Abstract:
A self-contained button attachment kit includes a pair of buttons, fastener clips and a tool for dispensing a fastener from a fastener clip to reattach a button to an article of clothing. The tool includes a single, hollow needle, a holder adapted to retain the needle and buttons, a handle telescopingly mounted on the holder, a spring-biased ejection mechanism connected to the handle, a front cap removably coupled to the handle over the needle and a rear cap removably coupled to the handle for storing fastener clips. In operation, the front cap serves as an anvil that supports the article and button to be attached. With a fastener clip loaded into the holder, the needle is then inserted through the pair of items. Displacement of the handle relative to the holder causes an ejection rod to dispense the cross-bar of a fastener through the needle, thereby completing the attachment process.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/209,400, filed Mar. 6, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to handheld fastener dispensing devices and more specifically to a novel kit that is particularly well-suited for use in attaching a button to an article of clothing. 
         [0003]    Traditionally, detached buttons are sewn back onto articles of clothing using a needle and thread. However, the act of sewing a button onto an article using a needle and thread has been found to be a rather time-consuming and highly dexterous process. As a result, consumers that require the re-attachment of a button to an article often either employ a professional seamstress for the task, typically at a substantial cost, or permanently discard the article. 
         [0004]    In response to the shortcomings associated with the traditional sewing process, button attachment kits have recently been developed that greatly simplify the manner in which detached buttons can be re-attached to articles of clothing, each button fastening kit typically comprising, inter alia, one or more clips of plastic fasteners, a handheld fastener dispensing tool and a small sampling of individual buttons. As will be described further in detail below, the handheld tool is designed to separate a fastener from the fastener clip and, in turn, dispense the fastener through the detached button and the intended garment to securely re-attach the separated objects. One well known button attachment kit is manufactured and sold by Avery Dennison Corporation of Pasadena, Calif. under its BUTTONEER® line of fastening systems. 
         [0005]    In U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,974, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, there is shown a button attachment kit which comprises a fastener attaching tool and a complementary fastener clip, the fastener clip including a pair of runner bars and one or more U-shaped fasteners having transverse bars at opposite ends, each transverse bar being connected to a corresponding runner bar by a severable connector post. The fastener attaching tool includes a pair of needles, each needle having longitudinal slotted bore adapted to receive one of the transverse bars and a knife edge formed on one side which is adapted to sever a connector post from its associated transverse bar as the transverse bar is pushed through the needle. The body of the tool includes a transverse feed slot through which the fastener clip is manually inserted, the feed slot being situated directly behind the pair of needles. The tool also includes an ejector mechanism that is slidably mounted back and forth within the tool body and is rearwardly biased by a spring. The ejector mechanism is manually operable from the rear of the body and includes a pair of ejector rods that are disposed to slide back and forth through the bore of corresponding needles and, in turn, push the transverse bars of the lowermost fastener in the loaded fastener clip out through the open sharpened tip of the needles. Other patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,162 to Deschenes et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,286 to Deschenes et al., both disclosures being incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0006]    In use, fastener dispensing tools of the type described in the &#39;974 patent are typically handled and operated like a syringe. Specifically, the index and middle fingers of the user are disposed either through openings in the front of the tool body or, in the alternative, against the front surface of the tool body on opposite sides of the pair of needles. In addition, the thumb of the user is disposed against the exposed rear surface of the ejector block for the ejector mechanism. Handled in this manner, the tool is manually driven by the user such that the sharpened tip of each needle penetrates through an opening in the detached button and through the intended garment. At this time, fastener actuation is achieved by manually pushing the ejector block forward using the thumb of the user. 
         [0007]    Fastener dispensing tools of the type described in the &#39;974 patent have been found to suffer from a few notable shortcomings. 
         [0008]    As a first shortcoming, fastener dispensing tools of the type described in the &#39;974 patent require a significant level of manual dexterity to operate. In particular, it has been found that certain users (e.g., arthritis patients) lack the dexterity required to either (i) handle the tool similarly to a syringe, (ii) drive the sharpened needles through the pair of objects to be coupled and/or (iii) actuate the device using his/her thumb. 
