MXPA96002982A - Fastening placement tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A fastener placement tool particularly suitable for use in gluing buttons to clothing, etc., and which is constructed for use with a fastening clip. The tool includes a pair of needles pivotally mounted to the front end of the body each needle has a longitudinally slotted hole adapted to receive one of the cross bars and a cutting edge to separate a connecting post from its associated cross bar as the bar is pushed to through the needle. The body includes a transverse feeding groove, an ejector mechanism that includes a pair of ejector rods, and a pair of flexible fingers that cooperate with a post in the ejector mechanism to prevent automatic return of the ejector mechanism from its forward position in the body when the forward pressure of the ejector mechanism is removed

Description

ATTACHMENT TOOL FOR FASTENERS BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and novel tool for placing fasteners particularly suitable for use in consumer applications, such as the placement or relocation of loose buttons in garments, etc. The traditional method for placing or replacing buttons on clothing or fabrics, either by machine or by hand, is with thread. The button is held in place and a needle with thread is inserted through each of two, three or more holes of the button and through the material several times until there are enough strands of thread to securely hold the button to the material. Then the thread must be tied or fastened in another way so that it does not come loose. In some cases, when it is desired to raise the button with respect to the material, a pedestal effect is achieved by winding strands laterally with more thread. This method of placing buttons on clothing or fabrics has several disadvantages. First, it is a (slow and tedious area and the button can be quickly released if only one of the strands is cut or if the ends of the thread are not adequately secured) In US Patents Nos. 3,399,432, 3,470,834 and 3,494,004 commonly designated, all of which are included herein by reference, discloses a plastic fastener element that can be used in place of the yarn for placing or replacing buttons on garments, this fastener generally comprising a flexible filament having A head at one end and a cross bar at the opposite end Several such fasteners are generally manufactured as part of a clamp in which the fasteners are interconnected in a row to a spar or shuttle connected to the crossbars of fasteners by the corresponding collars or connecting posts To cut an individual fastener from the clamp and fix the cut fastener to the desired article (for example, through a button hole and a garment), a fastener placement device is generally used. Said device generally comprises a cover, a needle projecting from the cover; the needle and the cover have longitudinal holes aligned with each other, a piston that slides back and forth within such holes, a telescopic handle on the back of the cover to slide said piston through the holes and a means including a wheel divider to successively feed fasteners into the device, with the transverse bars aligned with the holes mentioned in front of the piston, so that they can project through the needle when the piston oscillates. Generally, the rear end of the needle is formed to define a knife edge, so that inserting the cross bar into the longitudinal hole of the needle using the piston causes the knife edge of the needle to cut through the needle. Connector post that attaches the fastener to the rest of the fastener clamp. Although it has been found that the fasteners described above are generally satisfactory for placing buttons on certain garments, they have not had universal application for the following reasons: First, when in direct contact with a person's skin, the crossbar of Bra has to cause irritation. This is partly due to the fact that the cut described before the connecting post often leaves burrs on the lower part of the transverse bar and partly on the somewhat sharp ends and the large size of the transverse bar. Second, the fasteners are often too large to be used on many buttons and, therefore, require specially designed buttons with large holes. Third, fasteners tend to be very noticeable, since a fastener is used for each button hole, instead of being inserted through two or more holes in the button, as is generally done with the thread.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to offer a new and novel tool for placing fasteners particularly suitable for use in consumer applications, such as the placement or relocation of loose buttons in garments, etc. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fastener positioning tool as described before it is adapted for use with a new and novel fastener clamp, which will preferably comprise a pair of generally parallel shuttles and one or more fasteners, each of which comprises a U-shaped filament and a pair of generally parallel transverse bars disposed at opposite ends thereof; the U-shaped filament is arranged in the plane of the shuttles generally parallel and aligned with the longitudinal axes thereof; each pair of cross bars is connected to a corresponding shuttle by a connecting post and the connecting posts are connected separately to the outer sides of their respective cross bars. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fastener placement tool as described before it is lent for its manufacture with the use of mouldable parts and which, therefore, can be produced massively in a relatively inexpensive manner. The additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be known by the practical use of the invention. The objects, features and advantages of the invention can be realized and achieved through the means and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastener placing tool comprises a body, a needle block, a pair of needles, a spring and an ejector mechanism. Each of the pairs of needles includes a longitudinal hole with a slot adapted to receive one of the transverse bars of the fastener, with the adjacent end of the filament extending through the slot in the hole, the needles are mounted in a parallel arrangement in the block of needles which, in turn, is mounted in a cavity formed in the front end of the body, from which it can be removed, each needle has a blade edge on its outer side, which is adapted to cut a connector post of its corresponding crossbar, as it is pushed by the crossbar. The body is also formed to include a transverse feed groove through which the fastener clamp described above is manually inserted. To assist in properly aligning the fastener clamp with the feed slot, so that the desired fastener cross bars are aligned with the longitudinal holes of the needles, the inner walls of the slot are formed to include a pair of fastener bars. feeding which engage with the corresponding notches formed on the outer sides of the fastener clamp.

