Fastener attaching tool

A tool for dispensing individual fasteners from a fastener clip into a desired article, the fastener clip comprising a pair of generally parallel runner bars and one or more fasteners, each fastener comprising an elongated flexible filament and a pair of transverse bars, one transverse bar being disposed at each end of said elongated flexible filament, the elongated flexible filament having a longitudinal axis and being disposed in a plane of the pair of generally parallel runner bars, each of the pair of transverse bars being connected to a corresponding runner bar by a connector post, the connector posts being severably connected to outer sides of their respective transverse bars, each connector post extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the elongated filament, said tool comprising:

• a) a body having a front end, a top, a rear end and a channel, said rear end having an opening, said channel extending inward from said opening;
• b) a pair of needles projecting from the front end of the body, each of said needles having a front end which is adapted for insertion into the article, a side, a longitudinally extending bore appropriately dimensioned to permit one of the transverse bars of the fastener to slide therthrough, a knife edge and a longitudinal slot, said longitudinal slot communicating with said longitudinally extending bore to permit the end of the filament adjacent to the transverse bar to extend therethrough, said knife edge being on the side of said needle spaced front said front end to cut the connector post as the transverse bar passes by;
• c) an ejector mechanism slidably mounted in said channel and manually movable back and forth in said channel through the opening in the rear end of said body, said ejector mechanism including a pair of ejector rods for pushing the transverse bars of the fastener into and through said longitudinally extending bores of said needles and into the desired article;
• and
• d) said body further including a feed slot through which the fastener clip is inserted, said feed slot extending inwardly from the top and terminating behind said needles such that the transverse bars of a desired fastener to be disposed are positioned directly behind said needles and in alignment with said longitudinally extending bores in said needles, said feed slot in said body of said fastener attaching tool having registration elements for assisting proper alignment of the transverse bars of the fasteners of said fastener clip with said longitudinally extending bores of said needles, said registration elements on said feed slot including bars formed on the inside walls of said feed slot, said body further including a pair of openings, each opening sized for insertion of one of two fingers of a user, for holding said fastener attaching tool while actuating the ejector mechanism with a thumb of the user.