APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SHOELACE EYELETS WITH A PLASTIC FASTENER

摘要

An apparatus (41) for use in tying together a pair of opposing shoelace eyelets of a shoe upper with a plastic fastener (11) of the type comprising a flexible filament (17) having a cross-bar (13) disposed at one end thereof and a paddle (15) comprising an opening (19-1) disposed at the opposite end thereof. The apparatus (41) includes a hollow slotted needle (67-2) insertable through the pair of opposing shoelace eyelets and the opening (19-1) in the paddle (15), a paddle positioning assembly (55-2) for aligning the opening (19-1) in the paddle (15) with the pair of opposing shoelace eyelets, a cross-bar aligning assembly (69-2) for aligning the cross-bar (13) with the needle (67-2), and a cross-bar dispensing assembly (153-2) for inserting the aligned cross-bar (13) into the needle (67-2) and ejecting the cross-bar (13) first through the needle (67-2) and then through the pair of opposing shoelace eyelets and the opening (19-1) in the paddle (15).