Retaining ring dispensing and applying means

Claim 1

A POWER-OPERATED COMBINATION DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR FOR SPLIT-EXTERNAL RETAINING RINGS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, STACKROD SUPPORTING MEANS, A STACKROD AFFIXED TO SAID MEANS INCLUDING RING-ORIENTING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A PLURALITY OF THE RETAINING RINGS TO BE DISPENSED IN ACCURATELY ORIENTED AND COLUMN-FORMING RELATIONSHIP, A RECIPROCABLE SLIDE DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE STACKROD AND HAVING A RING-RECEIVING OPENING FOR THE ENDMOST RING OF THE COLUMN WHICH IN THE REST POSITION OF THE SLIDE IS ALIGNED WITH THE STOCKROD THEREBY TO RECEIVE THE LOWERMOST RING OF THE COLUMN, A SUPPORTING TABLE FOR THE SLIDE HAVING A RING DROP-THROUGH OPENING THEREIN WHICH IS OFFSET LATERALLY FROM THE STACKROD AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT THE TABLE SURFACE EXTENDING ABOUT SAID OPENING AND WHICH IS EXPOSED BY THE SLIDE OPENING NORMALLY SUPPORTS THE ENDMOST RING AND THEREBY ALL RINGS OF THE COLUMN ABOVE SAME, A RING-SPREADING MANDREL OPERATIVE TO SPREAD A RING RECEIVED THEREON TO A DIAMETER SUCH THAT IT MAY BE SHIFTED OVER THE END OF A GROOVED SHAFT FOR ASSEMBLY THERETO IN RESPONSE TO SAID RING BEING MOVED AXIALLY ALONG THE MANDREL, CHUTE MEANS OPERATIVELY RELATED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING TABLE AND SAID MANDREL FOR CONVEYING A RING DROPPING THROUGH SAID DROP-THROUGH OPENING TO SAID MANDREL, AND POWER-OPERATED MEANS FOR EFFECTING POSITIVE CONTROLLED MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE TO AND FROM A POSITION IN WHICH IT DISPOSES ITS OPENING DIRECTLY OVER SAID DROP-THROUGH OPENING.