EP0446055B1 - Apparatus for forming and driving staples - Google Patents

Apparatus for forming and driving staples Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0446055B1
EP0446055B1 EP19910301914 EP91301914A EP0446055B1 EP 0446055 B1 EP0446055 B1 EP 0446055B1 EP 19910301914 EP19910301914 EP 19910301914 EP 91301914 A EP91301914 A EP 91301914A EP 0446055 B1 EP0446055 B1 EP 0446055B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
staple
cartridge
forming block
former
wires
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19910301914
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0446055A1 (en
Inventor
J P M Logtens
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Xerox Corp
Original Assignee
Xerox Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
Publication of EP0446055A1 publication Critical patent/EP0446055A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0446055B1 publication Critical patent/EP0446055B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
    • B27F—DOVETAILED WORK; TENONS; SLOTTING MACHINES FOR WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES
    • B27F7/00—Nailing or stapling; Nailed or stapled work
    • B27F7/17—Stapling machines
    • B27F7/38—Staple feeding devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25C—HAND-HELD NAILING OR STAPLING TOOLS; MANUALLY OPERATED PORTABLE STAPLING TOOLS
    • B25C5/00—Manually operated portable stapling tools; Hand-held power-operated stapling tools; Staple feeding devices therefor
    • B25C5/06—Manually operated portable stapling tools; Hand-held power-operated stapling tools; Staple feeding devices therefor without provision for bending the ends of the staples on to the work
    • B25C5/08—Manually operated portable stapling tools; Hand-held power-operated stapling tools; Staple feeding devices therefor without provision for bending the ends of the staples on to the work with means for forming the staples in the tool
    • B25C5/085—Manually operated portable stapling tools; Hand-held power-operated stapling tools; Staple feeding devices therefor without provision for bending the ends of the staples on to the work with means for forming the staples in the tool starting from performed staples
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25C—HAND-HELD NAILING OR STAPLING TOOLS; MANUALLY OPERATED PORTABLE STAPLING TOOLS
    • B25C5/00—Manually operated portable stapling tools; Hand-held power-operated stapling tools; Staple feeding devices therefor
    • B25C5/16—Staple-feeding devices, e.g. with feeding means, supports for staples or accessories concerning feeding devices
    • B25C5/1686—Staple-feeding devices, e.g. with feeding means, supports for staples or accessories concerning feeding devices using pre-loaded cassettes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus for forming and driving staples, and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with a stapler that is useful for automatic stapling of stacks of paper sheets which are output from a printer or copier such as a xerographic copier.
  • the stapler of the invention is of the kind which forms and drives staples in a single stroke of its operating mechanism, and includes a former for forming staples from pre-cut lengths of staple wires, a forming block around which each staple wire is bent by the former, and a driver for driving each formed staple into a work piece.
  • stapler There are two main types of known stapler in which staples are both formed and driven by the stapler.
  • a first kind lengths of the staple wire are cut as required from a continuous reel of wire by a cutting mechanism within the stapler.
  • This kind of stapler requires wire feeding and cutting devices to be incorporated, thereby increasing its complexity and cost.
  • pre-cut staple wire lengths are supplied in the form of a belt or web, secured side by side in a continuous strip by adhesive, or by being secured to a tape of, for example, a plastics material.
  • An example of such a belt of staple wires, a length of which belt is formed into a coil, is described in US-A-3 335 856.
  • Staplers or tackers using such a coiled belt of staple wires are described in US-A-3 009 156, 3 524 575, 4 542 844, GB-A-2 151 175, and EP-B-0 059 713.
  • the stapler described in US-A-4 623 082 uses a cartridge containing a stack of staple wire sheets which are fed in succession by a sheet feed arrangement through a slot in a bottom end of the cartridge, to bring each staple wire in turn to the stapling head of the stapler.
  • the known staplers like the device disclosed in GB-A-2 151 175, suffer from a variety of disadvantages. They generally include a large number of parts, some of which are rather complex and therefore expensive to produce.
  • Previous attempts to simplify the design have led to the problem that reliability has been sacrificed, and that in the case of staplers for stacks of sheets, there is rather a low limit to the number of paper sheets which can successfully be stapled together.
  • the present invention is intended to provide a less complex and less expensive stapler which will nevertheless accommodate and successfully staple together a thicker stack of sheet than hither to, while at the same time overcoming some of the problems caused by wear of the working parts.
  • a stapler according to the present invention is disclosed in claim 1.
  • the main frame of the stapler consists of two side frame members 11, a front plate 5, a rear plate 6, a bracket 13, and a shaft 12.
