Automatic tag attaching apparatus

Abstract

A conventional fastener attacher is vertically mounted to a support in a fixed position relative thereto in a manner which permits pneumatic actuation thereof. A carriage, which is movable along an upstanding guide mounted on the support, has mounted thereon a pneumatically actuated tag feed mechanism. When actuated, the mechanism feeds a tag from a position out of alignment with the axis of the needle of the attacher to a position in alignment with the axis of the needle. Thereafter, the carriage is moved toward the attacher, in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the needle, to place the fed tag on the needle. In one embodiment, a second carriage, movable along a second upstanding guide, carries a hook feed mechanism which, when actuated, feeds a hook to a position spaced from, but in alignment with the needle. The article to which the tag and hook are to be attached is held between the needle and the hook. The second carriage is actuated to place the hook and, thus, the article on the needle and the attacher is then actuated to dispense a fastener to attach the tag and hook to opposite sides of the article. In a second embodiment, the second carriage has a second tag feeder mounted thereon instead of the hook feeder. The second tag is positioned on the needle prior to actuation of the attacher, such that multiple tags may be attached to the article in a single automatic operation.