U.S. patent number 3,759,435 [Application Number 05/169,413] was granted by the patent office on 1973-09-18 for apparatus for dispensing fasteners.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Dennison Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Arnold R. Bone.
United States Patent |
3,759,435 |
Bone |
September 18, 1973 |
APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING FASTENERS
Abstract
Apparatus for dispensing fastener attachment members of the type
having a filament with heads on both ends, the device including a
casing, a needle projecting from the casing, the needle having a
bore through which the fastener attachment member is adapted to be
dispensed, a plunger or ejector adapted to force one head of the
attachment member through the needle bore, the plunger advanced by
the combination of a gear and sliding rack, the sliding rack in the
form of a thin plate and in which the attachment members are fed
before the needle and in front of the ejector by an indexing wheel
advanced by a feed pawl with a slotted hole which allows it to rock
in and out of engagement with the indexing wheel as it is moved
back and forth.
Inventors: |
Bone; Arnold R. (Needham,
MA) |
Assignee: |
Dennison Manufacturing Company
(Framingham, MA)
|
Family
ID: |
22615575 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/169,413 |
Filed: |
August 5, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
227/67;
227/95 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41H
37/008 (20130101); B65C 7/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A41H
37/00 (20060101); B65C 7/00 (20060101); B25c
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;227/67,95,96,137 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Custer, Jr.; Granville Y.
Claims
I claim:
1. In an apparatus for dispensing fastener attachment members one
at a time, said fastener attachments members being coupled to a
carrier by a coupling member and which includes a body, a hollow
needle having an elongated slot along one side supported by said
body and extending therefrom, an ejector supported by the body for
driving a head of the fastener attachment member through said
needle with a filament of the fastener attachment member coupled to
the head projecting through said slot, and an indexing wheel having
a plurality of teeth for engaging the coupling members to feed one
fastener member at a time into position to be fed through said
needle, the improvement comprising an indexing pawl for engaging
the teeth of the wheel, one at a time, to advance the wheel to
position fastener attachment members into position to be fed
through said needle, said pawl having a slotted pivot hole and a
tip for engaging the teeth of the wheel, first means supported by
the body and passing through the slotted pivot hole to permit the
pawl to rock back and forth thereon, and drive means coupled to the
pawl for rocking the pawl back and forth to cause said tip to
engage said teeth one at a time to advance the indexing wheel.
2. In an apparatus according to claim 1 in which said first means
comprises a shaft coupled to said indexing wheel which supports it
for rotation.
3. In an apparatus according to claim 2 in which said pawl is
provided with a bend so that a portion of the pawl lies next to the
indexing wheel and another portion of the pawl extends above said
indexing wheel in order to engage the teeth of said wheel.
4. In an apparatus according to claim 3 in which first resilient
biasing means is provided to bias said pawl against a cover, said
resilient biasing means supported by said body.
5. In an apparatus according to claim 1 in which a detent member is
supported by said apparatus adjacent said teeth of said wheel, said
detent member being positioned to ride over the side of said teeth
and fit within the space between two teeth to prevent the wheel
from rotating, and in which said detent member is resiliently
biased so that the wheel may be rotated when sufficient force is
applied thereto to cause the detent member to be forced out of the
space between two teeth and ride over the side surface of one of
the teeth and position itself in the next space between the teeth
as the wheel is rotated.
6. In an apparatus according to claim 5 in which said first means
comprises a shaft coupled to said indexing wheel which supports it
for rotation.
7. In an apparatus according to claim 6 in which said pawl is
provided with a bend so that a portion of the pawl lies next to the
indexing wheel and another portion of the pawl extends above the
indexing wheel in order to engage the teeth of said wheel.
8. In an apparatus according to claim 4 in which a detent member is
supported by said apparatus adjacent said teeth of said wheel, said
detent member being positioned to ride over the side of said teeth
and fit within the space between two teeth to prevent the wheel
from rotating, and in which said detent member is resiliently
biased so that the wheel may be rotated when sufficient force is
applied thereto to cause the detent member to be forced out of the
space between the teeth and ride over the side surface of one of
the teeth and position itself in the next space between the teeth
as the wheel is rotated.