  • the front plate 5 has upper and lower side lugs 21 and 22, and the rear plate 6 has corresponding upper and lower side lugs 23 and 24.
  • the front and rear plates are located between side plate members 11 by their side lugs which fit into indents 25 and 26 on the vertical front edges of the side frame members 11.
  • the front and rear plates 5 and 6 are effectively clamped together by transverse end stops 27 formed on the front edges of the side frame members 11.
  • Bracket 13, which is U-shaped, has a vertical arm 28 adjacent each outside face of the side frame members 11, and is shaped to engage corresponding features, as provided for example by end stops 27, of the side frame members 11.
  • the shaft 12 has shouldered ends 29 which fit into holes 30 in the side frame members 11, and are secured there by screws (not shown). Holes 31 in the arms 28 of bracket 13 are slightly larger than holes 30 to allow for any necessary horizontal or vertical adjustment.. The shaft 12 and bracket 13 thus lock the four parts of the main frame together.
  • the front plate 5 has a parallel-sided recess or channel 32 (best seen in figure 6) extending over its full height and which is of suitable depth such that a staple former 4 and a staple driver 3, both of which are substantially flat plates of the same thickness, are a close sliding fit between the channel 32 and the front face of rear plate 6.
  • the former 4 has a parallel sided cut out portion 33, open to the bottom of the former 4, to accommodate the rectangular driver 3.
  • the vertical edges of the driver 3 are a close sliding fit within the cut-out portion 33 of the former 4.
  • the driver 3 and former 4 have holes 34 and 35 respectively near their upper ends, for engagement by pins 37 and 38 of a driving member 7 (see figure 5).
  • Front plate 5 and rear plate 6 have aligned, centrally located vertical slots 39 and 40 respectively to accommodate the pins 37 and 38 when the pins are in engagement with the holes 34 and 35 respectively of the driver 3 and former 4.
  • the driving member 7, as shown in figure 5, has a central boss 41, in which pin 38 is a sliding fit, and two vertical slots 42, one on each side of the boss 41.
  • the pin 38 is carried by a yoke 8, the two arms 43 of which are slideable (horizontally) within slots 42.
  • the yoke 8, and therefore the pin 38 is spring urged towards the front of the stapler by means of a spring 9 which clips around driving member 7 and yoke 8.
  • Driving member 7 is held for vertical sliding movement against the rear surface of rear plate 6 by means of lateral arms 44, the inner portions 45 of which are held for sliding movement between the upper side lugs 23 of rear plate 6 and the front edges of the upper indents 25 of the side frame members 11.
  • the outer portions 46 of lateral arms 44 are used to connect the driving member 7 to a driving mechanism such as a solenoid or an electric motor in the case of an automatic stapler, or to a hand operated plunger for a manually operated stapler Examples of suitable drive mechanisms operated by an electric motor are to be found in US-A-4 623 082 and US-A-4 720 033.
  • Staple wires are introduced into the stapling head (the stapling head comprising the front and rear plates 5 and 6, the driver 3 and the former 4) through a rectangular slot 50 in the lower part of rear plate 6.
  • Staple wires are delivered from a cartridge 1 which has a front portion, or nose, 2 adapted to pass through slot 50 in rear plate 6.
  • the cartridge is supported and properly positioned in the stapler by means of ribs 51, 52 of side frame members 11.
  • the cartridge as best seen in figure 4, includes a container portion 53, for containing a coiled band 54 of staple wires (figure 7), and a feed throat 55.
  • the feed throat 55 is closed above, but partially open below to provide an access opening 56 (figure 3) through which a feed mechanism may contact the lower surface of the staple wire band 54 to urge it towards the stapling head.
  • the feed mechanism comprises an endless belt 14 which is mounted in a belt carrier 15 for rotation around rollers 16 and 17. Rollers 16 and 17, as well as the ends of belt carrier 15, are carried by shafts 19 and 18 respectively which in turn are supported by side frame members 11. Shaft 19, which also carries spacing rollers 20 on either side of roller 16, is driven so as to drive belt 14 slowly but continuously. The forward end of belt 14, as it passes around roller 17, is urged gently upwards into contact with the underside of the staple wire band 54.
  • a releasable spring retainer 10 which is mounted at its forward, looped, ends on the two ends of shaft 18, serves both to releasably retain the cartridge 1 in its operative position and to urge the forward end of belt 14 upwardly into contact with the underside of staple band 54.
  • the rear end of spring retainer 10 clips into notches in the cartridge 1, and generally horizontal portions of the spring retainer extend along the sides of the cartridge, close to ribs 51, the ribs 51 providing reaction surfaces for the spring.
  • the nose 2 of the cartridge is secured to the forward end of the feed throat 55 of the cartridge. Staple wires emerge through slot 60 in nose 2, with the first, or leading staple wire coming to rest (by virtue of it abutting against the rear surface of front plate 5) in the stapling head.
  • a forming block 61 is provided by a forward protrusion just below the slot 60, and a matching upper protrusion 62 is positioned just above the slot 60.
