878,378. Attaching pronged fasteners. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Aug. 21, 1957 [Aug. 31, 1956], No. 26468/57. Classes 43 and 89(3). [Also in Group XXX] A machine for the assembly of a hook member and a stay plate, one of which is formed with prongs and the other of which is formed with complimentary apertures, comprises feed means for bringing a succession of hook members and stay plates into positions on opposite sides of a sheet of material in which their prongs and apertures are in operative alignment, moving means for effecting relative movement between an aligned hook member and stay plate for passage of the prongs through the material and through the apertures, bending means operative subsequent to insertion of the prongs through the apertures for bending the through extending portion of the prongs, and an operative connection between the feed means, moving means, and bending means for rendering all the means effective in sequence during each cycle of the machine. The machine comprises a magazine 170 for feeding apertured stay plates to an anvil 168 and a hopper 300 for feeding pronged hooks to a ram head 270. A fastening hook has a tongue and prongs 54, 56, 58 which engage in apertures 64, 66, 68 in a stay plate The apertures 64, 66 have a recess at one end to accommodate the bent over prongs and the apertures 68 has a recess at each end in order that the prong may be bent in either of two directions. A reciprocating block. 184, having a shoulder and stepped down bifurcated portion 192 which supports the lowermost stay plate in the magazine when retracted, feeds the stay plates from the magazine to a slot 172 where they are spring urged to engage the overlying edges of the slot A screw on the block contacts the front wall of the machine to arrest the block in forward position and a bolt 204 on the block contacts a switch 206. Any obstruction prevents the contact being made and renders the machine inoperative. The bottom wall 306 of the hopper 300. rotates about an inclined axis and the hooks move along an arcuate runway 330 in the hopper and those which pass a reject pin 338 traverse a vertical shoot 214 to a horizontal section. The tongues of the hooks engage in side by side relation in a groove in a vertical plate 220, a strip 224 engages between the tongue and body part of the hook and an end plate 226 secured to the plate 220 and spaced from the strip allows passage of the curved part of the hook. A feed member 230 which has the width of a hook and an abutment 248 forming a cammed surface which urges on a hook forwardly which-pushes the foremost one into a slot 274 in the ram head where a pivoted plate 276 supporting a flange releasably retains the hook in the slot. The slide block 184 mounts the feed member 230. A stop member 250 resiliently pivoted on the feed head carries a stop which prevents a hook travelling beyond the retracted feed member. The ram, anvil hammer 470 and slide block operate in timed relation under the control of lever arms 120, 134, 246 carrying cam followers 128, 144, 152 which engage cams 114, 116, 118 on a driver shaft 110. The cam 114 contacts a switch controlling the clutch for the driven shaft. Springs 130, 154 also control the movement of the cam followers 128, 152. A guide plate 400 which has two horizontally adjustable rule edges 422, 424, correctly aligns the material to which the hook is to be attached. A spring urges the guide plate upwardly on a bolt 384 adjacent the ram. The guide plate has a guard comprising vertical front and side walls 428,430, 432. A portion 452 associated with the guide plate blocks the end of the operating lever 440 and prevents a switch 450 being operated until the guide'plate is lowered. At the commencement of an operation a stay plate is on the anvil, a hook is in the slot in the ram head, the slide block and feed member are forward the guide plate 440 is raised and the movement of the starting lever 440 is obstructed. The material is correctly positioned beneath the guide plate which is then lowered releasing the operating lever which contacts the switch 450 the brake is released and the shaft 110 is driven. The follower 128 on the ram lever 120 rides on the cam 114 which causes the ram head to move downwardly. The ram also moves forwardly under the action of a stud 360 on the ram engaging an inclined slot in a plate 364 adjustably positioned on the front wall of the machine and by a link 346 pivoted to the front wall and to a block in a slot in the ram and urged downwardly by a spring. The pressure of the ram on the hook forces the prongs through the material and through aligned apertures in the stay plate. The cam 116 engages the follower 144 on the anvil lever 134 which rocks and strikes an operating member on the anvil to cause rocker arms to swing and bend the prongs. The anvil lever than returns to its initial position by gravity. The spring 130 between the machine frame and an extension 132 on the ram lever 120 controls the follower 128 as the ram returns to its initial position to receive a hook. The cam follower 152 on the lever 146 contacts the cam 118 moving the slide block 184 rearwardly so that the bifurcated end is beneath the lowermost stay plate in the magazine. The feed member moves rearwardly, the slide block moves forwardly moving a stay plate on to the anvil and the feed member moves forwardly to urge on the next hook and the foremost hook moves into the slot in the ram head. The brake for the feed hopper is released to supply hooks to the feed shoot and the cam 114 contacts the switch arm for the clutch bringing the cams to rest. Specification 866,906 is referred to.