The ejector mechanism, which is mounted to be able to slide back and forth within the body and is tilted back by the spring, can be operated manually from the back of the body. The activation of the ejector mechanism is preferably achieved using the thumb and the body is provided with a pair of finger openings, so that the device can be held and used as a syringe. The ejector mechanism includes a pair of ejector rods that slide back and forth within the longitudinal holes of the needles and are used to push the crossbars through the needle orifices toward the desired garment. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the shape of the body and the ejector mechanism and the spring structure of the fastener placing tool are modified. Still in another preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastener placing tool comprises a body having an upper part and a lower part, a cover, an ejector mechanism, a spring and a pair of needles. The needles are mounted on the front end of the body, and at least one of the needles is pivotally mounted so as to allow the tool to adapt to variations in the spacing between holes of different buttons. Each needle includes a slotted longitudinal hole, adapted to receive one of the transverse bars of the fastener to be separated. The ejector mechanism can be slid back and forth in a longitudinal channel inside the body and is tilted backwards by the spring. The ejector mechanism includes a pair of ejector rods that can slide back and forth in the longitudinal holes of the needles, the forward movement of the ejector mechanism in the body is preferably achieved using the thumb and body and the ejector mechanism are formed in such a way that the device can be held and used as a syringe. The ejector mechanism and the body are further formed so that the ejector mechanism does not retract automatically after the user has pushed it with the thumb to the most advanced position and the thumb pressure is removed on the ejector mechanism. The cover is coupled to the ejector mechanism and covers its rear portion.

