US2567991A - Apparatus for stringing tag blanks - Google Patents

Description

P 18, 1951 G. L.ICORNMAN ET AL 2,567,991

APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TAG BLANKS Filed Sept. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEY P 18, 1951 G. L. CORNMAN ETAL 2,567,991

' APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TAG BLANKS Filed Sept; 4. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tia-5 lNl/[N TORS Guy A, CaR/vM/ 540 L. CJR/VM/l/V, JR.

y GEORGE W VERA/0N A TTO/PNEV Sept. 18, 1951 PG CQRNMAN ET \5, 2,567,991

APPARATUS FOR S"RINGING TAG BLANKS Filed Sept. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.5.

Sept. 18, 1951 G. CORNMAN ETAL 2,567,991

APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TAG BLANKS Filed Sept. 4, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 4 Tiqi v //v VE'N TORS Guy A. CORN/VAN Guy A. Com/MAM JR.

BY 650 46: M VsA/vm/ A TTORNE p 18, 1951 G. L. CORNMAN ET AL V 2,567,991

APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TAG BLANKS Filed Sept. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //v VEN T0 RS 640 1. Cb/PA/MA/V Guy 1. CDR/VMA/MJ/Z y 6.501%: 114 Vie/v0 A TORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TAG BLANKS Guy L. Cornman and'Guy L. Cornman, Jr., Gladwyn, and George W. Vernon, Conshohocken, Pa. said Guy L. Cornman, Jr., and said George W. Vernon assignors to said Guy L. Cornman Application September 4, 1947, Serial No. 772,164

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the stringing of tags,

' tickets and the like and is particularly directed fore it is delivered to the machine, or that a punch be incorporated in the machine itself to make a hole in the blank at a station spaced from that at which the string is threaded through it.

These machines are fairly satisfactory when operating properly, but as the blanks are punched before reaching the threading station, each blank 'must be accurately positioned thereat with its hole in substantially exact alignment with the path of the threading needle to prevent the latter damaging the blank while threading the string through it, especially when the diameter of the hole in the blank is not much larger than that of the needle, and when the machine is operating at its customary rate of 5,000 or more tags per hour it is practically impossible for every punched blank to be so accurately located at the threading station that at least some are not mutilated as a result of misalignment of the. blank holes with the needle path.

Consequently efforts have been made to enhance the accuracy and uniformity of operation of the blank punching as well as of the blank positioning mechanisms but have not thus far resulted in construction of a machine capable of successively stringing large numbers of tag blanks without injury to any of them, and it will be readily appreciated that occurrence and persistence for even a. short time of a condition causing the blanks to be damaged or improperly strung may result in production of a great many 2 with the needle as the latter carries the string through the blank, rendering it substantially impossible for the needle to damage any blank under normal conditions of operation.

While several of the mechanical operations utilized for accomplishing this result are well known individually, so far as we are aware they have not heretofore successfully been combined in such manner as to avoid production of damaged or improperly strung tags and the present invention therefore resides primarily in a method and apparatus whereby the operations of both punching and threading the consecutively fed blanks are effected at a single station and while each is positively held in fixed position from prior to punching until after the string has been threaded through it.

Thus, as in tag stringing machines heretofore known, apparatus embodying the present invention desirably includes a magazine for the tag blanks, preferably one having capacity to receive a fairly large stack or pil of them, and blank feeding mechanism comprising a reciprocable slide operative to withdraw a single blank from the bottom of the magazine and deliver it to an adjacent station at the beginning of each cycle. In our apparatus the blank when brought to this station encounters gripping fingers which receive the blank from the slide as the latter releases it and returns to the magazine; these fingers grip the blank and thereafter hold it in fixed position until it has been punched and the string inserted through the punched hole and the magazine and slide are therefore preliminarily so adjusted that the blank is delivered to the fingers in proper position for punching and threading;

*i. e., with that part of it which is to be punched and to receive th string disposed in line with and between a reciprocable punch and its die, the punch of course being retracted from the die during positioning of the blank,

