Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PLASTIC FASTENER, FASTENER CLIP,
FASTENER DISPENSING TOOL AND METHOD OF FASTENING OBJECTS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the fastening of objects using
plastic
fasteners and relates more particularly to a novel plastic fastener, a novel
fastener
clip, a novel fastener dispensing tool and a novel method of fastening
objects.
Certain articles of clothing, most notably men's dress shirts, are often
packaged and sold in a folded condition so as to minimize any wrinkling of the
article
and so as to present the article in an otherwise flattering manner. Typically,
the
article is maintained in a folded condition by means of one or more straight
metal
pins, each of said straight metal pins typically comprising an elongated shaft
terminating at one end in a sharp tip designed to penetrate the article and at
the other
end in a rounded head designed not to penetrate the article. Typically in use,
the
article is folded, and a plurality of said pins are used to maintain the
article in its
folded condition by securing the article to itself at a plurality of different
locations.
Often, in the case of men's dress shirts, one or more of said pins are
additionally
used to secure the shirt to a piece of cardboard or to a similar backing
material. The
act of using straight metal pins to maintain an article of clothing in a
folded condition
is typically referred to in the art as "shirt-pinning."
Although straight metal pins have achieved widespread use in maintaining
articles of clothing in a folded condition, certain shortcomings are
associated
therewith. One such shortcoming is that no suitable tool exists for dispensing
such
pins into an article of clothing; consequently, the pins must be inserted
manually. As
can readily be appreciated, the repeated insertion of such pins into articles
of
clothing, over time, can become both physically and mentally taxing. Another
shortcoming associated with the use of straight metal pins is that the pins,
as noted
above, have sharp ends, which can cause injury both to the person who must
insert
the pin into the article and to the person (i.e., consumer) who must remove
the pin
from the article. Moreover, once the pins are removed from the article, they
must be
disposed of properly to avoid injury to others. Still another shortcoming
associated
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with the use of straight metal pins is that such pins, when inserted, may
cause
damage to the article, either by snagging and tearing the article or by
creating a
conspicuous insertion hole in the article. Still yet another shortcoming
associated
with the use of straight metal pins is that such pins, once inserted into an
article of
clothing, can be difficult to access and manipulate in such a way as to enable
their
removal.
Plastic fasteners of the type comprising an elongated flexible filament having
a first enlargement at one end thereof and a second enlargement at the
opposite end
thereof are well-known and have been widely used in the attachment of
merchandise
tags to articles of commerce, in the coupling or re-coupling of buttons to
garments,
in the binding of a shoe upper during the process of shoe-lasting, and in
various
packaging applications. In one common type of plastic fastener (see, for
example,
Fig.1 of U.S. Patent No. 5,321,872, which patent is incorporated herein by
reference),
the first enlargement has the shape of a first transverse bar and the second
enlargement has the shape of a paddle or the shape of a second transverse bar,
the
first transverse bar and the paddle (or second transverse bar) extending in
planes
parallel to one another. In another common type of plastic fastener (see, for
example, U.S. Patent No. 3,494,004, which patent is incorporated by
reference), the
first enlargement has the shape of a transverse bar and the second enlargement
has
the shape of a knob or pin head. In still another common type of plastic
fastener
(see, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,240,183, which patent is incorporated
herein by
reference), the first enlargement has the shape of a transverse bar or the
shape of
a plug and the second enlargement has the shape of a socket, said socket being
adapted to receive said transverse bar or said plug.
Plastic fasteners of the various types described above are typically molded as
parts of a unitary fastener clip. An example of such a fastener clip is
disclosed in
U.S. Patent No. 3,733,657, which patent is incorporated herein by reference.
The
clip of the aforementioned '657 patent includes a plurality of fasteners, each
of said
fasteners comprising a flexible filament having a first transverse bar (or
"cross-bar")
at one end thereof and a paddle or a second transverse bar (or "cross-bar") at
the
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opposite end thereof, the transverse bar and the paddle (or second transverse
bar)
of each fastener extending in planes parallel to one another. The fasteners
are
arranged relative to one another so that the respective transverse bars are
spaced
apart and oriented side-by-side and parallel to one another and so that the
respective
paddles (or second transverse bars) are spaced apart and oriented side-by-side
and
parallel to one another. The clip of the foregoing '657 patent also includes a
runner
bar, said runner bar extending perpendicularly relative to the respective
transverse
bars and being connected to each of the transverse bars by a severable
connector.
The clip of said '657 patent further includes a severable member
interconnecting
each pair of adjacent paddles (or second transverse bars).
Several commercial embodiments of the aforementioned fastener clip have
been sold by the present assignee, Avery Dennison Corporation, as DENNISON~
SWIFTACH° fastener clips. DENNISON~ SWIFTACH~ fastener clips
comprising
fasteners of the type having a cross-bar at one end of a flexible filament and
a paddle
at the opposite end of the flexible filament are generally made of
polypropylene or
nylon and are typically used to attach merchandise tags and the like to
articles of
clothing. The filaments of such fasteners are typically at least about 12.5 mm
in
length. DENNISON~ SWIFTACH° fastener clips comprising fasteners of the
type
having a first cross-bar at one end of a flexible filament and a second cross-
bar at the
opposite end of the flexible filament are made of nylon and are used to attach
merchandise tags and the like to a wide variety of articles of commerce. In
addition,
such fasteners are used in shoe-lasting applications and in packaging
applications,
where the high tensile strength afforded by the use of nylon in the fastener
is
desirable. The filaments of such fasteners are typically at least about 6.35
mm in
length.
As far as the present inventors are aware, the above-described fastener clip,
exemplified by the family of DENNISON SWIFTACH~ fastener clips, has not been
used to maintain an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, in a folded
condition.
A second type of fastener clip (or "fastener stock") is disclosed in U.S.
Patent
No. 4,039,078, inventor Bone, issued August 2, 1977, which patent is
incorporated
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herein by reference. In said patent, the fastener stock comprises two
undivided
elongated and continuous plastic side members having a plurality of plastic
cross
links coupled to and between each of said side members, each of the links
being
preferably spaced equidistantly apart from each other. The fastener stock is
designed to be separated or divided, e.g., by cutting, severing, rupturing or
shearing
the side members, to provide a plurality of fasteners, each of said fasteners
preferably having a substantially H shape.
A commercial embodiment of the aforementioned fastener stock has been sold
by the present assignee, Avery Dennison Corporation, as DENNISON°
PLASTIC
STAPLETM fasteners. PLASTIC STAPLETM fasteners are typically made of
polyurethane and are often used to attach tags, at two distinct points, to
pants and
similar clothing articles. It is the understanding of the present inventors
that, for a
limited time in the past, a third party used PLASTIC STAPLETM fasteners to
"pin"
shirts, albeit not dress shirts or other shirts of a fine material, so as to
maintain the
shirts in a folded condition. It is the understanding of the present inventors
that the
aforementioned securing was achieved using a dual needle fastener dispensing
tool
of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,533,076 and was performed by
folding the
shirt, inserting both needles of the tool entirely through the folded-over
article and
then dispensing both cross-bars through the needles and the folded article so
that
both cross-bars were positioned on one side of the article, with the filament
connecting the two cross-bars extending over to the opposite side of the
article. It is
further believed by the present inventors that the aforementioned use of such
fasteners to "pin" shirts was discontinued because PLASTIC STAPLETM fasteners
did
not have sufficient tensile strength to maintain the shirt in its folded
condition
(PLASTIC STAPLET"' fasteners typically having a tensile strength of about 1.2-
1.4
pounds).
