A device for dispensing an individual plastic fastener from a supply of fastener stock, the supply of fastener stock being shaped to include a pair of continuous side rails (13, 15) to which are coupled a plurality of equidistantly spaced cross-links, the individual fastener comprising a pair of shortened cross-bars (19, 21) that are interconnected by at least one flexible filament, the device comprising: (a) a head assembly adapted to receive the supply of fastener stock, sever an individual fastener from the supply of fastener stock and eject the individual fastener during a single stroke of its actuation cycle, and (b) a motor for driving the head assembly through its actuation cycle, (c) wherein the head assembly is adapted to limit distortion of one or more cross-links for the supply of fastener stock fed thereinto within a single plane, in that the head assembly comprises: -- a head, the head comprising a pair of needle block assemblies (167-1, 167-2) that are fixedly mounted on a shuttle, the shuttle being slidably coupled to a fixed mount, -- a pair of hollowed needles (155-1, 155-2), each needle being retained by a corresponding needle block assembly (167-1,167-2), each needle being shaped to define a longitudinal bore, -- a feed mechanism for advancing each side rail (13, 15) of the supply of fastener stock into direct axial alignment behind the longitudinal bore of a corresponding hollowed needle, -- a severing mechanism for separating an individual fastener from the supply of fastener stock, and -- an ejection mechanism for ejecting each cross-bar (19, 21) of the individual fastener axially through the longitudinal bore of a corresponding hollowed needle; wherein each needle block assembly (167-1, 167-2) includes a feed channel (175-1, 175-2) that is adapted to receive one side rail (13, 15) of the supply of fastener stock, the feed channel (175-1, 175-2) transitioning the side rail (13, 15) into axial alignment behind the longitudinal bore of its corresponding hollowed needle and the pair of feed channels (175-1, 175-2) is coplanar; and wherein at least one of the pair of needle block assemblies (167-1, 167-2) is adapted to limit distortion of the one or more cross-links to the single plane defined by the pair of feed channels (175-1, 175-2), in that the device is characterized by at least one of the pair of needle block assemblies (167-1, 167-2) being adapted to continuously apply pressure onto the one or more cross-links to prevent forward and rearward distortion thereof, wherein the needle block assemblies (167-1, 167-2) limit filament distortion of fastener stock fed into the device in the upward direction along a single plane with generally uniform spacing achieved between adjacent cross-links. (a) a head assembly adapted to receive the supply of fastener stock, sever an individual fastener from the supply of fastener stock and eject the individual fastener during a single stroke of its actuation cycle, and (b) a motor for driving the head assembly through its actuation cycle, (c) wherein the head assembly is adapted to limit distortion of one or more cross-links for the supply of fastener stock fed thereinto within a single plane, in that -- a head, the head comprising a pair of needle block assemblies (167-1, 167-2) that are fixedly mounted on a shuttle, the shuttle being slidably coupled to a fixed mount, -- a pair of hollowed needles (155-1, 155-2), each needle being retained by a corresponding needle block assembly (167-1,167-2), each needle being shaped to define a longitudinal bore, -- a feed mechanism for advancing each side rail (13, 15) of the supply of fastener stock into direct axial alignment behind the longitudinal bore of a corresponding hollowed needle, -- a severing mechanism for separating an individual fastener from the supply of fastener stock, and -- an ejection mechanism for ejecting each cross-bar (19, 21) of the individual fastener axially through the longitudinal bore of a corresponding hollowed needle;