The punch operates to punch a hole in the blank and drives the punching into but preferably not through the die;- as the punch thereafter retires from the die a hollow needle enters and passes through the latter from the opposite direction, driving out the punching and carrying a string end through the die and the hole in the blank to within reach of string gripping mechanism which now engages the end of the string and retains it when the needle is thereafter withdrawn from the blank, leaving the string extending through it. The tag-gripping fingers, which include a measuring hook engaged by the string adjacent the hole in the blank next carry the blank a predetermined distance from the punching and threading station, and the hook moves with the fingers it draws additional string through the needle from a cop or other source until a length of string roughly corresponding to twice the length of the hook travel has been drawn out of the needle end, this part of the string forming an elongated loop extending from the string gripping finger through the measuring hook and threaded blank to the end of the needle from which it has been drawn and lying adjacent the fingers or bills of a knotter. The latter now operates to double the standing part of this loop upon itself and as a shear severs the strands between the knotter bills and the punching and threading station the bills close on the severed string ends and a knock-off arm then sweeps the doubled loop from the knotter over the string ends retained by the bills to tie an overhand knot in the loop and carry the string from the knotter into a receiving slot as the tag-gripping fingers release the tag. The latter thereupon falls from the fingers and hangs by its string over the face of an angular plate, one edge of which forms a side of the receiving slot, for subsequent removal usually with other strung tags after a number of them have accumulated on the plate.

It will be apparent from the foregoing general description that an important feature of the invention is the combining of the punching and stringing operations whereby the string is inserted through the hole in the tag blank immediately after the latter has been punched and while it is retained with its punched hole exactly aligned with and adjacent the punch die, and it is thus a principal object of the invention to provide a method and means for utilizing this feature and enabling its advantages to be readily realized in practice.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will appear or be understood as the following description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a machine constructed and operating in accordance with the invention. It will, moreover, be understood that this machine includes certain mechanisms auxiliary and complementary to that with which the invention is particularly concerned but their specific characters and/or modes of operation form no part of the latter and other appropriate devices may readily be substituted therefor if desired. Thus the magazine for receiving tag blanks in bulk, mechanism for delivering them singly from the magazine, for knotting the string after it has been threaded into a tag and for receiving and retaining the tags after stringing, being devices well known and in use in prior tag-stringing machines may be of substantially any desired character, and as to such devices the following description is intended as a mere recapitulation of prior knowledge in the art of which specific details are not herein required. The character and operation of the driving mechanism for the several operative units embodied in the machine and other accessory devices may also be deemed as understood, or may be mentioned herein only in a general way, as they are likewise within the knowledge of those skilled in the art and form no part of the invention. Consequently, in the said drawings we have only shown such parts as are requisite for an adequate comprehension of the latter.

In the said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the said punching and stringing machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation thereof at the beginning of a stringing cycle;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation at an intermediate point in the cycle, being broken away to show the interior of the stringing box in greater detail;

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged staggered vertical section through the stringing box. and on line 44 in Fig. 3 but at a later point in the cycle;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section on the scale of Figs. 1 and 2 in which the stringing box is viewed from the opposite direction, namely from the right of Fig. 2 after the stringing cycle has still further progressed.

Figs. 6 and 7 are much enlarged fragmentary vertical sections showing the tag stringing needle with the string gate or latch and actuating mechanism therefor in positions they assume at different points in the cycle.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, from what has been said it will be understood that in addition to the mechanism actually shown therein the machine is provided with driving means, usually an attached electric motor connected by a V-belt drive or the like to the main shaft S, a vacuum pump, which may be driven from said motor or shaft, or be independently driven as desired, and a support for a cop or the like from which a continuous length of string A may be drawn by the machine when in operation.

