US2466551A - Fastener-applying implement - Google Patents

Description

pril 5, 1949.

A. H. MAYNARD FAsTENER-APPLYING IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17", 1945 v Filed Aug. 17, 1945 2 snets-sneet 2 April 5, y194:9., A. H. MAYNARD 2,466,551

FASTENER-APPLYING IMPLEMENT Patented Apr. 5, 1949 -U NIT-ESD ,S TATES zArthur H. Maynard, `Warwick, R. I., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Bostitch,:maya-corporation of Rhodeflsland Application August'l, 1945, Serial No. 610,961

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements 'in fastener-applying implements for vattaching -papers and other sheets, securing labels and'tags 'to `articles of commerce land -use generally for s'tapling and stitching together various objects.

'One object of the invention is'to provide an imfplement of the type indicated which is more convenient to load withfa supply of fasteners `and easier to `operate for the purposes specified.

Another object is to provide an implement of vimproved .construction and arrangement vcapable .of elicient operation and less subject to derange- `ment and wear in its mechanism.

.Another object is to `provide-an implement 'of the type indicated adapted for economical i cost of manufacture and more durable for long peeriods of use.

lFurther objects of the improvement lare set 4forth in the following specification which -de- :scribes a preferred formof construction of the fdevicegas illustrated by the accompanying ydrawings. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a. general view in perspectiveof 'the ;present improved fastener-applying implement;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the. same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal'sectionalview thereof; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the implement .similar to Fig. 2 .showing rthe driver-operating Alever or cover for the magazine Aas raised above -the latter for loading it with fasteners .such

as U-shaped staples;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view .of the latching means for the cover :taken on `linez-fi 0f Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a lperspective view of the `latch'for .retaining the driver-lever or cover in operative Aposition relatively to .the Vmagazine-arm;

Fig. 7 .is a perspective view of the shear-plate `mounting which defines the rearward side of the .throat in vthe magazine through which vthe fast- .eners are driven;` and Fig. 8 is an enlargedviewof the forward part yof the lever 5, part `sectional in a median longi- :tudinal plane and illustrating the latch and the .means for mounting it in place on the' lever.

vReferring to the accompanying drawings, lthe -`present improvements are herein illustrated as 4applied to "a .fastener-applying implement :,for

Afeeding and drivingU-.shaped staplesfalthough they may also'be used in devices Ifor applying iother types of fasteners.

`The present implement comprises a base -2 2 rend o'f the base, varid an operating lever'5 con- ,stitutedras a cover v*for the top ofthe magazine 'in the armi.

rThellcase Z Vcomprisestwo parts, a sheetemetal r*plate 4i formed'withga protrusion or "boss 1 at its forward Iend indented lorjrec'esseil'to formithe rclinching grooves 3 vand yvertical stanchi'ons lil-at; its rearward end 'fol-ded upwardly 4at its sides. AJLIhe metal Aplateis preferably supported on an ornamental rest forisubebase +I ,constructed 'of plastic or the like, `r`loeing receivedin a vshallow recess "I2 therein, 'see Fig, 3, shaped :in 4con- -iorrnity`to itsmarginal outline. The lplatetmay floe fastenedto the rest ll by means of a snap- ',fasten'er +5, shown in' Fig. 'to adapt the 4oper- -ative parts -of 'the vimplement vto lloe Adetached. 'therefrom "for use Without the sub-'basa I-Iingedly mounted above the "base 2 is the magazine-arm 4 whichis of channel-'shape with ya Ibottom wall i8 and upstanding sides 'll-9 for lenclosing the fasteners -or staples -s nresting J,on 'the vbottom. "The arm 14 i-s pivotally mounted atits rearward lend betweenthe stanchions Il) Lby Lmeans /of `a ltransverse pin '20 projecting throughf-circul-arfears on the'arm and-stanchions. IAtits forward -end'lthe sides 19 of the arm vflare folded inwardly in ftabs 22 partly "closing the :end --and forming #the --fore -part of 4the lthroat Jthrough which the -fasteners -or staples are fdriven. IIhe'rearward wall of the -throat 124 -is provided 'by fa -*shear-plate '-2'5, so-called, Ashown in detail iin Fig. 7, which 4is formed Awith rearwardly- 'extending legs 126 ffor ymounting vit 'Within the fsi'desv I8 of thefarmf-d. Referring-to Figs.-"2, "3f and 27, the `1egs "2-6 v'are f provided with' lugs `2l at their loweraedgeslinserted inf-slots inthe bottomwall EN and swe'dged 'or kriveted-over A1to lfasten -the shear-plate'. in `position inlspaced'v-relation to the ,40 itabs '-22 :which cooperate therewith `to fform Athe narrow throat or vgui'cleway "124 forjthefstaples The forward ends of lthe legs 126 are-recessed fato f'form y:shoulders f28 @which overlapand engage 'ftheendof the-bottom `wall |`8 lofthe arm dfto Milocatewthe shear-plate 25 vin position; andthe VliigsIZ'l .on vthe flegs '-l rhave ffconcaved edges fto assist 'f the 1 riveting-operation which fastens fthe mount- ;ing :in the '-arm. It will fbe understood that the megs #6M-andthe endsfof -the shear-plate i215 are I space'di inwardly-from the sides l t9 ofthe varm 4 K .iwardlyf across f its 'upperfedge toA provide LAfor`- supunder side of the latter.