SHORT DESCRIPTION Pfi LOS PIASRAMAS The accompanying diagrams, which are incorporated in this document and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention itself. In the diagrams, the reference numbers represent these parts : Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a fastener clamp for use with the fastener placing tool made in accordance with the instructions of the present invention Figure 2 is a bottom view of the fastener clamp illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged front perspective view of one of the fasteners illustrated in Figure 1, after having been separated from the rest of the clamp of its taps; Figure 4 is a top view of an embodiment of a fastener placing tool constructed in accordance with the instructions of the present invention for placing an individual fastener of the fastener clamp of Figure 1 to a garment, through a pair of fasteners. orifices of the button, in such a way that the button is fixed in the prend; Figure 5 is a partially developed top view of the fastener placing tool illustrated in Figure 4, with the body separated into parts; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the body illustrated in Figure 5, of a cut on line 6-6; Figures 7 (a) to 7 (d) are front, rear, top and right side views, respectively, of the needle block illustrated in Figure 5; Figure 8 is a sectional view of the body illustrated in Figure 5; of a cut on line 8-8; Figures 9 (a) to 9 (d) are top, right side, left side and rear views, respectively, of one of the needles illustrated in Figure 5; Figures 10 (a) to 10 (b) are bottom and right side views, respectively, of the ejector mechanism illustrated in Figure 5; Figure 11 is a top view, separated in parts of a second embodiment of a fastener placing tool constructed in accordance with the instructions of the present invention for placing an individual fastener of the fastener clamp of Figure 1 to a garment, through a pair of holes in the button, so that the button is fixed on the garment; Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the front end of the fastener placing tool of Figure 4 illustrated with the pair of ejector rods in the advanced position to illustrate how one of the fasteners illustrated in Figure 1 can be inserted through a pair of holes of the button and to be fixed in the garment; Figure 13 is an enlarged sectional view similar to that of Figure 12, but after the fastener placement tool has been removed, and illustrates how one of the fasteners illustrated in Figure 1 is used to attach a button to a garment; Figure 14 is a top view of the combination of the button, the garment and the fastener, illustrated in Figure 13; Figure 15 is a top view of a third embodiment of a fastener placing tool constructed in accordance with the instructions of the present invention; Figure 16 is a sectional view of the fastener placing tool illustrated in Figure 15; of a cut on line 16-16; Figures 17 to 20 are top, side, front and rear sectional views, respectively, of the upper part of the tool body illustrated in Figure 15; Figures 21A and 21B are top and rear views, respectively, of the lower part of the tool body illustrated in Figure 15; Figure 22 is a partial plan view of the nose of the fastener placing tool illustrated in Figure 15, without the upper part of the body; Figure 23 is a partial side view of the nose of the fastener placing tool illustrated in Figure 15, without the upper part of the body; Figure 24 is a front end view of the upper part of the body illustrated in Figure 15; Figure 25 is a plan view of the ejector mechanism illustrated in the fastener placing tool of Figure 15; Figures 26 to 29 are plan, side, rear and front views, respectively, of one of the needles of the fastener placing tool of Figure 15; and Figure 30 is a sectional view of the front end of the lower body portion of the fastener placing tool of Figure 15, of a cut taken along lines 30-30 and with the needles mounted; Figures 31 and 32 are partial views illustrating the lower post of the ejector block and the lower part of the body when the ejector block is in its advanced and intermediate positions, respectively, relative to the lower part of the body; and Figure 33 is a partial view of a modification of the needle mounting arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the diagrams and in particular to Figures 1 and 2, there are illustrated front and bottom views, respectively, of a fastener clamp for use with a fastener placing tool constructed in accordance with the instructions of the present invention, the clamp of fasteners is usually represented by the reference number 11. The clamp 11 is a unitary structure preferably molded with polyurethane or similar materials. The clamp 11 comprises five identical fasteners 13, the number of fasteners is only illustrative. Each fastener 13 includes a flexible U-shaped filament 15 and a pair of crossbars or legs 17-1 and 17-2 disposed at opposite ends thereof. To maximize the strength of the fastener, the filament 16 preferably has a rectangular section and its thickness is not uniform; that is, the region of the arc 16 has a thickness ti greater than the thickness t2 of the ends. The legs 17-1 and 17-2 have the appropriate dimensions so that they can be inserted into the desired garment through a pair of holes of the standard size button and can be retained by the inner side of the garment. The clamp 11 also comprises a pair of shuttles 19-1 and 19-2, the upper ends of which are joined to form a handle 21. The outer edges of the shuttles 10-1 and 19-2 have notches 24 which, as will be seen more forward, they help to feed the clamp 11 properly into a positioning tool for its tappers. Each fastener 13 is connected to the shuttles 19-1 and 19-2 by the connecting posts 23-1 and 23-2 respectively, which can be cut. For the reasons set forth below, the connecting posts 23-1 and 23-2 are connected to the outer sides 25-1 and 25-2 of the legs 17-1 and 17-2, respectively. In order that the fastener 13 can be used in garments in which the legs 17-1 and 7-2 can be placed in direct contact with the skin of the person, the fastener clamp 11 includes the following features