Claims
- 1. A fastening device comprising:
- a housing body to support and guide functional components;
- a fastener guide track attached to said housing body near a bottom thereof, to guide fasteners toward a front of said housing;
- a plunger located toward the front of said housing body, said plunger oriented to expel objects on said fastener guide track out of said fastening device;
- a spring linked to said plunger, oriented to force said plunger toward the bottom of said housing body;
- an actuating means linkable to said plunger such that said plunger may be raised against the bias of said spring through the motion of said actuating means;
- said actuating means to plunger linkage comprising an engagement, said engagement exhibiting a disengagement bias upon said actuating means when said plunger is raised to an uppermost position;
- said engagement held from disengaging said actuating means by an applied force of a further component of said fastening device;
- said applied force greater than said disengagement bias to maintain contact between said engagement and said actuating means;
- said applied force being instantly removed at the uppermost point of said plunger's upward travel;
- and said actuating means further comprises a lever having a bend at a back end thereof.
- 2. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein said further component comprises a release surface fixedly attached to said housing body.
- 3. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means further comprises a lever slidably linked at an angle to said spring near the front of said housing, such slidable linkage comprising said engagement.
- 4. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein:
- said spring further comprises a single elongated flat torque transmitting spring of varying effective width along its length;
- said actuating means is free to move up and down at one end along an up and down direction of motion of said plunger and is further free to move in a second direction at said one end across the width of said flat spring at the location of said engagement; and
- said engagement occurring upon an angled tab attached to and cantilevered rearwardly from the front of said flat spring and a canted surface of said actuating means, said angled tab and canted surface to cause said disengagement bias in said second direction upon said actuating means.
- 5. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein:
- said spring further comprises at least one coiled wire torsion spring;
- said actuating means is free to move up and down at one end along an up and down direction of motion of said plunger and is free to move in a second direction across a component of said wire spring;
- said component of said wire spring further comprising a rearwardly bent tab near the front of said fastening device, said tab defining one end of said wire spring and being cantilevered rearwardly from the front of said fastening device;
- said engagement occurs upon said tab;
- said tab is angled to cause said disengagement bias in said second direction upon said actuating means.
- 6. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein:
- said actuating means is slidably connected to said plunger;
- said spring is pivotably linked to said plunger; and
- said plunger further comprises a rearwardly cantilevered tab selectively engaging said actuating means, said cantilevered tab angled to cause said disengagement bias.
- 7. The fastening device according to claim 6, wherein said spring further comprises a flat spring; said spring to plunger linkage occurs at a plurality of locations; and said actuating means to plunger linkage occurs at one location.
- 8. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means is biased by a second spring, said second spring operating to bias said actuating means toward said engagement through a particular range of angular positions of said actuating means.
- 9. The fastening device according to claim 8, wherein said second spring exerts a return force to cause said actuating means to return to an initial position, said return force being greatest when said actuating means is in said initial position and least when said actuating means is displaced from said initial position.
- 10. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein said housing body further comprises internal segmented pads against which said actuating means pivots.
- 11. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein said further component further comprises a raised ledge formed inside the housing body.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending parent application Ser. No. 08/074,941, pending, filed Jun. 10, 1993, by the same inventor.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
807937 |
Nov 1956 |
DEX |
2856621 |
Jul 1980 |
DEX |
255111 |
Jun 1948 |
CHX |
2032327 |
May 1980 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
74941 |
Jun 1993 |
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