Claims
- 1. A collated stack of sheet metal clips comprising:
- a plurality of similarly oriented generally U-shaped clips, each said clip having an arcuate crown portion and spaced parallel leg portions depending from said crown portion, each said clip being juxtapositioned to a leg portion of an adjacent clip, each said clip having opposed lateral side edges;
- a side slot extending inwardly from each said side edge of each said leg portion;
- a crown slot extending inwardly from a lateral side edge of said crown portion; and
- a plastic rope positioned within said side slots and extending the length of the stack of clips.
- 2. The stack of clips of claim 1 further comprising:
- means for retaining said rope within said side slots.
- 3. The stack of clips of claim 2 wherein said retaining means comprises a pair of tabs extending from each lateral end of said crown portion of each said clip, said tabs being defined in part by said side slots in said spaced leg portions and said crown slot, said tabs being deflected after insertion of said ropes into said side slots so as to retain said ropes within said side slots.
- 4. The stack of clips of claim 3 wherein said tabs are deflected downwardly toward said leg portion of each said clip.
- 5. The stack of clips of claim 1 wherein each said side slot is generally orthogonal to one of said side edges of said clip.
- 6. A method of manufacturing a collated stack of sheet metal clips comprising the steps of:
- forming a planar sheet metal blank into a generally U-shaped clip having an arcuate crown portion and spaced parallel leg portions depending from said crown portion, said clip having opposed side edges, a side slot extending inwardly from each said side edge of said clip and a crown slot extending inwardly from a side edge of said crown portion;
- aligning a plurality of said similarly oriented U-shaped clips such that each said clip is juxtapositioned to a leg portion of an adjacent said clip;
- inserting a plastic rope within said side slots on each said side edge of said clips; and
- deflecting tabs extending from each lateral end of said crown portion of each said clip, said tabs being defined in part by said side slots in said spaced leg portions, and said crown slot, said tabs being deflected after insertion of said rope into said slots so as to retain said rope within said slots.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said deflecting step comprises deflecting said tabs downwardly toward said leg portion of each said clip.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/056,195 filed May 3, 1993 and assigned to the assignee of this invention.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2250375 |
Oct 1972 |
DEX |
2023216A |
Dec 1979 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
56195 |
May 1993 |
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