porting crowned staples s having crossbars bowed or arched upwardly at the center.

A rod having its reduced end held in a hole 3| in the shear-plate 25 extends rearwardly therefrom `at the center of the arm 4 with its opposite end engaging a hole in an angular support 32 resting on the bottom I8 of the arm. The rearward end of the rod 30 engages against a reduced portion of the pivot pin '20 for retaining the pin from longitudinal displacement in the ears at the ends of the arm 4. The staples s are straddled across the rod 30 Within the sides I9 of the arm 4 with the ends of their legs resting on the bottom I 8.

A staple-pusher 33 of inverted channel shape having legs 34 resting on the bottom I8 of the arm 4 is provided with opposite holes through which the rod 3l! extends to adapt the pusher to slide longitudinally thereof. Coiled around the rod 30 is a helical spring 35 tensioned between the rearward leg 34 of the pusher 33 and the ymember 32 to adapt it to slide the pusher forwardly for feeding the staples s toward the throat 24 at the forward end of the arm 4. The spring 35 also serves to hold the angular support 32 against the pin 20 to retain it in position.

The fastener-applying leverl 5 which forms the closure for the open top of the magazine-arm 4 Ais of inverted channel-shape comprising a top and depending sides 4I.

The rearward ends of the sides 4I of the lever 5 are formed with circular ears 42 which straddle the sides of the .stanchions I0 on the -plate 6 and are pierced with holes for receiving the ends of the pin 20 to pivotally mount the lever on the base 2. The lever 5 thus is adapted to rock on its pivot toward and away from the base 2 and also relatively to the magazine-arm 4 with its sides 4I enclosing the sides I9 of the latter.

The lever 5 carries a staple-driver 45 which is` l reciprocable in the throat 24 of the arm 4 to drive 'the staples s into the work. Preferably, the staple-driver 45 is in the form of a relatively thin rectangular blade 46, see Fig 3, bent at right scribed. The studs 41 and 48 also serve as the means for fastening the forward end of a leafspring to the under side of the top wall 40,.

of the lever 5 underlying the driver-strip 46. The forward stud 41 has a knurled head 49 abutting the top of the lever 5 and a reduced shank 5I .which is inserted through holes in the driverstrip 46 and the spring 50 and riveted over on the of the stud 41 serves as a means for securing a finger-piece or hollow knob on the top of the lever 5; the knob being preferably molded from plastic in ornamental contour and shouldered atl the front to engage the forward end of the lever Y to prevent it from turning on the stud. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the spring 50 is offset downwardly at 56 rearwardly of the stud 41 and then offset upwardly to form a boss,

51 engaging against the under side of the driverstrip 46, the stud 48 being inserted through holes in the top 40 of the lever 5, the strip 46 and the boss 51 and riveted over at its end. The spring 50 extends rearwardly from the stud 48 with a second offset boss 58 at a slight distance therefrom and then is curved downwardly to adapt its end to engage against the upper edges of the stanchions I0 on the base-.plate 6. The spring 5!) thus acts to maintain the lever 5 in raised The knurled head 49l position relatively to the magazine-arm 4 aS shown in Fig. 3, but is adapted to be compressed by forcing the lever downwardly to slide the driver 45 through the throat 24; the rearward end of the spring sliding on the,l edges of the stanchions Ill during the compression.