Tools (often referred to as "tagging guns") for dispensing individual
fasteners
from multi-fastener clips of the two different types described above are
known,
examples of such tools including the Dennison~ Mark II"' SWIFTACH~ tool, as
well
as those tools disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,772,073, 5,683,025, 5,024,365,
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4,533,076, 4,456,161, 4,121,487, and 4,456,123, all ofwhich are incorporated
herein
by reference.
Other patents that may be of interest include U.S. Patent No. 3,103,666,
inventor Bone, issued September 17, 1963; U.S. Patent No. 5,593,033, inventor
Kunreuther, issued January 14, 1995; U.S. Patent No. 5,463,799, inventor
Graham,
issued November 7, 1995; U.S. Patent No. 5,321,872, inventor Merser, issued
June
21, 1994; U.S. Patent No. 3,733,657, inventor Lankton, issued May 22, 1973,
U.S.
Patent No. 4,660,718, inventor Kato et al., issued April 28, 1987; and U.S.
Reissue
Patent No. 32,332, inventor Kato, re-issued January 20, 1987, all of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel plastic fastener.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention. a plastic fastener is
provided, said plastic fastener comprising (a) a flexible filament. said
flexible filament
having a first end and a second end, said flexible filament having a tensile
strength
of about 2-4 Ibs; (b) an inserting element disposed at said first end, said
inserting
element being dimensioned to permit its insertion through a garment and, once
inserted therethrough, to be retained by said garment; and (c) a retaining
element
disposed at said second end, said retaining element being dimensioned to
prevent
said flexible filament from being pulled completely through said garment.
According to another aspect of the invention, a plastic fastener is provided,
said plastic fastener comprising (a) a flexible filament, said flexible
filament having a
first end and a second end, said flexible filament having a tensile strength
of about
2 Ibs., a length of approximately 4.3 mm, and a diameter of approximately 0.2
mm;
(b) a first transverse bar disposed at said first end; and (c) a second
transverse bar
disposed at said second end; (d) wherein each of said first and second
transverse
bars has a length of approximately 1.8 mm, a width of approximately 0.5 mm and
a
height of approximately 0.5 mm.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a plastic fastener is
provided,
said plastic fastener comprising (a) a flexible filament, said flexible
filament having a
first end and a second end, said flexible filament having a length of
approximately 3-5
mm; (b) an inserting element disposed at said first end, said inserting
element being
dimensioned to permit its insertion through a garment and, once inserted
therethrough, to be retained by said garment; and (c) a retaining element
disposed
at said second end, said retaining element being dimensioned to prevent said
flexible
filament from being pulled completely through said garment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel fastener
clip.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, a fastener clip is
provided,
said fastener clip comprising (a) a first fastener, said first fastener
comprising a
flexible filament having a first enlarged end and a second enlarged end, said
flexible
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filament having a length of approximately 3-5 mm; (b) a second fastener, said
second
fastener comprising a flexible filament having a first enlarged end and a
second
enlarged end; (c) said first fastener and said second fastener being arranged
in a
parallel, side-by-side, spaced relationship; (d) a first connector post
connecting said
first enlarged end of said first fastener to said first enlarged end of said
second
fastener; and (e) a second connector post connecting said second enlarged end
of
said second fastener to said second enlarged end of said second fastener.
According to another aspect of the invention, a fastener clip is provided,
said
fastener clip comprising (a) a first fastener, said first fastener comprising
a flexible
filament having a first enlarged end and a second enlarged end, said flexible
filament
having a tensile strength of approximately 2-4 Ibs.; (b) a second fastener,
said second
fastener comprising a flexible filament having a first enlarged end and a
second
enlarged end; (c) said first fastener and said second fastener being arranged
in a
parallel, side-by-side, spaced relationship; (d) a first connector post
connecting said
first enlarged end of said first fastener to said first enlarged end of said
second
fastener; and (e) a second connector post connecting said second enlarged end
of
said second fastener to said second enlarged end of said second fastener.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a fastener clip is
provided,
said fastener clip comprising (a) a first fastener, said first fastener
comprising a
flexible filament having a first enlarged end and a second enlarged end, said
flexible
filament having a tensile strength of approximately 2 Ibs. and a length of
approximately 4.3 mm; (b) a second fastener, said second fastener comprising a
flexible filament having a first enlarged end and a second enlarged end; (c)
said first
fastener and said second fastener being identical to one another and being
arranged
in a parallel, side-by-side, spaced relationship; (d) a first connector post
connecting
said first enlarged end of said first fastener to said first enlarged end of
said second
fastener; and (e) a second connector post connecting said second enlarged end
of
said second fastener to said second enlarged end of said second fastener.
According to still yet another aspect of the invention, a fastener clip is
provided, said fastener clip comprising (a) a first fastener, said first
fastener
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comprising (i) a flexible filament having a first end and a second end, (ii) a
first
enlargement disposed at said first end, and (iii) a second enlargement
disposed at
said second end; (b) a third enlargement: said third enlargement being
severably
connected to said first enlargement; (c) a fourth enlargement, said fourth
enlargement
not being directly interconnected to said third enlargement, said fourth
enlargement
being severably connected to said second enlargement.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel
method
of fastening objects.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method of fixing an article of clothing to itself, said method comprising the
steps of
(a) providing a plastic fastener, said plastic fastener comprising (i) a
flexible filament,
said flexible filament having a first end, a second end, and a length, said
length being
suitable to fixedly retain the article of clothing against itself, (ii) an
inserting element
disposed at said first end, said inserting element being dimensioned to enable
its
insertion through the article of clothing and, once inserted therethrough, to
be
retained by the article of clothing, and (iii) a retaining element disposed at
said
second end, said retaining element being dimensioned to prevent said flexible
filament from being pulled completely through the article of clothing; and (b)
inserting
said inserting element of said plastic fastener into and completely through
the article
of clothing at at least a pair of locations therein, with said retaining
element not being
inserted into the article of clothing.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of fixing an article of
commerce to a support is provided, said method comprising the steps of (a)
providing
a plastic fastener, said plastic fastener comprising (i) a flexible filament,
said flexible
filament having a first end, a second end and a length, said length being
suitable to
fixedly retain the article against the support, (ii) an inserting element
disposed at said
first end, said inserting element being dimensioned to enable its insertion
through the
article of commerce and the support and, once inserted therethrough, to be
retained
thereby, and (iii) a retaining element disposed at said second end, said
retaining
element being dimensioned to prevent said flexible filament from being pulled
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completely through the article of commerce and the support; and (b) inserting
said
inserting element of said plastic fastener into and completely through the
article of
commerce and the support, with said retaining element not being inserted into
either
the article or the support, in such a way as to fix the article of commerce to
the
support.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a method of coupling an
article of commerce to a support is provided, said method comprising the steps
of (a)
providing a plastic fastener, said plastic fastener comprising (i) a flexible
filament,
said flexible filament having a first end, a second end, a tensile strength of
approximately 2-4 Ibs. and a length of approximately 3-5 mm; (ii) an inserting
element
disposed at said first end, said inserting element being dimensioned to enable
its
insertion through the article of commerce and the support and, once inserted
therethrough, to be retained thereby, and (iii) a retaining element disposed
at said
second end, said retaining element being dimensioned to prevent said flexible
filament from being pulled completely through the article of commerce and the
support in the direction of said inserting element; and (b) inserting said
inserting
element of said plastic fastener into and completely through the article of
commerce
and the support.
