Cable mounting apparatus and method

Interlocking means are provided on the front and rear surfaces of adjacent clips to restrain relative movement between adjacent clips in one direction and to permit relative guided movement between adjacent clips in another direction and wherein the restraint of the relative movement is maintained for at least a substantial portion of the movement of the one of the adjacent clips toward a secured position on the support surface. Also, each clip has at least one bore means having first and second cross-sectional configurations so as to provide a shoulder and a surface penetrating fastening device having an enlarged head portion located in the bore means so that, when a force is applied to the surface penetrating fastening device to drive the surface penetrating fastening device into the support surface, the enlarged head will contact the shoulder so that the clip is firmly held in position on the support surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the field of fastening cable to a surface and in 
particular to fastening sensitive signal conducting insulated cable to a 
surface. 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
A common part of installing electronic equipment is the fastening of cable, 
such as the cable used in the telecommunications industry, to a surface 
such as a wall, a floor, a baseboard or other similar surfaces. The recent 
expansion of the telecommunication industry has caused an increase in the 
amount of sensitive cable being fastened to surfaces and has made more 
acute the need for a tool that conveniently, effectively and safely 
attaches such cable to surfaces and has made more acute the need for a 
tool that conveniently, efficiently and safely attaches such cable to a 
surface in a quick and efficient manner without damaging the cable. 
Previous methods of fastening cable to a surface have made use of 
individual, manually applied clips or conventional staple guns. The use of 
manually applied clips to attach cable to a surface has proved to be time 
consuming and labor intensive, making this method economically 
unattractive. Attachment of cable by using a conventional staple gun is 
faster and more economical than use of clips, but it has been found that 
stapling may have a harmful effect on the cable, impairing its electrical 
characteristics and possibly creating safety concerns. 
A conventional staple gun ejects a metal staple and often a point of the 
staple may lacerate the protective insulation as it passes next to the 
cable, or the force that must be utilized in this process may cause the 
cross member of the staple to crimp or cut through the insulating layer of 
the cable that houses the conducting wires. Thus the metal staple may cut 
the insulating layer thereby exposing the conducting wire and allowing 
moisture ingress, or it may crush the cable sufficiently to impair its 
ability to accurately transmit signals or it may actually sever one of the 
conducting wires. Furthermore, the amount of force imparted to the cable 
by the staple depends on the size of the cable against which it is coming 
into contact and the resistance offered by the surface into which the 
staple legs must penetrate. Therefore, a stapler with an ejection force 
appropriate to accommodate one cable size or one density of surface 
material may need adjustment before it can be safely used in another cable 
environment. The most common method presently used in the installation of 
sensitive cable is by the use of individual, manually applied clips. The 
need exists to make the installation of cable faster and easier while 
substantially eliminating crushing or severing of the cable insulation or 
the conducting wires. 
One solution to the problem is disclosed in a copending application that 
discloses apparatus that includes a dual magazine staple gun in which one 
magazine contains protective encasements for surrounding the cable to 
prevent problems associated with the scraping or the crushing of the cable 
by a staple. A conventional staple gun having a magazine with staples is 
modified by providing a second housing assembly adjacent the bottom 
surface of the conventional stapler and substantially parallel thereto. 
The second housing assembly comprises a base member having a longitudinal 
cutout in the bottom surface and having side walls defining a chamber. A 
number of encasements are disposed in the chamber. The encasements have a 
slot on their lower surfaces which, in conjunction with the surface onto 
which the cable is being fastened, forms a channel for holding the cable 
when the clip is affixed to the surface. The clip has a foot member 
disposed on each side of the slot with a hole penetrating each foot 
member. A plurality of encasements are detachably fixed to each other in 
parallel fashion and disposed in the housing assembly chamber so that the 
feet of the encasements contact the floor of the chamber. A biasing member 
such as a spring has one of its ends positioned against a cover for the 
housing assembly and is attached at its other end to an encasement moving 
mechanism. The biasing member urges the encasement moving mechanism and 
thus the encasements forward in the housing assembly so that an encasement 
underlies the forwardmost of the staples in the staple gun. 
