US2431922A - Staple remover - Google Patents

Description

F. R. cum-15s STAPLE REIOVER Dec. 2, 1947.

Filed June 19, 1944 l/ a p a Patented Dec. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAPLE REMOVER Frank B. Curtiss, New Haven, Conn.

Application June '19, 1944, Serial No. 541,109

7 Claims.

This invention relates tto-new and useful improvements in staple removersrand has pa l relation to a hand device for use in removing staples from papers, drawing boards, packing cases, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a manually operable device of the character indicated which .may easily and conveniently be used for the removal of clinched or unclinched staples without causing tearing or mutilation of the paper orthe like to or throu-gh which the staple may have been applied.

Another object is to provide a staple remover adapted, without adjustment or modification, for the removal of staples of various sizes, i. e., staples of various crown widths.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it :is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the staple remover of the invention when not in use;

Fig. 2 is .an elevational view looking into the open side of one arm of the device;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of the other arm of the device;

.Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken as along the line 4-.4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the device, the view suggesting a manner of use;

.Fig. 6 is .a transverse sectional view taken as along :the plane of the line 6-5 of Fig. 5 but showing the parts .a step further along in the removal of astaple; and

Fig. 7 is :a. view similar 'to'Fig. 4 but showing a modification.

Referring in :detailto the drawing my improved staple remover is shown as including a pair of arms designated, respectively, a first arm ill and a second arm 2| I. These arms .are of channel construction .or U-shaped in transverse section whereby arm 10 includes side walls 12 and i3 spaced apart a distance .such that arm 'I I, which includes side walls [4 and 1:5,, may enter between them.

:The outer n1- :npner end portion of arm H is received between the sidewalls of the outer or upper end portion of the arm 11) and a rivet or similar means 16 serves to connect the armsior pivotal movements of their inner end portions toward and from one another. About pivot L6 is a coil spring In! having its free end portions 18 and i9 against the inner sides of the connecting or back wall portions of the arms In and H, respectively, whereby to constantly urge the arms in directions to carry their inner end portions away from .oneanother.

,At their inner ends each side wall of .arm H is provided with .a notch 20 opening through its edge toward the arm IB. These notches are in such relation to the inner end of arm II that their lower or inner edges are ofa thickness less than the radius of a staple crown to be removed whereby during use of the device the inner ends oithe arm i I will catch under a staple crown and not ride up over it. Further, during use of the device the upper sides .or edges :of the notches 2B are against the upper side of the crown of the staple being removed and thus, engaging .said crown at spaced points, prevent it bulging upwardly.

A pair of flanges 12.! and .22 are :formed at the inner ends of arm [0 and these flanges extend forwardly of said arm and also laterally outwardly from its respective side walls l2 and t3. The forwardly projecting portions of the flanges 2| :and 22 are spaced'apart a distance such that their inner edges 23 are at least substantially flush with the inner surfaces of the walls 12 and L3 providing a passage 24 of a width to receive the lower or inner end portion of arm H when the two arms I10 .and II are forced toward one another.

Flanges '21 and 22 are substantially pointed at their forward ends since they are cut away at their under sides toward such ends as at 25 (Fig. 1) and their outer edges diverge from their forward ends. Thus the over-all distance between the outer edges of the two flanges increases as we move back from their forward or pointed ends.

These forward ends of the flanges are to be introduced under the crown of a staple to be removed and thus at their points or 'free ends are made of a thicknessless than the radius of the wire of the staple to he removed so as to enter under the crown of the staple and not ride over it.

As seen in Fig. 4 the outer edges of the flanges are curved so that such edges diverge on curved or arcuate lines while in the modification of Fig. '2 the outer edges of the corresponding : flanges 21a and 22a diverge in straight lines. Except for this slight modification the device of Fig. 7

is the same as that of the other figures and its 3 parts have been given the same reference characters as the corresponding parts in such other figures.

The forwardly and laterally extending flanges 2| and 22 (and also flanges 2 la and 22a) are longitudinally curved or arcuate as are the inner end portions of the side walls of the arm II. This curvature, as suggested by the broken line A in Fig. l is on a radius having the pivot I6 as its center or axis. This structure makes it easier to pick up the crown of a driven staple with the notches 20 and the substantially pointed ends of the flanges when such staple is to be removed from an object.

When using the device the pointed ends of the flanges 2| and 22 may be inserted under the crown of the staple to be removed and then when the arm II is swung toward the arm ID the notches 20 of the arm I I will be brought into engagement with the staple crown. Since the lower sides of the notches are thin, as above set forth, they will engage under the center line of the staple crown or below the widest part thereof and firmly grasp the staple crown and not ride up over it as they likely would if the said arm portions were so thick as to engage above the center line of the staple crown.

With the staple crown engaged as described the arms I and I I are forced or squeezed toward one another. Before any rear pressure is applied the flanges 2| and 22 will have entered under the staple crown a distance depending on the width of such crown and the outer edges of the flanges will be in engagement with the inner sides of the staple legs immediately adjacent the crown as suggested by the staple legs 26 in Fig. 4. Now as the pressure is applied there is a tendency to force the flanges further under the crown of the staple and to force the crown toward the arm I0 as suggested in connection with the staple 21 in Fig. 6.