According to still yet another aspect of the invention, a method of fixing
together two elements is provided, said method comprising the steps of (a)
providing
a plastic fastener, said plastic fastener comprising (i) a flexible filament,
said flexible
filament having a first end, a second end, a length and a tensile strength,
said length
being suitable to fix the two elements together, said tensile strength being
sufficiently
strong to keep the two elements fixed together during normal handling and yet
sufficiently weak to enable the two elements to be separated from one another
without being damaged by said plastic fastener merely by having the two
elements
pulled away from each other until said flexible filament breaks, (ii) an
inserting
element disposed at said first end, said inserting element being dimensioned
to
enable its insertion through the two elements and, once inserted therethrough,
to be
retained by the two elements, and (iii) a retaining element disposed at said
second
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end, said retaining element being dimensioned to prevent said flexible
filament from
being pulled completely through the two elements; and (b) inserting said
inserting
element of said plastic fastener into and completely through the two elements,
with
said retaining element not being inserted into the two elements.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of coupling together
two or more sheets of paper is provided, said method comprising the steps of
(a)
providing a plastic fastener, said plastic fastener comprising (i) a flexible
filament,
said flexible filament having a first end, a second end, a length and a
tensile strength,
said tensile strength being sufficiently strong to keep the sheets of paper
coupled
together during normal handling and yet sufficiently weak to enable the sheets
of
paper to be separated from one another without being damaged by said plastic
fastener merely by pulling the sheets of paper away from each other until said
flexible filament breaks, (ii) an inserting element disposed at said first
end, said
inserting element being dimensioned to enable its insertion through the sheets
of
paper and, once inserted therethrough, to be retained by the sheets of paper,
and (iii)
a retaining element disposed at said second end, said retaining element being
dimensioned to prevent said flexible filament from being pulled completely
through
the sheets of paper; and (b) inserting said inserting element of said plastic
fastener
into and completely through the sheets of paper, with said retaining element
not
being inserted into the sheets of paper.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel
fastener
dispensing tool.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hand-
held fastener dispensing tool for dispensing a fastener of the type comprising
a
flexible filament having an enlargement at one end thereof, said fastener
dispensing
tool comprising (a) a casing, said casing being provided with a needle
opening; (b)
a hollow, slotted needle, said hollow, slotted needle being slidably movable
back and
forth between a retracted position disposed entirely within said casing and an
extended position extending through said needle opening, said hollow, slotted
needle
being adapted to receive the enlargement of said fastener; (c) an ejector rod,
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ejector rod being slidably movable back and forth through said hollow, slotted
needle
to eject the enlargement disposed therein; and (d) an anvil coupled to said
casing
and extending in front of said needle opening, said anvil being positioned so
that said
hollow, slotted needle, when in said extended position, does not extend
therebeyond.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fastener
dispensing tool, said fastener dispensing tool comprising (a) a gun-shaped
casing,
said gun-shaped casing comprising a handle portion and a barrel portion, said
barrel
portion being provided with an opening; (b) a needle carrier, said needle
carrier being
slidably mounted in said barrel portion; (c) a hollow, slotted needle, said
hollow,
slotted needle being coupled to said needle carrier and being insertable back
and
forth through said opening in said casing; (d) an ejector rod carrier, said
ejector rod
carrier being slidably mounted in said barrel portion; (e) an ejector rod,
said ejector
rod being coupled to said ejector rod carrier and being insertable back and
forth
through said hollow, slotted needle; (f) a linking member coupled to said
needle
carrier and selectively engageable with said ejector rod carrier for coupling
and
decoupling said needle carrier to and from said ejector rod carrier so that
said needle
carrier is caused to slide back and forth in said barrel portion only during a
portion of
the movement of said ejector rod carrier; and (g) a triggering mechanism, said
triggering mechanism comprising a trigger, said trigger being pivotally
mounted in
said casing and extending partially through said handle portion thereof for
manual
actuation, said triggering mechanism further comprising a lever disposed
within said
casing, said lever being pivotally mounted at a first end on a first pin, said
first pin
being fixed to said trigger, said lever being pivotally mounted at a second
end on a
second pin, said second pin being fixed to said ejector rod carrier.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fastener
dispensing tool for dispensing individual fasteners from a fastener clip, said
fastener
dispensing tool comprising (a) a casing, said casing being provided with an
opening;
(b) a hollow, slotted needle, said hollow, slotted needle being slidably
movable back
and forth through said opening in said casing; (c) an ejector rod, said
ejector rod
being slidably movable back and forth through said hollow, slotted needle; and
(d) a
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feed guide, said feed guide being stationarily mounted in said casing behind
said
hollow, slotted needle, said feed guide defining a front portion of a feed
track and
comprising a stage at the end of said feed track off of which an individual
fastener
from a fastener clip is loaded into said hollow, slotted needle by said
ejector rod.
According to still yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
fastener dispensing tool for dispensing individual fasteners from a fastener
clip, said
fastener dispensing tool comprising (a) a casing, said casing being provided
with an
opening; (b) a hollow, slotted needle, said hollow, slotted needle being
slidably
movable back and forth between a retracted position and an extended position
extending through said opening in said casing; (c) an ejector rod, said
ejector rod
being slidably movable back and forth between a withdrawn position disposed
behihd
said hollow, slotted needle and an advanced position extending through said
hollow,
slotted needle; (d) a trigger mechanically coupled to said casing; (e) first
coupling
means, coupling said trigger to said hollow, slotted needle, for moving said
hollow,
slotted needle from said retracted position to said extended position and then
back
to said retracted position during a trigger stoke; and (f) second coupling
means,
coupling said trigger to said ejector rod, for moving said ejector rod from
said
withdrawn position to said advanced position and then back to said withdrawn
position during a trigger stoke; (g) wherein said first coupling means and
said second
coupling means are designed so that said ejector rod withdraws from said
advanced
position together with said hollow, slotted needle as said hollow, slotted
needle
moves from said extended position to said retracted position.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a fastener
dispensing tool, said fastener dispensing tool comprising (a) a casing, said
casing
being shaped to receive, entirely within said casing, a clip of fasteners,
each of said
fasteners in said clip comprising a flexible filament having a first enlarged
portion at
a first end thereof and a second enlarged portion at a second end thereof; (b)
exactly
one hollow, slotted needle coupled to said casing, said hollow, slotted needle
being
adapted to receive the first enlarged portion of a fastener; and (c) an
ejector rod
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disposed within said casing and insertable into said hollow, slotted needle
for ejecting from
said hollow, slotted needle an enlarged portion of a fastener disposed
therein.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
fastener
dispensing tool, said fastener dispensing tool comprising (a) a casing, said
casing being
shaped to received, entirely within said casing, a clip of fasteners, each of
said fasteners
is said clip comprising a flexible filament having a first enlarged portion at
a first end thereof
and a second enlarged portion at a second end thereof; (b) a hollow, slotted
needle coupled
to said casing, said hollow, slotted needle being adapted to receive the first
enlarged portion
of a fastener; (c) wherein said fee track terminates behind said hollow,
slotted needle in a
direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said hollow,
slotted needle,
and (d) an ejector rod disposed within said casing and insertable into said
hollow, slotted
needle for ejecting from said hollow, slotted needle an enlarged portion of a
fastener
disposed therein.