  • the uppermost front edge 63 of the nose 2 is chamfered to provide a camming surface which is engaged by protrusions 64 (figure 6) on the rear surface on the former 4 at an appropriate point in the downward movement of the former, thereby pushing back the cartridge so as to effectively pull the leading staple out of the cartridge.
  • the cartridge 1 is placed between the two side frame members 11 and is pushed towards the front of the stapler until the protrusion 61 and 62 of the nose 2 are touching the rear of the front plate 5 within channel 32.
  • the leading staple wire of the staple wire band 54 should be flush with, or somewhat back from, the nose 2 of the cartridge before the cartridge is inserted into the stapler.
  • the spring wire 10 is clipped into place over the cartridge, and forces the cartridge into the forward position described, and at the same time pushes the drive belt 4 upwards against the underside of the staple belt (figure 7).
  • the driving member 7 With the stapler in its standby position, the driving member 7 is pushed upwards by a spring (not shown) which in turn pushes the driver 3 upwards against the former 4.
  • the former 4 is stopped in the upward direction by a stop 66 (figure 3) on the rear plate 6.
  • the pin 37 of driving member 7 just fits in the hole 34 of driver 3.
  • the pin 38 of yoke 8 on the other hand has some clearance within the hole 35 in the former 4.
  • the driving member 7 When the driving member 7 is coupled with the drive mechanism (not shown) of the drive shaft 19 and this drive shaft starts turning, the following will happen: if the leading staple wire is not flush with the front of nose 2 of the cartridge 1, this leading wire will be transported by the drive belt 14 until it abuts against the surface of channel 32 of front plate 5.
  • the driving member 7 starts moving down and the driver 3 follows immediately, with the former 4 following a very short time later due to the clearance of pin 38 in the hole 35 of the former 4. After a predetermined amount of travel, the former 4 will touch the leading staple wire which is located between the upper part 62 (figure 4) and the forming block 61 of the nose 2 thereby forming the staple around the forming block 61.
  • the protrusions 64 (figure 6) on the former 4 are positioned such that the staple is formed before they hit the chamfered section 63 (figure 4) of the nose 2.
  • the nose 2 (and hence the cartridge) is pushed backwards while the formed staple with the rest of the staple belt stay where they are This gives clearance to the driver 3 to pass the upper part 62 of the nose 2 without touching it Due to the contour of the protrusions 64, and by virtue of openings 65 in the nose 2, the cartridge can move inwards again Just before the driver 3 hits the formed staple. This ensures that at this moment the upper part 62 of the forming block is pushing against the driver 3. This position of the nose 2 is necessary to guarantee a clean cut of the staple wire band by the driver 3 when it moves further down.
  • the bottom edge of the former 4 will at a certain time reach its end position which is close to the paper stack through which the staple is to be driven. At this moment the cam follower surfaces 48 (figure 5) of the yoke 8 are touching the raised cam portions 49 of the rear plate 6, and the yoke 8 is pushed backwards thereby disconnecting the pin 38 from the hole 35 in the former 4. The former thus stops moving.
  • the driving member 7 and yoke 8 move further down together with the driver 3 driving the formed staple into the paper stack.
  • the legs of the former 4, the front plate 5 and the back plate 6 act as a guide for the staple legs during penetration into the paper.
  • the driving member 7 moves upwards together with yoke 8 and driver 3.
  • the former 4 may move with it immediately due to friction between it and the driver, but will be stopped at a certain position by the stop 66 on the rear plate 6 and will wait in this position for engagement by the pin 38 of the yoke 8. If the former 4 does not move immediately upwards during the return stroke of the driving member 7 engagement with the pin 38 will take place more or less at the same position as the disengagement.
  • the nose 2, with the cartridge 1 now moves forwards again under pressure of the spring retainer 10 Just as the former and driver have cleared the area so that the stapler is ready for the next cycle.
  • the stapler of the invention has a number of advantages, as follows. In common with other coiled staple wire band staplers, it provides a continuous supply of staples, without possible difficulties caused by feeding a succession of sheets of staples. Staples are fed primarily by the backward and forward movement of the cartridge. The frictional drive belt beneath the cartridge is only a safely device in case the leading staple wire is not flush with the nose of the forming block at the beginning of a cycle.
  • the former and driver are very simple, flat plate parts which always move in the same plain, which is closely defined by the front and rear plates 5 and 6. The former and driver do not ride over each other at any point during a stapling cycle, as in some of the known staplers, thereby preventing wear on their functional areas.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
EP19910301914 1990-03-07 1991-03-07 Apparatus for forming and driving staples Expired - Lifetime EP0446055B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB909005129A GB9005129D0 (en) 1990-03-07 1990-03-07 Apparatus for forming and driving staples
GB9005129 1990-03-07

