Device for dispensing plastic fasteners

The combination of:

• (a) a supply of fastener stock from which can be dispensed an individual plastic fastener, the supply of fastener stock being shaped to include a pair of continuous side rails to which are coupled a plurality of equidistantly spaced cross-links, the individual fastener comprising a pair of shortened cross-bars that are interconnected by at least one flexible filament, and
• (b) a device for dispensing an individual plastic fastener from the supply of fastener stock, the device comprising:
• (i) a head assembly adapted to receive the supply of fastener stock, sever an individual fastener from the supply of fastener stock and eject the individual fastener during a single stroke of its actuation cycle wherein the head assembly comprises a pair of hollowed needles, each needle being retained by a corresponding needle block assembly, each needle being shaped to define a longitudinal bore and a guide block mounted on the needle block, the guide block being shaped to define a cutout in communication with the bore in the needle block wherein the guide block includes a shelf positioned outside the guide channel for the needle block assembly, the shelf comprising a flat front contact surface that is generally flush with the cutout, and
• (ii) a motor for driving the head assembly through its actuation cycle,
• (iii) wherein the head assembly is adapted to limit distortion of one or more cross-links for the fastener stock fed thereinto within a single plane.