Rebar fasteners dispensing gun and method for its use

Abstract

An auto-feed device and method for serially dispensing and applying plural reinforcement bar (rebar) fasteners features an elongate frame configured to carry plural rebar fasteners, the frame including a race for guiding the fasteners therealong; a feed mechanism coupled with the elongate frame for urging the fasteners toward a distal end of the frame; and a dispensing head adjacent a distal end of the frame, the frame and the dispensing head configured to serially dispense and apply the plural rebar fasteners at corresponding rebar junctions.

1 . A device for serially dispensing and applying plural reinforcement bar (rebar) fasteners, the device comprising: 
 an elongate frame configured to carry plural rebar fasteners, the frame including a race for guiding the fasteners therealong;    a feed mechanism coupled with the elongate frame for urging the fasteners toward a distal end of the frame; and    a dispensing head adjacent a distal end of the frame,    the frame and the dispensing head configured to serially dispense and apply the plural rebar fasteners at corresponding rebar junctions.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the feed mechanism includes an elongate coil spring and a slide member.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the elongate frame is configured adjacent the distal end thereof to curve approximately 90 degrees.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the frame includes an elongate formed channel member including dual opposing races configured to capture for elongate advancement therealong the plural rebar fasteners by engagement with oppositely extending guide pins of the plural rebar fasteners, the elongate formed channel member including an approximately 90 degree curved distal end.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  which further comprises: 
 a loading mechanism coupled with the elongate frame and with the feed mechanism, the loading mechanism including a gate associated with the slide member, the gate being deployable in a first closed position to press against a proximal one of the fasteners to advance the fasteners distally for dispensing and being deployable in a second open position to permit passage of the fasteners therethrough for loading.    
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the gate is hinged to pivot a free end thereof proximally from the second closed position and the first open position.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the loading mechanism further includes a knob for manually sliding the slide member along an elongate rod toward a proximal end of the elongate frame to capture within the channel member in a region thereof distal of the slide member a plurality of interlocked rebar fasteners.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the dispensing head includes an open face oriented outwardly along an axis parallel with a long axis of the elongate frame, the open face including transverse open channels configured to receive therein two lengths of rebar in either parallel or perpendicular relative orientation.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8  which further comprises: 
 one or more handles nearer a proximal end of the elongate frame, the one or more handles configured for manual support of the gun.    
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9  in which there are two or more handles, wherein one of the two or more handles adjacent a proximal end is fixedly positioned and wherein another of the two or more handles is pivotally adjustably positionable inwardly from the proximal end of the frame.  
   
   
       11 . An automatic rebar fastener-dispensing gun comprising: 
 an elongate frame including a magazine and a slide member slidable therealong;    a feed mechanism operatively coupled with the slide member for automatically urging the slide member along the magazine from a proximal end of the frame toward a distal end thereof;    a loading mechanism for introducing into the magazine, in a region thereof distal the slide member, an interlocked plurality of rebar fasteners; and    a dispensing head configured to position and orient successive distal ones of the interlocked plurality of rebar fasteners therein for serially dispensing the same one at a time from the dispensing head.    
   
   
       12 . The gun of  claim 11 , wherein the feed mechanism includes an elongate spring coiled around a rod.  
   
   
       13 . The gun of  claim 12 , wherein the elongate frame including the magazine is configured adjacent the distal end of the magazine to curve approximately 90 degrees.  
   
   
       14 . The gun of  claim 13 , wherein the magazine includes an elongate formed channel member including dual opposing races configured to capture therein oppositely extending guide pins of the plural rebar fasteners, the elongate formed channel member including an approximately 90 degree curved distal end.  
   
   
       15 . The gun of  claim 14 , wherein the slide member includes a pivotable gate deployable in a first closed position to urge the plural rebar fasteners along the magazine toward the distal end thereof and being deployable in a second open position to permit passage of the plural rebar fasteners therethrough during operation of the loading mechanism.  
   
   
       16 . The gun of  claim 15 , wherein the dispensing head includes an open face oriented outwardly along an axis parallel with a long axis of the elongate frame, the open face including transverse open channels configured temporarily to receive therein two lengths of rebar in either parallel or perpendicular orientation relative to one another.  
   
   
       17 . A method of automatically applying rebar fasteners comprising: 
 providing a dispenser including an elongate magazine having plural snap-fit rebar fastener capacity, the dispenser further including a cocking mechanism and a feeding mechanism operatively coupled with the magazine;    activating the cocking mechanism, the activating including: 
 opening the magazine for loading thereof,  
 loading plural snap-fit rebar fasteners into the magazine, and  
 arming the feeding mechanism to urge the plural snap-fit rebar fasteners toward a dispending end of the dispenser;  
   pushing the dispensing end of the dispenser containing an ultimate one of the plural snap-fit rebar fasteners onto a rebar junction to fasten the junction;    pulling the dispensing end of the dispenser from the rebar junction to permit the auto-feeding of a penultimate one of the snap-fit rebar fasteners to automatically feed into the dispensing end of the dispenser via action thereon by the feeding mechanism; and    first repeating the pushing and pulling steps until the plural snap-fit rebar fasteners in the magazine are substantially exhausted.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  which further comprises: 
 second repeating the activating, pushing and pulling and first repeating steps.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the dispenser includes a handle opposite the dispensing end thereof, which further comprises: 
 holding the dispenser by the handle during at least the pushing and pulling and first repeating steps.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the magazine includes an elongate channel member having oppositely inwardly facing races, wherein each one of a train of interlocked adjacent ones of the fasteners includes one or more oppositely outwardly facing guide pins, and wherein the loading step includes sliding each of the one or more guide pins of the fasteners into the corresponding races temporarily to secure the train of fasteners within the magazine.