More specifically, the machine illustrated comprises a bed plate I above which a plurality of angular guides 2 are adjustably mounted on supports 3 which can be positioned with relation to the bed plate in such manner as to form a magazine for a stack of tag blanks B substantially irrespective of the shape or size of the blanks. The guides are desirably held in offset relation to their supports and adjusted vertically above the bed plate to provide between the latter and their lower ends a gate through which a single tag blank may be slid laterally along the plate from the bottom of the stack while the remainder of the stack is retained in the guides. A slide 4 horizontally reciprocable in ways 5 in the plate and having vacuum ports 6 provides automatic means for thus sliding the blanks from the bottom of the stack one at a time and feeding them periodically to the punching and stringing station, the slide being actuated by mechanism (not shown) in timed relation with the operation of other parts of the machine to deliver the blanks successively at appropriate intervals corresponding to initiation of successive operative cycles.

At the said punching and stringing station a number of other interrelated mechanisms are successively brought intoplay in coordinated relation with each other and with the operation of the slide 4, the first to physically affect the blank B being horizontally reciprocable tag gripping fingers in which receive it from the slide as it is delivered to said station and hold it in delivered position when the slide vacuum is thereafter interrupted and the slide retracted by suitable mechanism (not shown), one of the fingers carrying a measuring hook II the purposes of which will hereafter more fully appear. Each blank is delivered by the slide and thereafter during the punching and threading operations held by the fingers with that portion of the blank through which a hole is to be punched and the string threaded disposed in alignment with and between a reciprocable punch I2 and its complementary die [3 (Fig. 1). These then operate to punch a hole in the blank, the punching desirably being left frictionally held in the die when the punch is retracted after making the hole. A tubular Stringing needle 15, threaded through its bore by string A the end of which projects a short distance beyond the end of the needle, and supported from a reciprocable needle bar It now enters the punch die and successively passes the string end through it, the subjacent hole in the tag and'the measuring hook H to expel the punching and thread the string through the hole in the blank and through the hook. During this operation the string is held against movement relatively to the needle by latch mechanism the construction and operation of which will be hereinafter more fully explained, and'as the needle carries the projecting string end to a point at which it may be engaged by string gripping finger IS the latter clamps it against an adjacent fixed abutment I9 to detain it when the needle is thereafter retracted (Fig. 4) the latch concurrently being operated to release the string and allow the needle to move out of the hole in the blank without pulling the string end with it. After the needle has been withdrawn from the blank, leaving the string threaded through it and through the measuring hook' II on the tag gripping fingers II] the latter are set in motion to draw the blank away from the punching and threading station outwardly in a direction parallel to plate I and as the hook still engages the string and is drawn with the blank, it pulls additional string from the needle and thus measures a length thereof substantially equal to twice that of the travel of the fingers,'which have previously been adjusted to provide the desired length of string for the tag. While the blank is being thus drawn away the needle is kept entered in the die, preferably with its end extending a little beyond the die face so the string cannot wear on the die cavity as it passes from the needle end.

After the tag gripping fingers have drawn the threaded blank B" the full distance from the stringing station as determined by the adjustment of their operating mechanism, the needle is advanced slightly to bring the strand of string extending from its end to the blank and hook II into substantial parallelism with that ex tending from the latter to the string gripping finger l3 (Fig. 5) and both stands then lie adjacent the head 2i! of a knotter of a usual type comprising separable knotter bills or fingers 2! which curve radially and axially from the end of the head. A knock-off arm 22 mounted to swing pivotally on its supporting shaft 23 is now moved into engagement with the standing part of the string loop, counter-clockwise in Fig. 2, to slide the string into contact with the knotter bills and draw additional string from the needle suflicient to allow the knotter to form a knot therein. The knotter head is now rotated about its axis and carries the bills through 'one revolution in engagement with the string during which they double the standing part of the loop upon itself as the knock-off arm retires to provide the necessary slack in the string; then, before the knotter head completes its revolution the bills actuated by the usual cam (not shown) open momentarily to receive the standing parts of the string loop between the knotter and the punching and stringing station, the

movable anvil 24 of a shear operating to carry these parts between the bills as it moves toward its complementary shear blade 25 against which it bears to sever the string. The severed ends of the loop, now engaged between the bills, are frictionally retained thereby as the knockof! arm 22 again advances to sweep the doubled loop from the knotter head over said ends and thus complete the formation of a knot in the loop; it then carries the knotted string from the knotter into a slot 21 formed by the spaced parallel edges of a guide 28 and subjacent tag plate 29 respectively, entering the knot back of 'the slot as the tag, simultaneously released by the tag gripping fingers, falls to the tag plate where it remains suspended by its string until the latter is withdrawn from the slot, usually after a plurality of the strung tags have been similarly deposited on the plate. I

