Plastic fastener dispensing hand tool having a novel anvil design to reduce needle sticks
An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design and a needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot. The hand tool further has an anvil.
1. A method of transitioning a dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners between a first operating mode and a second operating mode comprising the steps of:
providing a hand tool having a casing with a barrel portion, a
handle portion, and a channel a portion, said casing having a needle assembly opening at a front end of the barrel portion, a hollow needle, a needle assembly, a trigger, a locking switch, and an anvil, said anvil having a front portion and a rear portion;
rotating said front portion of said anvil from a first operating mode position near the front of said barrel portion to a second operating mode position near said channel portion;
depressing a safety button wherein the safety button includes an elongated portion and a safety button face and wherein a first tooth and a second tooth extend from a shelf that projects from the elongated portion;
moving said safety switch to an unlocked position;
actuating said trigger to advance said needle assembly from a first operating mode position at a rear end of said barrel portion to a second operating mode position at the front end of said barrel portion; and
releasing said safety switch to lock said needle assembly in said second operating mode position.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the safety button prevents the needle assembly from moving from a retracted position.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the safety switch protrudes through an opening on an exterior of a barrel portion under a first locking switch face.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated portion is received within a first tunnel.
5. A method for transitioning a dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners between a first operating mode and a second operating mode comprising the steps of:
providing a dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion with a front and rear, a handle portion, and a channel portion, said casing having a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion, a hollow needle, a needle assembly, a trigger, a locking switch, a safety button, and an anvil, said anvil having a front portion and a rear portion;
rotating said front portion of said anvil from a first operating mode position near the front of said barrel portion to a second operating mode position near said channel portion;
depressing said safety button;
moving said safety switch to an unlocked position;
actuating said trigger to advance said needle assembly from a first operating mode position at the rear of said barrel portion to a second operating mode position at the front of said barrel portion; and
releasing said safety switch to lock said needle assembly in said second operating mode position.
6. The method recited in claim 5 , wherein said first operating mode dispenses plastic fasteners to maintain an article of clothing in a folded condition.
7. The method recited in claim 5 , wherein said second operating mode dispenses plastic fasteners to attach labels, price tags, or combinations thereof to an article of clothing.
8. A method for transitioning a dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners between a second operating mode and a first operating mode comprising the steps of:
providing a dual operating mode hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion having a front end and a rear end, a handle portion, and a channel portion, said casing having a needle assembly opening at the front end of the barrel portion, a hollow needle, a needle assembly, a trigger, a locking switch, and an anvil, said anvil having a front portion and a rear portion;
rotating said front portion of said anvil from a second operating mode position near said channel portion to a first operating mode position near the front end of said barrel portion;
moving a safety switch to an unlocked position; and
allowing said needle assembly to retract from a second operating mode position at the front end of said barrel portion to a first operating mode position at the rear end of said barrel portion.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the trigger is pivotally mounted within said casing and extending out from a trigger slot.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the front portion and the rear portion both have a free end and a fixed end wherein the fixed end of the rear portion is attached to the front of the barrel portion.