designed to reduce the minimal skin irritation. First, as indicated above, the connecting posts 23-1 and 23-2 are connected to the outer sides 25-1 and 25-2 of the legs 17-1 and 17-2. In this way, when the posts 23-1 and 23-2 are cut, the burrs 27-1 and 27-2 (see Figure 3) remain on the outer sides 25-1 and 25-2, where it is not likely that come in contact with the person's skin, as they would if they were on the lower surface of legs 17-1 and 17-2. Second, legs 17-1 and 17-2 have a length I that is comparatively small, i.e., approximately 2 mm compared to the 6 mm cross bars of similar existing fasteners and a total size that is comparable to the from a knot of thread used to secure the button to a piece of cloth. Consequently, legs 17-1 and 17-2 have a relatively small surface area that can come into contact with the person's skin. Third, the upper surfaces 29-1 and 29-2 of the legs 17-1 and 17-2, respectively are generally flat, to give a low profile to the legs 17-1 and 17-2 and prevent them from moving in relation to the inner side of the garment to which the fastener is attached (see Figure 13). Fourth, legs 17-1 and 17-2 have round ends 31-1 / 31-2 and 33-1 / 33-2, respectively. To use the fastener 13 to place a button on a garment, an individual fastener 13 is first separated from the fastener clamp 11 by cutting the connector posts 23-1 and 23-1. The legs 17-1 and 17-2 of the cut fastener 13 are first inserted through the corresponding pair of holes in the button and then through the desired garment. Both cutting and insertion steps can be done manually or with the help of an appropriate fastener placement tool.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, there is illustrated an embodiment of a fastener placement tool suitable for use with a fastener clamp in the manner described above; the fastener positioning tool is generally represented with the reference number 51. The tool 51 includes a body 53, a needle block 55, a pair of needles 57-1 and 57-2, a spring 59 and an ejector mechanism 61 The body is a unitary structure molded preferably with a durable and lightweight plastic. The body 53 is formed to define a pair of transverse openings 63-1 and 63-2 that are provided so that the user can operate the tool 51 as a syringe, placing the index and middle fingers through the openings 63-1 and 63-2, while ejector mechanism 61 is operated with the thumb. The body 53 also has a transverse feed groove 64 through which the clamp of fasteners 11 can be inserted in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body 53. As best seen in Figure 6, the groove 64 is formed to include a pair of feed rods 64-1 and 64-2, which as will be discussed in more detail below, are used to couple with the notches 24 of shuttles 19-1 and 19-2, respectively, to align suitably clamp fasteners 11 with tool 51. Needle block 55, which is mounted in a cavity 66 formed in body 53, removable therefrom and accessible from the front end, is illustrated in more detail in Figures 7 (a) to 7 (d). As can be seen there, the block 55 is a generally rectangular unitary structure having a pair of channels, generally cylindrical 67-1 and 67-2 adapted to receive the needles 57-1 and 57-2, respectively. The block 55 is clamped within the opening 65 by means of several outward tilt tabs 69-1 to 69-3 which enter the corresponding slots 71-1 to 71-3 (see Figure 8) of the cavity 65. Block 55 will preferably be molded with a durable and lightweight plastic. The needle 57-1, which is a mirror image of the needle 57-2 reflected along its longitudinal axis, is illustrated in more detail in Figures 9 (a) to 9 (d). As can be seen therein, needle 57-1 is a unitary structure formed to include a generally cylindrical grooved hole 73-1. The hole 73-1 has a slightly larger sectional diameter than that of the leg 17-1 of the fastener 13. The front end 75-1 of the needle 57-1 is aimed to allow its insertion through the garments and the holes of the needle. standard size button. The rear end 77-1 of the needle 57-1 is open and has approximate dimensions to allow an ejector rod, described below, to be pushed through the hole 73-1 with the adjacent end of the filament extending through the Orifice groove 73-1. the needle 57-1 is held in the channel 67-1 of the block 55 by means of a downwardly angled fin 79-1 which engages with the corresponding slot 81-1 in the channel 67-1 (see Figures 7 [b] and 7 [c]). The left side of the needle 57-1 (viewing the needle 57-1 from its rear end 77-1 as opposed to its front end 75-1) is formed to define a knife 83-1. As will be described later in more detail, the blade 83-1 is used to cut the connector post 23-1 connecting the desired fastener 13 to the shuttle 10-1. (A corresponding blade edge formed on the right side of the needle 57-2 is similarly used to cut the connector post 23-2 connecting the same fastener to the shuttle 19-2.) The needles 57-1 and 57 -2 are preferably cut and punched out of metal sheets. The ejector mechanism 61, which is illustrated in more detail in Figures 10 (a) and 10 (b) is slidably mounted within a longitudinal channel 89 formed in the body 53 and which can be accessed from the back end of it. As you can see there, the ejector mechanism 61 comprises a generally rectangular elongate ejector block 91 having a front portion 91-1 of comparatively smaller cross section and a rear portion 91-2 of comparatively greater cross section. A pair of ejector bars 93-1 and 93-2 are fixed at the end of the front portion 91-1. As will be described later in more detail, the ejector rods 93-1 and 93-2 have the proper dimensions and position so that, as the ejector block 91 moves through the channel 89, the front ends of the rods Extruders 93-1 and 93-2 cause the legs 17-1 and 17-2 of a fastener 13 to be properly disposed within the slot 64 to be loaded on the needles 57-1 and 57-2 and then ejected from the same. A disc-shaped base 85 is fixed at the rear end of the rear portion 91-2 to facilitate manipulation of the mechanism 61. The ejector rods 93-1 and 93-2 will preferably be made of metal and the rest of the ejector mechanism. 61 preferably will be molded with durable and lightweight plastic.