The principal operations performed by the apparatus in each tag stringing cycle having thus been generally explained, the following more particular description of the structure and operation individually of certain of its component mechanisms will enable the invention to be more readily understood, all of such mechanisms being actuated, directly or indirectly, from the main drive shaft S which when the machine is operating desirably rotates continuously clockwise in Fig. 5 and is driven by any suitable prime mover such as an electric motor' (not shown).

Blank punching mechanism The punch I2 is carried by a punch slide 4| reciprocable in a guide 42 in response to the to be retracted therefrom under the bias of a tension spring 45 stretched between the slide 4| and a fixed part of the machine; it will be evident from the illustrated shape of cam 44 that the punch is kept retracted during most of the cycle and is advanced and withdrawn fairly rapidly during only a small part of it. The die cavity 48 in punch die 13 is of course shaped to conform to the punch, and the die is fixed to the bed plate or other stationary part in alignment with the punch. Desirably the back face of the .die about its cavity is beveled as best shown in Fig. 4 to facilitate entry of the end of needle l5 and the die thus functions in part as a needle :guide which enables a bent or improperly adjust- Blank threading mechanism The mechanism for threading the string through the blank comprises the tubular needle l5 of outside diameter desirably sufficiently less than that of die cavity 48 normally to allow frictionless passage of the needle through the latter, and comprising a bore large enough read- "ily to pass the string being use.

string hole 56 in the collar in one limit position of the latter is aligned with the needle bore and when the collar is in this position (Fig. 7) the string may be drawn freely through and from the free end of the needle. When the collar is rotated clockwise from its Fig. 7 position however, the string is subjected to a shearing grip exerted between the hole in the collar and the adjacent end of the needle bore.

For moving and yieldingly holding the collar to secure or release the string a coil spring 51 extends between the collar and a trigger 58 pivotally supported from a plate 59 which projects from the bar I6. The spring 57 is continually under compression between the collar and trigger and provides in effect a toggle action for rapidly shifting the collar from one position to the other about the head when trigger is tripped, to either secure the string in the head (Fig. 6) or free it for passage therethrough (Fig. 7).

The needle bar I5, carrying the head and latch mechanism just described is reciprocable in suitable guides fil and is actuated by a lever 62, link 63 and follower 54 from an internal cam surface 65 on needle cam 65 mounted on main drive shaft S, while a detent supported from a fixed arm 68 projects into the path of the latch trigger to trip the latch automatically as the needle bar is reciprocated. A suitable shape for cam surface 65 is indicated in Fig. 5 to actuate the needle bar during each revolution of the shaft S whereby successively (a) to advance the needle, thread the end of the string through the blank and deliver it to the string gripping finger (b) to retract the needle from the blank and concurrently trip the string latch trigger to release the string in the needle and allow the blank to be withdrawn from the punching and threading station, (0) then to advance the needle end for the string measuring operation, (11) tobring the strand into position for knotting, this position corresponding to one just short of that at which the trigger is engaged by the detent to trip the latch, and (e) to further advance the needle just sufficiently to trip the latch without carrying the trigger past the detent and thereby secure the string in the needle during subsequent retraction of the latter as it is restored to starting position preparatory to initiation of a subsequent cycle.