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0446055A1 EP0446055A1 (en) 1991-09-11
EP0446055B1 true EP0446055B1 (en) 1994-12-28

Family

ID=10672185

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19910301914 Expired - Lifetime EP0446055B1 (en) 1990-03-07 1991-03-07 Apparatus for forming and driving staples

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0446055B1 (ja)
JP (1) JPH06206179A (ja)
DE (1) DE69106173T2 (ja)
GB (1) GB9005129D0 (ja)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0637487B1 (en) * 1993-08-04 1997-10-29 Max Co., Ltd. Cartridge for electric stapler
JP2560430Y2 (ja) * 1993-08-04 1998-01-21 マックス株式会社 電動ホッチキス
US5580066A (en) * 1994-04-07 1996-12-03 Acco Usa, Inc. Cartridge stapler with jam resistant mechanism
US6547230B2 (en) 2001-03-20 2003-04-15 Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha Stapler with variable staple english
EP2172310B1 (en) * 2003-12-04 2011-05-25 Max Co., Ltd. Stapling apparatus

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1744715A (en) * 1926-10-04 1930-01-28 Morrison Stitcher Corp Stapling machine
US3009156A (en) * 1956-05-18 1961-11-21 Inv S Man Corp Industrial tacker
US3504838A (en) * 1968-04-24 1970-04-07 Werner Schafroth Bottom stapler
GB2151175A (en) * 1983-11-07 1985-07-17 Umberto Monacelli Staple driving apparatus and magazines therefor
DE3851136T2 (de) * 1987-12-28 1994-12-01 Max Co Ltd Elektrischer Heftapparat.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9005129D0 (en) 1990-05-02
EP0446055A1 (en) 1991-09-11
DE69106173T2 (de) 1995-08-03
DE69106173D1 (de) 1995-02-09
JPH06206179A (ja) 1994-07-26

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