In a broad aspect, then, the present invention relates to a hand-held fastener
dispensing tool for dispensing a fastener of the type comprising a flexible
filament having
an enlargement at one end thereof, said fastener dispensing tool comprising:
(a) a casing,
said casing being provided with a needle opening; (b) a hollow, slotted
needle, said hollow,
slotted needle being slidably movable back and forth between a retracted
position disposed
entirely within said casing and an extended position extending through said
needle opening,
said hollow, slotted needle being adapted to receive the enlargement of said
fastener; (c)
an ejector rod, said ejector rod being slidably movable back and forth through
said hollow,
slotted needle to eject the enlargement disposed therein; and (d) an anvil
coupled to said
casing and extending in front of said needle opening, said anvil being
positioned so that
said hollow, slotted needle, when in said extended position, does not extend
therebeyond.
Additional objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention
will be
set forth, in part, in the description which follows and, in part, will be
obvious from the
description or may be learned by practice of the invention. In the
description, reference is
made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof and in which is
shown by
way of illustration specific embodiments for practising the invention.
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These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those
skilled in the art
to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments
may be utilized
and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of
the invention.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense, and the
scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are hereby incorporated into and
constitute a part ofthis specification, illustrate preferred embodiments ofthe
invention
and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the
invention. In
the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:
Figs. 1 (a) through 1 (c) are side, top and front views, respectively, of one
embodiment of a plastic fastener well-suited for maintaining a dress shirt in
a folded
condition in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) are partially-exploded perspective and partially-exploded
side views, respectively, of one embodiment of a fastener clip constructed in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the fastener clip
including a
plurality of the plastic fasteners shown in Figs. 1 (a) through 1 (c);
Figs. 3(a) through 3(c) are side, top and front views, respectively, of an
individual fastener of the clip of Fig. 2, together with its associated
connectors;
Figs. 4(a) through 4(c) are left side, front right top perspective and front
views,
respectively, of one embodiment of a fastener dispensing tool constructed
according
to the teachings of the present invention, the fastener dispensing tool being
well-
suited for use in dispensing individual fasteners from the clip of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a rear, left, top, perspective view of the fastener dispensing tool
of
Figs. 4(a) through 4(c), with the left half of the casing not being shown;
Figs. 6(a) through 6(d) are front right bottom perspective, front left top
perspective, enlarged left side and enlarged front views, respectively, of the
right half
of the casing of the tool shown in Figs. 4(a) through 4(c);
Figs. 7(a) through 7(d) are front left bottom perspective, front right top
perspective, enlarged right side and enlarged front views, respectively, of
the left half
of the casing of the tool shown in Figs. 4(a) through 4(c);
Figs. 8(a) through 8(d) are front right top perspective, bottom, section and
right
mews, respectively, of the cover of the tool shown in Figs. 4(a) through 4(c);
14
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
Figs. 9(a) through 9(d) are rear right top perspective. right side, rear and
top
perspective views, respectively, of the anvil of the tool shown in Figs. 4(a)
through
4(c);
Figs. 10(a) through 10(c) are rear left top perspective, front right top
perspective and right side views, respectively, of the needle shown in Fig 5;
Figs. 11 (a) through 11 (f) are front left top perspective, front right top
perspective, rear right bottom perspective, top, front and section views,
respectively,
of the needle carrier shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking pin shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 13 is a left rear bottom perspective view of the tool shown in Fig. 5,
with
the left half of the casing, the needle carrier, the trigger and certain
additional
components not being shown for clarity;
Figs. 14(a) and 14(b) are front bottom left perspective and right side views,
respectively, of the ejector rod carrier shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 15 is a rear top right perspective view of the ejector clip shown in Fig.
5;
Fig. 16 is a rear top right perspective view of the linking member shown in
Fig.
5;
Figs. 17(a) through 17(c) are front bottom right perspective, rear top left
perspective and right side views, respectively, of the feed guide shown in
Fig. 5;
Figs. 18(a) and 18(b) are front bottom right perspective and front views,
respectively, of the feed clip shown in Fig. 13;
Fig. 19 is a front top right perspective view of the pawl shown in Fig. 13;
and
Fig. 20 is a front bottom left perspective view of the feed sliding member
shown in Fig. 13.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figs. 1 (a) through 1 (c), there are shown side, top and
front
views, respectively, of one embodiment of a plastic fastener well-suited for
maintaining a dress shirt in a folded condition, said plastic fastener being
constructed
according to the teachings of the present invention and being represented
generally
by reference numeral 11. (It is to be understood that, although fastener 11 is
particularly well-suited for maintaining a dress shirt or the like in a folded
condition,
it is not limited in its utility thereto and may be used in a variety of
different
applications including, but not limited to, fixing together pairs of socks,
coupling
together sheets of paper, fixing dress shirts to cardboard supports, fixing
doll clothing
to cardboard supports, etc.)
Fastener 11, which is a unitary structure preferably made by molding,
comprises a flexible filament 13. When molded, filament 13 has a length I, of
about
1.65 mm and a diameter d, of about 0.4 mm; filament 13 is thereafter stretched
in the
conventional manner to a length of approximately 4.3 mm and a diameter of
approximately 0.2 mm. It should be noted that, even though, in the present
embodiment, filament 13 has a generally cylindrical shape, filament 13 need
not be
cylindrically shaped and may take a variety of shapes, including those
specified in
commonly-assigned co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/416,784.
Fastener 11 also comprises a first cross-bar 15 and a second cross-bar 17,
cross-bar 15 being disposed at a first end of filament 13, cross-bar 17 being
disposed
at a second end of filament 13, cross-bars 15 and 17 being parallel to one
another.
Each of cross-bars 15 and 17 has a length I2 of approximately 1.78 mm, a width
w,
of approximately 0.55 mm and a height h; of approximately 0.55 mm. It should
be
noted that, even though, in the present embodiment, cross-bars 15 and 17 are
shaped so as to have flat inner surfaces 15-1 and 17-1, respectively,
proximate to
filament 13 and convex outer surfaces 15-2 and 17-2, respectively, distal to
filament
13, cross-bars 15 and 17 need not be so shaped. In fact, cross-bars 15 and 17
may
take a variety of forms, including those of the enlarged ends described in
U.S. Patent
Application Serial No. 09/416,784.
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
Fastener 11 is preferably made of a polyurethane that gives filament 13 a
tensile strength of about 2 pounds. However, it is to be noted that said
polyurethane
is not the only type of material of which fastener 11 may be made and that
other
plastic materials (or combinations of materials) capable of providing filament
13 with
a tensile strength in the range of about 2-4 pounds (or whatever tensile
strength is
desirable based upon the particular use to which fastener 11 is put) are also
suitable
for purposes of the present invention. It is to be noted that, because
filament 13 is
made of a polyurethane, it has a certain degree of elasticity - a property
which may
be desirable in certain applications.
Referring now to Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), there are shown partially-exploded
perspective and partially-exploded side views, respectively, of one embodiment
of a
fastener clip constructed according to the teachings of the present invention,
the
fastener clip being represented generally by reference numeral 31.
Clip 31, which is a unitary structure preferably made by molding, comprises a
plurality of fasteners 11-1 through 11-3, fasteners 11 being arranged in a
parallel,
side-by-side, spaced orientation. Although only three fasteners 11 are shown
in clip
31, it is to be understood that the number of fasteners 11 in clip 31 is
illustrative only
and could be increased or decreased without departing from the spirit or scope
of the
present invention. (In fact, in a preferred embodiment, clip 31 comprises one
hundred twenty-five fasteners 11.)