The longitudinal movement of the mechanism 61 within the channel 89 is restricted by the base 95 and by a pair of integrally formed posts 97-1 and 97-2 disposed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the rear portion 91-2 that is moves in the corresponding guide grooves 99-1 and 99-2 (see Figure 5) formed in the body 53. Posts 97-1 and 97-2 are made so that they can be pressed inwardly and allow the insertion of the block 91 on the channel 89. The spring 59, which engages the front of the channel 89 at one end and the forward end of the rear portion 91-2 at the opposite end, tilts the ejector mechanism 61 towards the rear of the channel 89. A fastener dispensing tool of construction similar to tool 51 is illustrated in Figure 11, the tool is generally depicted with reference numeral 101. the differences between tool 101 and tool 51 are few; the main differences are the shape of the body 103, the lack of a base 95 in the tool 101 and the construction of the spring 105. The tool 101 is operated in the same way as the tool 51. In use, the desired fastener clamp 11 is loaded into the tool 51 by grasping the handle 21 and pushing the clamp down through the slot 64 until the notches 24 of the shuttles 19-1 and 19-2 corresponding to the desired fastener 13 are engaged with the bars 64-1 and 64 -2. Once this is done, the legs 17-2 and 17-2 of the desired fastener 13 will be placed in the holes 73-1 and 73-2 of the needles 57-1 and 57-2. To attach a button to a piece of fabric using the fastener loaded in the manner described above, the tips 75-1 and 75-2 of the needles 57-1 and 57-2, respectively, are first inserted through a pair of pins. holes of the button and then through the piece of cloth. The ejector mechanism 61 is then advanced through the channel 89 towards the front of the body 53 by pushing the ejector mechanism 61 forward, preferably, with the user's thumb. The initial advancement of the ejector mechanism 61 causes the ejector rods 93-1 and 93-2 to move towards the holes 73-1 and 73-2. As the advancement of the ejector mechanism 61 continues, the ejector rods 93-1 and 93-2 push the legs 17-1 and 17-2 past the knife edges 83-1 and 83-2 of the needles 57- 1 and 57-2, causing the connecting posts 23-1 and 23-2 to be cut. Finally, when the advancement of the ejector mechanism 61 ends, the ejector rods 93-1 and 93-2 cause the legs 17-1 and 17-2 to be expelled from the front end of the needles 57-1 and 57-2. The ejector mechanism 61 is then allowed to retract and the needles 57-1 and 57-2 are removed. In Figure 12 a fastener 13 is illustrated being inserted through the pair of holes in the button B ^ and B2 and in a piece of cloth F using the tool 51. Referring to Figures 13 and 14, sectional and top views are illustrated. , respectively of a button B that has been placed on a piece of cloth F using the fastener 13. As best seen in Figure 13, the advantages resulting from connecting the fastener 13 to the shuttles 19-1 and 19-2 in the outer sides of legs 17-1 and 17-2 are substantial, since burrs 27-1 and 27-2 are not in the bottom of legs 17-1 and 17-2, where they are more likely to irritate skin of the person. The consequences of making the upper surface of legs 17-1 and 17-2 flat, instead of curved, to give legs 17-1 and 17-2 a low profile and prevent them from shifting on the legs. directions indicated by the arrows C and D can also be seen in Figure 13. As best seen in Figure 14, another benefit of the fastener 13 is that, having the filament 15 extended between the holes of the button Bj. and B2, in the form of a loop, creates the appearance of thread, instead of that of a plastic fastener, used to attach the button to the fabric. After the fastener 13 has been dislodged from the tool 51 and the ejector mechanism 61 has returned to its original position, the clamp of fasteners 11 is pushed down to the tool 51 so that the leg of the next fastener is fed and aligned with the needles. Referring to Figures 15 and 16, sectional and sectional views of a third embodiment of a fastener placing tool manufactured in accordance with this invention, the fastener placing tool is identified with reference number 121. The tool Fasteners 121 includes a body 123 having an upper part 125 and a lower part 126, a pair of needles 129 and 131, an ejector mechanism 133, a spring 135 and an end cap 