Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The needle assembly is slidably movable back and forth between a retracted position disposed substantially within casing and an extend position disposed substantially out of the casing through the needle assembly opening. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot.

Abstract: A mounting feature for a cable tie is provided in which the mounting feature has at least one divided retention component. The center-most edges of the at least one divided retention component contact a mating article on the edge of the mating article, such as the threaded portion, decreasing the amount of fastening force required to affix the mounting feature of the cable tie to a mating article while not compromising the optimal amount of required extraction force. A method for affixing the mounting feature to a mating article is also provided.

Abstract: A unitary, plastic fastener such as a cable tie well-suited for use in bundling together a plurality of parallel wires and, in turn, releasably securing the harnessed bundle to a flattened automotive panel comprises an elongated strap, a head formed onto one end of the strap, and an insert fastener formed onto the head. The insert fastener includes a planar platform that extends orthogonally away from the outer end wall of the head, a U-shaped support member formed onto the rear surface of the platform, and a pair of opposing, resilient, panel retention wings pivotally connected to the support member. Each wing includes a bar-shaped release arm at its distal end that projects through a central opening formed in the platform. In this manner, the fastener is designed for intact removal from a panel to which it is coupled even when access to the fastener is limited from one side of the panel.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly, and a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot. The trigger is capable of moving the needle assembly between the retracted and extended positions. The hand tool further has an anvil. The anvil has a needle guard, a main portion, and a fabric slot. The fabric slot separates the needle guard from the main portion.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that prevents inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further prevents inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot. The trigger is capable of moving the needle assembly between the retracted and extended positions. The anvil has a needle guard, a main portion, and a fabric slot. The fabric slot separates the needle guard from the main portion.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The needle assembly is slidably movable back and forth between a retracted position disposed substantially within casing and an extend position disposed substantially out of the casing through the needle assembly opening. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot.

Abstract: A dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners and a method for transitioning the hand tool from a first operating mode to a second operating mode is provided. The hand tool tagging gun can be used both to dispense a plastic fastener to attach labels, price tags or other items to articles, and also to dispense a plastic fastener to maintain certain articles of clothing in a folded condition. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing, a hollow needle, a needle assembly, a trigger, a locking switch, a safety button, and a hinged anvil. In the first operating mode the hand tool is best adapted to dispense plastic fasteners to maintain an article of clothing in a folded condition. In the second operating mode the hand tool is best adapted to dispense plastic fasteners to attach labels, price tags, or other items to an article of clothing.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The needle assembly is slidably movable back and forth between a retracted position disposed substantially within casing and an extend position disposed substantially out of the casing through the needle assembly opening. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot.

Abstract: A mounting feature for a cable tie is provided in which the mounting feature has at least one divided retention component. The center-most edges of the at least one divided retention component contact a mating article on the edge of the mating article, such as the threaded portion, decreasing the amount of fastening force required to affix the mounting feature of the cable tie to a mating article while not compromising the optimal amount of required extraction force. A method for affixing the mounting feature to a mating article is also provided.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly, and a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot. The trigger is capable of moving the needle assembly between the retracted and extended positions. The hand tool further has an anvil. The anvil has a needle guard, a main portion, and a fabric slot. The fabric slot separates the needle guard from the main portion.

Abstract: A dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners and a method for transitioning the hand tool from a first operating mode to a second operating mode is provided. The hand tool tagging gun can be used both to dispense a plastic fastener to attach labels, price tags or other items to articles, and also to dispense a plastic fastener to maintain certain articles of clothing in a folded condition. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing, a hollow needle, a needle assembly, a trigger, a locking switch, a safety button, and a hinged anvil. In the first operating mode the hand tool is best adapted to dispense plastic fasteners to maintain an article of clothing in a folded condition. In the second operating mode the hand tool is best adapted to dispense plastic fasteners to attach labels, price tags, or other items to an article of clothing.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that prevents inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further prevents inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The needle assembly is slidably movable back and forth between a retracted position disposed substantially within the casing and an extend position disposed substantially out of the casing through the needle assembly opening. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot.

Abstract: An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The needle assembly is slidably movable back and forth between a retracted position disposed substantially within casing and an extend position disposed substantially out of the casing through the needle assembly opening. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot.

Abstract: A needle (51) particularly well-suited for use in the dispensing of plastic fasteners (21) of the type comprising a filament (15) having a cross-bar (23-1, 23-2) at a first end thereof, each of the cross-bar (23-1, 23-2) and the filament (15) including a first flat side, the first flat sides of the cross-bar (23-1, 23-2) being coplanar. The needle (51) includes a stem portion (53). The stem portion (53) terminates in a tip (57) at its front end and is shaped to define a longitudinal bore (59) and a longitudinal slot (61) for receiving the filament (15) and the cross-bar (23-1, 23-2). The longitudinal bore (59) has a first flat side, and the longitudinal slot (61) has a first flat side, wherein the flat sides are coplanar.

Abstract: A needle (51) particularly well-suited for use in the dispensing of plastic fasteners (21) of the type comprising a filament (15) having a cross-bar (23-1, 23-2) at a first end thereof, each of the cross-bar (23-1, 23-2) and the filament (15) including a first flat side, the first flat sides of the cross-bar (23-1, 23-2) being coplanar. The needle (51) includes a stem portion (53). The stem portion (53) terminates in a tip (57) at its front end and is shaped to define a longitudinal bore (59) and a longitudinal slot (61) for receiving the filament (15) and the cross-bar (23-1, 23-2). The longitudinal bore (59) has a first flat side, and the longitudinal slot (61) has a first flat side, wherein the flat sides are coplanar.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a plastic staple from fastener stock includes a housing, an ejection mechanism for dispensing the staple, a severing mechanism for separating the staple from the fastener stock and an indexing mechanism for advancing the fastener stock into the housing. The ejection mechanism includes a pair of needles, a pair of movable slides, a pair of ejector rods and an actuator pin extending perpendicularly between the slides. The severing mechanism includes a pivotally mounted cam having a non-linear slot which receives the actuator pin and a knife blade coupled to the cam. The indexing mechanism includes a feed slide and a rotatable feed dog for displacing the feed slide. The feed slide includes a pair of inwardly compressible spring arms which sequentially engage the fastener stock. During the ejection process, the actuator pin travels horizontally within the housing and selectively pivots the cam and the feed dog.

Abstract: A needle particularly well-suited for use in the dispensing of plastic fasteners of the type comprising a filament having a cross-bar at a first end thereof; each of the cross-bar and the filament including a first flat side, the first flat sides of the cross-bar and the filament being coplanar. The needle includes a stem portion. The stem portion terminates in a tip at its front end and is shaped to define a longitudinal bore and a longitudinal slot. The longitudinal bore is shaped to receive the cross-bar, and the longitudinal slot is shaped to permit the filament to extend therethrough while the cross-bar is disposed within the longitudinal bore. The longitudinal bore has a first flat side, and the longitudinal slot has a first flat side, the first flat sides of the longitudinal bore and the longitudinal slot being coplanar.