The sides I9 of the magazine-arm 4 are cut away at 59 to prowde inclined shoulders (ill adapted to be engaged positively by the end of the spring 50 should the arm be raised above the base 2, thereby preventing the return of the lever 5 to operative position until the arm is lowered into adjacent relation to the base. The purpose of this provision is to guard against the accidental driving of a staple should the lever 5 be pressed down toward the arm 4 while the operators 1ingers are grasping the under side of the arm.

It will be observed by reference to the drawings that normally the end of the spring 53 bears against and slides on the upper edges of the stanchions IU at the rearward end of the base II, either when the parts of the implement are in operative relationship as shown in Fig. 3 or when the lever 5 is unlatched from the magazinearm 4 and raised into the position shown in Fig. 4 for loading the magazine with staples. However, when the lever 5 is raised above the magazine-arm 4 as shown in Fig. 4, should the arm be inadvertently or accidentally lifted away from the base I I' it will cause the end of the spring 5U to engage positively with the inclined shoulders 6U on the arm. Due to the inclination of the shoulders 68 they will then lie in a plane normal to the iiat side of the spring 50 so as to engage positively with its end. Therefore, such positive engagement between the end of the spring 50 and the shoulders 68 on the arm 3 will prevent the lever 5 from being carried back toward the arm until the latter is lowered down against the base II. Thus, should the operator lift the arm 3 with his ngers thereunder and attempt to connect it with the lever 5, this will be impossible without releasing the spring 50 from the shoulders 60. By this safety provision accidental driving of a staple from the arm 4 into the ngers of the operator held thereneath is prevented so as to avoid possible injury The lever 5 normally is retained in cooperative relation to the magazine-arm 4 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while permitting it to be pressed down with respect thereto to drive the staples, by an improved latching device next described. T-he latching means comprises a manually-operative member 65, shown in perspective viewin 'Fig 6, which is slidably mounted on the under side of the top 40 of the lever 5 in the space above the forward portion of the spring 50, see Figs. 3 and 6. The slide or latch 55 is of inverted channel-shape having a top wall 66 and depending legs or runners 61 abutting the sides 4I of the lever 5. The legs 61 are extended downwardly at the front beyond the sides of the lever 5 and formed with forwardly-projecting hook-like lugs 68 at the bottom. The hooks or lugs 68 are beveled downwardly toward the rear to provide relatively short inclined faces adapted to engage under similar inclined or angular detent-faces 16 at the rearward ends of flanges 1I, see Figs. 2 and 4, folded or bent outwardly from the forward ends of the side walls I9 of the magazine-arm 4.

Referring to Figs. 3, 6, and 8, the upper wall ofthe latch or slide 65 is cut away with a rectangular opening 13 to provide clearance for the boss 51 on the spring 5 and the rivet or stud 48 which fastens the spring in place, wherebyA to :gustan allow sliding movement of lthe latch. The Stop aof Jthe 'latch B5 4is 'also Afcut Aaway at the front with an :opening :1.4 to adapt '-it to clear the stud @'41 during its sliding movement. The llatch L65 lis adapted Ito be manipulated to engage lits .lugs 68 with or dsenga'ge them .from the detents 'lll on fthezarm-ll by .means of aa'inger-piece N3 bent Lupwardly :from its rearwami end and projecting lthroughfa slot 't6 in the top-of the lever A5.

.The latch `65 is `mounted rather loosely 'in the rspace between the spring 5D sand the 'driver-strip 4B @but .is A.controlled :in .its movement .by means :of Aa :leaf-spring 180 overlying the top .of the lever '5 beneath ithe lhollow kknob 55 and .fasten'ed'th'eretorby the :head of fthe stud or rivet 48. Thefore part .of the :leaf-spring t iis offset upwardly to :adapt it to loverlie the end 'of .alug $2 'bent up yfrom the .top `of 'thelatch 65 Aat 'the rearward end of .itsopening 'M .and projecting `through arrepenzing 183 `in the top .of the =lever 5. A rounded proituberance 8d 4on .the forward end ofthe spring 80 .adapted .to engage 'the edge of Athe lug l582 to -yieldin-gly retain thelatch i155 in "forward position with its lugs 58 vhooked in under the detents "t0 onthe Varm il. itis required to release the l-atching means .to permit raising the lever 5, to

uncover the magazine in the-arm 4 for supplying it with staples,1the latch 65 may be `withdrawn :by .pressing against the finger-'piece 18 to 'force :it .rearwardly with :the spring L80 yielding to 'allow the lug 82 to ride yunder the protuberance B4. The method of operation of the `complete implement is explained as follows:

