ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,623,275, issued on May 12, was assigned to BOLLHOFF VERBINDUNGSTECHNIK GMBH (Bielefeld, Germany).

"Supply device for joining elements, setting tool with the supply device and associated supply and setting method" was invented by Fabian Ahlemeyer (Gutersloh, Germany), Bernd Haesler (Halle, Germany), Kilian Doedtmann (Bramsche, Germany), Benjamin Roeschert (Schlangen, Germany) and Oliver Schienstock (Delbruck, Germany).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A supply device for joining elements. The supply device includes a receiving portion for at least one joining element, in which a joining element is receivable and positionable in front of a firs...