Abstract: A clinch type staple has a U-shaped configuration with a pair of legs extending generally perpendicularly from a base portion of the staple with the outside surfaces of the distal ends of the legs being bevelled. The legs of the staple lie in spaced apart planes that are parallel to one another, but are angularly offset from one another in order to insure that the legs will not contact or interfere with each other as they are clinched into a workpiece. A plurality of such clinch staples can be manufactured into an assembly of clinch staples. The method of making such an assembly of clinch staples includes advancing a plurality of wires in parallel side-by-side relation in a flat planar array and adhering the wires to one another. A blank, severed from an end of the formed array, includes a plurality of side-by-side wire segments of equal length extending parallel to one another in a first direction.

Abstract: A lightweight fastener driving tool capable of being battery powered utilizes a low cost fastener driving ram or blade that is normally located in a nip defined between a motor driven flywheel and an idler wheel. Upon the actuation of a trigger operated timing circuit, a solenoid is energized. The solenoid controls a toggle mechanism to adjust the position of the idler wheel with respect to the flywheel so as to force the blade against the flywheel and thereby to close the nip for a sufficient amount of time to initiate the driving of the blade downwardly through the nip. The timing circuit deenergizes the solenoid prior to the time that the blade exits the nip but the toggle mechanism maintains the idler wheel against the blade such that the blade continues to be driven by the flywheel. When the top of the blade exits the nip, the idler wheel can move towards the flywheel and the toggle mechanism releases the idler wheel so that the nip is open.

Abstract: A fastener driving tool of the type utilizing a motor driven energy storing flywheel and a reciprocating fastener driving ram employs a flywheel having a metal peripheral surface that selectively engages a metal surface of the ram in order to drive the ram into engagement with a fastener to be driven into a workpiece. An elastic cord returns the ram to a retracted position when the ram is disengaged by the flywheel, and a pair of elastic bumpers are employed to limit the travel of the ram in the direction of the retracted position and the direction of the fastener engaging position. The ram, bumpers and cords form a subassembly that permits the ram, cord and bumpers to be removed from the fastener as a unit. The cord is made relatively long to reduce the amount of stretch per unit length applied to the cord thereby to increase the life of the cord. The motor and flywheel may be rotated in opposite directions to reduce precessional forces.

Abstract: A hog ring fastener has a straight line base and legs each perpendicular to the base but offset at an angle to each other permitting the use of relatively inexpensive "C" points. A stick of the fasteners is generally channel shaped, with the legs and bases all angularly inclined to the longitudinal axis of the stick. The assembly of fasteners is made in a multiwire process by severing blanks and forming the legs at a bias to a line perpendicular to the wire direction. A tool and method for applying the fastener carries out two different deformation stages, one being a predeformation stage to incline the legs of the fastener inward to a preferred application position.

Abstract: A fastener driving tool of the type utilizing a motor driven energy storing flywheel and a reciprocating fastener driving ram employs a flywheel having a metal peripheral surface that selectively engages a metal surface of the ram in order to drive the ram into engagement with a fastener to be driven into a workpiece. An elastic cord returns the ram to a retracted position when the ram is disengaged by the flywheel, and a pair of elastic bumpers are employed to limit the travel of the ram in the direction of the retracted position and the direction of the fastener engaging position. The ram, bumpers and cords form a subassembly that permits the ram, cord and bumpers to be removed from the fastener as a unit. The cord is made relatively long to reduce the amount of stretch per unit length applied to the cord thereby to increase the life of the cord. The motor and flywheel may be rotated in opposite directions to reduce precessional forces.