Clip 31 also includes a first plurality of severable connector posts 33-1 and
33-
2 and a second plurality of severable connector posts 35-1 and 35-2, connector
posts
33 connecting the mutually-opposing sides of adjacent cross-bars 15 at their
approximate midpoints and extending in a substantially perpendicular direction
relative to the longitudinal axes of cross-bars 15, connector posts 35
connecting the
mutually-opposing sides of adjacent cross-bars 17 at their approximate
midpoints and
extending in a substantially perpendicular direction relative to the
longitudinal axes
of cross-bars 17. (Side, top and front views of an individual fastener 11,
together with
its associated connector posts 33 and 35, are shown in Figs. 3(a) through
3(c),
17
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
respectively.) In the present embodiment, connector posts 33 and 35 have a
length
of approximately 0.25 mm.
Connector posts 33 and 35 are strong enough to maintain the connection
between adjacent fasteners 11 in clip 31 prior to the dispensing of individual
fasteners 11 from clip 31 and, yet, are weak enough to be severed by the
conventional severing action of a fastener dispensing tool. At the same time,
connector posts 33 and 35 have a certain degree of flexibility; consequently,
because
of the arrangement of posts 33 and 35 relative to cross-bars 15 and 17,
respectively,
adjacent fasteners 11 in clip 31 are permitted to pivot relative to one
another, thereby
enabling clip 31 to be bent into an arcuate shape.
As seen best in Fig. 2(b), posts 33 and 35 preferably have a conical or
tapered
transverse cross-section that decreases in diameter from the fastener about to
be
dispensed (e.g., fastener 11-1 ) to the next fastener in the clip 31 (e.g.,
fastener 11-2)
so that very little or nothing of the severed posts 33 and 35 that once
connected the
fastener about to be dispensed to the fastener previously attached to it
remain on the
about-to-be-dispensed fastener. In this manner, as will be seen below, the
fastener
about to be dispensed by the tool (e.g., fastener 11-1 ) is able to sit
substantially flush
within a tool used to dispense the fastener. It should be understood, however,
that
the above embodiment is merely a preferred embodiment and that posts 33 and 35
need not be conical or tapered and, instead, may take a variety of shapes.
Clip 31 further includes an extra pair of cross-bars 37 and 39, cross-bars 37
and 39 being identical to cross-bars 15 and 17, respectively, except for the
fact that
cross-bars 37 and 39 are not disposed at the ends of a flexible filament.
Cross-bars
37 and 39 are arranged in a parallel, side-by-side, spaced orientation from
cross-bars
15 and 17, respectively, of the last fastener 11 of clip 31 (in the present
embodiment,
fastener 11-3) and are severably connected thereto by connector posts 33-3 and
35-
3, respectively. Connector post 33-3 is identical to connector posts 33-1 and
33-2,
and connector post 35-3 is identical to connector posts 35-1 and 35-2. Cross-
bars
37 and 39 serve to keep the last fastener of clip 31 properly oriented while
it is being
dispensed using the fastener dispensing tool described below.
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
As can be seen in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), clip 31 does not include a runner bar.
This may be advantageous since the runner bar of a fastener clip typically has
no use
once the fasteners originally attached thereto have been dispensed therefrom.
As
a result, the detached runner bar typically represents economically and
environmentally undesirable waste material. In addition, severed connectors
previously used to connect fasteners to a runner bar and still remaining on
the runner
bar after the fasteners have been detached therefrom often have an acute end
which
may undesirably snag on and damage merchandise when fasteners from the
fastener
clip are dispensed into such merchandise with a conventional fastener
dispensing
tool.
Clip 31 may be made by injection molding, preferably using polyurethane or
a similar material. According to a preferred embodiment, clip 31 is made by
forming
a fastener clip analogous to clip 31 but further comprising a runner bar
severably
connected to each of cross-bars 15 (see, for example, fastener clip 11 of
U.S.S.N.
09/464,022) and then by severing said runner bar from each of cross-bars 15
and
removing the remnants of any connectors connecting said runner bar to cross-
bars
15.
It should be noted that, notwithstanding the above-noted generalized
shortcomings of runner bar-containing fastener clips, the aforementioned
runner bar-
containing analog to clip 31 could be substituted for runner bar-less clip 31
and used
with an appropriately dimensioned version of a conventional fastener
dispensing tool
of the type adapted for use with runner bar-containing clips (an example of
such a
tool being an appropriately dimensioned Dennison~ Mark II'°' SWIFTACH~
tool).
Referring now to Figs. 4(a) through 4(c) and to Fig. 5, there are shown
various
views of a fastener dispensing tool that is particularly well-suited for use
in dispensing
individual fasteners from clip 31, said fastener dispensing tool being
constructed
according to the teachings of the present invention and being represented
generally
by reference numeral 51. (Fasteners dispensed by tool 51 may be used to
maintain
a dress shirt or the like in a folded condition or may be used in other
fastening
applications.)
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
Tool 51 includes a hollow, gun-shaped casing 53, casing 53 comprising a right
half 55 (which is shown separately in Figs. 6(a) through 6(d)) and a left half
57 (which
is shown separately in Figs. 7(a) through 7(d)). Halves 55 and 57, which may
be
fabricated from any convenient durable material, such as molded plastic, are
joined
together by a plurality of screws 58 and jointly define a handle portion 59
and a barrel
portion 61. As seen best in Fig. 4(b), right half 55 and left half 57 also
jointly define
an opening 62 located at the front end of barrel portion 61, the purpose of
opening
62 to be discussed below.
Referring now to Figs. 6(a) and 7(a), an oval-shaped recess 63-1 is provided
on the outer surface of the barrel portion of right half 55, and a
corresponding oval-
shaped recess 63-2 is provided on the outer surface of the barrel portion of
left half
57. Recesses 63-1 and 63-2 are adapted to receive complementary-shaped inserts
64-1 and 64-2, respectively, inserts 64-1 and 64-2 being shown disposed in
their
respective recesses in Figs. 4(a) through 4(c). Inserts 64-1 and 64-2 may bear
a logo
or the like and/or may have a rubberized or gripping outer surface to prevent
tool 51
from sliding across a table when placed thereon.
Referring back to Figs. 6(a) and 7(a), a window 65-1 is provided in the barrel
portion of right half 55, and a matching window 65-2 is provided in the barrel
portion
of left half 57. Windows 65-1 and 65-2 permit a user to monitor the status of
a
fastener clip 31 disposed inside casing 53. In addition, windows 65-1 and 65-2
provide an opening through which cross-bars 37 and 39 of a clip 31 may exit
casing
53 once a clip 31 has been completely spent.
An arrow 67-1 is formed on right half 55 towards the front of its barrel
portion,
and a matching arrow 67-2 is formed on left half 57 towards the front of its
barrel
portion. Arrows 67-1 and 67-2 are aligned with opening 62 and are designed to
aid
a user in aligning tool 51 with an object to be fastened, such as a dress-
shirt.