         [0009]    As a second shortcoming, dual needle fastener dispensing tools of the type described in the &#39;974 patent require a greater amount of hand strength than their single needle counterparts. Specifically, because a dual needle tool requires both the penetration of two needles through a layer of fabric as well as the ejection of a pair of transverse bars through its needles, it is to be understood that the force associated with each of the aforementioned steps is considerably greater than the force required to dispense a fastener from a single needle tool. 
         [0010]    As a third shortcoming, dual needle fastener dispensing tools of the type described in the &#39;974 patent are often more difficult to load than their single needle counterparts. Specifically, in addition to the fact that the fastener clip is somewhat difficult to handle, some users, on occasion, fail to adequately advance each runner bar of the clip in its proper position within the tool prior to actuation which, in turn, can lead to fastener jamming within the tool. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved button attachment kit. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved button attachment kit that is inexpensive to manufacture. 
         [0012]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved button attachment kit that includes a fastener dispensing tool that is easy to load and use. 
         [0013]    Accordingly, there is provided a button attachment kit comprising (a) a fastener clip, the fastener clip comprising a plurality of individual plastic fasteners, each plastic fastener comprising a filament, an enlargement formed on one end of the filament and a cross-bar formed on the other end of the filament; and (b) a tool for dispensing a plastic fastener from the fastener clip, the tool comprising (i) a needle with a sharpened tip, the needle being hollowed out along its length so as to define an elongated, longitudinal bore, the bore being dimensioned to fittingly receive the cross-bar of a fastener, (ii) a holder adapted to retain the needle, the holder being shaped to define a transverse feed slot behind the needle, the feed slot being dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the fastener clip, (iii) a handle telescopingly mounted on the holder and capable of slidable displacement relative thereto, (iv) a spring-biased ejection mechanism connected to the handle, the ejection mechanism comprising an elongated ejection rod that is disposed to selectively extend through the bore in the needle, (v) a front cap removably coupled to the handle over the needle, and (vi) a rear cap removably coupled to the handle. 
         [0014]    Additional objects, as well as features and advantages, of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof and in which is shown by way of illustration an embodiment for practicing the invention. The embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The accompanying drawings, which are hereby incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a partially exploded, front perspective view of a button attachment kit constructed according to the teachings of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2(   a ) is an assembled, front perspective view of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2(   b ) is an enlarged, fragmentary, front perspective view of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 2(   a ); 
           [0019]      FIG. 2(   c ) is an assembled rear perspective view of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a fully exploded, top perspective view of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 1   
           [0021]      FIGS. 4(   a )-( d ) are front perspective, right end plan, front plan, and left end plan views, respectively, of the fastener dispensing tool shown in  FIG. 2(   a ), the tool being shown with its front and rear caps removed therefrom; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 5(   a )-( c ) are front perspective, bottom perspective, and right end perspective views, respectively, of the holder shown in  FIG. 2(   a ); 
           [0023]      FIGS. 6(   a )-( f ) are rear perspective, front, top, rear plan, left end and right end views, respectively, of the left half of the holder shown in  FIG. 5(   a ); 
           [0024]      FIGS. 7(   a )-( f ) are front perspective, rear, bottom, front plan, right end and left end views, respectively, of the right half of the holder shown in  FIG. 5(   a ); 
           [0025]      FIGS. 8(   a )-( c ) are front perspective, right end perspective and left end perspective views, respectively, of the push handle shown in  FIG. 2(   a ); 
           [0026]      FIGS. 9(   a )-( f ) are rear perspective, front, top, rear plan, left end and right end views, respectively, of the left half of the push handle shown in  FIG. 8(   a ); 
           [0027]      FIGS. 10(   a )-( f ) are front perspective, rear, top, front plan, left end and right end views, respectively, of the right half of the push handle shown in  FIG. 9(   a ); 
           [0028]      FIGS. 11(   a )-( e ) are front perspective, top, front plan, left end and right end views, respectively, of the ejection mechanism shown in  FIG. 3 , the ejection mechanism being shown with the compression spring removed therefrom; 
