Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C7/00—Affixing tags
  • B65C7/003—Affixing tags using paddle-shaped plastic pins
  • B65C7/005—Portable tools
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
  • G09F3/08—Fastening or securing by means not forming part of the material of the label itself
  • G09F3/14—Fastening or securing by means not forming part of the material of the label itself by strings, straps, chains, or wires

Definitions

• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.”
• 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.
• 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.
• plastic fastener see, for example, Fig.1 of U.S. Patent No.
• 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.
• the first enlargement has the shape of a transverse bar and the second enlargement has the shape of a knob or pin head.
• plastic fastener see, for example, U.S. Patent No.
• 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 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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
• Tools 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, 4,533,076, 4,456,161 , 4,121 ,487, and 4,456,123, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• a 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 lbs, (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
• a 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 lbs , 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
• a 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
• a 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 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
• a 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 lbs , (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
• a 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 lbs 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
• a fastener clip comprising (a) a first fastener, said first fastener comprising (i) a flexible filament having a first end and a second end (n) a first enlargement disposed at said first end, and (in) 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
• a method of fixing an article of clothing to itself 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, ( ) 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 (in) 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
• a method of fixing an article of commerce to a support 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, (n) 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 (in) 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 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
• a method of coupling an article of commerce to a support 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 lbs and a length of approximately 3-5 mm, ( ) 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 (in) 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
• a method of fixing together two elements 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, (n) 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 (in) a retaining element disposed at said second 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
• a handheld 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 s dably 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 shdably 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
• said fastener dispensing tool comprising (a)
• a 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 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
• a fastener dispensing tool comprising (a) a casing, said casing being shaped to receive, entirely within said casing,
• 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 views, respectively, of the cover of the tool shown in Figs 4(a) through 4(c)
• 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
• 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 A, of about 1 65 mm and a diameter d 1 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 cylind ⁇ cally 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 l 2 of approximately 1 78 mm, a width w 1 of approximately 0
• 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
• 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
• Fastener 1 1 is preferably made of a polyurethane that gives filament 13 a tensile strength of about 2 pounds.
• 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 attheirapproximate midpoints and extending in a substantially perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal axes of cross-bars 17.
• FIGSide, 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), respectively.
• 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 1 1 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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
• 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
• runner bar-containing fastener clips 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 TM SWIFTACH ® tool)
• 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
• a plurality of screws 58 are joined together by a plurality of screws 58 and jointly define a handle portion 59 and a barrel portion 61
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• door 69 When door 69 is closed, it substantially 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)
• 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
• the interior of barrel portion 61 and in particular the feed track to be described below of casing 53
• 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
• tool 51 also includes a triggering mechanism whose purpose will become apparent below
• 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
• said needle assembly comprises a needle 93
• 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, 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
• 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 shdably 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
• 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 s
• 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
• tool 51 further includes a mechanism for loading fasteners, one at a time, into needle 93 and for ejecting loaded fasteners from needle 93
• 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 shdably 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
• 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
• ejector rod carrier 141 and ejector rod 143 together move forwardly through barrel portion 61 until the front end of ejector rod 143 is inserted completely through needle 93
• the cross-bar 15 of the lead fastenerl 1 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
• Rear 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
• 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
• linking member 161 As seen best in Fig 13, the front end 161-2 of linking member 161 is enlarged and, pnor to actuation of trigger 81 is disposed over the recessed portion 149-1 of carr ⁇ er 141
• trigger 81 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• ejector rod 143 completes its forward progress through needle 93
• 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 )
• ejector rod 143 and needle 93 move rearwardly together, with needle 93 being completely withdrawn into casing 53 through opening 62
• 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)) stationanly 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
• fastener clips e g , clips having several hundred fasteners 11
• 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
• 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
• 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 fast
• 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
• tool 51 further comprises a feed clip 187, clip
• clip 187 being mounted on guide 175 for use in maintaining the alignment of cross-bar 15 of the lead fastener 11 with bore 179 while said cross-bar 15 is seated on top of portion 177-3 of guide 175
• clip 187 is a unitary structure, preferably made of molded plastic, comprising a main portion 189-1 and an arm 189-2 Main portion 189-1 is provided with a pair of mounting posts 190-
• 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
• 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
• pawl 193 is mechanically coupled by a wire hook 197 to a feed sliding member 199 (shown separately in Fig 20) shdably 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
• 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.
• 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
• 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.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)
• Surgical Instruments (AREA)
• Labeling Devices (AREA)

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Citations (22)

• 2000
  • 2000-03-02 DE DE60032613T patent/DE60032613T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-03-02 WO PCT/US2000/005649 patent/WO2000051792A2/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-03-02 EP EP00916055A patent/EP1204337B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-03-02 CA CA002365028A patent/CA2365028C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-03-02 AU AU37219/00A patent/AU3721900A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (23)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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