137. The upper part 125 of the body 123, see also Figure 17, is formed to include a longitudinal groove 139. The lower part 127 of the body 123, see also Figure 21 is formed to include a longitudinal groove 141 and a transverse feed groove 143 through which a fastener clamp can be inserted. The lower part 127 is further formed to include a pair of finger grips 145 and 147. The upper part 125 and the lower part 127 will preferably be molded with durable and lightweight plastic. The upper part 125 is mounted on the lower part 127 and secured there by three flexible hook-shaped tabs 149, 151 and 153 in the upper part 125, see also Figures 18-20, which enter the notches 155. , 157 and 159, respectively, formed in the lower part 127, see Figure 21A. The upper part 125 and the lower part 127 are formed to jointly define a longitudinal channel 161 extending inwardly from the rear end 163 of the body 123. The needles 129 and 131 are mounted on the front end are mounted on the end front 165 of the body 123. In order to allow the fastener positioning tool 121 to adapt to variations in the spacing of the button holes; that is, to allow the needles to be inserted into holes that can be separated at different distances, the needles 129 and 131 are pivotally mounted on the body 123. The needle 129, which is illustrated in detail in Figures 26 to 29, includes a tongue 167 at its rear that includes a mounting hole 169. the needle 129 is pivotally mounted on the body 123 by means of a mounting bolt 171 which is pressed into a hole 174 of the bottom part 127 and which is extends upwardly through the mounting hole 169. The needle 131 is a mirror image of the needle 129 and is similarly mounted on a mounting bolt 173 that is snap-fit into the bottom 127. The shape and size of two longitudinal openings 175 and 177 at the front end of the lower part 127 limit the size of the arch (a) through which each needle 129 and 131 can pivot (from side to side) preferably to approximately 3 ° ± approximately 1 °. the needles 129 and 131 include a blade edge 179 similar in shape and function to the knife edge 83-1 of the needle 57-1. the needles 129 and 131 are preferably cut and punched out of metal foils. The ejector mechanism 133 is slidably mounted within a channel 161 formed in the body 123 and which can be accessed from the rear end of the body 123. As can be seen there, the mechanism 133 comprises an ejector block. generally rectangular elongate 183 having a front portion 185 of comparatively smaller cross section and a rear portion 187 of comparatively greater cross section. A pair of ejector rods 189 and 191 are snapped into holes formed in the front portion 185. As will be described in more detail later, the ejector rods 189 and 191 have the proper dimensions and position so that, as the ejector block 183 moves through the channel 161, the front ends of the ejector rods 189 and 191 cause the legs 17-1 and 17-2 of a fastener 13 that is in the holes or in the needles 129 and 131 to be ejected from the same. A base 193 is integrally formed at the rear end of the back portion 187 to facilitate manipulation of the mechanism 133. The ejector rods 1809 and 191 will preferably be made of metal and the remainder of the ejector mechanism 133 will preferably be molded with durable plastic and light. The longitudinal movement of the mechanism 133 within the channel 161 is restricted by the base 193 and by a pair of integrally formed posts 195 and 197 disposed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the rear portion 187 that travels in the guide grooves. corresponding 139 and 141 formed in the body 123. The spring 135, which engages the front of the channel 161 at one end and the forward end of the rear portion 181 at the opposite end, tilts the ejector mechanism 131 towards the of the channel 181. The end cap 137 is coupled to the ejector mechanism 133 using posts 195 and 197. When using the tool 121, a clamp 11 is pushed down into the slot 143 so that the fastener 13 to be released has its Legs in the holes of the needles. The user then manually pushes the ejector mechanism 133 to its most advanced position in the channel 161 (push cap 137) causing the clip to be pushed out through the front tip of the needles. The pressure exerted by the user forward on ejector mechanism 133 is then removed and tool 121 is removed.

