positioned adjacent the handle enabling a user's hand to squeeze the handle and lever grip portion together;
• a shaft oriented along said press axis and having first and second ends, said shaft slidably cooperating with the frame first arm and shiftable between an extended position wherein the shaft first end projects into the C-shaped recess toward the second arm and a withdrawn position retracted therefrom;
• an advance sear cooperating with the shaft and the lever to cause the shaft to incrementally advance each time the lever grip portion is squeezed toward the handle;
• a retract sear cooperating with the shaft and the frame to enable the shaft to freely advance while preventing the shaft from retracting after each incremental advance;
• a retract sear spring cooperating with the frame and the shaft to elastically bias the shaft to the retract position, wherein said shaft is provided with a hollow tubular region sized to receive the retract spring therein;
• means for attaching a first die element to the shaft first end in axial alignment therewith;
• and
• means for attaching a second die element to the frame second arm in axial alignment with a first die element and the shaft.

A hand held press for installing fasteners in a sheet of fabric, said press comprising:

• a rigid frame having first and second arms forming a C-shaped recess, said arms having fixed spaced apart ends which intersect a press axis;
• a handle cooperating with the frame and extending radially outward from the press axis;
• a lever pivotally attached to the frame and having a grip portion positioned adjacent the handle enabling a user's hand to squeeze the handle and lever grip portion together;
• a shaft oriented along said press axis and having first and second ends, said shaft slidably cooperating with the frame first arm and shiftable between an extended position wherein the shaft first end projects into the C-shaped recess toward the second arm and a withdrawn position retracted therefrom;
• a retract sear cooperating with the frame and the shaft to elastically bias the shaft to the retracted position;
• an advance sear cooperating with the shaft and the lever to cause the shaft to incremental advance each time the lever grip is pivoted toward the handle;
• a retract sear cooperating with the shaft and the frame to enable the shaft to freely advance while preventing the shaft from retracting after each incremental advance;
• and
• a retract sear spring cooperating with the retract sear and the frame to elastically bias the retract sear to a normally locked position wherein the shaft is prevented from retracting.

A hand held press for installing fasteners in a sheet of fabric, said press comprising:

• a rigid frame having first and second arms forming a C-shaped recess, said arms having fixed spaced apart ends which intersects a press axis;
• a handle cooperating with the frame and extending radially outward from the press axis;
• a lever pivotally attached to the frame and having a grip portion positioned adjacent the handle enabling a user's hand to squeeze the handle and lever grip portion together;
• a shaft having a circular cross-section oriented along said press axis and having first and second ends, said shaft slidably cooperating with the frame first arm and shiftable between an extended position wherein the shaft first end projects into the C-shaped recess toward the second arm and a withdrawn position retracted therefrom;
• a retract spring cooperating with the frame and the shaft to elastically bias the shaft to the retracted position;
• an advance sear cooperating with the shaft and the lever to cause the shaft to incremental advance each time the lever grip is pivoted toward the handle;
• a retract sear cooperating with the shaft and the frame to enable the shaft to freely advance while preventing the shaft from retracting after each incremental advance;
• and
• a retract sear spring cooperating with the retract sear and the frame to elastically bias the retract sear to a normally locked position wherein the shaft is prevented from retracting;
• wherein the advance and retract sears are each formed of a hard steel sheet having a pair of locally parallel opposed sides with said hole formed therein extending generally perpendicularly to said sides forming a bore intersecting each of the sides to create a sharp corner.

A method of installing a two-piece fastener in a fabric substrate, the method comprising:

• providing a first and second die element for cooperating with the two-piece fastener to be installed in the fabric;
• installing first and second die elements in a press having a rigid C-shaped frame and a shaft positionable relative thereto along a press axis, wherein one of said die elements is affixed axially to the shaft and the other is affixed to the frame in opposed relation along the press axis;
• installing a pair of fastener components in the first and second die elements;
• positioning a fabric substrate within the C-shaped press between the die elements;
• manually advancing the shaft by pushing on the end of the shaft opposite the die element until the fastener components abut on opposite sides of the fabric;
• preventing the shaft from axially withdrawing utilizing a retract sear cooperating with the shaft and the frame;
• manipulating a lever pivotally attached to the frame wherein one end of the lever cooperates with the hand of a user and the opposite end cooperates with an advance sear positioned about the shaft to cause the shaft to incrementally advance squeezing the first and second die elements together to secure the fastener components on the fabric;
• and
• releasing the shaft by manipulating the retract sear, enabling the fabric and the installed fastener to be removed.