In operation the slot in the base member of the housing assembly is 
positioned over the cable. The staple gun trigger lever is activated so as 
to move the forwardmost staple in the staple gun downward so that the 
staple legs pass through the holes in the feet of the underlying 
encasement the force of the ejected staple carries the encasement downward 
out of the staple gun so that the feet of the encasement contact the 
surface. The staple legs penetrate through the holes in the feet of the 
encasement into the surface to affix the encasement in an upright 
position. In this position, the slot in the underside of the encasement, 
in combination with the surface, defines a channel in which the cable 
lies. As a result, the encasement legs and cross member keep the staple 
spaced from the cable so that the cable is not contacted by the staple. In 
this manner of operation, substantially all of the momentum of the staple 
ejected from the staple gun is absorbed by the encasement and surface, 
rather than allowing the force of this momentum to be transmitted to the 
cable. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In general, the present invention provides a system and apparatus for rapid 
automated fastening of cable to a support surface by the use of a new and 
improved cable holding and attachment clip. The word, clip, as used in 
this application, comprises an insulated, protective housing that 
unitarily embodies surface penetrating fastening devices in such a manner 
so as to allow the clips to be positioned, discharged and applied in a 
uniform automated process. The invention also provides a new and improved 
applicator tool (gun-like stapling devices) which holds and positions a 
plurality of the clips to accurately, economically and safely fasten a 
cable to a support surface. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing of the clip is of a 
hexahedral configuration having parallel top and bottom surfaces, parallel 
end surfaces and parallel front and rear surfaces. A cable receiving and 
holding channel is provided in the bottom surface. A pair of spaced apart 
bore means extend through the protecting housing portion of the clip 
between the top and bottom surfaces. Each bore means have cylindrical 
sections of different diameters so as to form an internal shoulder. The 
smaller diameter cylindrical section terminates in a conical section and 
is located closer to the bottom surface of the housing than to the top 
surface. Surface penetrating fastening devices are mounted in the bore 
means with a portion of each device frictionally engaged in the smaller 
diameter conical-cylindrical section and the head of the device positioned 
in the larger diameter cylindrical section. Means are provided to hold 
adjacent clips in an assembled relationship. In a preferred embodiment of 
the invention, this holding means comprises interlocking ribs on one of 
the surfaces of the housing of a clip located within interlocking grooves 
in the opposing surfaces of the housing of an adjacent clip. 
An applicator tool is provided for positioning, ejecting and fastening a 
clip a cable. This applicator tool operates similarly to a conventional 
stapling device. A multiplicity of clips are joined together and 
positioned in a feed track means. A spring biasing means acts on the 
multiplicity of clips to position the foremost clip above a discharge 
chute. The applicator tool is positioned over the cable and activated so 
as to drive a means into contact with portions of the surface penetrating 
fastening devices of the clip and substantially simultaneously move the 
clip downwardly until it is in a fastened position around the cable and is 
resting on the surface on which the cable is to be fastened. Repeated 
activations of the driving means of the applicator tool may be needed to 
adequately penetrate the surface so that the clip is properly fastened on 
the surface. 
It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and method for 
automatically fastening a cable in a desired location without damage to 
the cable. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a clip for fastening a 
cable in a desired position wherein the surface penetrating fastening 
devices are positioned within the boundaries of the housing of the clip so 
that the clip may be automatically positioned, ejected and fastened around 
the cable. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide a clip for fastening a 
cable in a desired position wherein the surface penetrating fastening 
devices are positioned within the boundaries of the housing of the clip so 
that the clip may be automatically positioned around the cable and be 
fastened to a supporting surface and wherein each clip is provided with 
means for holding adjacent clips in an assembled relationship. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide interlocking means on 
the surfaces of each clip so that adjacent clips may be interlocked 
together to form an assembled relationship of a multiplicity of clips 
without impairing the ability of the clips to move downwardly to a 
fastened position around the cable. 
Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent from considering the following detailed description in connection 
with the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In general, the clip C of the present invention comprises a housing 10 
integrally molded using a plastic material and has a pair of bore means 12 
and 14 located on opposite sides of a cable receiving channel means 16. 
The surface penetrating fastening devices in the preferred embodiment of 
the clip of this invention comprises a pair of nails 18 and 20 which are 
held and supported in a non-fastening position completely within bore 
means 12 and 14 prior to being driven into a support structure on opposite 
sides of a cable, such as a telecommunications cable, confined in channel 
means 16. It is understood that other types of fastening means may be 
used. The clip may be manufactured by forming the one piece clip member in 
site about the nail members by an injection molding process or the like; 
or by a two-step assembly process whereby the nails are placed in the 
housing after formation of the housing. A portion of an applicator tool 22 
is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises an elongated upper drive 
section 24 having a reciprocable means including a pair of hammer portions 
26 and 28 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. An elongated lower jaw section 32 
provides a channel and guideway for slidably supporting a stack of the 
clips 10 which are held therein in adjacent abutting relationship for one 
by one sliding movement from a plurality of stored positions to a position 
in alignment with the hammer portions 26 and 28. The details of the 
applicator tool form no part of this invention, but it is understood that 
the applicator tool, except for modifications specifically described 
herein, will appear and function similar to conventional staple guns such 
as those manufactured by Duo-Fast Corporation. 