In order to prevent the ejector mechanism 133 from automatically returning to its rear position from the advanced position, and possibly carrying a fastener already released when the forward pressure exerted by the user on the ejector mechanism 133 is removed, there is a torque of flexible fingers 199 and 201 formed in the side wall of the slots 139 and 141. The flexible fingers 199 and 201 cooperate with the post 197 on the post 183 of the ejector mechanism 133 to maintain the ejector mechanism 133 in its most advanced position (see Figure 31) although it is tilted backwards by the spring 135. The ejector mechanism 133 is moved back to its rear position by the user applying backward pressure; that is, pushing it physically beyond the fingers 199 and 201. Instead of both needles being pivotally mounted, one of the needles may be pivotally mounted and the other needle may be mounted so that it does not pivot. An example of a pair of such needles and the mounting arrangement is illustrated in Figure 33. As can be seen, the needle 201 is pivotally mounted on a cylindrical pin 205 while the needle 207 has a slotted opening 208 that fits into a correspondingly shaped bolt 209, so that the needle 207 can not pivot on the bolt 209. the bolt 205 and the projection 209 are integrally formed in the needle block 211. Also, instead of the needles having mounting holes and being mounted on bolts in the body, the needles themselves can have bolts and be mounted in holes formed in the body. The preferred embodiments of the present invention presented herein are intended to be merely examples and those having experience in the field will be able to make numerous variations and modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications will be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims,

