Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of _the~Invention
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tag attaching apparatus.
Brief De~cription of the Prior Art
The following U.S. patents showing various tag
attaching apparatus are made of record:
Patentee Patent No. Date Granted
.
Flood 2,626,393 Jan. 27, 1953
Weiland et al 3,650,451 Narch 21, 1972
1~ Bone et al 3,734,375 May 22, 1973
Kinney et al 3,735,908 May 29, 1973
Flood 3,797,722 March 19, 1974 -~
Bone 3,880,339 April 29, 1975
Bone 3,888,402 June 10, 1975
Furutu 3,924,788 Dec. 9, 1975
Patents Nos. 2,626,393; 3,734,375; 3,735,908; 3,797,722 and
3,880,339 have the common feature that the gear that meshes with
the respective rack is rotatable about a point and are incapable
of translational movement.
; 20 Summary of the Invention
According to a specific embodiment of the invention,
a body mounts a needle having a bore and a side opening
com~unicating with the bore. A pair of opposed actuators are
mounted by the body and are drivingly connected to a first
carrier. The feature of a pair of actuators enables the apparatus
to be held by the user in any convenient orientation. The body
also mount~ the first carrier which in turn mounts a second
carrier. The second carrier is connected to a push rod. A
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fastener advancing means includes a toothed me~ber and a pawl.
The first carrier is coupled to the pawl through a lost-motion
connection. The first carrier carries a pair of gears, the
second carrier carries a pair of racks and a pair of racks are
secured to the body. When the actuators are manually operated,
the first carrier is driven and the second carrier is driven
further than the first carrier through the gears and racks.
When the push rod nears the end of its forward travel, the pawl
is moved to a ready or cocked position. A spring returns
1~ the actuators, the push rod and the gears to their initial
positions and as the carriers near the end of their retracting
movement the pawl is driven to in turn drive the toothed member
to advance a bar section of another fastener into alignment
with the needle bore. The first carrier is preferably comprised
of a pair of carrier members between which the second carrier is
slidably mounted. A pair of rollers is mounted on a pin. The
pin is connected to the carrier members and is guided by grooves
in the body. Each actuator is preferably a lever which carries
a cam cooperable with a respective roller. The spring is preferably
Z connected to the pin midway between the carrier members and
midway between the rollers. The body has body sections which
are movable toward and away from each other during assembly or
disassembly. The needle helps key the body sections together.
As the pawl moves toward its ready position, a tooth of the pawl
moves over a tooth on the toothed member and thereafter the
pawl is cammed out of contact wi~h the toothed wheel by a
cam. When the pawl is driven away from the ready position,
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the pawl moves into contact with a tooth of the toothed
member and a~ the pawl continues to move, the toothed member
is rotated a sufficient extent to bring the bar section of
the next fastener into alignment with the needle bore. By
S positioning the cam at the proper position relative to
th~ path of travel of the pawl, the pawl can selectively
engage every tooth, every other tooth, etc. to advance the
toothed wheel with which it cooperates through the de~ired
distance.
Brief De~cription of the Drawings
FIGURE 1 is a left side elevational view of a tag
attaching apparatus;
FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally
along line 2--2 of FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus on a
smaller scale than FIGURE l;
FIGURE 4 is a right side elevational view of the
apparatus;
FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view showing the
inside configuration of one of the body sections;
FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view showing the inside
configuration of another of the body sections;
FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of certain
of the operating components of the apparatus;
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FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the apparatus
with one of the body sections removed.
FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along line
9--9 of FIGURE 8;
S FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken along line
10--10 of FIGURE 8
FIGURE 11 is a top plan view of one of the
actuators;
FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken along line
a 12--12 of FIGU~E 11;
FIGURE 13 is a bottom plan view of the other
of the actuators:
FIGURE 14 is a sectional view taken along line
14--14 of FIGURE 13;
FIGURE 15 is a front elevational view of the
apparatus;
FIGURE 16 is a side elevational view of a carrier
and a fra~mentary portion of the push rod shown in FIGURE 7,
for example;
FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary side elevational view
partly in section showing the pawl in its fully retracted
position and in contact with the ratchet wheel;
FIGURE 18 is a top plan view of the pawl; and
FIGURE 19 is a view similar to FIGURE 17 but showing
the pawl in its fully extended or ready position.