Referring back to Figs. 4(a) through 4(c) and to Fig. 5, tool 51 further
comprises a door 69 (shown separately in Figs. 8(a) through 8(d)). Door 69,
which
also may be made from molded plastic or the like, is pivotally mounted at its
front end
on a screw 70 secured to halves 55 and 57. When door 69 is closed, it
substantially
CA 02365028 2001-08-31
WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
covers an opening formed between recesses 55-1 and 57-1 located along the top
edges of halves 55 and 57, respectively (recesses 55-1 and 57-1 seen best in
Figs.
6(d) and 7(d), respectively). For reasons to be revealed below, the rear end
69-1 of
door 69 is angled upwardly to permit limited access to the interior of casing
53
through an opening 68 even when door 69 is in a closed position. When door 69
is
pivoted away from the top of casing 53, the interior of barrel portion 61 (and
in
particular the feed track to be described below of casing 53) can be accessed.
As seen best in Fig. 5, a ring 71, which is preferably made of rubber or the
like,
is rotatably mounted on a pin 72 fixed to door 69. Ring 71 is adapted to
engage the
filament portions of a clip 31 disposed within tool 51 in such a way as to
permit
manual advancement of a clip 31 through the feed track of tool 51 merely by
turning
ring 71 from the exterior of casing 53.
Tool 51 further comprises an anvil 73 (shown separately in Figs. 9(a) through
9(d)). Anvil 73, which is preferably made of molded plastic or the like,
includes a rear
portion 73-1 and a front portion 73-2. Rear portion 73-1 is disposed within
barrel
portion 61 of casing 53 and is secured to halves 55 and 57 by screw 70 (anvil
73
sharing screw 70 with door 69). Hooked front portion 73-2 extends upwardly
from the
top of casing 53 and then loops downwardly in front of tool 51 spaced a short
distance from opening 62. Front portion 73-2 is provided with an opening 75,
which
is aligned with opening 62 and which is appropriately spaced from tool 51 so
as to
receive the tip of the needle of tool 51. Front portion 73-2 is also provided
with an
outer slot 77 which is preferably dimensioned depthwise to extend beyond the
tip of
the needle in its forwardmost position and is preferably dimensioned widthwise
to
prevent a user from inserting his fingers thereinto. In this manner, anvil 73
not only
serves as a support for the fastening operation to be performed by tool 51 but
also
serves to protect a user from injury caused by accidental needle sticks. As a
further
safety measure, the spacing between opening 62 of tool and opening 75 of anvil
73
is preferably sufficiently small (e.g., 0.25-0.3 inch) to prevent a user from
inserting his
fingers therebetween.
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As can readily be appreciated, because anvil 73 is secured to casing 53 by
screw 70, anvil 73 can easily be replaced if damaged. Also, anvil 73 can
readily be
replaced with an anvil having a different sized loop if one wishes to vary the
point of
attachment of the fastener dispensed by tool 51 into an object (i.e.,
generally
speaking, the higher the loop, the lower the point of attachment of the
fastener into
the object).
As seen best in Fig. 5, tool 51 also includes a triggering mechanism whose
purpose will become apparent below. In the present embodiment, said triggering
mechanism includes a trigger 81. Trigger 81, which may be made of molded
plastic
or another similarly suitable material, is pivotally attached to casing 53 by
a pin 83
and extends partially through an opening 84 formed in handle portion 59 of
casing
53 so that it may be digitally manipulated for movement towards and away from,
respectively, the rear wall of handle portion 59. A coiled spring 85, which is
attached
at one end to the inside rear wall of handle portion 59 and which is attached
at its
opposite end to the inside of trigger 81, biases trigger 81 away from the rear
wall of
handle portion 59.
The triggering mechanism of tool 51 additionally includes a lever 87 and a
float
link 89, both of which may be made of molded plastic or another suitable
material.
Lever 87 is disposed within casing 53 and is pivotally mounted at a first end
87-1 on
a pin 88, pin 88 being fixed to trigger 81. Float link 89 is pivotally mounted
at one end
on a pin 90 mounted inside handle portion 59 and is pivotally mounted at its
opposite
end on a pin 91 fixed to an intermediate portion of lever 87.
Tool 51 further includes a needle assembly. In the present embodiment, said
needle assembly comprises a needle 93. As seen best in Figs. 10(a) through
10(c),
needle 93 comprises a stem portion 95 and a base portion 97. Stem portion 95,
which may be made from stamped and rolled metal, is a generally cylindrical
member
terminating at one end in a sharp tip 95-1 designed for insertion through a
garment
or like object. Stem portion 95 also has a slotted bore 95-2 extending
substantially
longitudinally thereacross. Base portion 97 may be made of a plastic that has
been
insert-molded onto that end of stem portion 95 that is distal to tip 95-1.
(Alternatively,
22
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
stem portion 95 and base portion 97 may be a unitary structure made of metal
or
another suitable material.) Base portion 97 is provided with a slotted
longitudinal
bore 97-1 that is aligned with bore 95-2 of stem portion 95 and is also
provided with
a scallop-shaped recess 99 on its outer surface whose purpose will be
described
below. The bores of stem portion 95 and base portion 97 are appropriately
dimensioned so that cross-bar 15 of a fastener 11 may be inserted thereinto
from the
rear of base portion 97, traverse the length of needle 93 through bore 95-2
and then
exit needle 93 via tip 95-1. The slots of stem portion 95 and base portion 97
are
appropriately dimensioned to permit the filament 13 of fastener 11 to extend
therethrough while its associated cross-bar 15 is disposed within needle 93,
said slots
being oriented in tool 51 so as to face towards half 55 of casing 53.
Referring back to Fig. 5, the needle assembly of tool 51 further comprises a
needle carrier 101 (shown separately in Figs. 11 (a) through 11 (f)), needle
carrier 101
being slidably mounted in a slot 102 defined at least in part by matching sets
of
longitudinally extending ribs 104-1/104-2 and 106-1/106-2 integrally formed on
right
half 55 and left half 57, respectively, of casing 53 (ribs 106-1 and 106-2
being visible
in Figs. 7(b) and 7(c)). One end of a spring 108 is attached to a post 110
formed on
needle carrier 101, the opposite end of spring 108 being attached to a post
112
mounted in casing 53. In this manner, needle carrier 101 is normally biased
rearwardly in barrel portion 61. Needle carrier 101, which may be made of
molded
plastic or another suitable material, is provided at its front end with a
sleeve 107,
sleeve 107 being aligned with opening 62 for reasons to become apparent below.
Base portion 97 of needle 93 is disposed within sleeve 107 and is lockably
secured
therewithin by a locking pin 109.
Referring now to Fig. 12, locking pin 109 can be seen to be a generally
cylindrical member having a slotted head 111 (manipulable with a screwdriver
or the
like) at one end thereof, a longitudinally-extending slot 113 at the opposite
end
thereof and a scallop-shaped recess 115 on its outer surface at about its
midpoint.
Recess 115 on pin 109 is appropriately dimensioned to receive base portion 97
of
23
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
needle 93, and recess 99 of base portion 97 is appropriately dimensioned to
receive
pin 109.
Locking pin 109 is disposed in a bore 117 formed in carrier 101, bore 117
being shown in Figs. 11 (a) through 11 (d) and in Fig. 11 (f). As seen best in
Fig. 11 (f),
bore 117 and sleeve 107 are oriented relative to one another so that, when pin
109
is rotationally positioned so that recess 115 faces away from needle 93,
needle 93
is engaged by pin 109 and, therefore, is locked into sleeve 107 whereas, when
pin
109 is rotationally positioned so that recess 115 faces towards needle 93,
needle 93
is not engaged by pin 109 and, therefore, is free to be removed from sleeve
107. As
can be seen in Fig. 5, slotted head 111 of locking pin 109 is accessible (for
use in
locking and unlocking needle 93) through an opening 119 formed in the bottom
of
barrel portion 61.