9. An indexing mechanism comprising a wheel adapted to rotate and
having a plurality of teeth positioned about the circumference
thereof, a pawl having a hook-like end for engaging the teeth of
the wheel one at a time to rotate the wheel in one direction, the
pawl having a slotted pivot hole, support means positioned in the
pivot hole for supporting the pawl and at the same time permitting
the pawl to rock back and forth thereon, and means coupled to the
pawl to move the wheel increments as the pawl rocks back and forth
on the support means.
10. An indexing mechanism according to claim 9 in which the support
means comprises a shaft coupled to the wheel, said shaft supporting
said wheel for rotation.
11. An indexing mechanism according to claim 10 in which a detent
is provided which is positionable in the space between two teeth to
prevent rotation of the teeth, said detent being resiliently biased
towards said teeth.
12. An indexing mechanism according to claim 11 in which the
hook-like end of the pawl has a bend in order to position the
hook-like end over the teeth, and in which resilient biasing means
is provided to urge a portion of said pawl against a cover against
which it frictionally engages.
13. In an apparatus for dispensing fastener attachment members one
at a time, said fastener attachment members being coupled to a
carrier by a coupling member, the apparatus including a body, a
hollow needle having an elongated slot along one side supported by
said body and extending therefrom, an ejector supported by the body
for driving a head of the fastener attachment member through said
needle with a filament of the fastener attachment member coupled to
the head projecting through said slot, and indexing means for
positioning one at a time fastener attachment members into position
to be ejected through said needle, the improvement comprising a
slide to which the ejector is coupled for movement therewith, the
slide having a plurality of holes therethrough from the bottom
surface to the top surface and, each hole constructed such that the
walls of the slide surrounding the holes are adapted to receive
gear teeth, and drive means for moving the slide back and forth,
said drive means including gear means having gear teeth
positionable in the holes of the slide.
14. In an apparatus according to claim 13 in which said drive means
comprises a handle pivotly coupled to said body, and in which the
gear means comprises gear segment means pivotly coupled to said
body and to said handle and return means supported by said body and
pivotly coupled to said gear segment means, and resilient biasing
means supported by said body and coupled to said return means for
urging said gear segment means in one direction.
15. In an apparatus according to claim 14 in which said gear
segment means comprises two gear segments each having gear teeth
and in which said slide includes two rows of holes, each row of
holes constructed to receive the gear teeth of said segments.
16. In an apparatus according to claim 15 in which said ejector
comprises an L shaped portion which extends through a hole in said
slide from the bottom thereof and in which a portion thereof fits
in a groove provided in the top surface of the slide.
17. In an apparatus according to claim 15 in which said indexing
means includes a link in which said slide includes a projection for
moving the link backward and forward in which said link includes a
cutout having stops on either end thereof, and wherein the
projection extends into the cutout and is adapted to move the link
back and forth by engaging the stops to index the indexing
mechanism.
18. In an apparatus according to claim 17 including means for
rotating the link away from said slide to release the carrier for
supporting the fastener attachment members.
19. In an apparatus according to claim 18 in which means is
provided for resiliently urging said link in one direction.
20. An apparatus for dispensing fastener attachment members one at
a time, said fastener attachment members being coupled to a carrier
by a coupling member, said apparatus comprising a body, a needle
supported in the nose of the body, and extending therefrom, said
needle having an elongated slot along one side thereof for the
passage of one head of the fastener attachment members with a
filament between the heads of the fastener attachment members
projecting through said slot, guide means in the nose of the body
for permitting fastener attachment members to be fed into the
apparatus at the rear of the needle on the carrier therefore, a
handle pivotly coupled to said body, gear means pivotly coupled to
said body and to said handle and positioned on said body to be
rotated by said handle as said handle is rotated towards said body,
a slide positioned in said body and having means for engaging the
gear means in order to be moved back and forth thereby, the
rotation of the handle towards said body causing the handle to
rotate the gear means to move the slide forward, return means for
rotating said handle and said gear means to move the slide backward
and the handle away from the body, an ejector supported by said
slide and movable towards said needle to force a fastener
attachment member head therethrough upon rotation of the handle
towards said body, said ejector movable away from said needle upon
rotation of said handle away from said body by said return means, a
link slidably supported within said body, means coupled to said
slide for moving said link backward and forward as a result of
slide movement, said link pivotly coupled to a feed pawl, said feed
pawl positioned to rotate an indexing gear supported for rotation
by said body, said indexing gear having teeth and rotatable in one
direction as a result of the back and forward movement of said
link, said indexing gear teeth positioned to engage the coupling
members connecting the fastener attachment members to the carrier
to move the fastener attachment members into position to be
dispensed through said needle by said ejector.