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. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to the drawings, there is shown an attaching
apparatus generally indicated at 20 for attaching tags ~not shown)
to merchandise (not shown) by ~asteners 21 (FIGURES 7 and 8).
The fasteners 21 are shown to be in an integral assembly 22
composed of molded plastics material. Each fastener 21 includes
a head or button section 23, a bar section 24 and a filament
or string section 25. The bar section 24 of each fastener 21
is connected to a runner or rod 26 by a respective connector 27.
The apparatus 20 is shown to include a body 28. It
is preferred that the body 28 have two body sections 29 and 30.
The body section 29 has a pair of parallel integrally formed
posts 33 and 34 spanning the space between the body sections
and between the front (left end portion on FIGURE 1) and the
rear (right end portion in FIGURE 1) of the apparatus 20.
Screws 35 and 36 pass through respective holes 37 and 38 in
the body section 30 and are threadably received in the posts
33 and 34. A circular cylindrical spacer 39 has V-shaped
grooves in its opposite ends which receive respective truncated
V-shaped bosses 40 and 41. Screws 42 and 43 pass through
respective holes in the sections 29 and 30 and are threadably
received in the spacer 39. It is readily apparent that the
; body sections are securedly held together to provide a unitized
construction. As best seen in FIGURE 15, the body section 29
has an arcuate recess 44 and the body section 30 has an
arcuate recess 45. The recesses 44 and 45 form a generally
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circular bore or hole 46' which receives a needle generally
indicated at 46. The needle 46 (FIGURE 7) has a pointed end
47 and an enlarged portion 48. The needle has an elongated
bore 49, a side slot 50 which communicates with the bore 49
S and a slot 51 through which a leading portion of the bar
section 24 of a fastener descends into the bore 49. The
; enlarged portion 48 terminates at a cutting edge or knife 52,
although a separate knife can be used. As shown in FIGURE 15,
the enlarged portion 48 of the needle 46 keys the body sections
29 and 30 together to resist being ~pread apart due to forces
exerted by the user during operation.
The posts 33 and 34 are shown to movably mount
actuators generally indicated at 53 and 54. The actuators
53 and 54 are preferably pivotally mounted for simplicity
of construction and the actuators are shown to take the form
of respective levers 55 and 56. The respective levers 55 and 56
are generally U-shaped in section. The lever 55 has aligned
holes 57 which receive the posts 33 and the lever 56 has aligned
holes 58 which receive the post 34. The levers 55 and 56 are
movable in the space between the body sections 29 and 30.
The levers 55 and 56 have end walls 59 and 60 disposed at
different distances from the axis of respective holes 57 and
58 so that the end walls 59 and 60 overlap and do not interfere
with each other. The levers 55 and 56 carry respective cams
61 and 62. The cams 61 and 62 are preferably molded integrally
with the respective bight portions 63 and 64 between the
; respective side wall portions 65 and 66.
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With reference to FIGURE 7, there i5 shown a carrier
generally indicated at 67 which more specifically is a slide
and which preferably includes spaced apart carrier members
68 and 69 which more specifically are slide ~embers and a
shaft or pin 70. The pin 70 extend~ through holes 71 and
72 in respective carrier members 68 and 69 and i5 guided for
sliding movement in grooves 73 and 74 in respective body
sections 29 and 30. The pin 70 extends through bores 75
and 76 in rollers 77 and 78. The cams 61 and 62 cooperate~
with respective rollers 78 and 77. A guide member or collar
79 which is preferably formed integrally with the shaft 70
is disposed midway between the ends of the pin 70 and has a
continuous peripheral groove 79'. One curved end 80 of a tension
spring 81 is received in the groove 79'. The groove 79' is
slightly deeper and wider than the diameter of the wire from
which the spring 81 is formed so that the end 80 extends
slightly short of the outer annular periphery of the collar 79.
A connector 82 has a tang 83 to which the other end 84 of the
spring 81 is connected. The tang 83 fits through a cutout in
the body 28 where the body sections 29 and 30 meet.
Annular posts 85 and 86 are connected to the carrier
member 68 and 69. The posts 85 and 86 rotatably mount respective
spur gears 87 and 88. The carrier members 68 and 69 have
respective grooves 73 and 74. It is apparent that the carrier
members 68 and 69 are identical in construction although
differently orientedO The members 89 and 90 project outwardly
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`relative to each other and the axes of the posts 85 and 86 are
parallel but the posts 85 and 86 extend in opposite directions.
