A STRIP OF INTERCONNECTED FASTENERS, AND FASTENERS FORMING THE STRIP

Abstract: A strip of mutually connected, substantially T-shaped fasteners, each including a central pin-like section (1) which is intended to be driven into a sub-structure or support surface, and a gripping section (3) which extends at right angles to the pin-like section (1) at the outer end thereof. The strip is manufactured integrally from a plastics material, with the T-shaped fasteners arranged parallel with one another, to form a strip of T-shaped cross-section. The fasteners located in the strip are interconnected by means of spacers (5, 6), which join together both the pin-like sections (1) and the gripping sections (3) of mutually adjacent fasteners, to form a rigid strip which can be inserted into a fastener-driving device having means for automatically advancing the fasteners, so that individual fasteners can be driven into the sub-structure while shearing off the spacers (5, 6).

Description: A strip of interconnected fasteners, and fasteners forming the strip Technical field The present invention relates to a strip of inter¬ connected, substantially T-shaped fasteners, each of which includes a central pin-like section which is intended to be driven into a sub-structure, and a gripping section which is arranged at one end of the pin- like section at right angles thereto, and which is intended to press against an object and hold the same firmly to said sub-structure. The invention also relates to a fastener forming such a strip. Background art It has long been known to fasten paper, plastics, cloth, leather and equivalent materials to different sub-structures or support surfaces, with the aid of some kind of fastener. The fastener most used comprises steel- wire bent into a U-shape. A large number of such '" fasteners are normally joined side by side, to form a rigid, coherent strip which can be inserted into a stapling machine which has means for automatically advancing and driving individual fasteners successively into the said sub-structure or support surface. The aforedescribed U-shaped steel-wire fastener has been found unsatisfactory in a number of respects. This applies, for example, in those instances when the fastener is exposed to a corrosive environment, for example when u. e ed outdoors. Such fasteners can also be troublesome when the object into which they are driven is to be scanned by magnetic or optical detectors, as may be the case, for example, in wood handling processes. The presence of a steel-wire fastener in wood which is to be cut, is also liable to blunt the edge of the cutter, should it come into contact therewith. O ?I To overcome the problem of corrosion, the fastener can be surface coated with a non-corrosive substance - resulting in greater or lesser success. The disturbances which occur in operation when automatically scanning wood in which such fasteners are present, cannot be eliminated in this way, however. Neither can damage to the cutters be avoided. Another disadvantage with steel-wire fasteners is that they cannot be used satisfactorily to secure, for example, telephone wires or electric cables, to sub¬ structures, since the fasteners are liable to cause short-circuits or to create troublesome cross-lines. Object of the invention A primary object of the invention is to provide a fastener which can be used just as readily as conventional U-shaped steel-wire fasteners, i.e. staples, but by means of which the aforementioned disadvantages are eliminated. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of a plastics fastener which can be produced in the form of a rigid strip and which is so formed as to enable it to be driven into a sub-structure with the same ease as a conventional wire staple. In order to be able to advance the strip by means of a feed spring, the strip must be absolutely rigid, i.e. the fasteners must be immovable relative to one another in all planes. Fasteners produced in the form of strips which can be rolled-u do not fulfil this requirement. Fastener strips according to the invention can also be manufactured in a simple fashion at low costs. Summary of the invention In accordance with the invention, a strip of mutually interconnected fasteners of the kind described in the introduction is characterized in that the strip is manufactured as a single, integral structure from a plastics material, with the mutually interconnected T-shaped fasteners located parallel with one another, to form a strip of T-shaped cross-section; and in that the fasteners in said strip are mutually connected together by means of spacers which join both the pin¬ like sections and the holding sections of mutually adjacent fasteners together, to form a rigid strip which can be inserted into a fastener-driving device having automatic feed means, so as to enable individual fasteners to be driven successively into the sub¬ structure, while shearing off said spacers. Preferably, mutually adjacent fasteners in the strip are joined together by means of three spacers, of which one connects together the pin-like sections of said fasteners, while the other two connect together the gripping sections of the fasteners, on a respective side of the pin-like sections. A strip constructed in this fashion will be extremely rigid, and can be used in ■ conjunction with fastener-driving devices which operate in a conventional manner. As will be understood, fasteners which a rt-ade of a plastics material have, with time, the tendency of easing themselves out of the sub-structure, because, inter alia, they do not corrode and hence are not held by rust, as in the case of wire staples. This problem is solved by means of the invention, in that the spacer which joins together the pin-like sections of mutually adjacent fasteners is so arranged that when sheared off, it forms an anchoring projection which co-acts with the sub-structure to hold said fastener firm. This represents a very important feature of a fastener according to the present invention. Other features and characteristics of the invention, which also includes a fastener of the kind incorporated in said strip, are set forth in the following claims. The invention will now be described in more detail * with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a strip of mutually joined fasteners. Figure 2 illustrates a fastener incorporated in the strip illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates the use of the fastener shown in Figure 2, in fastening a lable to a sub-structure. Figure 4 illustrates a modified fastener according to the invention when used for securing a pair of electric cables to a support surface or sub-structure. Description of a preferred embodiment Turning to the drawing, each of the fasteners in the strip illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a pin-like section 1 having a chamfered end which terminates in a point 2, thereby to facilitate entry of said section into said support surface or sub-structure, and a gripping section 3 located at right angles to the pin-like section at the end thereof remote from the point 2. Arranged on the gripping section 3 adjacent the outer extremities thereof are tooth-like projections which when a fastener is driven into the sub-structure, co-act -with the object to hold it against said sub-structure. Mutually adjacent fasteners are connected together by means of three spacers 5 and 6 respectively, of