The housing 10 comprises a block of suitable plastic material, such as 
polypropylene or polycarbonate, having a length, width and depth and in a 
preferred embodiment of the invention is a hexahedron having parallel side 
surfaces 30 and 32, parallel top and bottom surfaces 34 and 36, and 
parallel front and rear surfaces 38 and 40. It is to be understood that 
the housing block can be of other geometrical configurations. A central 
channel means 16 extends between the front and rear surfaces 38 and 40 and 
has an arcuate surface 42 with a radius of curvature approximately equal 
to the radius of curvature of a cable to be received therewithin. The 
channel means 16 also has outwardly curved terminal surface portions 44 
and 46 to facilitate positioning over the cable means. The construction 
and arrangement is such as to enable the cable to fit completely in the 
channel means 16 with opposite parallel abutment surfaces of the bottom 
surface 36 located laterally beyond the outer periphery of the cable means 
so that when a clip is properly positioned over a cable and fastened to 
the supporting surface, a portion of the clip is in frictional abutting 
engagement with a portion of the cable, a portion of the cable is in 
frictional abutting engagement with a portion of the support surface and 
the bottom surface 36 of clip in contact with the supporting surface. 
Each of the bore means 12 and 14 is in the form of a counter bore having a 
first elongated relatively large diameter bore portion 48 and 50 and a 
second relatively short length and relatively small diameter portion, 
identified above and hereafter as 12 and 14. The diameter of bore portion 
48 and 50 is slightly greater than the diameter of the head 52 and 54 of 
the nails 18 and 20. The diameter of bore portions 12 and 14 is slightly 
less than the diameter of nail shanks 56 and 58. As illustrated in FIG. 5, 
each of the shanks 56 and 58 has a surface penetrating portion having an 
axial length extending between the tips 56a and 58a and the dotted lines 
56b and 58b that requires repeated applications of force, as explained 
below, until the clip C is completely fastened on the support surface. As 
illustrated in FIG. 3, a conical section 59 is provided in the bore 
portions 12 and 14 adjacent to the bottom surface 36 and is shaped so that 
the head of each shaft may be positioned therein. The conical section 59 
is joined at the bottom to seal the bore portions 12 and 14 to form a mass 
into which the points of the nails 18 and 20 can be embedded to provide an 
additional nail restraining means. Each nail 18 and 20 is temporarily held 
in its associated bore means by frictional engagement with circumjacent 
portions of the bores with both the heads and the shanks located 
completely within the peripheral confines of the housing 10 of the clip C. 
Thus, the clip can be packaged and handled like staples and used like 
staples in a staple-type applicator tool having drive hammer portions 26 
and 28 which enter bore portions 48 and 50 to engage and drive the nails 
18 and 20 into the support surface. If desired, the nails 18 and 20 can be 
of other configurations, such as a T-shaped head, the bore means can be of 
other configurations, such as to receive a staple, and the hammer portions 
can be of other configurations, such as rectangular. 
The housing 10 is provided with means so that one clip can be interlocked 
with an adjacent clip. The interlocking means comprises a pair of spaced 
apart ribs 60 and 62 projecting outwardly from the front surface 38 and a 
pair of spaced apart grooves 64 and 66 formed in the rear surface 40. It 
is understood that the interlocking means can comprise one or more ribs 
and one or more cooperating grooves. The interlocking ribs 60 and 62 are 
generally circular in cross-sectional configuration and have an arcuate 
peripheral surface extending for an arcuate distance of between about 185 
degrees and 345 degrees so as to form notches 68 and 70 between the 
peripheral surfaces of the ribs 60 and 62 and the front surface 38. The 
interlocking grooves 64 and 66 are generally circular in cross-sectional 
configuration and have an arcuate surface extending for an arcuate 
distance of between about 185 degrees and 345 degrees with a slot entering 
into the interlocking grooves 64 and 66 so as to form resilient flange 
portions 72 and 74. The cross-sectional configuration of each interlocking 
groove is equal to or slightly larger than the cross-sectional 
configuration of each interlocking rib. Adjacent clips are interlocked by 
pushing the interlocking ribs 60 and 62 into the interlocking grooves 64 
and 66 until the front surface 38 of one clip is in contact with the rear 
surface 40 of an adjacent clip. In the assembled relationship, the 
resilient flange portions 72 and 74 are seated in the notches 68 and 70 so 
as to hold the adjacent clips in the assembled relationship. While the 
interlocking grooves 64 and 66 have been described with arcuate surfaces, 
the grooves only have to have a cross-sectional area to accommodate the 
interlocking ribs and can be of any geometrical configuration as long as 
the appropriate flange portions 72 and 74 are provided. 