21. An apparatus according to claim 20 in which said feed pawl
comprises a hook-like end for engaging one tooth at a time of said
indexing gear to rotate it, said pawl having a slotted pivot hole,
and support means positioned within said slotted pivot hole, said
pawl constructed to rock back and forth about said support means as
the link moves back and forth.
22. An apparatus according to claim 21 in which said support means
comprises a shaft coupled to the indexing gear and supported by the
body.
23. An apparatus according to claim 22 in which said pawl has a
bend therein such that a portion of the pawl is parallel to the
indexing wheel and another portion of the pawl is positioned above
and in a plane passing through the center of the indexing gear.
24. An apparatus according to claim 23 in which means is provided
for resiliently biasing a portion of said pawl against a cover to
provide friction for camming of the pawl.
25. An apparatus according to claim 24 in which a resilient biased
detent is supported by said apparatus adjacent said teeth of said
wheel, said detent member is positionable between two teeth of said
indexing gear to retain it in place while at the same time
permitting the indexing gear to be rotated when the pawl hook-like
end engages the teeth of the gear or when the pawl hook-like end is
moved away from the teeth and the carrier is pulled out of the nose
of the apparatus.
26. An apparatus according to claim 25 in which release means is
coupled to the link to rotate it to move the pawl hook-like end
away fom the indexing gear teeth to permit said carrier to be
pulled out of said nose.
27. An apparatus according to claim 20 in which said slide
comprises a plurality of holes formed therethrough and positioned
in a row to engage gear teeth of gear means.
28. An apparatus according to claim 27 in which said link has a
cutout formed therein and stop means at either end of said cutout,
and wherein said slide includes a projection to engage the stop
means to move the link back and forth.
29. An apparatus according to claim 28 in which the needle has a
cutting edge at the rear thereof and a second slot in the rear
thereof for permitting the entry of the head end of the fastener
attachment member.
30. An apparatus according to claim 20 in which the needle has a
cutting edge at the rear thereof and a second slot in the rear
thereof for permitting the entry of the head end of the fastener
attachment member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a new and improved apparatus for
dispensing and inserting fastener attachment members having a
filament and heads on either end.
This invention finds particular utility in applications such as
anchoring tags to articles of apparel, coupling layers of material
together, coupling buttons or the like to coats and other articles
of clothing and in many other applications which require that two
or more layers of material be held together.
The present invention is in particular an improvement over other
devices such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,666. In addition, U.S.
Pats. Nos. 3,470,834 and 3,494,004 may also be referred to for a
description of the state of the art.
For many years, a device such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,666
has been sold and has been used quite widely. Although such devices
are quite acceptable and reliable, there has developed a need for a
new and improved device, or apparatus which would be even more
reliable and durable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In particular, this invention provides an apparatus which includes
a new and improved feed mechanism which maintains a grip on the
carrier supporting the fastener attachment member until the
attachment member has been delivered into the needle bore of the
needle of the apparatus. This feature insures against misfeeds and
jams and thus provides more reliable operation.
Still another improvement in this apparatus is that it is
constructed so that a second feed of an attachment member is
prevented from occurring until the previous operation has been
fully completed. This too prevents jamming of the apparatus.
The apparatus of this invention also includes a new and improved
rack or slide and drive arrangement for moving the ejector to force
the attachment member through the needle bore. The rack is
constructed so that there are no pockets to collect or retain lint
or other foreign materials which could ultimately lead to the
apparatus malfunctioning.
Other uses and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious
and will in part also be apparent from the description which
follows. The invention accordingly comprises the features of
construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts
which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter
described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of the apparatus according to the invention
showing one of the handles of the apparatus in two positions;
FIG. 2 is a view of the opposite side of the apparatus according to
the invention;
FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of the apparatus;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus with parts broken away and
removed to show the operating mechanism of the apparatus;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a top view of a slidable slide or rack adapted to be
moved back and forth by the movement of the handle according to the
invention;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the slide of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a side view of a slidable bar or link according to the
invention which is adapted to be moved back and forth by the plate
as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9;
FIG. 12 is a top view of the bar shown in FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13--13 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14--14 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 15 is an enlarged side view of the indexing or feed mechanism
according to the invention;
FIG. 16 is a side view of the feed pawl shown in FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a view of the plate carrying a detent shown in FIG.