String Zatching mechanism The action of the latch during these several motions of the needle carrier is such as to secure the string and prevent it from accidently backing out of the needle except when its end is being held by the string gripping finger. Thus at the beginning of the cycle the latch is in the position best illustrated in Fig. 6 and the string is secured thereby. As the needle moves from retracted to advanced position to thread the projecting end of the string through the blank and deliver it to the string gripping finger I8, trigger 58 moves past detent 61, preferably just as the stroke is completed, so at the beginning of the return stroke of the needle after the string has been engaged by finger 18, the detent trips the trigger and moves the latch to the position indicated in Fig. '7, releasing the string. The toggle action produced by the coil-spring 51 thereafter holds the collar in this position until the trigger is again tripped by the detent, and finger I8 can therefore easily retain its grip on the string end while the needle moves away from the punching and threading station as well as during subsequent withdrawal of the threaded blank from the latter. The latch thus remains in released position during advancement of the needle to bring its strand of string into parallelism with the other standing part of the loop and until the shear cuts the string. Thereupon as heretofore explained, the needle is advanced momentarily just sufficiently to trip the trigger on the detent but not far enough to cause it to pass the latter and is then retracted with the latch shifted to string securing position (Fig. 6) preparatory to the initiation of a subsequent cycle. The string as thus secured in the needle is left with its end projecting a little beyond the needle end ready to be threaded through a succeeding blank.

The toggle action string latch mechanism just described in combination with other elements of the apparatus thus positively insures presentation of a string end through the blank to the string gripping finger every time the needle advances for this purpose and the string end cannot escape being engaged by the finger and thereby cause the machine to deliver an unstrung or improperly strung tag; the latch, however, does not interfere with the free running of the string through the needle when required.

The string and tag gripping mechanisms, string shear, knotter and knock-off arm which form components of the machine illustrated are substantially similar to corresponding components of machines heretofore in use for stringing tags so but a brief description of their structure and actuating mechanism will suffice. Thus it will be understood that in the string gripping mechanism spring biased finger I8 is pivotally carried by a lever H1 actuated by a cam follower H en gaging a cam 12 on the shaft S to advance the finger for gripping the string against abutment 19 during a part of each revolution of the shaft and the bias of a spring 14 retracts it as the high part of the cam moves away from the follower. The advanced position of finger l8 corresponds to that part of the cycle which begins substantially as the needle presents the string end for engagement by the finger and ends substantially as the string is cut by the shear 24, 25, after having been secured by the knotter bills 2 I.

The mechanism for actuating the tag gripping fingers In, which are slidable along ways 15 is connected by spring biased linkage (not shown) to a bell crank 16 on one arm of which a follower 1'! engages string length cam 13 on the shaft S to thereby reciprocate the fingers along the ways; a bar 19 above the path of the fingers is operated by a link and follower 8| from a cam 82 on the shaft to cause the fingers to open so they may receive a tag blank for punching and threading and discharge it after knotting, and to allow a spring (not shown) to close them and grip the blank during the intermediate period.

In the string shear comprising fixed blade 25 and movable anvil 24, the anvil is carried by a sliding bar 81 connected through a spring pressed bar '88 with a follower B9 engageable by a cam on the adjacent flat face of the needle cam 56 positioned and shaped to actuate the anvil at the appropriate point in the stringing cycle for cutting the string after it has been looped about knotter head 20 and just before knock-off arm 22 slips the doubled loop off the knotter to tie the string ends together.

The knotter head 20 is carried by a rotatable shaft 94 driven by a pinion 95 from a gear seg-- ment 96 on the rim of needle cam 66 and rotates the knotter bills in engagement with the string lproper relation.

acres to double the standing part of the string loop upon itself, while a cam (not shown) operates the spring biased bills momentarily just prior to the completion of each revolution to enable them to grip the severed string ends and retain them as the double loop is passed over them in knotting the string.

The knock-off arm 22 which draws slack in the string requisite for making the knot, and thereafter sweeps the string from the knotter to complete the knot and transfer the knotted string to the receiving slot 21 at the upper edge of the tag plate 29 is actuated by a pinion 100 on shaft 23 driven by a pivoted gear segment I'UI linked to a follower [02 which engages and is actuated by an external cam surface Hi3 within nected with the exhaust port of the vacuum pump (not shown) maintains a flow of air through the stringing box to blow away .the punchings and the severed string ends released by finger 18.