           [0029]      FIGS. 12(   a )-( b ) are section views of the fastener dispensing tool shown in  FIG. 2(   a ), taken along lines  12 - 12 , the tool being shown in its expanded and compressed states, respectively, the tool being shown with its front and rear caps removed therefrom; 
           [0030]      FIGS. 13(   a )-( c ) are front perspective, front plan, and left end plan views, respectively, of the compression spring shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0031]      FIGS. 14(   a )-( f ) are rear perspective, right end perspective, left end perspective, right end plan, front plan and left end plan views, respectively, of the front cap shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0032]      FIGS. 15(   a )-( c ) are front perspective, front plan and left end views, respectively, of the rear cap shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0033]      FIGS. 16(   a )-( b ) are rear perspective and left end perspective views, respectively, of the fastener clip shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 16(   c ) is an enlarged, fragmentary, left end perspective view of the fastener clip shown in  FIG. 16(   b ) taken within circle C; 
           [0035]      FIGS. 17(   a )-( b ) are front perspective and enlarged, fragmentary, front perspective views, respectively, of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 2(   a ), the button attachment kit being shown without the front end cap and with a fastener clip loaded in the tool; 
           [0036]      FIG. 18(   a ) is a top plan view of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 17(   a ); and 
           [0037]      FIG. 18(   b ) is an enlarged section view of the button attachment kit shown in  FIG. 17(   a ), taken along lines  18 - 18 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Button Attachment Kit  11   
       [0038]    Referring to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a button attachment kit constructed according to the teachings of the present invention, the kit being represented generally by reference numeral  11 . As will be described in detail below, kit  11  is particularly well-suited for use in re-attaching a decoupled button to an article of clothing, such as a shirt. 
         [0039]    Kit  11  comprises a handheld fastener dispensing tool  13 , a fastener clip  15  designed for use in conjunction with tool  13  and a pair of spare buttons  17 - 1  and  17 - 2 . 
       Construction of Fastener Dispensing Tool  13   
       [0040]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-15(   c ), fastener dispensing tool  13  comprises a hollowed needle  19 , a holder  21  adapted to retain needle  19 , a handle  23  slidably mounted on holder  21 , an ejection mechanism  25  for dispensing an individual fastener from clip  15  through needle  19 , a front cap  27  mounted onto the front of handle  23  (i.e. over needle  19 ), and a rear cap  29  mounted onto the rear of handle  23 . 
         [0041]    As seen most clearly in  FIG. 3 , needle  19  comprises a stem portion  31  and a base portion  33 . Stem portion  31 , which may be made from stamped and rolled metal, is a generally cylindrical member terminating at one end in a sharpened tip that is designed for insertion through a garment or like object. Stem portion  31  is shaped to define a slotted bore extending longitudinally therethrough. In addition, the rear surface of stem portion  31  preferably includes a sharpened knife blade for separating an individual fastener from clip  13  during the fastener ejection process, which will be described further below. 
         [0042]    Base portion  33  may be made of a plastic that has been insert-molded onto that end of stem portion  31  that is distal to its sharpened tip. (Alternatively, stem portion  31  and base portion  33  may be a unitary structure made of metal or another suitable material.) Base portion  33  is provided with a slotted longitudinal bore that is aligned with the bore in stem portion  31 . Together, the bores of stem portion  31  and base portion  33  are appropriately dimensioned so that the cross-bar of a fastener from clip  15  may be inserted thereinto from the rear of base portion  33 , traverse the length of needle  19  and then exit needle  19  through its open sharpened tip. 
         [0043]    It should be noted that the particular construction of needle  19  could be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, needle  19  may be of the type disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 10/006,779, which was filed on Nov. 5, 2001 in the name of William J. Cooper et al., and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0044]    As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 3 ,  5 ( a ) and  5 ( b ), holder, or base,  21  is an elongated, generally cylindrical member that includes a left half  35  (shown in isolation in  FIGS. 6(   a )-( f )) and a right half  37  (shown in isolation in  FIGS. 7(   a )-( f )) that are formed from any convenient and durable material, such as plastic, and that are permanently joined together by any conventional means, such through snap-engagement or ultrasonic welding. Together, left half  35  and right half  37  provide needle holder  21  with a narrow stem  39  at its front end and a widened cylindrical body  41  at its rear end. 