After the latching means have been released in the manner described above the cover or lever A Amay :be raised from .the arm 4 as indicated in Fig. 4 and swung clear back toppen-the magazine to receive one or more sticks or refills of staples s. To provide for insert-ing the "staples 'in the magazine fthe pusher 33 is slid rearwardly therein by the operators finger to compress t-he vspring :35 and, usually, means such :as shown and described in -my United States Patent No. 2,264,322 "of December 2, 1941, are provided .for latching the pusher in retracted position. After the staples have been placed in the magazine the lever 5 is swung down into overlying relation to the arm 4 and the latch 65 is slid forward to engage its hooked lugs 68 under the detents 10.

With the present improved latching means the manual restoration of the parts of the implement to cooperating relationship may be accomplished very conveniently by a simple movement of one hand. With the implement resting on a desk or other support the fingers of one hand are extended from the front across the top of the knob 55 and pressure exerted thereon to depress the lever 5 toward the arm 4. As the lever 5 is lowered to a position slightly bel-ow that illustrated in Fig. 2 one finger may be engaged in back of the fingerpiece I8 to slide the latch 55 forward to advance its lugs 68 in under the detents 'l0 for engagement therewith when pressure on the lever 5 is released and the latter is raised by the action of the spring 50. Substantially the same one-handed manipulation may also be used for releasing the latch 65 to permit raising the lever 5 to open the magazine it being noted, however, that to withdraw the latch it is unnecessary to press down on the lever 5 since the inclined faces of the lugs 68 and detents 1D adapts them to act as cams to effect their release by causing a slight relative movement between the lever and the arm 4.

The implement is operated in the usual manner by inserting the work across the fore part of the s6 #base 2 inzunder th'earm vil .and striking or .pressing against the knob 55. r/Ihe pressure :on the @knob 55 will .rst Icause `,both the `lever f5 and arm 4 to swing downwardly vagainst the .tension of the spring 50 :until yithe forward `end. o'f `the arm bears against .the work resting labove the clincher grooves L3. 4At kthis juncture the spring 5t will yield to :a further extent .to .allow the lever `5 to 'continue its descent toslide :the :staple-driver '45 down through 'the throat .24. Meanwhile, ythe foremoststaple s in the .magazine will vhave -been fed forward across the 'top rof the shear-plate 125 fand-into the throat ,24 to ibe driven into the work and its Llegs bent over on the under side .thereof :by th'eir engagement with the curved bottom of lth'e cl-incher grooves "3.

lntmy .patent .reierredto above .means areshown for releasing the vpusher 33 from Lits detention means .at the rear `of the magazine as operated 'automatically vby closing the lever 5 toward the lmagazine-arm t yand such means may be -em- .ployed in the .present implement, although they are not herein shown as they form yno part of `the present linvention. The release ofthe pusher lcauses it to act continuously tofadvancethe staples .progressively inthe magazine t-o feed them one at .a 'time `into the `throat 24 where they are sheared from the -strip or stick and driven into the work by .the .reciprocation :of the driver 45. .The .implement thus 'may be operated continuously to :apply any desirednumber of staples to the'work lwhile asupplyiremains in the magazine. `When the supply is rexhausted the magazine may :be loaded Aagain most expeditiously and conveniently in the manner described above.