15;
FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along line 18--18 of FIG. 15;
FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line 19--19 of FIG. 15;
FIGS. 20-22 illustrates the operation of the feed mechanism of the
invention;
FIG. 23 illustrates in a front view the member for permitting the
indexing wheel shown in FIG. 4 to free wheel;
FIG. 24 is a sectional view taken along line 24--24 of FIG. 23;
FIG. 25 is a back view of the member shown in FIG. 23;
FIG. 26 is a front view of a fastener attachment member supported
by a carrier therefore;
FIG. 27 illustrates in a side view a number of fastener attachment
members supported by a carrier therefore;
FIGS. 28-32 illustrates in side view, top view and bottom with
parts broken away, and end view respectively of a needle suitable
for use in this invention; and
FIG. 33 illustrates another needle construction suitable for use in
this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIGS. 26 and 27 there is illustrated fastener attachment members
suitable for being dispensed by the apparatus of this invention.
Attachment members are shown at 30 and include a filament 31 and
heads 32 and 33. (See the aforementioned patents for further
details). A carrier 34 with connecting members 35 is provided for
coupling the attachment members 30 to the carrier. When the
attachment members 30 are dispensed through the needle, they are
separated from the carrier by cutting the connecting member as will
be disclosed hereafter.
Reference should now be had to FIGS. 1-33 for a brief description
of the overall apparatus of the invention. The apparatus is shown
at 38 and comprises an outer casing or body 40 comprising two
halves 41a and 41b and a handle 42 pivotly coupled thereto by a
coupling means 43. The body includes a nose portion 40a in which
there is formed guides 40b,40c and 40d for the passage of the
fastener attachment members, carrier and coupling members into the
apparatus and then for the exiting of carrier and coupling members
out of the apparatus after the fastener attachment members have
been dispensed.
In the nose 40a, there is mounted a needle 45 having an elongated
slot 45a for the passage of a fastener attachment head 32
therethrough while the filament 31 between heads projects through
the slot 45a. The needle includes a rear cutting edge 45b for
cutting the coupling members 35 as well as a second slot 45c for
permitting the heads 34 of the fastener attachment members to be
fed into the apparatus.
The construction of the preferred needles for use in the apparatus
are more fully shown in FIGS. 28-33 and will be described later
herein.
The needle 45 is locked in place in the nose 41a by a locking pin
46 which includes a handle 46a and a slot therein (not shown) to
permit the needle 45 mounting portion 45f to be inserted into a
bore 47 provided in the nose 40a.
In order to force or feed fastener attachment members into the
needle slot 45a, the handle 42 is attached by a pivotly connected
member 48 to gear means comprising a pair of gear segments 49 and
50, each having gear teeth 49a and 50a along the top surface
thereof. The member 48 is pivotly connected at 51 to the gear
segments as shown in FIG. 6. The gear segments 49 and 50 are in
turn pivotly coupled to the body 40 of the apparatus as also shown
more particularly in FIG. 6. At 60 there is provided a slide (see
in particular FIGS. 4,6,7 and 8-10) which is positioned to slide
back and forth in the body having guide slots 41d and 41e formed
therein in the body halves 41a and 41b respectively.
The slide 60 has formed therein a plurality of holes 60a shaped to
receive the gear teeth 49a and 50a. The holes extend from the
bottom surface 60b to the top surface 60c and are formed in two
rows as shown to receive the gear teeth of the gear segments. In
this manner lint or other foreign matter is prevented from clogging
the combined operation of the slide and gear segments since the
lint will be pushed out of the holes 60a by the gear teeth. As the
gear segments pivot back and forth the slide 60 moves forward and
rearward.
The slide 60 also includes a hole 60d and a cavity 60e which are
constructed to receive an ejector or plunger 61 having an L shaped
end 61a (see FIG. 4). The ejector end 61a is supported by the slide
for movement therewith to permit the ejector to move back and forth
to expel fastener attachment members through the needle.
The ejector 61 is supported at its forward end by a guide member 62
(see FIG. 4 and FIG. 13) and a separator or cover plate 90 held
between the body halves (see FIGS. 13, 14 and 17).