         [0045]    A needle bore  43  is formed into the front of stem  39  and is dimensioned to fittingly receive a portion of needle  19 . Accordingly, with needle  19  mounted securely within bore  43 , the majority of stem portion  31 , and in particular the sharpened tip of needle  19 , projects orthogonally out from stem  39  of base  21 , as seen most clearly in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0046]    A transverse feed slot  45  is similarly formed into stem  39  directly behind needle  19 , feed slot  45  being dimensioned to receive a portion of fastener clip  15 . As will be described further below, fastener clip  15  is manually loaded into tool  13  through feed slot  45 . 
         [0047]    The outer diameter of cylindrical body  41  is slightly reduced along a central portion of its length so as to create an inner sleeve, or recess,  47 . As will be described further below, inner sleeve  47  in holder  21  serves as a guide against which a portion of handle  23  may slide during actuation of tool  13 . The formation of sleeve  47  into body  41  serves to create an annular flange  48 - 1  towards its front end and an enlarged annular platform  48 - 2  at its rear end. 
         [0048]    A shallow circular cavity  49  is formed into the outer surface of each of left half  35  and right half  37 . As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 6(   a ) and  7 ( a ), each cavity  49  is dimensioned to fittingly receive a button  17 , with a pair of opposing, articulating, ratchet-shaped fingers  51 - 1  and  51 - 2  being formed into body  41  along the periphery of each cavity  49 . Together, fingers  51  allow for each button  17  to be releasably snapped into place within a corresponding cavity  49  using a limited amount of insertion force, fingers  51  retaining button  17  in place until an adequate extraction force is applied thereto. In this manner, cavities  49  allow for the highly accessible storage of spare buttons  17  directly onto tool  13 , which is highly desirable. 
         [0049]    As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 3 ,  8 ( a ) and  8 ( b ), handle, or push handle,  23  is an elongated, generally cylindrical member that includes a left half  53  (shown in isolation in  FIGS. 9(   a )-( f )) and a right half  55  (shown in isolation in  FIGS. 10(   a )-( f )) that are formed from any convenient and durable material, such as plastic, and that are permanently joined together by any conventional means, such through snap-engagement or ultrasonic welding. Together, left half  53  and right half  55  provide push handle  23  with a generally open front end  57  and an enclosed rear end  59 . 
         [0050]    A first helical threading  63  is formed into the outer surface of handle  23  at front end  57 , threading  63  being used to releasably couple front cap  27  to push handle  23  over needle  19  and base  21 . Similarly, a second helical threading  65  is formed into the outer surface of handle  23  at rear end  59 , threading  65  being used to releasably couple rear cap  29  to the distal end of push handle  23 , as will be described further in detail below. Furthermore, an outwardly protruding flange  66  is formed into the outer surface of handle  23  between front end  57  and rear end  59 , flange  66  serving as a guard for protecting the hand of the user from contacting sharpened needle  19  during the fastener dispensing process. 
         [0051]    As seen most clearly in  FIG. 8(   c ), a slotted disc-shaped platform  67  is formed within the interior cavity defined by handle  23 , platform  67  being spaced slightly in from enclosed rear end  59 . As will be described further below, slotted platform  67  serves as a support on which ejection mechanism  25  is fixedly mounted. 
         [0052]    Referring back to  FIG. 3 , ejection mechanism  25  comprises an ejector block  69 , an ejector rod  71  coupled to ejector block  69  and a compression spring  73 . 
         [0053]    As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 11(   a )-( e ), ejector block  69  is in the form of an elongated, unitary, generally T-shaped member that includes a rectangular front portion  75  that projects orthogonally out from an enlarged rear portion  77 . Rear portion  77  is generally I-shaped in transverse cross-section and includes a rear plate  79  and a front plate  81  which are spaced slightly apart by a narrow rib  83 . As can be appreciated, rear portion  77  of ejector block  69  is sized and shaped to be slidably coupled to slotted platform  67 , thereby securing ejection mechanism  25  to push handle  23 . Specifically, as seen most clearly in  FIGS. 12(   a ) and  12 ( b ), rib  83  is slidably disposed within the slot in platform  67 , with rear plate  79  and front plate  81  disposed on opposite sides thereof. In this manner, rear portion  77  is held fixed in place within the rear of push handle  23 . 