The mounting of a multiplicity of clips C during the application of the 
clips is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. A multiplicity of 
clips in assembled relationship have a longitudinal axis L and are 
positioned in multiple clip feed track means comprising vertical plates 76 
and 78 and horizontal plates 80 and 82. The plates 80 and 82 have abutment 
surface means 80a and 82a for contacting the support surface 98, as 
explained below, and clip supporting surface means 80b and 82b for 
supporting clips C. Therefore, the plates 80 and 82 each have a thickness 
extending between the abutment surface means 80a and 82a and the clip 
supporting surface means 80b and 82b. The plate 82 is provided with a slot 
83 so that when the applicator tool is positioned over a cable, a portion 
of the cable will extend through the slot 83 and be received in the cable 
receiving channel means 16 of the clip. This allows the clips C to be 
positioned only slightly above the support surface prior to being applied 
to the support surface. In some instances, the slot 83 extends for a 
distance less than half the length of the plate, but, if desired, the slot 
83 can be longer and could extend for the full length of the plate 82. In 
this construction, the applicator tool can be parallel to the support 
surface rather than the angled relationship illustrated in FIG. 2. Spring 
means (not shown) urge the assembled clips into contact with the front 
wall 84 of the applicator tool 22. The front wall 84 is provided with a 
pair of grooves 86 for receiving the interlocking ribs 60 and 62 so that 
the front surface 38 is in contact with the surface 88 of the front wall 
84. The housing 10 is symmetrical so that, if the assembled clips are 
positioned backwards in the multiple clip feed track means, the rear 
surface 40 of each clip will contact the surface 88 and the hammer 
portions 26 and 28 will be aligned with the bore portions 48 and 50. An 
attachment 90 is located adjacent to the front wall 84 and is provided 
with a notch 92 and a supporting base 94. If desired, the attachment 90 is 
not used and the notch 92 is in the front wall 84. In any event, the front 
wall will have a notch mating with the notch 92. The distance between the 
notch 92 and the supporting base 92 is slightly greater than the diameter 
of the cable 96. The notch 92 is used with the slot 83 to properly align 
the applicator tool means 22 so that the clip C will be properly 
positioned relative to the cable 96. 
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the clip C in position A is ready to be applied 
over the cable 96. The spring means (not shown) is holding the front 
surface 38 against the surface 84 with the interlocking ribs 60 and 62 
seated in grooves 86. When the applicator tool 22 is actuated, the hammer 
portions 26 and 28 will move downwardly into contact with the heads 52 and 
54. The frictional force between the shafts 56 and 58 and the relatively 
small bore portions 12 and 14 is sufficiently great so that the clip C in 
position A will move relative to the clip C in position B in a downwardly 
direction. Movement of the clip in position B is prevented by the portions 
horizontal plate 82 on either side of the slot 83. The clip in position A 
will continue in the downward direction until the bottom surface 36 of the 
clip contacts the support surface 98. The cycle of operation during the 
application of a clip over a cable is explained below in relation to FIGS. 
8-11. 