which spacers the spacers 5 connect together the gripping sections 3 of mutually adjacent fasteners, on respective sides of the pin-like sections 1 , while the spacers 6 connect said mutually adjacent pin-like sections at locations adjacent the points 2 thereof. The spacers hold all fasteners together in a manner to form a T-shaped strip which is totally rigid in all planes. This means that the strip of fasteners just described can be loaded into conventional fastener-driving O PI devices, for example manually operated staplers or automatic stapling guns. The only modification which need be carried out on said conventional devices is one in which the two outer channels which accommodate or guide the two legs of a conventional staple-type fastener are replaced, or supplemented, with a central channel for accommodating or guiding the pin-like section 1 of a fastener according to the invention. Because the strip is completely rigid, it can be advanced by means of a thrust spring, so that successive fasteners are located in a driving position, from where they can be driven into said support surface, while shearing off the spacers 5 and 6. The strip of fasteners illustrated in Figure 1 can readily be produced by injection moulding techniques, from a thermoplastics material, such as acetal or polyamides. In this respect, the spacers 5 and 6 may be corresponded by die channels arranged to transfer plastics material between the fastener-producing mould cavities. Figure 2 illustrates an individual fastener taken from the strip shown in Figure 1 , while Figure 3 illustrates a like fastener driven into a sub-structure 7, to secure a lable 8 thereto. It will be seen from these two Figures that when the fastener is sheared from the strip, parts of the spacers 6 between the pin-like sections of adjacent fasteners will remain on said sections. These remaining spacer portions have a special significance, since they act as anchoring means when the fastener is driven into the surface 7. Plastic fasteners which lack such anchoring means , tend to work themselves out of the aforementioned surface 7 , in the passage of time. As illustrated in Figure 3, the lable 8 is pressed firmly against the support surface or sub-structure through the agency of, inter alia, the tooth-like OMPI projections 4 on the gripping sections 3. By providing the gripping sections with slightly concave under surfaces , said sections can be given a certain degree of resilience, which further enchances their gripping ability, and ensures that the lable is firmly held. Figure 4 illustrates a fastener according to the invention in which the under surfaces of the gripping section 3 are concave and in which the tooth-like projections on said gripping section have been replaced with downwardly projecting end portions 9. The fastener of the Figure 4 embodiment is used to anchor a pair of electric cables 10 to a sub-structure, the fastener being pressed down through the cable insulation, between the two conducting cores 11. These fasteners are also provided with anchoring projections 6. Fasteners of this kind enable electric cables, for example telephone cables, to be secured in a highly rationalized fashion, since it is possible to use manually operated or automatic stapling guns for driving the plastic fasteners into said sub- structure, without risk of short circuiting the conductors. Two embodiments of a fastener according to the invention have been described in the aforegoing. The fastener is not restricted to these embodiments, however, but can be modified in shape and form within the scope of the following claims. For instance the number of spacers used and their positioning may be different to that shown, although it is important that both the pin¬ like sections and the gripping sections are mutually connected together in the strip.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A strip of mutually connected, substantially T-shaped fasteners, each comprising a central pin-like section (1) intended to be driven into a sub-structure or support surface, and a gripping section (3) which extends at right angles to said pin-like section at the outer end thereof and which is intended to hold an object (8, 10) against said sub-structure , c h a r a c t e r i z e' d in that the strip is manufactured from a plastics material in the form of a coherent integral structure, with the T-shaped fasteners located parallel with one another to form a strip of T-shaped cross-section; and in that mutually adjacent fasteners in said strip are joined together by means of spacers (5, 6) , which interconnect both the pin-like sections (1) and the gripping sections (3) of mutually adjacent fasteners, to provide a rigid strip which can be inserted into a* fastener-driving device in which the fasteners are advanced automatically for driving individual fasteners successively into the sub-structure while shearing off said spacers (5, 6) . 2. A strip according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that mutually adjacent fasteners are joined together in said strip by means of three spacers, of which one (6) interconnects the pin-like sections (1) of said mutually adjacent- fasteners, while the two remaining spacers (5) interconnect respective gripping sections (3) of said " mutually adjacent fasteners at locations on respective sides of the pin-like sections (1) . 3. A strip according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the spacers (6) joining the respective pin-like sections (1) are arranged, when sheared, to form an anchoring means for co-action with the sub-structure (7) . 4. A strip according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i- z e d in that the ends of the pin-like sections (1) intended to O PI penetrate the sub-structure (7) are chamfered to form points (2) ; and in that the spacers (6) which are intended to form anchoring projections are located immediately above said chamfers. 5c A strip according to claim 3 or claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the distance means (6) which are to form said anchoring projections are substantially of triangular cross-sectional shape, with the apex of said triangle facing the point (2) of the fastener. 6. A strip according to anyone of claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the surfaces of the gripping sections (3) of the fasteners for co-action with the objects (8, 10) to be secured are concave and are provided adjacent the outer ends thereof with tooth¬ like projections (4) . 7. An integrally formed, substantially T-shaped fastener having a central pin-like section (1) intended to be driven into a sub-structure (7) , and a gripping section (3) extending at right angles to the pin-like section (1) at the outer end thereof and intended to hold an object (8, 10) firmly against said sub-structure, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said fastener is made of a plastics material and includes an anchoring projection (6) on at least one side of the pin-section (1) . 8. A fastener according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the anchoring projection (6) has a triangular cross-sectional shape, with the apex of said triangle facing the free end (6) of the pin-like section (1) . ^yRN io

Inventors: STRIDH LARS INGMAR, STRIDH, LARS, INGMAR
Applicants: STRIDH LARS INGMAR, STRIDH, LARS, INGMAR
Application year: 1983
Main classification: F16B15
IPC codes: F16B15