         [0054]    As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 11(   a )-( e ), ejector rod  71  is in the form of a thin, elongated, metallic, generally L-shaped pin that includes a first end  84  and a second end  85 . Second end  85  of rod  71  is disposed through a fitted opening in front portion  75  of ejector block  69 . In this manner, ejector rod  71  is fixedly coupled to ejector block  69 , with the first end  84  of rod  71  protruding forward beyond the free end of front portion  75  in a co-axial relationship relative thereto. As will be described further below, ejector rod  71  is disposed in co-axial alignment with the longitudinal bore of needle  19  and is dimensioned to fittingly penetrate therethrough. 
         [0055]    Referring now to  FIGS. 13(   a )-( c ), compression spring  73  is in the form of a helical spring that includes a widened first end  87  and a narrowed second end  89 . As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 12(   a ) and  12 ( b ), spring  73  wraps around the length of front portion  75  of ejector block  69  in a co-axial relationship relative thereto, with first end  87  disposed firmly against annular platform  48 - 2  of needle holder  21  (and held in place by a thin upstanding retaining wall formed along a portion of the outer periphery of platform  48 - 2 ) and second end  89  disposed firmly against the front plate  81  of ejector block  69 . 
         [0056]    In  FIG. 12(   a ), tool  13  is shown in its expanded state. As can be seen, spring  73  naturally biases push handle  23  rearwardly from needle holder  21  such that ejector rod  71  axially withdraws from needle  19 . An annular ridge  57 - 1  integrally formed into the inner surface of open front end  57  of push handle  23  eventually contacts the front edge of platform  48 - 2  to limit the rearward displacement of push handle  23 . 
         [0057]    In  FIG. 12(   b ), tool  13  is shown in its compressed state. As can be seen, push handle  23  is driven forward relative to holder  21 , with ejector rod  71  penetrating axially through needle  19 . Open front end  57  of push handle  23  eventually abuts against flange  48 - 1  in holder  21  to limit further forward displacement of push handle  23 . With push handle  23  disposed as such, spring  73  compresses to the extent necessary to allow for the forward displacement of ejector block  69 . However, it is to be understood that upon withdrawal of the forward displacement of push handle  23 , spring  73  resiliently expands which, in turn, rearwardly drives push handle  23  back to its expanded position. 
         [0058]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2(   a ),  2 ( c ) and  14 ( a )-( f ), front cap  27  is constructed as a elongated cylindrical cup that is preferably formed from a rigid and durable plastic material. As will be described further below, front cap  27  serves both as (i) a protective cover for needle  19  when tool  13  is not in use, and (ii) an anvil designed to support a layer of fabric during the button re-attachment process. 
         [0059]    As can be seen, front cap  27  comprises an inner surface  91 , an outer surface  93 , a narrow, open front end  95  and a widened, open rear end  97 . A helical threading  99  is integrally formed into inner surface  91  at rear end  97 , threading  99  being configured to releasably engage threading  63  on push handle  23  when front cap  27  is screwed onto push handle  23 . 
         [0060]    A cylindrical protective sleeve  101  is integrally formed into and extends longitudinally through a portion of front cap  27  in coaxial alignment therewith. Sleeve  101  is represented herein as being in the form of a central elongated pin, generally circular in transverse cross-section, that includes an open rear end  101 - 1  and a closed front end  101 - 2  that lies generally flush with front end  95  of cap  27 . As can be appreciated, sleeve  101  is dimensioned to fittingly receive stem portion  31  of needle  19  through its open rear end  101 - 1 , thereby protecting the user from contacting the sharpened tip of needle  19  when tool  13  is not in use. 
         [0061]    In addition, as noted above, front cap  27  is designed to serve as a support surface, or anvil, during the fastener dispensing process. Specifically, as seen most clearly in  FIG. 14(   c ), the annular shape of front end  95  is preferably dimensioned to support a wide variety of standard sized circular buttons (e.g., a conventional 7/16 inch diameter shirt button). It should be noted that the closed tip, or front end  101 - 2 , of sleeve  101  is preferably aligned in the direct center of front end  95 . In this manner, with a button properly positioned on front end  95 , front end  101 - 2  of sleeve  101  is disposed firmly against the underside of the button at the center point between all of the buttonholes. In this manner, sleeve  101  can support a button without interfering with the insertion of needle  19  through any buttonhole during the button re-attachment process, which is highly desirable. 