Referring now to Figs. 5 and 13, tool 51 further includes a mechanism for
loading fasteners, one at a time, into needle 93 and for ejecting loaded
fasteners from
needle 93. In the present embodiment, said loading/ejecting mechanism
comprises
an ejector rod carrier 141, an ejector rod 143 and an ejector clip 145.
Ejector rod
carrier 141 (shown separately in Figs. 14(a) and 14(b)), which may be made of
molded plastic or another suitable material, is slidably mounted on the
underside of
needle carrier 101. Ejector rod carrier 141 is coupled to lever 87 by means of
a pin
147 that is fixed to ejector rod carrier 141, lever 87 being pivotally mounted
on pin
147. In this manner, when trigger 81 is squeezed, ejector rod carrier 141 is
moved
forwardly across barrel portion 61; conversely, when trigger 81 is released,
ejector
rod carrier 141 is moved rearwardly across barrel portion 61. For reasons to
be
discussed below, the top of carrier 141 is shaped to include a first recessed
portion
149-1 at its front end and a second recessed portion 149-2 proximate to its
rear end.
Ejector rod 143 is preferably conventional in shape and composition. The rear
end of ejector rod 143 is mounted in the front end of carrier 141, the front
end of
ejector rod 143 extending forwardly away from carrier 141 and being aligned
with
bore 97-1 of needle 93. In this manner, when trigger 81 is squeezed, ejector
rod
carrier 141 and ejector rod 143 together move forwardly through barrel portion
61
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
until the front end of ejector rod 143 is inserted completely through needle
93.
Because, as will hereinafter be described, the cross-bar 15 of the lead
fastener11 of
a fastener clip 31 loaded in tool 51 is positioned behind bore 97-1 of needle
93, as
the front end of ejector rod 143 moves forwardly through barrel portion 61, it
pushes
said cross-bar into and through needle 93, in the process severing the
connector 33
between said cross-bar and its adjacent cross-bar 15.
Ejector clip 145, which is shown separately in Fig. 15, is preferably a
unitary
structure made of stamped stainless steel or the like. Clip 145. which is
positioned
between the right side of ejector carrier 141 and the inner right side of
needle carrier
101, is shaped to include a front portion 151-1 and a rear portion 151-2.
Front portion
151-1 is provided with a tip 152, tip 152 being aligned with cross-bar 17 of
the lead
fastener 11. Rear portion 151-2 is provided with an elongated slot 153 through
which
pin 147 extends. As can be seen best in Fig. 15, the rear end 153-1 of slot
153 is
angled upwardly. In this manner, as ejector rod carrier 141 begins its forward
movement through barrel portion 61 and as the front end of ejector rod 143
pushes
cross-bar 15 of the lead fastener into needle 93, pin 147 begins to move
forwardly
through slot 153 from rear end 153-1, causing clip 145 to be moved forwardly a
short
distance and causing tip 152 of clip 145 to engage cross-bar 17 of the lead
fastener
and to push it forwardly until the connector 35 connecting cross-bar 17 to the
remainder of the clip 31 breaks. As carrier 141 continues to move forwardly,
pin 147
moves through the straight front end 153-2 of slot, causing clip 145 to remain
stationary while carrier 141 moves forwardly. Later, as carrier 141 makes its
rearward movement through barrel portion 61 (as trigger 81 is released), pin
147
moves rearwardly through slot 153, and clip 145 is restored to its original
position.
Referring back to Figs 5 and 13, tool 51 further comprises a mechanism for
coupling and decoupling ejector rod carrier 141 to and from needle carrier
101. In the
present embodiment, said mechanism comprises a linking member 161 (shown
separately in Fig. 16). Linking member 161, which may be made of molded
plastic
or a similarly suitable material, is seated in a slot 142 (shown best in Figs.
11 (a) and
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
11(b)) formed in needle carrier 101 and is pivotally mounted at one end 161-1
to
needle carrier 101 by a pin 163.
As seen best in Fig. 13, the front end 161-2 of linking member 161 is enlarged
and, prior to actuation of trigger 81, is disposed over the recessed portion
149-1 of
carrier 141. When trigger 81 is first squeezed, carrier 141 moves forwardly;
however,
because of recessed portion 149-1, carrier 141 does not initially engage the
enlarged
front end 161-2 of linking member 161. As a result, linking member 161 and, in
turn,
needle carrier 101 are not initially coupled to carrier 141 and do not
initially move
forwardly with carrier 141. During the aforementioned part of the trigger
stroke,
ejector rod 143 severs the lead cross-bar 15 from its adjacent cross-bar 15
and feeds
the lead cross-bar 15 into needle 93.
Continued squeezing of trigger 81 causes that portion of carrier 141 located
immediately behind recessed portion 149-1 to pivot front end 161-2 of linking
member
161 up against rib 104-1, thereby causing linking member 161 and, in turn,
needle
carrier 101 to be coupled to carrier 141. Thus, once coupled together, carrier
101,
linking member 161 and carrier 141 begin to move forwardly together through
slot
102. During this part of the trigger stroke, needle 93 and ejector rod 143
move
together, with tip 95-1 of needle 93 passing through opening 62 of casing 53
and
through opening 75 of anvil 73.
Further continued squeezing of trigger 81 causes linking member 161 and
carrier 141 to be decoupled as front end 161-2 of linking member 161 arrives
at and
is forced through an opening 165 formed in rib 104-1 (a corresponding opening
being
provided in rib 106-1 ) while carrier 141 continues to move forwardly through
barrel
portion 61. During this part of the trigger stroke, ejector rod 143 continues
to move
forwardly through the now-stationary needle 93.
Still further continued squeezing of trigger 81 causes ejector carrier 141 to
slide across the now-stationary enlarged end 161-2 of member 161 until
enlarged end
161-2 drops down into recessed portion 149-2 of carrier 141. During this part
of the
trigger stroke, ejector rod 143 completes its forward progress through needle
93.
26
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When trigger 81 is initially released, carrier 141 and member 161 move
rearwardly together (with enlarged end 161-2 disposed in recessed portion 149-
2 and
pressed up against rib 104-1 ) until member 161 is fully withdrawn and
enlarged end
161-2 is aligned with an opening 166 in rib 104-1 (a corresponding opening
being
provided in rib 106-1 ). During this part of the trigger stroke, ejector rod
143 and
needle 93 move rearwardly together, with needle 93 being completely withdrawn
into
casing 53 through opening 62. The primary reason for having needle 93 and
ejector
rod 143 simultaneously withdraw at the beginning of the trigger release,
instead of
simply reversing the sequence of events that took place during the squeezing
of
trigger 81 (which would involve having ejector rod 143 first retract partially
while
needle 93 is kept stationary), is to prevent the cross-bar 15 that is being
dispensed
through needle 93 from toggling back into the needle 93 after retraction of
ejector rod
143. This undesired outcome is prevented in the present arrangement by having
needle 93 and ejector rod 143 retract together until needle 93 has fully
retracted.
Continued release of trigger 81 causes carrier 141 to slide rearwardly across
the now-stationary enlarged end 161-2 until carrier 141 is fully withdrawn and
enlarged end 161-2 is returned to its starting position over recessed portion
149-1 .