As illustrated in FIG. 9, the bottom surface 36 of the clip C is in contact 
with the surface 98 and the driving force of the hammer portions have 
driven the nails 18 and 20 downwardly into the surface 98 so that the 
heads 52 and 54 have moved about half way into the relatively large 
diameter bore portions 48 and 50 between the top surface 34 and the 
annular shoulders 100 and 102 formed at the junction of the relatively 
large diameter bore portions 48 and 50 and the relatively small diameter 
bore portions 12 and 14. The applicator tool device may continue to repeat 
the blows by the hammer portions 26 and 28 on the heads 52 and 54 of the 
nails 18 and 20 until the heads 52 and 54 are in contact with the annular 
shoulders 100 and 102 as illustrated in FIG. 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 
8-11, the interlocking ribs 60 and 62 and the interlocking grooves 64 and 
66 have a linear extent greater than the distance between the support 
surface 98 and the bottom surfaces of the row of clips whereby the bottom 
surface 36 on the applied clip engages the support surface 98 before the 
interlocking ribs 60 and 62 are completely disengaged from the 
interlocking grooves 64 and 66 so that the force applying means of the 
applicator tool device may be repeatedly actuated until the clip in 
position A has been fastened onto the support surface. 
As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the clip C is in its final applied position 
over the cable 96 so that the surface 42 is in contact with the peripheral 
surface of the cable 96 a portion of the interlocking ribs 60 and 62 on 
the clip C in position B is still in the interlocking relationship within 
the interlocking grooves 64 and 66 in the clip C in position A. The 
applicator tool device 22, as illustrated in FIG. 11, is moved in a 
vertical direction so as to slide the interlocking ribs 60 and 62 out of 
the interlocking grooves 64 and 66. The spring means (not shown) acts on 
the assembled clips C so tha the clip C previously in position B now moves 
into position A. 
The arcuate surface 42 of the channel means 16 is a semi-circle having a 
diameter slightly less than the diameter of the cable 96. The distance 
between the top of the arcuate surface 42 and the bottom surface 36 of the 
clip with nails 10 is also slightly less than the diameter of the cable 
96. Therefore, when the clip with nails 10 is in the applied position over 
the cable, there will be frictional forces between the surface of the 
cable 96 in contact with the arcuate surface 42 and the surface of the 
cable 96 in contact with the support surface 98 so that relative movement 
between the cable 96, the clip C and the support surface 98 is resisted. 
Another embodiment of a clip for use in this invention is illustrated in 
FIG. 12. The difference between the clip illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 and the 
clip illustrated in FIG. 12 is the location of the interlocking ribs and 
grooves. The clip 104 of FIG. 12 has generally planar surfaces 106 and 
108. A rib 110 projects outwardly from the surface 106 adjacent to but 
spaced from the side 112 of the clip 104. A groove 114 is formed in the 
surface 106 adjacent to but spaced from the side 116 of the clip 104. A 
rib 118 projects outwardly from the surface 108 adjacent to but spaced 
from the side 116 of the clip 104. A groove 120 is formed in the surface 
108 adjacent to but spaced from the side 112 of the clip 104. The ribs 110 
and 118 and the grooves 114 and 120 are shaped the same as the ribs 60 and 
62 and grooves 64 and 66 and perform the same functions. Also, the 
cross-sectional configuration of each interlocking groove is equal to or 
slightly larger than the cross-sectional configuration of each 
interlocking rib. A major advantage resulting from the location of the 
ribs 110 and 118 and the grooves 114 and 120 of the clip 104 is that the 
clip 104 has no front or rear surface. Another clip 104 placed adjacent to 
the surface 106, as illustrated in FIG. 12, will always have a rib 110 or 
118 to enter the groove 114 and a groove 114 or 120 for receiving the rib 
110. This greatly facilitates the manufacture of the clips and also 
eliminates any problems associated with an incorrect loading of additional 
clips into the applicator tool 22. The clip 104 has nails 12 and 14 in the 
bore portions 48 and 50. The clip 104 functions in the same way in 
securing a cable 96 in place as the clip illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. 
In one embodiment of the invention, the clip has a housing 10 which is 
integrally molded from a polypropylene material and has a length between 
the side portions 30 and 32 of about 0.590 inch; a width between the front 
38 and rear 40 surfaces of about 0.180 inch; and a depth between the top 
34 and bottom surfaces of about 0.400 inch. The large pore portions 48 and 
50 have internal diameter of about 0.115 inch and the small bore portions 
have diameters of about 0.0475 inch. Each of the nails 18 and 20 a length 
of about 0.400 inch and the diameter of the shank is about 0.0475 inch. 
The arcuate surface 42 has a diameter of about 0.265 inch. This clip is 
suitable for use with a cable having an outer diameter of about 0.265 
inch. 
It is contemplated that the inventive concepts herein described may be 
variously otherwise embodied and it is intended that the appended claims 
be construed to include alternative embodiments of the invention except 
insofar as limited by the prior art.