         [0062]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2(   a )-( b ) and  15 ( a )-( c ), rear cap  29  is constructed as a rounded cup that is preferably formed from a rigid and durable plastic material. As can be seen, rear cap  29  comprises an inner surface  102 , an outer surface  103 , an open front end  105  and a rounded, closed rear end  107 . A helical threading  108  is integrally formed into inner surface  102  of rear cap  29  at open front end  105 , threading  108  being configured to releasably engage threading  65  to secure rear cap  29  to push handle  23 . 
         [0063]    It should be noted that rear cap  29  is hollowed out along its length so as to define an interior storage compartment that is dimensioned to retain one or more fastener clips  15 . In this capacity, both fastener clip  15  and buttons  17  can be held directly on tool  13  when not in use. As a result, kit  11  can be stored as a unitary, compact element, thereby facilitating its handling. 
       Construction of Fastener Clip  15   
       [0064]    Referring now to  FIGS. 16(   a )-( c ), fastener clip  15  is a unitary structure preferably molded from urethane or another similar material. Fastener clip  15  comprises four individual fasteners  111  that are attached to a common runner bar  113 , the plurality of fasteners  111  being arranged in a parallel, front-to-back, spaced orientation. In turn, common runner bar  113  is formed on an enlarged, key-shaped handle  114  to facilitate handling of clip  15 . 
         [0065]    As seen most clearly in  FIGS. 16(   a )-( b ), each fastener  111  comprises a filament  115 , an enlargement  117  formed on one end of filament  115  and a cross-bar  119  formed at the opposite end of filament  115 . Enlargement  117  is generally saucer-shaped in design and is of a size that is both (i) sufficient to preclude passing through the hole of a conventional shirt button and (ii) reduced and rounded to render it relatively inconspicuous in nature. 
         [0066]    As seen most clearly in  FIG. 16(   c ), each cross-bar  119  has a bullet-shaped design for optimal performance. Specifically, each cross-bar  119  includes a shortened rear portion  119 - 1  that is rounded (i.e., radial) at its free end to minimize irritation against skin and a lengthened front portion  119 - 2  that tapers gradually to a narrower (i.e., more fine) rounded tip to facilitate insertion through a layer of material, the overall length of cross-bar  119  being sized to ensure adequate retentive capabilities and, as such, preclude unintentional withdrawal from the layer of material. Due to the different lengths of rear and front portions  119 - 1  and  119 - 2 , each filament  115  appears connected to its respective cross-bar in an offset relationship in relation to its midpoint, or center (i.e., with filament  115  connected to cross-bar  119  at a location that is closer to its rear end than its front end). 
         [0067]    Common runner bar  113  is generally in the form of an elongated block that is generally rectangular in transverse cross-section, as seen most clearly in  FIG. 16(   a ). Common runner bar  113  is of a length that is sufficient to receive the plurality of fasteners  111 . 
         [0068]    Handle  114  has a generally key-shaped design and comprises a first end  121 , a second end  123 , a flattened top surface  125  and a flattened bottom surface  127 . As can be seen, runner bar  113  is formed onto top surface  125  proximate second end  123 . 
         [0069]    First end  121  of handle  114  is preferably in the form of an enlarged flattened paddle that serves to facilitate handling of clip  15  (in particular, during the process of loading clip  15  into tool  13 ). In addition, bottom surface  127  is shaped to define four, spaced apart notches  129  along its length. As will be described further below, notches  129  assist in the process of manually indexing each fastener  111  into its proper position within tool  13  prior to the fastener dispensing process. 
         [0070]    Each fastener  111  is connected to common runner bar  113  by a severable stub  131 . As will be described further below, each fastener  111  is separated from the remainder of clip  15  by severing its corresponding stub  131 . It should also be noted that enlargements  117  of adjacent fasteners  111  are represented herein as being integrally joined together by a thin connector  133 . However, it is to be understood that each connector  133  is of limited strength and can be easily severed by lightly pulling adjacent enlargements  117  apart from one another. 
       Operation of Kit  11   
       [0071]    As noted above, kit  11  is designed to be stored as a unitary and compact item, as seen most clearly in  FIGS. 2(   a ) and  2 ( c ). Specifically, when not in use, kit  11  is generally in the form of a shortened tubular member, slightly larger than the size of a conventional lipstick case, which is highly desirable. 
