Patent ID: 7975522

Claim:
An assembly line for continuously manufacturing fasteners from a source of wire, comprising: a die and die press actuating at a first speed receiving the wire from the source, said die having a piercing element for piercing an aperture seriatim and a cutting element for cutting a fastener from the wire between the apertures; a guide receiving the fastener from said die press and maintaining the fastener in a consistent orientation; a drive unit engaging the fastener oriented by said guide thereby conveying the fastener along said guide and said guide redirecting the fasteners into one of at least two alternate paths; each of said alternate paths directing the fastener to a tapping device having a tapping element for providing internal ribs to an inner wall of the aperture formed in the fastener by said piercing element; and said tapping devices actuating at a second speed in aggregate generally equal to said first speed of said die press.