Fabrication of needles useful in the dispensing of plastic fasteners
AssigneeAvery Dennison Corporation
InventorCharles L. Deschenes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating a needle useful in the dispensing of plastic fasteners and a needle fabricated by the method. In a preferred embodiment, the method involves electroplating a nickel alloy onto a master, the master being made of a meltable material and being appropriately shaped to produce an unfinished shank portion of a needle. The master is then melted away from the electroplated metal, leaving behind an unfinished shank portion. The unfinished shank portion is then finished by machining, and a plastic base portion is insert-molded around the end thereof.
Claims11
A method of fabricating a needle of the type useful in the dispensing of plastic fasteners, said needle comprising a finished shank portion and a base portion, said finished shank portion being a hollow cylindrical member having a sharp tip, a longitudinal slot and a rear end, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) fabricating an unfinished shank portion, said fabricating step comprising electroforming a metal onto a master;
- (b) finishing said unfinished shank portion by machining the metal electroformed on the master;
- and
- (c) forming a base portion around the rear end of said finished shank portion.
A method of fabricating a finished shank portion of a needle of the type useful in the dispensing of plastic fasteners, said finished shank portion being a hollow cylindrical member having a sharp tip, a longitudinal slot and a rear end, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) fabricating an unfinished shank portion, said fabricating step comprising electroforming a metal onto a master;
- and
- (b) finishing said unfinished shank portion, said finishing step comprising machining a sharp tip and a longitudinal slot into said unfinished shank portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.