During this part of the trigger stroke, ejector rod 143 fully retracts.
Tool 51 further comprises a feed track 171 along which a fastener clip 31 may
be advanced through tool 51 to a position where individual fasteners can be
loaded
into and dispensed from needle 93. Feed track 171, which extends from the rear
of
opening 68 to just behind bore 97-1 of needle 93, is defined, in part, by a
matching
pair of arcuate ribs 173-1 and 173-2 formed interiorly along the barrel
portion of
halves 55 and 57, respectively, and is defined, in part, by a feed guide 175
(shown
separately in Figs. 17(a) through 17(c)) stationarily mounted in barrel
portion 61 just
behind needle 93. Feed track 171 is appropriately dimensioned so that the
entirety
of a clip analogous to clip 31 but comprising one hundred twenty-five
fasteners 11
can be completely contained within tool 51. As can readily be appreciated,
even
longer fastener clips (e.g., clips having several hundred fasteners 11 ) can
be
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disposed in feed track 171, with the rear end of such clips extending out
through
opening 68 of tool 51.
Referring now to Figs. 17(a) through 17(c), feed guide 175, which is
preferably
a unitary structure made of molded plastic or the like, is shaped to include a
front
portion 177-1, a rear portion 177-2 and an intermediate portion 177-3. Front
portion
177-1 is provided with a slotted bore 179, which is aligned with bore 97-1 of
needle
93 and which is also aligned with ejector rod 143, and is also provided with a
slot 180,
which is aligned with tip 152 of clip 145. In addition, the front surface of
front portion
177-1 is shaped to include a recessed area 181, which is adapted to receive
the rear
of base portion 97 of needle 93 as needle 93 is moved back and forth by needle
carrier 101. Furthermore, the rear surface of front 177-1 is shaped to include
a guide
rib 183, guide rib 183 being positioned in feed track 171 and being
appropriately
dimensioned to keep cross-bars 15 and 17 properly aligned on opposite sides
thereof
as a clip 31 travels downwardly through feed track 171. A downwardly and
outwardly
angled bump 183-1 is provided on rib 183, bump 183-1 being positioned on rib
183
and appropriately dimensioned so that the filament 15 of the lead fastener 11
slides
thereacross as said fastener moves into position to be dispensed but, once
drawn
past bump 183-1, cannot easily be pulled back thereover. In this manner, bump
183-
1 acts as an anti-back to prevent a clip 31 from moving backwards in feed
track 171
during the as yet to be described feeding operation of the clip.
The top surface of intermediate portion 177-3 constitutes the front end of
feed
track 171 and functions as a stage on which the lead fastener 11 of clip 31 is
situated
prior to being dispensed by tool 51.
A pair of transverse openings 185-1 and 185-2 are provided in rear portion
177-2 of guide 175, opening 185-1 being positioned so that it is aligned both
with
ejector rod 143 and with bore 179, opening 185-2 being positioned so that it
is
aligned with tip 152 of clip 145 and with slot 180.
As cross-bar 15 of the lead fastener 11 is pushed by ejector rod 143 through
opening 179, the severable connector 33 connecting said cross-bar 15 to its
adjacent cross-bar 15 is severed. Likewise, as cross-bar 17 of the lead
fastener 11
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
is pushed by ejector clip 145 through slot 180, the severable connector 35
connecting
said cross-bar 17 to its adjacent cross-bar 17 is severed. As noted above, one
advantage to having connectors 33 and 35 taper in the manner described above
is
that, once connectors 33 and 35 between the lead fastener and its adjacent
fastener
have been severed and the lead fastener has been dispensed, the cross-bars 15
and
17 of the adjacent fastener are capable of sitting substantially flush on top
of the top
surface of portion 177-3. As also noted above, cross-bars 37 and 39 ensure
that
cross-bars 15 and 17 of the last fastener 11 of clip 31 remain properly
aligned with
bore 179 and slot 180, respectively.
Referring back now to Fig. 13, tool 51 further comprises a feed clip 187, clip
187 being mounted on guide 175 for use in maintaining the alignment of cross-
bar
of the lead fastener 11 with bore 179 while said cross-bar 15 is seated on top
of
portion 177-3 of guide 175. As seen best in Figs. 18(a) and 18(b), clip 187 is
a
unitary structure, preferably made of molded plastic, comprising a main
portion 189-1
15 and an arm 189-2. Main portion 189-1 is provided with a pair of mounting
posts 190-
1 and 190-2 insertable into a pair of corresponding openings 191-1 and 191-2
formed
in guide 175. Arm 189-2, which is biased away from main portion 189-1, is
shaped
to include a finger 192 adapted to engage cross-bar 15 of the lead fastener
11.
Referring back now to Fig. 13, tool 51 further comprises a mechanism for
feeding or advancing a clip 31 through feed track 171 at a rate of one
fastener per
trigger stroke. In the present embodiment, said feeding or advancing mechanism
comprises a pawl 193 made of molded plastic or a similarly suitable material.
Pawl
193, which is shaped to include a pair of fingers 194-1 and 194-2 (see Fig.
19)
engageable with the filament portion 15 of a clip 31 seated in guide 175, is
rotatably
mounted on guide 175 by a pin 195. In addition, pawl 193 is mechanically
coupled
by a wire hook 197 to a feed sliding member 199 (shown separately in Fig. 20)
slidably mounted in a slot defined by ribs 203-1/203-2 and 205-1/205-2 on
halves 55
and 57, respectively, of casing 53 (ribs 205-1 and 205-2 being shown in Figs.
7(b)
and 7(c)). A rear post 207 is formed at the rear end of member 199, and a
front post
209 is formed proximate to the front end of member 199. Posts 207 and 209 are
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WO 00/51792 PCT/US00/05649
appropriately positioned on member 199 so that, when trigger 81 is nearly
completely
squeezed, lever 87 contacts post 209 and moves member 199 forwardly a short
distance. This causes pawl 193 to rotate away from the fasteners positioned in
guide
175. Then, when trigger 81 is released, lever 87 contacts post 207 and moves
member 199 rearwardly a short distance. This causes pawl 193 to rotate towards
the
fasteners positioned in guide 175,whereby fingers 194-1 and 194-2 engage the
filament portion of the clip and pull the clip down to advance it by one
fastener.
To prepare tool 51 for use, clip 31 (or more preferably a fastener clip
analogous to clip 31 but comprising on the order of one hundred twenty-five
fasteners
11 ) is loaded into tool 51. This is typically done by opening door 69,
inserting the clip
into feed track 171 (i.e., by orienting the clip relative to ribs 173-1 and
173-2 so that
the respective filaments 15 are disposed on top of and across ribs 173-1 and
173-2
and so that the respective cross-bars 15 and 17 are positioned off to the
sides of and
perpendicular to ribs 173-1 and 173-2), closing door 69, and advancing the
clip
through feed track 171 using wheel 71. With tool 51 thus loaded, a fastener 11
may
be inserted into a desired article first by placing the article between
opening 62 in
casing 53 and opening 75 in anvil 73 (arrows 67-1 and 67-2 optionally being
used to
locate openings 62 and 75) and then by squeezing and releasing trigger 81 in
the
manner described above.
The embodiments of the present invention recited herein are intended to be
merely exemplary and those skilled in the art will be able to make numerous
variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the
present
invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the
scope
of the present invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.
