GB2255038A

GB2255038A - Staple remover

Info

Publication number: GB2255038A
Application number: GB9108939A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Geoffrey Alan Morrish; John Calvert
Original assignee: MORRISH PRISCILLA DOROTHY
Current assignee: MORRISH PRISCILLA DOROTHY
Priority date: 1991-04-26
Filing date: 1991-04-26
Publication date: 1992-10-28
Also published as: GB9108939D0

Abstract

A staple remover includes an integrally moulded polycarbonate or acetal plastics spring 10 having a pair of limbs 14 which are joined at one end 12 and which carry at their other ends a pair of staple extracting jaws 26, 28 formed with channel section extensions. Base 12 urges limbs 14 to part the jaws, and finger pressure causes interengagement of the jaws for conventional staple removal. Lugs formed on the channel extensions engage under lugs moulded on limbs 14, and hooks moulded on the limbs engage by snap action behind ledges on the channel extensions, thereby interlocking jaws 26, 28 with limbs 14. Base 12 is of like width as the limbs but thinner along its outer edges and thinner still along part of its width, whereby the limbs are rigid, the base is resilient and fine adjustment of the resilience is made possible during design. Limbs 14 are rectilinear and splayed apart in the normal shape of spring 10, additionally enabling simplicity of moulding and appearance, with outer flats having intelligence moulded thereon and with finger grips. <IMAGE>

Description

STAPLE REMOVER This invention relates to staple removers such as are used, primarily in offices, to remove small metal staples by which sheets of paper have been fastened together.

Such staple removers have a pair of staple extracting jaws in juxtaposition which, when brought together, engage under a staple at two spaced locations near the ends of the staple, and when urged further together to interengage, prise the staple away from the paper, unfolding the legs of the staple as they do so.

Essentially they have jaws formed from channel section sheet steel, the width of one channel being slightly smaller than that of the other so that the jaws of one can interengage by sliding with clearance in and out of the jaws of the other. The jaws are permanently urged by spring action away from each other and can be brought into interengagement by finger pressure. Such staple removers are so well known that detailed description of their operation is not necessary.

An object of the invention (not necessarily achieved in all its forms) is to provide a staple remover which has very few components, is cheap and easy to manufacture, attractive in appearance and can readily have information applied to it by printing or otherwise.

A staple remover according to the invention includes a plastics spring having a pair of limbs joined by a base portion at or near the top ends of the limbs and a pair of staple extracting jaws carried in juxtaposition by the limbs at or near the lower ends of the limbs, the base portion of the spring being of appropriate resilience to urge the limbs to part the jaws, and the arrangement being such that finger pressure on the limbs causes the jaws to interengage for staple removal. Preferably the spring is a monolithic plastics moulding and then the staple remover can be made from a mere three components.

Preferably, the jaws are carried by the limbs by way of snap action fastening means. Desirably, the jaws are formed with channel section extensions having longitudinally spaced apart fastening elements co-operating with correspondingly spaced fastening elements on the limbs of the spring to interlock therewith. Preferably only one interlock with each limb is by snap action. Desirably the snap action interlock is by way of a detent integrally moulded with the spring and locking by snap action behind a ledge formed in the channel section of the jaw. Desirably also, the other interlock is by way of a lug on the spring or on the jaws locking with a holding means on the other of them (which may also take the form of a lug).Preferably the detent and ledge are near the bottom of the limbs, and the lug and holding means at or near the upper ends of the jaw extensions, the arrangement being such that the lugs can be locked by sliding the jaw extensions along the limbs and the detent and ledge then engaged by snap action to complete the assembly.

Preferably finger depressions or finger holes are integrally moulded in the spring, for easy application of finger pressure to the limbs in use of the device.

Preferably the limbs are rectilinear; and they may be formed with outer flats (i.e. plane areas) suitable to receive e.g. printed matter or labels or engraving, and the limbs may carry e.g. advertising matter such as a company logo or emblem, integrally moulded.

The spring is preferably moulded from polycarbonate for ease of application of printed material to its flats but may be moulded from any other suitable plastics material, e.g. acetal, having appropriate resilience. The base portion of the spring is preferably of like width as the limbs, but at least along part of its width of reduced thickness, whereby the limbs are relatively rigid but the base is resilient. Preferably the base is of different thicknesses along its width, with the outer edges thinner than the limbs and an intermediate section thinner still; this enables fine adjustment of the degree of resilience in course of design.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figs. la and ib are an elevation and side view of a spring forming part of a staple remover embodying the invention; Figs. 2a and 2b show the staple remover in elevation and bottom view; Figs. 3a and 3b show one of the jaws in end view and elevation, to an enlarged scale; Figs. 4a and 4b are part sectional views corresponding to the views of Figs. la and ib showing aspects of the spring on a much enlarged scale; and, Fig. 5 is a scrap view of the detent near the lower end of the spring.

Turning to the drawings, a staple remover has a spring generally designated 10, being a monolithic polycarbonate moulding and comprising a base portion 12 and a pair of rectilinear limbs 14 depending from the base portion. The parts of the spring are of like width (as shown at 16 in Figs. ib and 4b) but the base 12 is of reduced thickness (as indicated at 18 in Figs. la and 4a) as compared to that of the limbs 14 and thinner still along the central part of its width (see Fig. 4a at 20).

In the result, the limbs are rigid and the base resiliently flexible, the extent of the width of the thinnest portion enabling fineadjustment of the degree of resilience during development of the device. Flats 22 on the plane outer surfaces of the limbs bear advertising material (not shown) applied in any desired manner, making the device eminently suitable for use as an advertising gift if desired. Holes 24 in the limbs act as finger grips (see Figs. Ib and 4a).