Members 89 and 90 are slidably received in respective grooves
73 ~nd 74.
A carrier generally indica~ed at 91 and more specifically
a slide i~ slidably mounted by the carrier 67. The carrier 67
is shown to be on one-piece construction and to have guided
surfaces 92 and 93. The surface 92 is in slidable contact
with face 94 of the carrier member 68 and the surface 93 is in
slidable contact with face 95 of the carrier member 69. The carrier
91 has rectilinear gear sections or racks 96 and 97. The racks
96 and 97 are shown to be disposed at opposite sides of the
.~ carrier 91. In the position shown in FIGURES 7 and 16, the rack 96
is located above the level of the faces 92 and 93 and the rack
97 is located below the level of the faces 92 and 93. The racks
.` 96 and 97 are thus offset or staggered relative to each other.
The carrier 91 has a slot or groove 98 which receives the guide
the guide member 79 and slot 98 and by slidable contact
: between faces 92 and 93 and respective faces 94 and 95. The
carrier 91 carries a push rod or ejector 99. The push rod 99
which is connected to the carrier 91 is guided in guideways 100
and 101 in respective posts 102 and 103 and in guideway 104
. in the body section 30. Thus, because the guideways 100, 101
and 104 guide the push rod 99, they in turn also guide the
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carrier 91. The body section~ 29 and 30 have respective integrally
molded rectilinear gear section~ or racks 105 and 106. m e
gear 87 meshes with racks 96 and 105 and the gear 88 meshes
with the racks 97 and 106.
A pawl generally indicated at 107 is shown to be
of one-piece construction. The pawl 107 i~ shown to have an
elongated section or slide portion 108 which is slidably
received in the groove 73. The slide portion 108 is shown
to have a slot or cutout 109 having abut~ent faces 110 and 111.
m e portion 108 is connected to a pair of arm~ 112 and 113.
m e arm 113 has a tooth 114 disposed at its free end portion.
m e tooth 114 i9 cooperable with a toothod member 115 having
a plurality of teeth 116. The toothed member 115 preferably
takes the form of a ratchet wheel a~ shown in which the teeth
116 have a rake angle. The toothed wheel 115 is integrally
connected to a toothed wheel 117 having teeth 118 (FIGURE 7).
m e teeth 118 are cooperabls with connectors 27 to advance
the fastener assembly 22. Although it is preferred to utilize
two toothed wheels 115 and 117, the apparatus 20 can be
constructed using only one feed wheel ~by a construction not
shown) which serves both as a ratchet wheel and a feed wheel,
as in U.S. patent No. 3,797,722, if desired. The pin 70
has an end portion 70' received in the slot 109. In the
initial position, the end portion 70' of the shaft 70 is in
contact with face 110 as shown in FIGURE 17. In this position,
the push rod 99 is shown to be retracted. When the carrier
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67 is advanced, face 89' of the member 89 travels forward
and eventually contacts face 111 and thus moves the pawl 107
forward to the ready or cocked position shown in FIGURE 19, in
which the arm 113 is shown cammed away from and out of contact
with the toothed wheel 115 by cam 119 which may be formed
integrally with the body section 29. The cam 119 is preferably
disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the member 115 and
adjacent the pawl 107. When the carrier 67 is retracted due
to the urging of the spring 81, the portion 70' of the shaft
70 contacts the abutment face 110 and returns the pawl 107 to
its initial or retracted position. As the pawl 107 moves from
the position shown in FIGURE 17 to the position shown in
FIGURE 19, the arm 113 rides off the cam 119 and picks up one
tooth 116 and when the pawl 107 has returned to the initial
position, the toothed wheels 115 and 117 have ~dvanced through
an angle that causes the bar section 24 of the next successive
fastener 21 to be brought through the slot 51 into the bore 49
of the needle 46.
The position of the cam 119 can be changed by simply
changing a slug in the mold (not shown) or by having the cam
119 removably mounted to the body section 29. By changing the
position of the cam 119 the pawl 107 can pick up two or more
teeth, or the teeth can be more widely spaced than in the
illu~trated embodiment and the pawl 107 can pick up one tooth
111 so that the toothed wheels 115 and 117 are rotated through
a greater angle. This is advantageous when feeding a fastener
assembly in which the bar sections 24 are more widely spaced
apart as in U.S. patent No. 3,888,402. The effective length of
travel of the pawl 107 and hence the amount of rotation of the
toothed wheels 115 and 117 is thus governed by the position
-~ of the cam 119.
