Method and apparatus for detachment of fasteners

Claim 2

A detachment device for removal of labels held to merchandise by means of a tack-like fastener element whose shank passes through the label and the merchandise and into a thick button element where it is secured, said detachment device comprising a base, a pair of cutter blades mounted above said base with their cutting edges facing each other, a blade actuator mechanism for driving on of the cutter blades toward the other, a thin platelike cover member secured to the base and covering said cutter blades and actuator mechanism and lying immediately adjacent said cutter blades along the plane of their path of relative movement, said cover member being found with an opening to accomodate a thick button element of a label attachment means to be severed, said opening being located at a position such that said cutter blades meet near the center of said opening.

Claim 3

A detachment device according to claim 1 wherein a guide chute is provided below and between said blades to catch objects severed thereby and to direct said objects out from inside said cover.

Claim 4

A detachment device according to claim 2 wherein said guide chute has resiliently moveable walls which widen to accomodate the entire cover opening while said cutter blades are farthest apart, said guide chute walls being deflectable to be closed in by the coming together of said blades.

Claim 5

A detachment device according to claim 1 wherein each blade is beveled by a major amount in the same direction as the other blade to form cutting edges in substantially the same plane, one of said blades having an additional minor bevel in the opposite direction along its cutting edge to offset the plane of its cutting edge a slight but finite amount with respect to the cutting edge of the other blade to permit a slight overlapping of the blade edges without destruction of the sharpness thereof as the blades are brought together.

Claim 6

A detachment device according to claim 1 wherein said cutting edges are formed by a bevel on the edge of said cutter blades, the bevel being in the same direction for each blade so that the resulting cutting edges are formed in substantially the same plane.

Claim 7

A detachment device according to claim 1 wherein the plane of the cutting edge of one blade is offset a small but finite amount with respect to the plane of the cutting edge of the other blade to permit a slight overlapping of the blade edges without destruction of the sharpness thereof as the blades are brought together.

Claim 8

A detachment device for removal of labels held to merchandise by means of a tack-like fastener element whose shank passes through the label and the merchandise and into a thick button element where it is secured, said detachment device comprising a base, a pair of cutter blades mounted above said base with their cutting edges facing each other, means guiding said blades for relative movement toward and away from each other in the plane defined by their cutting edges, means for actuating blade movement, the last mentioned means comprising a toggle link mechanism mounted on said base and connected to one of said cutter blades said toggle link mechanism being arranged on said base to be in fully extended condition when said cutter blade edges have come together.

Claim 9

A detachment device for removal of labels held to merchandise by means of a tack-like fastener element whose shank passes through the label and the merchandise and into a thick button element where it is secured, said detachment device comprising a base, a pair of cutter blades mounted above said base with their cutting edges facing each other, means guiding said blades for relative movement toward and away from each other in the plane defined by their cutting edges, means for actuating blade movement, the last mentioned means comprising a toggle link mechanism mounted on said base and connected to one of said cutter blades said toggle link mechanism being arranged on said base to be in fully extended condition when said cutter blade edges have come together.

Claim 10

A detachment device according to claim 7 wherein said toggle link mechanism comprising a first lever mounted for pivotal movement about a fixed pivot on said base, one end of said lever on one side of said pivot being formed as a handle, a connecting link pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said first lever on the other side of said pivot, the other end of said connecting link being pivotally connected to a guide bar to which is connected said moveable blade and means fixed on said base for guiding said guide bar for reciprocal movement along a line which extends to said fixed pivot.

Claim 11

A detachment device for removal of labels held to merchandise by means of a tack-like fastener element whose shank passes through the label and the merchandise and into a thick button element where it is secured, said detachment device comprising a base, a first cutter blade fixedly mounted on said base to extend thereabove with its cutting edge substantially parallel to the base, a second cutter blade, an actuator mechanism mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to move said second cutter blade back and forth along and above said base so that its cutting edge moves against and away from the cutting edge of the fixed first cutter blade, the cutting edges of the two blades being parallel to each other and lying in a common plane, a thin plate-like cover member also fixedly mounted on said base and covering said cutter blades and lying immediately adjacent said cutter blades along the plane of their path of relative movement, said cover member being formed with an elongated opening, a portion of said opening extending over said fixed cutter blade and traversed by the cutting edge of said fixed cutter blade, the remainder of said opening being sufficiently large to accomodate a button element and located in a position to be cleared by the second cutter blade when moved away from the cutting edge of the first cutter blade.

Claim 12

A detachment device for removal of labels held to merchandise by means of a tack-like fastener element whose shank passes through the label and the merchandise and into a thick button element where it is secured, said detachment device comprising a base, a first cutter blade fixedly mounted on said base to extend thereabove with its cutting edge substantially parallel to the base, a second cutter blade, an actuator mechanism mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to move said second cutter blade back and forth along and above said base so that its cutting edge moves against and away from the cutting edge of the fixed first cutter blade, the cutting edges of the two blades being parallel to each other and lying in a common plane, a thin plate-like cover member also fixedly mounted on said base and covering said cutter blades and lying immediately adjacent said cutter blades along the plane of their path of relative movement, said cover member being formed with an elongated opening, a portion of said opening extending over said fixed cutter blade and traversed by the cutting edge of said fixed cutter blade, the remainder of said opening being sufficiently large to accomodate a button element and located in a position to be cleared by the second cutter blade when moved away from the cutting edge of the first cutter blade.