Electric powered apparatus for dispensing individual plastic fasteners from fastener stock

• US 5,388,749 A
• Filed: 08/12/1994
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Bastien, Richard M., Davignon, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US08/289,498
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 227/67, 227/71, 227/132
• US Class Current: 227/67
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 7/006 electrically actuated

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing plastic fasteners from fastener stock includes a gun shaped casing. A hollow needle having an inlet opening is mounted on the casing. A guide groove is formed on the casing for receiving the fastener stock, the guide groove being in communication with said inlet opening in said hollow needle. A feeder element for intermittently advancing fastener stock loaded into the guide groove is mounted on the casing. An ejector rod is provided for pushing plastic fasteners from the fastener stock through and out of the hollow needle one at a time. A converter assembly is provided for converting rotary motion of the drive shaft of the motor into linear motion of the ejector rod, the converter assembly including a worm on the drive shaft, a worm gear driven by the worm, a spur gear loosely coupled to the worm gear, a slider for holding the ejector rod and a rack driven by the spur gear and mounted on the slider. First and second single pole double throw switches are provided for controlling the operation of said electric motor so as to either cause rotation of the drive shaft in one direction, cause rotation of the drive shaft in the other direction or stop rotation of the drive shaft. The first switch is operated by a trigger which is pivotally mounted on the casing and the second switch is operated by an actuator mounted on a movable slide bar which is coupled by a link to the slider.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing plastic fasteners from fastener stock, each plastic fastener having a cross bar at the end of a filament, said apparatus comprising:

a casing,

a hollow needle mounted on said casing, said hollow needle having an inlet opening,

a guide groove in said casing for receiving fastener stock, said guide groove being in communication with said inlet opening in said hollow needle,

a feeder element for intermittently advancing said fastener stock loaded into said guide groove so that the cross bar of a fastener to be dispensed is fed into said hollow needle,

an ejector rod for pushing the cross bar of the fastener fed into said hollow needle out through the tip of the needle,

a DC motor for driving said ejector rod and said feeder element, said DC motor having a drive shaft, a positive terminal and a negative terminal,

a converter assembly for converting rotary motion of the drive shaft of said DC motor into linear movement of said ejector rod, and

control means for controlling the operation of said DC motor so as to produce intermittent reciprocating linear movement of said ejector rod, said control means including a trigger switch and a limit switch, said trigger switch and said limit switch each being double through switches, said trigger switch and said limit switch each having a first position and a second position, said trigger switch and said limit switch each begin normally in its first position and being coupled to said DC motor so that when said trigger switch is in its first position and said limit switch is in its first position said DC motor is deenergized, then, when said trigger switch is moved to its second position and said limit switch remains in its first position said DC motor will be energized for movement in a first direction, then, when said limit switch is moved to its second position and said trigger switch remains in its second position said DC motor will be brought to a stop, then, when said trigger switch is moved back to its first position and said limit switch remains in its second position said DC motor will be energized for movement in a second direction and then, when said limit switch is moved back to its first position and said trigger switch remains in its first position said DC motor will be brought to a stop.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said trigger and limit switches are each single pole, double throw switches.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes a trigger and wherein said switch is operated by said trigger.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of said trigger and limit switches has a separate common terminal and wherein the common terminal of one switch is connected to the positive terminal of said DC motor and the common terminal of the other switch is connected to the negative terminal of said DC motor.