It will be yobserved .from vthe foregoing specication that y'the invention provides improvements inlthe structure of fastener-applying implements @to render them .more 'convenient to operate and more efcient and durable in use. `While vtheinvention is fhereinshown as embodied in a pre- Aferred form of device itis to be understood that the improvements may be applied'to other types of implements and varied in its ldetails without :departing from 'the-spirit and scope :of lthe invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I :claim:

1. In a device of the type indicated, an arm constructed as a hollow magazine for containing a supply of fasteners, a lever of inverted channelshape forming a cover for the magazine and pivoted to adapt it to swing relatively thereto to drive the fasteners therefrom, detent-projections on the sides of the arm, and a latch slidable under the top of the arm and formed with depending sides having means for engaging the detentprojections on the arm, said latch having means projecting through the top of the lever for manually sliding it.

2. In a device of the type indicated, an arm of channel-shape forming a hollow magazine -for containing a supply of fasteners, a lever of inverted channel-shape pivoted at one end to the magazine-arm to adapt it to rock relatively thereto, means carried by the lever for driving the staples from the arm, a latch slidable within the sides yof the lever at the rear of the fastenerdriving means and having depending legs with beveled lugs at their forward ends, and detentprojections on the sides of the magazine-arm formed with beveled faces adapted for engagement by the beveled lugs on the lever to connect it with the arm while permitting limited relative movement therebetween.

3. In a device of the type indicated, a hollow '7 arm constituting a magazine for` containing a. supply of fasteners, a lever of inverted channelshape pivoted to swing toward and away from the arm and forming a cover for the magazine, a leafspring fastened beneath the top of the lever with its fore part in spaced relation thereto, said spring acting to resist the swinging movement of the lever toward the arm, a U-s-haped latch slidably mounted between the spring and the top of the arm and provided with hook-like lugs on its lower forward sides, and detent-projections on the sides of the arm for engagement by the lugs on the latch to limit the upward swinging movement of the lever under the tension f the spring.

4. In a device of the type indicated, a base, a channel-shaped arm pivoted to the base and adapted to contain a supply of fasteners, a lever of inverted channel-shape pivoted to the base to swing relatively to the arm, a leaf-spring for normally rocking the lever upwardly with respect to the arm, said spring fastened beneath the top of the lever and having portions offset downwardly therefrom to provide a space therebetween, a latch having its upper portion slidable in the space between the spring and top of the lever, and detents on the arm engageable by the latch to limit the upward movement of the lever relatively to the arm under the tension of the spring.

5. In a device of the type indicated, a hollow magazine-arm for containing a sup-ply of fasteners, detent-projections at the sides of the arm formed with beveled faces, a lever pivotally mounted at one end to swing toward and away from the arm and forming a closure for its open top, and a latch slidable on the lever and having depending runners formed with forwardly-projecting lugs having beveled faces adapted to engage the beveled faces on the detenta-projections to retain the lever in cooperative relation to the arm for driving the fasteners therefrom.

6. In a device of the type indicated, a hollow arm for containing a supply of fasteners, a lever movable relatively to the arm, a driver mounted on the lever for reciprocation across the front of the arm to drive the fasteners therefrom, and a member having a shear-plate constituted by a fiat forward wall with legs projecting rearwardly therefrom and provided with means for riveting it to the bottom of the arm to support the shearplate in vertical position at the rear of the driver.

7. In a device of the type indicated, a hollow arm having a horizontal bottom and upstanding sides for containing a supply of fasteners, said arm having a vertical wall at its forward end, a vertical shear-pl-ate constituted by a flat forward Wall disposed in parallel spaced relation to the front wall of the arm to form a throat or guideway for the fasteners, said shear-plate having rearwardly-extending legs of relatively short length with means on their under side for fastening them to the bottom of the arm to support it therefrom, and a driver reciprocable in said throat to drive fasteners therethrough as they are sheared from a strip held in the magazine-arm.

8. In a device of the type indicated, a magazine for staples having a bottom and upstanding side walls, said side walls folded inwardly to provide a vertical wall at the forward end of the magazine, and a shear-plate constituted by a fiat forward wall disposed at the rear of the front wall of the magazine in spaced relation thereto and constructed with integral portions folded rearwardly therefrom to provide longitudinally-extending legs formed with projecting lugs at the bottom engaging openings in the bottom of the arm and xedly secured therein to mount the shear-plate in the magazine.

ARTHUR H. MAYNARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,264,322 Maynard Dec. 2, 1941 2,309,778 Maynard Feb. 2, 1943 2,312,142 Abrams Feb. 23, 1943 2,354,760 Lindstrom Aug. l, 1944

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