GB2111117A - Tagging pin aggregate - Google Patents

Abstract

A compact aggregate of plastics tagging pins A comprises pins which are separable with a small force for use in attaching tags to articles of clothing and the like. Each pin is substantially of I-beam shape and is arranged with a minimum of spacing from adjacent pins. The pins are interconnected by joints which do not exceed the pins in strength or thickness. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tagging pin aggregate The present invention relates to an aggregate of tagging pins used for attaching tags to articles of clothing and the like.

Examples of known tagging pin aggregate of this type are shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings and in Japanese Utility Model Publication 49-21438. In these known examples, a pin looks like an I-shaped rod projecting upward and linked at a top end thereof with other pins by a portion 1 5 as in Figs. 5 and 6.

The known tagging pin aggregates have pins arranged with a spacing of about 1 mm therebetween, and are used with tagging apparatus as disclosed in U. S. Patent 3,103,666 and Japanese Utility Model Publication 50-36948. More particularly, a tagging pin aggregate is first placed in position as schematically shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, then an injector needle of the tagging apparatus is pierced through an object to be tagged and a trigger of the tagging apparatus is pulled thereby to secure a pin to the object.

Where the pins are each in the form of an Ishape variant, portions other than the letter-lshaped portions (namely those portions referenced 14 and 1 5 in Fig. 6) are severed in use and are discharged downwardly from a head of the tagging apparatus as shown in Fig. 7.

An object of the present invention is to provide an aggregate of tagging pins in which the above described cut and reject portions are omitted thereby to save material losses, to rationalize packaging and to simplify the tagging apparatus.

The present invention consists in a tagging pin aggregate comprising a plurality of tagging pins formed of plastics and interconnected by separable joints such that heads and feet of the pins are adjacent to one another, respectively, and trunks of the pins are parallel to one another, wherein said joints have strength and thickness not exceeding those of said tagging pins.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention each of the tagging pins has a letter I shape or is of I-beam shape, the tagging pins are arranged close to one another with a narrow spacing therebetween thereby to realize a small unit volume for rationalized transport thereof.

Since a tagging pin aggregate constructed according to this invention, does not have cut and reject portions, the tagging apparatus does not need to have a strong cutter. Also an aggregate receiving groove of the tagging apparatus may have a simple shape to suit the configuration of this tagging pin aggregate.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a tagging pin aggregate constructed according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the tagging pin aggregate of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a side view showing the operation of a tagging apparatus loaded with the tagging pin aggregate of Fig. 1, Figure 4 is a partly broken away plan view of a head portion of the tagging apparatus, Figure 5 is a plan view of a known tagging pin aggregate, Figure 6 is a side view of the known tagging pin aggregate, Figure 7 is a partly broken away side view of a head portion of a known tagging apparatus showing operation of the known tagging apparatus loaded with the known tagging pin aggregate, and Figure 8 is a side view of the head portion shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 1 shows an aggregate of plastic tagging pins A comprising heads 1, trunks 2 and feet 3.

Each tagging pin is spaced from an adjacent tagging pin by 1 mm or less, and is connected with the latter at part of the foot.

The joint therebetween may just be enough to retain the two adjacent pins together. More particularly, the pins may be spaced from one another by a film's thickness, for example by 10 to 20 microns.

The joint may be at opposed faces of the feet 3 or at top portions thereof.

In the case of a very compact aggregate, the pins are arranged close to one another.

More particularly, the feet 3 are interconnected at the opposed faces thereof into a beadlike train as seen in Fig. 1.

Thus the joints between the feed 3 have strength and thickness equal to or less than those of the tagging pins. Preferably the joints are formed of plastics identical to or different from the plastics of which the tagging pins are formed, but the joints may be formed of an adhesive.

Referring to Fig. 3, the tagging pin aggregate A formed into an I-beam shape as described above is fitted into a receiving groove 7a defined in a head 7 at an end of a trunk 6 of a tagging apparatus B. When a trigger 9 of the tagging apparatus is operated, one of the pins breaks away from the tagging pin aggregate and the foot 3 thereof slides along a groove defined in an injector needle 8 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In actual practice, the injector needle 8 is first pierced into an object to be tagged, for example a cloth, and then the trigger is pulled with force, whereupon one of the pins breaks away from the tagging pin aggregate A and shoots through the groove of the injector needle 8 in an instant. At this time the foot 3 as connected at an end thereof to the trunk 2 advances through the injector needle 8 and shoots out of an extreme end of the needle 8 as if in form of an arrow. When the needle 8 is withdrawn, the foot of the tagging pin resumes its original T-shape and remains anchored.

No strong force is required for separating one of the pins from the tagging pin aggregate according to the present invention since the pin is pushed forward breaking only a weak joint at one position. In other words, there occurs no sense of strong resistance when operating the trigger.

In the prior art, however, each pin is separated from the rest by cutting filaments of about 1 mm diameter at two positions, namely between a foot 1 3 and a connecting portion 14 and between the connecting portion 14 and a connecting portion 15. Therefore, a considerable force is required for operating the trigger of the tagging apparatus.

References 11 and 1 2 in Figs. 5 to 8 indicate the heads and trunks of the tagging pins, respectively.

As particularly described hereinbefore, in the tagging pin aggregate , each pin is in the form of an I-beam and arranged with a minimum of spacing from adjacent pins, the joints therebetween being just strong enough to retain the pins in aggregation. Therefore material is effectively used and, owing to the small volume of the aggregate, its transport and storage costs are small. Furthermore, the aggregate receiving groove of the tagging apparatus may be simplified in shape and internal mechanism which results in a less expensive and more trouble-free tagging apparatus.

Thus the tagging pin aggregate A has great advantages over prior art products from technical and economic points of view.

Claims (5)

1. A tagging pin aggregate comprising a plurality of tagging pins formed of plastics and interconnected by separable joints such that heads and feet of the pins are adjacent to one another, respectively, and trunks of the pins are parallel to one another, wherein said joints have strength and thickness not exceeding those of said tagging pins.

2. A tagging pin aggregate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said joints are provided between opposed faces of the feet of adjacent pairs of the tagging pins.

3. A tagging pin aggregate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said joints are provided between outer faces of the feet of adjacent pairs of the tagging pins.

4. A tagging pin aggregate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said joints are formed of plastics identical to or different from the plastics of which the tagging pins are formed, and each of the tagging pins is substantially in an I-beam shape.

5. A tagging pin aggregate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.