It will be apparent that in apparatus constructed as herein described the tag blank punch is operated by direct-acting positive drive from the main drive shaft S without the interposition of levers, links or similar elements, being located both closely adjacent the shaft and in registry with its die as well as with the path of the threading needle while the latter traveling along the common path of the needle and punch cannot injure a tag blank while threading the string through it. Punching and threading of the blank at a single station which is rendered possible in accordance with the invention with consequent elimination of an intermediate transfer of the punched blank from a punching to a threading station, also substantially reduces opportunity for non-uniform operation and improper tag stringing through faulty positioning of theblanks. The combination with the threading needle of a positive action string gate or latch which the invention affords additionally insures properfeeding of the string which is maintained always in a straight line by the rectilinear travel of the needle bar during the threading operation. The coordination, mutually synchronized at a single Station, of the string cutting, gripping and knotting and tag punching mechanisms with {the threading needle insures efiicient operation at high operating speeds, while the punch and/or die may be readily removed for grinding or replacement and as readily reassembled in their Furthermore alignment of the needle with the punch die is observable without measurement of distances or other annoying and time-consuming tests and many adjustments normally incident to the operation of machines of this general character are thus eliminated, while the punch die serving the double purpose of die and a needle guide renders it unnecessary to provide a needle guide as a separate part.

Obviously the capacity of the machine for stringing tag blanks delivered to it already punched is not impaired ,by the presencepf the punch which in such case merely reciprocates ineffectually-in the prepunched holes, but remainsavailable to automatically punch any blank that may appear without ahole or with its ho1e=in the wrong position, or if desired, the punch may be entirely removed when prepunched blanks are provided. By reduction of the tag blank travel in the machine, attained principally through elimination of the punching station heretofore usually positioned between the blank magazine and the'threading station, production rates substantially in excess of those of prior machines may be attained, a smaller bed plate may be used without sacrificing capacity for receiving and stringing large tags of substantially any reasonable dimensions, while the resultant location of the blank magazine well forward of the machine greatly enhances the convenience with which an operative standing or seated in front of it can supply blanks to the magazine. The simplicity of the machine with reduction of working parts to a substantially minimum number moreover greatly reduces the possible sources of mechanical trouble or failure, the parallel flow of string along the needle bar through the needle to the tag and positive registry of the needle with the tag hole substantially eliminates any possibility of injury to the string from friction atany various points in its travel, while the positive locking of the string in the needle during threading msures delivery of a string end through a blank in every operative cycle of the machine.

It will be understood that by herein describing with considerable particularity one machine embodying the invention and operative in accordance with the method thereof for mechanically punching and threading tag blanks, cutting and knotting the ends of the string together after the string has been threaded through the tag and discharging the tag ready for use, we do not desire or intend thereby to limit or restrict the invention in any Way, as changes and modifications in the form, structure, arrangement and relationship of the several components as well as modifications in the method, will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be made if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States 1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a reciprocable punch, a complementary die having a cavity aligned with the path of the punch, means for positioning a tag blank between the punch and die while the punch is retracted from the latter, means operative to project the punch through the blank into the die and to retract it therefrom, a tubular needle disposed in coaxial alignment with the punch adapted to carry a string end throughthe hole in the blank produced by the .punch and means .for effecting reciprocation of the needle relatively .to the punch in timed relation with the reciprocation of the punch.

2. Apparatusof the character described comprising a reciprocable pun h, a complementary die having a cavity aligned with the path of the punch, means for positioning a tag blank between the punch and die while the punch is retracted from the latter, means operative to project the punch through the blank into the die and to retract it therefrom, means movable successively through the, die andblank forthereafter threading a string end therethrough, means for engaging the string .end after its passage through the blank, means operativetothereafter 3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a reciprocable punch, a complementary die disposed in alignment with the path of the punch, a tubular needle adapted to carry a string end, reciprocable along a path aligned with the path of the punch and oppositely thereto with respect to the die and movable through the die toward the punch, means for reciprocating the punch to form a hole in a blank disposed adjacent the die and means for thereafter actuating the needle, to pass the string end carried by the needle successively through the die and such hole.

