Patent attributes
A reinforcing ring loading and confining apparatus is provide for a hole punching and sheet material reinforcing device and includes a reinforcer loader receptacle that accommodates a plurality of annular reinforcing rings. The reinforcer loader has a body portion with a floor and a cylindrical reinforcer guide, open at the top and bottom, projecting up from the floor. A removable bottom panel is mounted to the body portion beneath the floor in alignment with the cylindrical guide. The reinforcer loader is inserted into the reinforcer loader receptacle support so that the loaded stack of reinforcing rings are positioned upon the removable bottom panel directly beneath the punching ram. The punching ram is forced downwardly through the stack of reinforcing rings and has an enlarged punching tip that passes through the central apertures in the reinforcing rings. When retracted, the punching tip lifts the stack of reinforcing rings back upwardly, thereby transferring them onto the punching ram shank. The stack of reinforcing rings is thereby loaded. The removable bottom panel is removed and the reinforcing rings are thereafter applied to a sheet of material while concurrently punching holes in the sheet of material.