The rotation of the handle 42 causes the gear segments (see FIG. 4)
to rotate counterclockwise to move the ejector in a timed manner
forward to force a head 32 of the fastener attachment member 30
through the needle to dispense it therefrom. As the ejector moves
forward it causes the coupling member 35 to be severed by the
cutting edge 45b of the needle. In order to return the ejector
rearward again for the next sequence of operations to expel the
next one of a plurality of fastener attachment members, there is
provided a resilient return means 70 comprising a cavity 71 formed
in the body for the movement of a telescoping member 72 therein.
The telescoping member 72 is pivotly coupled to the gear segments
49 and 50 at 73 (see FIGS. 4 and 6) to rotate the cam segments
clockwise by the action of resilient biasing means such as a spring
74 positioned in the cavity 71. Thus after the handle 42 is rotated
or closed towards the body and then released, the return means will
cause the handle to move away from the body to the extended
position shown in FIG. 4.
The apparatus also includes an indexing mechanism 80 for
positioning fastener attachment members one at a time at the rear
of the needle in order to be dispensed by the ejector therethrough.
The indexing mechanism 80 comprises an indexing wheel or indexing
gear 81 supported for rotation by a shaft 82 coupled thereto which
in turn is supported by a bore 83 in the body (see FIGS., 4, 14 and
15).
The indexing gear is positioned in a space between the cover 90 and
a shelf 41c (see FIGS. 14 and 15) provided in body half 41b.
Clearence exists between the gear 81 and the cover 90 and shelf 41c
so that the wheel can rotate freely.
The gear 81 has a plurality of teeth 81a mounted along the
circumference thereof which are adapted to engage the coupling
members 35 to move the carrier 34 and the fastener attachment
members through the apparatus. The indexing gear is rotated
counterclockwise as shown in FIGS. 4 and 15 by the provision of a
pawl 84 which is constructed with a slotted pivot hole 84a
supported by support means such as the shaft 82 coupled to the
indexing gear 81. The pawl 84 is adapted to rock back and forth
over the shaft 82 as the result of the movement of drive means such
as a link 85 which is pivotly coupled thereto at 86. The pawl
preferably includes a pusher such as a hook-like end 84b preferably
having a pointed tip 84c to engage one tooth at a time of the
indexing gear to rotate it (see FIGS. 4 and 16).
The pawl end 84b is preferably provided with a bend at 84d so that
a portion of the pawl will lie against the cover 90 (see FIG. 18)
thus providing a space, or clearance between the pawl and the wheel
to provide free movement of the slotted portion of the pawl so the
pawl is rocked back and forth. The tip 84c of the pawl also extends
above the wheel teeth 81a as shown in FIG. 15. The pawl thus
preferably has a portion that is in a parallel plane with the wheel
and has another portion which lies within the plane of the wheel.
The pawl is held in place by a resiliently biased member 87 which
is positioned within a cavity 88 and urged toward the pawl by a
resilient biasing means such as a spring 89 (see FIG. 14).
The member 87 urges the pawl 87 against the cover 90 to
frictionally hold the hook-end portion 84b against the cover (see
FIG. 18) as the pawl is rocked back and forth on the shaft.
The slot 84a has parallel upper and lower walls 84aa which are
angularly disposed with respect to point 84c so that when the pawl
is rocked in one direction to the left in FIG. 4, point 84c is
cammed out of engagement with the indexing wheel and when rocked in
an opposite direction point 84c is cammed into engagement with the
indexing wheel. Thus there exists an acute angle .alpha. between
the parallel walls 84aa and point 84c as shown to effect the above
mentioned camming movement Pawl portion 84b is frictionally held
against cover 90 by plunger 87 and spring 88 (see FIG. 18) so that
when the opposite end of pawl 84 is moved by link 85 the first
action that takes place is to move slotted portion 84a to the end
of its travel. Because the sides of the slot are angled with
respect to the tip of the pawl 84c (see FIG. 16) movement in one
direction causes tip 84c to cam out of engagement with gear 81 (see
FIG. 20) and movement in the other direction causes tip 84c to cam
into engagement with the gear 81. Further movement of link 85 in
the direction which caused engagement will then cause rotation of
the gear (see FIG. 21)..
