Claims
- 1. For use in a clip clamping machine having an inlet and an outlet end, having an elongate magazine in line with said outlet end and being adapted to be positioned perpendicular to a furniture rail, an elongate string of sheet metal anchor clips including a series of separate, identical anchor clips assembled end-to-end in a line for being fed through the magazine of the clip clamping machine in a direction perpendicular to a furniture rail to which each clip is affixed, each clip including a flat base portion, an hook shaped end portion, a downward leg and a junction between said base portion and said downward leg defining a corner, a non-metallic liner positioned in each said hook shaped end portion, and a separate, elongate, strip of flexible material, not forming any part of said liner, fixed to each one of said clips to hold said string of clips together in an end-to-end string of clips, whereby a plurality of clip clamping machines can be arranged perpendicular to the furniture rail so that a plurality of clips can be discharged in line with each clip clamping machine and fixed at about the same time to the rail thereby to decrease substantially the time required for fixing clips to the rail.
- 2. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said strip is a flexible, non-metal strip.
- 3. The string of anchor clips of claim 2 wherein said strip has an adhesive material on one side thereof.
- 4. The string of anchor clips of claim 3 wherein said adhesive is a cold tacky adhesive.
- 5. The string of anchor clips of claim 3 wherein said adhesive is a hot melt, thermoplastic adhesive.
- 6. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is affixed to said corner of each clip between said flat base portion and said downturned leg of each clip.
- 7. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is affixed to the outer surface of said downturned leg of each clip.
- 8. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said downturned leg has a tab punched therefrom, said tab extending outwardly from the outer surface of the downturned leg and said strip of flexible material being positioned adjacent said tab and said tab being crimped over said strip to secure said strip to each said clip.
- 9. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said flat base portion has a tab punched therefrom, said tab extending outwardly from the outer surface of the downturned leg and said strip of flexible material being positioned adjacent said tab and said tab being crimped over said strip to secure said strip to said clip.
- 10. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said corner has at least one slot therein extending across said corner, and said flexible strip comprises a flexible elongate member which is received in said slot and crimped therein to hold said clips together in an end-to-end string of clips.
- 11. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is affixed to the outer surface of said flat base portion of each clip.
- 12. The string of anchor clips of claim 1, which are used to attach sinuous springs to furniture rails and which are fed to the rails in a direction perpendicular to the rails, wherein said non-metallic liner is inserted into each hook shaped end portion from a side of said clip parallel to a center axis of a bight portion of said hook shaped end portion and fixed in said hook shaped end portion whereby said liner can have a small overlap over each side of said hook shaped end portion so that said liner and said overlap can prevent metal-to-metal contact between said anchor clip and a section of the sinuous spring received in said hook shaped end portion.
- 13. The string of anchor clips of claim 12 wherein said liner is attached to said anchor clip with one or more tabs formed from and integral with said clip.
- 14. The string of anchor clips of claim 1 wherein said downturned leg has at least one prong extending therefrom and each anchor clip is an upholstery spring anchoring clip of the type which is designed for positioning of said flat base portion on the top surface of a wooden furniture rail and for positioning of said downturned leg in face-to-face engagement with an outer side surface of the rail for being struck or pounded to pound said at least one prong extending from said downturned leg into the outer side surface of the rail.
- 15. The string of anchor clips of claim 14 wherein said hook shaped end portion of each anchor clip is fitted with a plastic liner, longer than the hook shaped end portion, in a bight portion of said hook shaped end portion, with said liner overlapping each side of said hook shaped end portion, said liner receiving an end section of a sinuous shaped cushion-supporting spring and said liner preventing metal-to-metal contact between said anchor clip and the end section of the sinuous spring.
- 16. The string of anchor clips of claim 15 including at least two tabs, each tab extending outwardly from said clip at each edge of said bight portion and said plastic liner being received between said at least two tabs, located, respectively, on each side of said bight portion, with each tab being folded over an adjacent edge of said plastic liner and against a margin of said liner to hold said liner in place.
- 17. The anchor clip of claim 16 wherein said tabs are punched from an area in said clip which will underline said plastic liner so that when said tabs are folded over a margin of said liner and pushed against said liner, plastic material on the underside of said liner will be urged into the hole from which said tab is punched to fix said liner in place in the bight portion of said hook shaped end portion.
- 18. A clip clamping machine having an inlet end and an outlet end, having an elongate magazine in line with said outlet end, having a hammer or striker for pounding a clip at the outlet end into a furniture rail and being adapted to be positioned perpendicular to a furniture rail and an elongate string of sheet metal anchor clips including a series of separate, identical anchor clips assembled end-to-end in a line for being fed through said magazine of said clip clamping machine in a direction perpendicular to a furniture rail to which each clip is affixed, each clip including a flat base portion, an hook shaped end portion, a non-metallic liner positioned in each hook shaped end portion, and a separate, elongate, strip of flexible material, not forming any part of said liner, fixed to each one of said clips to hold said string of clips together in an end-to-end string of clips, whereby a plurality of said clip clamping machines can be arranged perpendicular to a furniture rail so that a plurality of said clips can be discharged in line with each clip clamping machine and fixed at approximately the same time to the rail thereby to decrease substantially the time required for fixing a plurality of clips to the rail.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/649,812 filed on May 17, 1996, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (23)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2023216 |
Dec 1979 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
649812 |
May 1996 |
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