Abstract: There is disclosed a plurality of embodiments of tag attaching apparatus of the type having a hollow needle with a slot along one side, an ejector or push rod aligned with the needle, and feeding means for successively advancing an assembly of fasteners into position to be pushed through the needle by means of the push rod. In accordance with one embodiment, the pawl is moved under the action of a spring to drive the toothed wheel. The spring is prevented from driving the pawl until the push rod has moved to a position clear of the path of the bar sections of the fasteners so that the leading bar section cannot bump into the push rod.

Abstract: There is disclosed a plurality of embodiments of tag attaching apparatus of the type having a hollow needle with a slot along one side, an ejector or push rod aligned with the needle, and feeding means for successively advancing an assembly of fasteners into position to be pushed through the needle by means of the push rod. In accordance with one embodiment, means for moving the push rod and the pawl includes cooperating gears and one of the gears includes a groove or slot. A link movably connected to the pawl carries a projection received in the groove. The groove terminates at spaced apart abutment faces. The gears are driven by an actuator. When the actuator is operated, the gear with the groove moves until one abutment face contacts the projection to move the pawl from a first position to a second position and when the actuator is released the gear with the groove moves relative to the projection until the other abutment face contacts the projection and moves the pawl to in turn drive the toothed wheel.

Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for selectively printing human readable characters and a machine readable code on record members in the form of tickets, tags or labels. A disclosed method of printing relates to selective printing using one or more printing bands and coupling driving means with each band to drive each printing band a predetermined distance to a position at which the type element corresponding to the selected indicium is moved to the printing zone. This method can be carried out using one type of print head with printing bands which are automatically, individually, and selectively moved or shifted to a printing zone to print the selected indicia. Another disclosed method is used to selectively position printing members of the bar-type to print bar codes.

Abstract: There is disclosed a plurality of embodiments of tag attaching apparatus of the type having a hollow needle with a slot along one side, an ejector or push rod aligned with the needle, and feeding means for successively advancing an assembly of fasteners into position to be pushed through the needle by means of the push rod.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus for printing and intermittently feeding a web of tags or labels and for cutting the printed tags or labels from the web. The cutting apparatus includes a cutting mechanism and a selective drive connection by which the cutting mechanism can be rendered selectively effective or ineffective.