In order to prevent the wheel from rotating as the pawl is rocked
back and forth for indexing of the wheel, there is provided on
cover member 90 (see FIGS. 15, 17 and 19) a resilient member 91
extending therefrom which has a projection or detent 91a.
The detent 91a is adapted to be positioned in the space 92 between
the teeth 81a (see FIG 19) to prevent the wheel from rotating. The
detent 91a is adapted to slide over the side of the teeth 81a when
sufficient force is applied to rotate the wheel, as for example by
the action of the pawl 84. Thus the detent 91a acts as a stop which
can be overriden by the forceable movement of the wheel 81. The
provision of the detent also provides positive control of the
carrier for the fastener attachment members.
The drive means to rock the pawl back and forth comprises the link
85 which is mounted in the body 40 and is supported for slidable
movement (see FIGS. 7, 11, 12 and 20-22).
The link 85 includes a cutout 85a having stop means 85b at either
end of the cutout 85a. The stop means are adapted to engage a
projection 60f extending downwardly from the slide 60 (see FIGS. 8,
9 and 20-22). Thus as the slide 60 moves back and forth, the link
85 will be moved therewith to cause the link to slide back and
forth to rock the pawl back and forth to index the indexing gear.
The link 85 is supported at its rearward end by a member 95
positioned in a cavity 96 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) formed in the body
and which is resiliently biased against the link 85 by a spring 97.
The upward movement of the link 85 is restricted by a projection 98
extending from the body (see FIGS. 4 and 7), and the sideway
movement of the link 85 in one direction is restricted by a pin 99
coupled to the body (see FIG. 7). The projection 98 also acts as a
rear stop for stop 85b.
The link 85 also includes a projection 85c extending sideways as
shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The projection is coupled to a release
control member 100 (see FIGS. 23-25, and FIG. 1) having a bore 100a
into which the projection 85c extends and is held thereby. The
member 100 includes a finger projection 100b which extends through
a window 101 formed in the body (see FIG. 1).
The downward and sideways movement (to the left of FIG. 22) of the
projection 100b will cause as shown in FIG. 22 the link 85, to pull
the pawl 84 away from the teeth of the indexing gear 81 and thus
permit a carrier 34 with fastener attachment members coupled
thereto to be pulled out therefrom by rotating the gear 81 while
over-riding the action of the detent 91a.
Briefly, the operation of the apparatus of the invention is as
follows: (1) fastener attachment members and a carrier therefore
are fed into the apparatus by operating the release control finger
100b while inserting the carrier with the fastener attachment
members coupled thereto through guides in the nose; (2) the handle
42 is then closed upon the body to move the slide 60 to the left as
shown in FIG. 20 to cause the ejector 61 to force a fastener
attachment head through the needle while at the same time causing
tbe coupling member to be severed by the needle cutting edge 45b;
(3) the movement of the link to the left also rocks the pawl 84 to
the right as shown in FIG. 20; (4) when the handle 42 is released,
the resiliently biased member 72 moves towards the right to cause
the slide 60 to move rearward and thus at the last portion of its
travel moves link 85 to the right of FIG. 21 (also see FIG. 4); (5)
this then causes the ejector to be retracted from the needle and
further causes the pawl 84 to be rocked forward to rotate the
indexing gear counterclockwise to position the next fastener
attachment member into position to be dispensed from the
needle.
In FIGS. 28-31 there is shown the preferred construction of the
needle 45 shown in FIG. 4. The needle comprises two parts which are
mechanically locked together, one part being shown at 45e and the
mounting portion being shown at 45f. The mounting portion
preferably is constructed of a hard or rigid plastic while the part
45e is preferably constructed of metal. The needle includes the
slot 45a, the rear cutting edge 45b, the second slot 45c as
heretofore described. The rear cutting edge is preferably shaped as
a V with the bottom of the V having a small radius of curvature to
facilitate cutting of materials such as polyurethane.
In FIG. 33 there is shown a slightly different needle construction.
This needle is preferably one piece metal and has the slots and
cutting edge as heretofore described. For further reference to the
construction of preferred needles useful in the practice of this
invention reference may be had to U.S. Patent application of the
same inventor of this application entitled "Fastener Attachment
System Needle Constructions" filed in the U.S. Patent Office on
June 30, 1971 now copending as U.S. Ser. No. 158,438.
* * * * *