GB2180485A - Improvements in or relating to a stapling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A stapling machine has a magazine containing staples and a resiliently biassed feeder 13 to bias staples in the magazine towards the ejection slot 7. The feeder has a shank 15 with an enlarged head 16 and the feeder 13 is mounted on the magazine by inserting the head 16 through the wide part 12 of a "T" shaped slot 11 provided in the base 4 of the magazine. After the feeder 13 has been mounted in the magazine an element is so positioned as to prevent the feeder 13 from returning to a position in which the enlarged head 16 of the shank 15 is able to pass through the part 12 of the slot 11. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a stapling machine THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a stapling machine and more particularly relates to a stapling machine of the type that may be used in an office or domestic environment for stapling together sheets of paper.

Typically stapling machines of this type comprise a foot, carrying an anvil, a staple magazine being pivotally mounted to the foot and an operating arm also being pivotally mounted to the foot. The operating arm carries an ejector blade adapted to eject a staple through an ejection slot provided at one end of the magazine, and the arrangement is such that when a staple is ejected through the slot the arms of the staple are deflected by the anvil so that the staple may hold together sheets of paper.

When a staple has been ejected from the stapling machine, the next staple must be brought into alignment with the ejection slot, and thus normally the staple magazine carries a feeder which consists of a spring biassed element engaging one end of a strip of staples present in the magazine to bias the staples to the end of the magazine at which the ejection slot is located.

Typically a prior proposed magazine consists of a substantially "U" shaped channel and the feeder typically consists of an element slidable within the channel. In order to prevent the feeder from becoming inadvertently separated from the channel it has been customary to provide the channel with two elongate slots formed in the side walls of the channel, the feeder having projections adapted to be received within the slots. Thus, during the assembly of the stapling machine the feeder is "sprung" into position within the channel. It has been found that during use of such a stapler the feeder is apt to spring out of the channel, and this can be dangerous.

According to this invention there is provided a stapling machine, since stapling machine comprising a magazine to contain staples and means to eject staples from an ejection slot defined by the magazine, the magazine including a resiliently biassed feeder adapted to bias staples within the magazine towards the ejection slot, the feeder having a shank carrying an enlarged head, the feeder being mounted on the magazine by inserting the enlarged head through an enlarged head of a slot formed in the magazine, the rest of the slot being dimensioned to slidingly receive the shank but to prevent movement of the enlarged head of the shank therethrough.

Preferably the arrangement is such that after the feeder has been mounted in the magazine, during the subsequent fabrication of the stapling machine an element is located in position which prevents the feeder from returning to a position in which the enlarged head of the shank is able to pass through the enlarged head of the slot formed in the magazine.

Conveniently the element that is subsequently located in position is a pivot pin by means of which the magazine is pivotally mounted in position.

Advantageously the elongate slot with the enlarged head is formed in the base of a channel that defines the staple magazine.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a magazine for use in a stapling machine in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a feeder for use with magazine shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an end view of the feeder shown in Figure 3.

Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings a magazine for use in a stapling machine in accordance with the present invention consists of an elongate substantially "U" sectioned channel member 1 having two upstanding side walls 2, 3 and a substantially flat intermediate base 4. At one end of the magazine extended portions of the side walls 2, 3 are bent inwardly 5, 6 adjacent but slightly spaced from the end of the base portion 4 of the channel thus defining a staple ejection slot 7. At the other end of the magazine two apertured lugs 8, 9 defining coaligned apertures 10 are provided which extend beyond the other end of the base 4 of the channel, the apertures 10 and the lugs 8, 9 being adapted to accommodate a pivot pin by means of which the magazine can be pivotally mounted in position.As thus far described the magazine is substantially conven tonal.

It can be seen that the base of the channel is provided with an elongate slot 11 formed therein, the slot 11 terminating with an enlarged head portion 12 at the end thereof adjacent the lugs 8, 9. Thus, the slot is of "T" configuration.

The feeder 13, to be utilised in conjunction with the magazine 1 is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. It can be seen that the feeder is dimensioned to slide within the channel 1, but is provided with a depending portion 14 consisting of a shank 15 and an enlarged transverse head 16. The dimensioning of these components is such that if the feeder is inserted into the channel at the appropriate position the enlarged head 16 of the shank 15 can be inserted through the enlarged head 12 of the slot 11 and then if the feeder is moved axially of the channel the shank 15 will be slidingly accommodated within the slot 11, whilst the enlarged head 16 is located underneath the base 4 of the channel that constitutes the magazine 1. Thus the feeder may slide axially of the channel but cannot be removed from the channel unless the feeder is returned to its initial position.

It will be understood that once the feeder has been inserted in the channel the feeder may be associated with an appropriate resilient element so that the feeder biases staples within the magazine towards the ejection slot 7. However, after the feeder has been inserted in the channel the channel will be pivotally mounted on a foot, in a conventional manner, with a pivot rod passing through the aligned apertures 10 in the lugs 8, 9. The feeder is so designed that when the pivot rod has been inserted in position the feeder cannot be slid along the channel back to the position in which the enlarged head 16 of the shank 15 is aligned with the enlarged head 12 of the slot 11, sicne before this position is reached part of the feeder comes into contact with the pivot rod. Thus the feeder cannot be readily disengaged from thc slot.

Since the remaining features of a stapling machine in accordance with the invention may be purely conventional, for the sake of simplicity they will not be described at this stage.

It will thus be appreciated that in the present invention a feeder may easily be mounted in position without the necessity for "springing" any part of the magazine and, when the stapling machine has been fully assembled, the feeder cannot be removed from the magazine. Also it will be appreciated that the feeder cannot spring out of channel, as in the case of the prior art stapling machines.

Thus it is envisaged that the typical manufacturing costs of a stapling machine may be reduced.

Claims (6)

1. A stapling machine, since stapling machine comprising a magazine to contain staples and means to eject staples from an ejection slot defined by the magazine, the magazine including a resiliently biassed feeder adapted to bias staples within the magazine towards the ejection slot, the feeder having a shank carrying an enlarged head, the feeder being mounted on the magazine by inserting the enlarged head through an enlarged head of a slot formed in the magazine, the rest of the slot being dimensioned to slidingly receive the shank but to prevent movement of the enlarged head of the shank therethrough.

2. A stapling machine according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement is such that after the feeder has been mounted in the magazine, during the subsequent fabrication of the stapling machine an element is located in position which prevents the feeder from returning to a position in which the enlarged head of the shank is able to pass through the enlarged head of the slot formed in the magazine.

3. A stapling machine according to claim 2, wherein the element that is subsequently located in position is a pivot pin by means of which the magazine is pivotally mounted in position.

4. A stapling machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elongate slot with the enlarged head is formed in the base of a channel that defines the staple magazine.

5. A stapling machine substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

6. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.