Claims (12)

WHAT IS REVINDED IS:

1. A fastener placement tool for placing a fastener on a desired article; the fastener comprises a flexible filament and a pair of transverse bars disposed at opposite ends thereof; said fastener placing tool comprises: a) a body with a longitudinal channel; b) a pair of needles projecting forward from the front end of the body and at least one such needle is pivotally mounted to said body; each of said needles has a front end adapted for insertion into the article and a longitudinal hole of appropriate dimensions to allow one of the transverse bars of the fastener to slide thereon; said longitudinal hole is slotted to allow the end of the filament adjacent the transverse bars to extend through it; and c) an ejector mechanism mounted to slide in said channel; said ejector mechanism includes a pair of ejector rods that slide back and forth through said pair of needles to urge the transverse bars of the holder toward and through said longitudinal holes toward the desired article.

The fastener placement tool claimed in claim 1 wherein both needles are pivotally mounted on said body.

3. A fastener positioning tool for fixing the fastener to the desired article; the fastener comprises a flexible filament and a transverse bar disposed at one end thereof; the crossbar is independently connected on its side to a shuttle by means of a connecting post, said fastener placing tool comprises: a) a body; b) a needle projecting from the front of the body; said needle has a front end adapted for insertion into the article, a longitudinal hole of appropriate dimensions to allow the transverse rod of the fastener to slide therethrough; said longitudinal hole is slotted to allow the end of the filament adjacent to the transverse bar to pass therethrough, and a blade edge suitably positioned beside said longitudinal hole to cut the connector post as the cross bar passes; and c) an ejector mechanism that can be manually moved back and forth through said needle to push the crossbar of the fastener toward and through said longitudinal hole toward the desired article; and d) a spring for pushing said ejector mechanism backwards; e) said body and said ejector mechanism are formed to prevent the automatic movement of recoil of said ejector mechanism from its advanced position when the forward pressure on said ejector mechanism is eliminated.

The fastener placement tool claimed in claim 3 wherein said mechanism can be operated manually from the rear of said body.

5. A tool for releasing individual fasteners from a fastener clamp on the desired article; the fastener clamp comprises a pair of generally parallel shuttles and one or more fasteners; each fastener comprises a flexible filament and a pair of transverse bars disposed at opposite ends thereof; the flexible filament is arranged in the plane of the pair of generally parallel shuttles; each pair of crossbars is connected to the corresponding shuttle by means of a connecting post; the connecting posts are connected independently to the outer sides of their respective transverse bars; said tool comprises: a) a body; b) a pair of needles projecting from the front of the body; at least one of said needles is pivotally mounted; each of said needles has a front end adapted for insertion into the article, a longitudinal hole of appropriate dimensions to allow the transverse bar of the fastener to slide thereon.; said longitudinal hole is slotted to allow the end of the filament adjacent the transverse bar to pass therethrough, and a blade edge suitably positioned on the outer side of said needle to cut the connector post as the cross bar passes; and c) a pair of ejector rods that can be slid back and forth through said needle to push the transverse bars of the holder toward and through said longitudinal holes of such needles toward the desired article.

The fastener positioning tool claimed in claim 5 wherein said ejector rods can be accessed and operated from the rear of said body.

The fastener positioning tool claimed in claim 6 wherein said body has a groove extending down from the top behind said needles through which the fastener clamp can be inserted to position the crossbars of the fastener. desired fastener directly behind said longitudinal holes of said needles.

The fastener positioning tool claimed in claim 7 wherein said slot and the pair of shuttles have cooperating registration elements to assist in properly aligning the transverse bars with said longitudinal holes of said needles.

The fastener placing tool claimed in claim 8 wherein said register engaging elements include notches on the outer sides of the shuttles formed in the corresponding inner walls of said slot.

10. A fastener placement tool comprising: a. an elongate body having a front end, a rear end and a longitudinal groove extending inward from said forward end; b. a pair of needles pivotally mounted on the front end of the elongate body; c. an ejector mechanism mounted so that it can slide in said longitudinal slot to move between its most advanced position and its rear position to push a fastener that will be released through both said needles; and d. a spring for pushing said ejector mechanism backwards, e. means for preventing the automatic movement of recoil of said ejector mechanism from its advanced position to its posterior position. The fastener placing tool of claim 10 further including a lid coupled to said ejector mechanism. The fastener placing tool of claim 11 wherein the body comprises an upper part and a lower part and wherein the lower part is coupled to the upper part. -B \ subscribed Alejandro González Rossi, English-Spanish translator, declares under oath to say that he has full knowledge of both languages and that this is a true and correct translation of the document in English consisting of nineteen useful sheets.