4. Apparatus for successively punching and stringin a tag blank comprising means for positioning the blank at a station, a punch die adjacent said station, a reciprocable punch operative to pass through the blank and into the die cavity to thereby sever a punching from the blank and deposit it in said cavity, a string carrying tubular needle reciprocable along a path aligned with said cavity and means operative to actuate the needle after the punch has been retracted to project a free end of the needle and. a string end carried thereby successively through the die cavity and the hole in the blank to thereby discharge said punching therefrom and to thread the string through the die and blank.

5. In tag stringing apparatus, a punch reciprocable along a rectilinear path, a die having a cavity aligned with the punch, a needle reciprocable along a path aligned with that of the punch and adapted to pass through the die when the punch is retracted, means for successively entering the punch in the cavity from one direction and retracting it therefrom and means for thereafter entering the needle in the cavity from the opposite direction and projecting its end beyond the end of the cavity proximate the punch.

6. Apparatus for successively punching and stringing a tag blank comprising means for positioning the blank at a station, a punch die adjacent said station, a reciprocable punch movable along a path intersecting the blank while at said station and aligned with the .die cavity operative to sever a punching from the blank and deposit it in said cavity, a string-carrying tubular needle reciprocable along said path in opposed relation to the punch with respect to said cavity and adapted after the punch has been retracted therefrom to enter successively the die cavity and the hole in the blank to thereby discharge said punching therefrom toward the punch and to thread a string end through the die and blank, a reciprocable substantially cylindrical head having a transverse bore receiving and supporting the needle, a collar adapted for oscillation about the head having a radial hole aligned with the needle bore When in one position, a pivoted trigger supported from the head and movable therewith, yielding means interposed between the trigger and the collar for oscillating the latter about the head in response to movement of the trigger and a fixed detent disposed in the path of the trigger for moving the trigger about its pivot.

7. In tag stringing apparatus, a needle bar reciprocable along a rectilinear path, a tubular needle carried by the bar reciprocable therewith in parallelism withsaid path and adapted to receive a string in it bore, oscillatory means havin a hole adapted to receive the string disposed adjacent an end of the needle, a pivoted trigger carried by the bar and yielding means interposed between the trigger and said oscillatory means operative to oscillate the latter in response to pivotal movements of the trigger, said oscillatory means including an abutment adapted to limit oscillatory movement thereof in one direction when the hole therein is aligned with the needle bore.

8. In tag stringing apparatus a tubular needle, a reciprocable head supporting the needle having a bore receivin one end of the needle, an apertured latching collar carried by the head adapted for oscillation thereabout to move the collar and thereby bring its aperture successively into and out of alignment with the needle bore, a pivoted trigger disposed adjacent the head and reciprocable therewith and yielding means interposed between the trigger and collar operative to oscillate the collar about the head when the trigger is tripped in opposite directions about its pivot.

9. In tag stringing apparatus a tubular needle, a reciprocable head supportin the needle having a bore receiving one end of the needle, an apertured latching collar carried by the head adapted for oscillation thereabout to move the collar and thereby bring its aperture successively into and out of alignment with the needle bore, a pivoted trigger disposed adjacent the head and reciprocable therewith, yielding mean interposed between the trigger and collar operative to oscillate the collar about the head when the trigger is tripped in opposite directions about its pivot, and a fixed detent disposed adjacent the path of the trigger operative to trip the trigger during reciprocating movement of the trigger with the head.

10. Apparatus of the character described comprisin a reciprocable punch, a, complementary die having a cavity aligned with the path of the punch, means for positioning a ta blank between the punch and die while the punch is retracted from the latter, means operative to project the punch through the blank into the die and to retract it therefrom, a tubular string-end-carrying needle coaxial with the punch and reciprocable relatively thereto, mean for releasably securing a string in the needle bore with its end projecting beyond the needle end, and means for actuating the needle in timed relation with the movements of the punch to thereby pass the string end through the hole in the blank made by the punch while said hole is in alignment with the path of the latter.

GUY L. CORNMAN. GUY L. CO-RNMAN, JR. GEORGE W. VERNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 642,870 McKinney Feb. 6, 1900 1,904,704 Wells et al Apr. 18, 1933

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