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As shown, the elongated portion 108 is guided in the
groove 73. The arm 113 is flexible and resilient. The post
or guide 102 exerts a force on arm 112 which counteracts the
force exerted by the toothed member 115 or the cam 119 on the arm
113, to prevent the slide portion 108 from deflecting and thus
binding in the guidway or guide slot 73. The arm 112 is
preferably made heavier in section than the arm 113 because the
arm 112 should preferably deflect as little as possible and
the arm 113 should be capable of the deflection illustrated
in FIGURES 17 and 19.
A detent generally indicated at 120 is shown to
include a body 121 having a hole or socket 122 received about
the post 33. A tooth 123 is integrally connected to the body
121 and is shown to be in cooperation with the toothed member
117. An.arm 124 extends through a hole 125 in the actuator
53. A spring 126 normally urges the tooth 123 into contact
with the toothed wheel 117, but the arm 124 can be manually
depressed which will cause the detent 120 to be pivoted clockwise
about post 33 until the tooth 123 is clear of the teeth 118 of
the wheel 117, thereby allowing the user to remove the fastener
assembly 22 easily from the apparatus 20.
In using the apparatus 20, and assuming the fastener
assembly 22 has been inserted into guideway 28', the apparatus
20 can be grasped in any convenient orientation unlike an
apparatus according to U.S. patent No. 3,924,788 which can be
held in only one orientation in use. When the user squeezes
the apparatus 20, the levexs 55 and 56 pivot toward each other
about respective pivots 33 and 34. The cams 61 and 62 act on
respective rollers 78 and 77 thereby drive the carrier 67 in
a forward direction, toward the left in.FIGURE 1 for example,
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against the force of the spring 81. Slopes or inclined portions
61a and 62a are steeper than slopes or inclined portions 61b
and 62b so that a greater camming force i8 exerted on the
rollers 78 and 77 and hence on the push rod 99 at the initial
part of the cycle during which the knife 52 severs the bar 24
from the respective connectors. The double set of gearing
represented by the set of gears 96, 87 and 105 and the set of
gears 97, 88 and 106 provide a balanced drive and cause the
carrier 91 to be driven throu~h a greater distance than the
distance through which the carrier 67 is driven. With the
illustrated gearing, the carrier 91 moves twice as far as the
carrier 67 because of the 2 to 1 gear ratio between rack
gears 96 and 105 and between rack gears 97 and 106. This
is advantageous because the push rod 99 is required to be
driven through a considerably greater distance than the pawl
107. As the carriers 67 and 91 continue to move forward the
drive face 89' contacts the face 111 and drives the pawl
107 from its initial position (FIGURE 17) to the advanced or
ready position (FIGURE 19). The resilient arm 113 of pawl 107
has a face which rides along the cam 119 which causes the pawl
tooth 114 to move out of contact with the toothed member 115.
The fact that the length of travel of the pawl tooth 114 is
considerably in excess of the travel required to advance the
pawl allows for greater manufacturing variations in the structure
Z5 which determines pawl travel than would be the case if the pawl
travel is only slightly greater than the tooth-to-tooth distance
of the toothed wheel 115. When the pawl 107 is in the
advanced position, the push rod 99 is fully forward and a
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fastener 21 has been dispensed from the needle 49. When the
user relaxes his grip on the apparatus 20, the spring 81 pull~
the carrier 67 to the retracted position, causing rollers 78
and 77 to drive the levers 55 and 56 outwardly to the position
shown, cau-~ing the push rod 99 to be retracted, and causing the
pawl 107 to ride off the cam 119 and engage precisely the correct
tooth to drive the toothed wheel 115 to advance the fastener
a~sembly 22.
The apparatus of the invention is relatively
economical to construct with body sections 29 and 30, levers
55 and 56, carrier members 67 and 68, rollers 77 and 78, member 82,
gears 87 and 88, member 107, toothed members 115 and 117, and
detent member 120 each being of one-piece molded plastics
construction. The screws 35, 36 and 42, needle 46, pin 70,
15the guide member 79, the spring 81, the push rod 99 and the -
:~ spring 126 being preferably constructed of suitable metals.
Other embodiments and modifications of this invention -
will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and all
such of these as come within the ~pirit of this invention are
included within its scope as best defined by the appended
claims.
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