The result is that the staple crown is distorted and that the legs of the staple are dragged up over the outer edges of the flanges 2| and 22 and this results in or from a partial straightening of the legs. Their clinched under portions are prevented from tearing upwardly through the paper since the undersides of the flanges are against th top side of the paper and over the clinched portions of the staple legs. Thus as the crown of the staple is dragged back over the flanges and the latter further enter under the staple crown the legs of the staple while being pulled over the outer edges of the flanges are somewhat spread.

Since the laterally extending flanges are of increasing width beginning at their forward ends they cannot simply pass under the staple crown but must engage the legs of the staple and the relative positions of the parts may be changed as from the full line position of staple legs 26 of Fig. 4 to the dotted line positions of such legs in said figure. It is pointed out that since the flanges increase in over-all width as described and shown the device of the invention is adapted for the removal of staples of various sizes. No adjustments of the device are necessary for this purpose since the forward ends of the flanges merely enter freely under the staple crown a distance depending on the staple size, that is, the Width of the staple crown.

Clearly instead of engaging the flanges under the staple crown as above described and then bringing the arm II into play the operator may position the arm II to have its notches receiving the staple crown, as in Fig. 5, and then may swing the arm I0 toward the arm I I and the forward ends of the flanges will enter under the staple crown. The subsequent action will be as above described. It is noted that the arm II engages the staple crown at a pair of spaced points so that the device is not likely to twist in the operator's hand as pressure is applied in removing a staple. Since the upper edges of the notches 20 engage the staple crown the latter is prevented from merely yielding or bulging upwardly when the withdrawing or removal pressure is applied to it.

To provide for better gripping of the device each of the arms In and I I is provided with a pair of laterally extending wings 28. These wings are formed by lancing portions from the side walls of the arm approximately midway the ends of the latter and pressing such lanced portions outwardly to extend at or substantially at right angles to said side walls of the arms. The lancing is such as to leave portions of the side walls to connect the wings with the back portions of the arms whereby to not unduly weaken the arms. Preferably the lancing is done at an angle other than normal to the inner edges of the arms whereby the wings 28 extend in a sort of flare and impart a modern appearance to the device. These wings broaden the area which may be pressed when forcing the arms toward one another during removal of a staple.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movements of their inner end portions toward and from one another, a pair of flanges on the inner end of the first arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof, said flanges spaced apart laterally a distance to permit of reception of the inner end portion of the second arm between them, said flanges substantially pointed at their forward ends for insertion under the crown of a staple and rearwardly of said ends gradually increasing in over-all width in directions laterally of the first arm, said second arm toward its inner end substantially U-shaped in transverse section to engage at two points the crown of a staple under which the forward ends of said flanges are inserted to cause the legs of the staple to be spread across the outer edges of said flanges and the staple to be removed on relative movements of said arms in directions toward one another, and said second arm having a notch in each of its staple crown engaging portions to receive the crown of the staple and prevent the same bulging upwardly during the described relative movements of said arms.

2. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement of their inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm at its inner end including laterally spaced walls each having a notch adapted to-receive a portion of a staple crown, flanges on the inner end of the first arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof and of gradually increasing overall width laterally from their forward ends, said flanges adapted to have their forward ends inserted under the crown of a staple, and said device on relative movements of said arms toward one another adapted to then spread the legs of a staple over said flanges and withdraw the staple from an object.

3. In a staple remover, a pair of pivotally connected arms, spring means normally tending to rock said arms to carry their inner ends away from one another, one of said arms transversely U-shaped in its portion toward its inner end, said arms of such relative sizes that the other arm may move inwardly between the walls of said U-shaped portion, said other arm notched toward its inner end to receive a portion of the crown of a staple, a laterally and forwardly extending flange on the inner end of each wall of said transversely U-shaped portion of said one of said arms, said flanges substantially pointed at their forward ends to enter under the crown of a driven staple, said flanges having their inner edges spaced apart at least the distance between the inner surfaces of said side walls of said transversely U-shaped portion for relative telescopic movements of the said other arm, and said flanges having their outer edges diverging from their forward ends whereby the flanges are of increasing over-all width from their forward ends.

4. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement of their inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm at its inner end having a recess opening through its forward side to receive a portion of a staple crown, a flange on the inner end of the first arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof and of gradually increasing over-all width laterally from its forward end, said flange adapted to have its forward end inserted under the crown of a staple, and said device on relative movements of said arms toward one another adapted to then spread the legs of a staple over said flange and withdraw the staple from an object.-

5. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement of their inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm at its inner end having a recess opening through its forward side to receive a portion of a staple crown, a pair of forwardly extending flanges on the inner end of the first arm and spaced apart and adapted to have their forward ends inserted under the crown of the staple, and said device on relative movement of said arms toward one another and the staple adapted to withdraw the latter from an object.

6. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement of their inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm at its inner end having a recess opening through its forward side to receive a portion of a staple crown, flanges on the inner end of the first arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof and of gradually increasing over-all width laterally from their forward ends, said flanges adapted to have their forward ends inserted under the crown of a staple, and said device on relative movements of said arms toward one another adapted to then spread the legs of a staple over said flanges and withdraw the staple from an object.

'7. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement of the inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm at its inner end having a recess opening through its forward side to receive a portion of a staple crown, a pair of forwardly extending flanges on the inner end of the first arm and adapted to have their forward ends inserted under the crown of the staple, said flanges spaced apart laterally a, distance to permit of movement of the inner end portion of the second arm between said flanges, and said second arm of a length to have its inner end portion move between said flanges when the inner end portions of the arms are moved toward one another.

FRANK R. CURTISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

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