A pair of confronting staple extracting jaws 26,28 of steel channel section are carried in juxtaposition within corresponding recesses 30 in the limbs 14 as shown, with narrow jaw 26 sliding with clearance within wider jaw 28 (Fig. 2b). The jaws have their working portions 32 adjoining the lower ends of the limbs and have extensions 34 extending towards the base 12 of the spring.

Each jaw, at the upper end of its web 36, has an upwardly extending lug 38 slanted outwardly (Figs. 3a and 3b), and each limb has a corresponding integrally moulded lug 40 (Figs. 4a and 4b) extending downwardly and slanted inwardly. The lugs on the limbs interlock with those on the jaws, when the jaw extensions 34 are slid upwardly within the recesses 30. Also moulded integrally with the limbs near their lower ends are inwardly extending detents in the form of hooks 42 (see particularly Fig. 5), and the jaws have slots 44 in their webs 36 near their lower ends providing ledges 46 for snap action engagement by the hooks 42. The longitudinal spacing and disposition of the lugs, hooks and ledges, and their dimensions, and the resilience of the hooks are such that when the lugs are interlocked, the hooks can flex when the webs of the jaws are pressed against the limbs during assembly, for the hooks to latch behind the ledges, fastening the jaws to the limbs. It will be appreciated that the channels 30 in the limbs are of different widths, the one corresponding to narrow jaw 26 and the other to wider jaw 28.

In use, finger pressure applied at finger holes 24 flexes base 12 of spring 10, causing lower ends of limbs 14 to approach, and staple engaging parts 48 of staple extracting jaws 26,28 to be brought together to engage under a staple. Upon further bringing together of the limbs, the jaws interengage, one sliding into the other, curved lifting edges 50 of the jaws prising the staple away from the paper, unfolding the legs of the staple, in well known manner. When the limbs are fully pressed together, abutment edges 52 of wider jaw 28 abut against the opposite limb: in this position the points 54 of the staple engaging parts are held clear of any opposite surfaces, protecting the points however great the closing pressure; and in this position the spring is U-shaped.Upon release of finger pressure, the return action of the spring parts the jaws and releases the staple: in this position the spring reverts to its normal shape of a U with splayed sides or a V with curved base as in Fig. la; the return action of the spring is strong enough to separate the jaws even with slight jamming of the staple.

The staple remover described above is extremely simple and lends itself to inexpensive mass production, consisting of but three components readily assembled by snapping the jaws into position within the recesses of the spring. Moreover the device is of neat appearance and readily carries advertising material. This contrasts markedly with well known staple removers having metal limbs hinged by rivets, urged apart by a compression spring and fitted with separate protruding plastics finger pads, such staple removers consisting of at least six components, requiring complex assembly work and ungainly in appearance (albeit both useful and effective).

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the staple remover described above without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the limbs of the spring could be flexible like the base, rigidity being imparted to them by the jaw extensions, but of course having the important feature that the limbs are spaced apart and the space between them is bridged by a plastics spring).

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A staple remover including a plastics spring having a pair of limbs joined by a base portion at or near the top ends of the limbs and a pair of staple extracting jaws carried in juxtaposition by the limbs at or near the lower ends of the limbs, the base portion of the spring being of appropriate resilience to urge the limbs to part the jaws, and the arrangement being such that finger pressure on the limbs causes the jaws to interengage for staple removal.

2. A staple remover according to claim 1 wherein the spring is a monolithic plastics moulding.

3. A staple remover according to claim 2 made from a mere three components.

4. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the jaws are carried by the limbs by way of snap action fastening means.

5. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the jaws are formed with channel section extensions having longftudinally spaced apart fastening elements co-operating with correspondingly spaced fastening elements on the limbs of the spring to interlock therewith.

6. A staple remover according to claim 5 in combination with claim 4 wherein only one interlock with each limb is by snap action.

7. A staple remover according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the interlock is by way of a detent and a ledge, one of which is integrally moulded with the spring and the other of which is formed with the channel section of the jaw, the detent locking by snap action behind the ledge.

8. A staple remover according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the other interlock is by way of a lug on the spring or on the jaws locking with a holding means on the other of them (which may also take the form of a lug).

q, A staple remover according to claim 8 wherein the detent and ledge are near the bottom of the limbs, and the lug and holding means at or near the upper ends of the jaw extensions, the arrangement being such that the lugs can be locked by sliding the jaw extensions along the limbs and the detent and ledge then engaged by snap action to complete the assembly.

10. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims having finger depressions or finger holes integrally formed in the spring, for easy application of finger pressure to the limbs in use of the device.

11. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the limbs are rectilinear.

12. A staple remover according to claim 11 wherein the limbs are formed with outer flats (i.e. plane areas) suitable to receive e.g. printed matter or labels or engraving.

13. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the limbs are formed with outer areas carrying integrally moulded intelligence (e.g.

advertising matter such as a company logo or emblem).

14. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spring is moulded from polycarbonate.

15. A staple remover according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the spring is moulded from acetal.

16. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base portion of the spring is of like width as the limbs.

17. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base portion of the spring, along at least part of its width, is of reduced thickness as compared to the thickness of the limbs, whereby the limbs are relatively rigid but the base is resilient.

18. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base portion of the spring is of different thicknesses along its width, with an intermediate section thinner than its outer edges.

19. A staple remover according to claim 18 wherein the outer edges of the base portioof the spring are thinner than the limbs.

20. A staple remover according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the limbs of the plastics spring in its normal position (free from finger pressure) diverge in the manner of a U with splayed sides or a V with a curved base.

21. A staple remover according to claim 20 in combination with any one of claims 16 to 19,enabling simplicity of moulding and of appearance.

22. A staple remover substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A staple remover substantially as shown in and described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.