         [0072]    When an article of clothing requires the attachment of a button  17  thereto, the user is first required to unscrew front cap  27  from push handle  23 . It is to be understood that upon the removal of front cap  27  from push handle  23 , the resilient nature of spring  73  drives push handle  23  rearward until tool  13  is disposed in its expanded position. 
         [0073]    With front cap  27  removed from push handle  23 , it is now required that a fastener clip  15  be inserted into feed slot  45 . To retrieve a fastener clip  15  for use, rear cap  29  is unscrewed from push handle  23 , thereby providing access to the fastener storage compartment within cap  29 . Using enlarged paddle  121 , second end  123  of fastener clip  15  is manually inserted into feed slot  45  in needle holder  21 , as seen most clearly in  FIGS. 17(   a )-( b ) and  18 ( a ). 
         [0074]    It should be noted that a detent, or protrusion,  135  is formed in holder  21  that protrudes into feed slot  45 , as seen most clearly in  FIG. 18(   b ). In this manner, clip  15  is advanced into feed slot  45  until detent  135  snaps into place within a corresponding notch  129  in fastener clip  15 . As can be appreciated, the auditory and tactile response achieved through the aforementioned snap engagement between detent  135  and notch  129  notifies the user that clip  15  has been properly fed into tool  13 . 
         [0075]    With clip  15  properly fed into tool  13 , the user first places rear end  97  of front cap  27  directly onto a flat work surface, such as a table, and then disposes the article of clothing which requires a button  17  directly on top of front end  95  of cap  27 . The article is then positioned such that the exact area to receive button  17  is aligned directly above front end  95 . A button, which may be one of the spare buttons  17  included in kit  11  or an additional button supplied from an alternative source (e.g., a button that has inadvertently detached from the article), is then positioned on the article in direct alignment with annular front end  95  of cap  27 . In this capacity, it is to be understood that front cap  27  serves as an anvil for supporting the article and the button during the attachment process. 
         [0076]    At this time, the user grasps handle  23  in any comfortable manner (e.g., by grasping handle  23  in a similar fashion to how one would grasp the handle of a ski pole) and manually drives the sharpened tip of needle  19  downward through both a hole in the button and the desired article. Once the front end of stem  39  abuts against the button, thereby limiting further downward displacement of tool  13 , the continued downward force applied by the user in turn causes push handle  23  to slide downward along holder  21  in a telescoping relationship relative thereto. As push handle  23  slides along holder  21 , spring  73  compresses and ejector rod  71  is displaced forward within tool  13 . 
         [0077]    During this process, ejector rod  71  contacts the cross-bar  119  of the lowermost fastener  111  in clip  15  and in turn axially displaces the cross-bar  119  through needle  19 . As the cross-bar  119  is driven through needle  19 , its corresponding stub  131  is urged against the sharpened edge of the knife blade on needle  19 , thereby severing the lowermost fastener  111  from the remainder of clip  15 . Accordingly, ejector rod  71  is able to drive the separated cross-bar  119  axially through needle  19  until it passes through the open needle tip, with enlargement  117  and cross-bar  119  now disposed on opposite surfaces of the button and the article of clothing. As such, the dispensed fastener  111  fixedly secures button  17  to the article, filament  115  stretching to the extent necessary to accommodate fabrics of varying thicknesses, which is highly desirable. 
         [0078]    With the fastener  111  properly dispensed, the user withdraws tool  13  from the article, the elimination of the actuation force causing spring  73  to resiliently return tool  13  to its expanded state. If additional fasteners  111  are required, the user advances clip  15  into tool  13  until detent  135  engages the next successive notch  129  in clip  15 . However, if no further fasteners  111  are required, the user may opt to (i) withdraw clip  15  from tool  13 , (ii) return the partially used clip back to the fastener storage compartment in tool  13  by screwing rear cap  29  onto push handle  23  and (iii) screw front cap  27  back onto handle  23  over needle  19 . As such, kit  11  is restored to its compact, storage-ready configuration until further use is required. 
         [0079]    The embodiment of the present invention described above is intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art shall be able to make numerous variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.