US2706814A - Stapler support - Google Patents

Description

J. w. DROLL ET'AL 2,706,814

April 26, 1955 STAPLER SUPPORT Filed Jan. 22, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS JOSEPH W. DROLL EINAR GUNNAR SANDBERG ATTORNEY April 26, 1955 J. DROLL ETAL STAPLER SUPPORT Filed Jan. 22, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOSEPH W. DROLL EINAR GUNNAR SANDBERG Z. l I

ATTORNEY April 26, 1955 J. W. DROLL ETAL STAPLER SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 22, 1953 ggk . INVENTORS JOSEPH W. DROLL By EINAR GUNNAR SANDBERG am iv-4 ATTORNEY United States Patent STAPLER SUPPORT Joseph W. Droll and Einar Gunnar Sandberg, Chicago,

Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to United Mattress Machinery Company, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application January 22, 1953, Serial No. 332,702

4 Claims. (Cl. 12)

This invention relates to improvements in support structures for staplers and more particularly relates to an improved stapler support particularly adapted to a support stapler, for stapling the coils of the springs of a box spring to the frame therefor.

A principal object of our invention is to provide a novel and simplified form of support for a stapler for box springs, yieldably biasing the stapler above the level of the tops of the springs, and accommodating the stapler to be moved against its bias into engagement with the coils of the springs for stapling the same to the frame structure therefor.

A further object of our invention is to provide a support structure for a stapler, storing and supplying wire thereto, and maintaining the required tension on the wire for supply to the stapler.

A further and more detailed object of our invention is to provide a novel and simplified form of wire reel and stapler support, particularly adapted for stapling springs for box springs to the support structure therefor, and comprising an elongated arm supported for movement over the spring structure and having a carriage movable therealong with an extensible stapler support suspended from the carriage, together with a wire container on the arm, and means for training the wire from the container to the stapler, and maintaining the required tension thereon.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a staple wire container and stapler support, supporting the stapler for ready accessibility to the entire area of the spring frame structure and releasably moving the stapler from the spring frame structure at the end of each stapling operation, as well as supplying stapling wire to the stapler and maintaining tension thereon.

These and other objects of our invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a stapler support constructed in accordance with our invention and showing a stapler supported thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the stapler, illustrating the manner in which the wire is trained to the feed rolls of the stapler and maintained under tension;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front end view of the stapler support;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the forward end portion of the stapler support, drawn to substantially the same scale as Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the wire container and reel therefor; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view showing the reel illustrated in Figure 5 in side elevation, and illustrating the support therefor.

In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in the drawings, the stapler support includes generally a horizontally movable arm 10 having a container or reel 11 for the staple wire mounted thereon, and having a stapler supporting carriage 12 movable therealong. The carriage 12 is shown as having a stapler 15 suspended therefrom for up and down movement with respect to said carriage and yieldably held in a retracted position with respect thereto. The stapler 15 is also mounted for movement about a pair of perpendicular axes, to accommodate the stapler to be readily positioned to engage and staple the lower coils 2,706,814 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 of the springs of a box spring to the frame structure therefor.

The stapler 15 may be air operated and of a type which forms the staples from a continuous length of wire, and also drives the same. The stapler is shown as having an elongated nose 16 with a coil or wire engaging recess or notch 17 open to the lower end thereof and adapted to engage and fit over the wire of the lower coil of the spring, to position the staple to pass along opposite sides of the coil and be driven into the wooden frame structure for the spring, as in an application Serial No. 309,392, filed by Einar Gunnar Sandberg on September 13, 1952 and entitled Stapling Machine so only herein shown and described in sufficient detail as to make our present invention readily understandable.

The stapler 15 is shown as having a feed roll 19 and a pinch roll 20 for feeding a length of staple wire to the stapler, to be formed by operation of a staple forming and drive plunger 22 (see Figure 2). The feed roll 19 may be intermittently driven by the staple drive plunger 22 upon reciprocable movement thereof, through an intermittent drive mechanism including a rocking arm 23 engaged by the plunger 22 upon the return stroke thereof, a link 24 reciprocably driven thereby, and a suitable step-by-step drive mechanism driven by said link. The step-by-step drive mechanism may be a ratchet type of feed as in the aforementioned application Ser. No. 309,392 of Einar Gunnar Sandberg so is not herein shown or described. The wire 21 is shown as being trained to the feed and pinch rolls 19 and 20 through the center of a coil spring 25, secured to and extending outwardly from a bracket 26, extending from the stapler frame in alignment with the nip between the rolls 19 and 20. The coil spring 25 besides guiding the staple wire to the feed and pinch rolls 19 and 20, also maintains tension thereon, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

The support arm 10 is shown as having an end portion 27, flattened on each side thereof and extending between the furcations of a bifurcated bracket member 29, which may be secured to a suitable vertical support, such as a post or a wall of the building, within which the stapler is operating. As herein shown, a nut and bolt indicated by reference character 30, is provided to pivotally mount the arm 10 between the furcations of the bracket member 29 for movement with respect thereto about a vertical axis. A tie rod 31 is shown as being hooked to a bracket 32 spaced above the bracket 29 and shown as being secured to the same post or wall that forms a support for the bracket 29. The tie rod 31 is shown as extending diagonally downwardly from the bracket 32 and as having a lower hooked end portion 33, hooked within the eye of an eye bolt 34, secured to and projecting upwardly from the outer end of the arm 10. The hooked end portion 33 of the tie rod 41 is shown as being threaded to a turn buckle 35, also threaded to the lower end of the tie rod 31, for levelling the arm 10 when desired.

It should here be understood that while we have shown the arm 10 as being supported at its end by a tie rod, extending from a position above the top of the arm 10, that where head room is limited, suitable bracing means or any other desired support member may instead be provided to engage beneath the arm 10, to support the same in places of reduced head room.

The carriage 12 is shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 as comprising two parallel side plates 36, 36, connected together at their lower ends by a bottom plate 37, and secured thereto as by rivets 39, 39. The side plates 36, 36 are shown as being connected together adjacent their upper ends by two spaced bolts 40, 40 extending therethrough and also having sleeves 41, 41 mounted thereon. The sleeves 41, 41 may be bearing sleeves and are shown as engaging the insides of the side plates 36, 36 at their outer ends and rollers 42, 42 at their inner ends. The rollers 42, 42 rotatable about the bolts 40, 40, support the carriage on the arm 10 for movement along the top thereof. A hose clamp 44 is shown as being secured to the rear bolt 40 and as ex tending upwardly therefrom and across the carriage 12, and outwardly therefrom. The hose clamp 44 is shown as having any eye 45 at its outer end, through which a hose for supplying air to the stapler 15 may extend and be clamped thereto. A second hose clamp 48 is shown as being mounted on the arm in spaced relation with respect to the hose clamp 44.

A tube 46 is shown as being secured to the horizontal plate 37, at the lower end of the carriage 12 and as depending therefrom. The tube 46 is shown as being of substantial length and as having a reinforcing collar 47 at its lower end. A support rod 49 is shown as being slidably movable within said tube and as extending therefrom. The tube 46 with the support rod 49 forms a telescopic support for a depending stapler support arm 50 secured to the bottom of the rod 49 and suspended therefrom.

The support rod 49 is shown as being maintained in retracted relation with respect to the tube 46 by a ten sion spring 51. The upper end of the tension spring 51 is shown as being hooked through aligned apertured portions 53, 53 of the tube 46, disposed adjacent the upper end of said tube. The lower end of the tension spring 51 is shown as being booked through an apertured portion 54 of the rod 49, adjacent the lower end thereof. The tension spring 51 may have sufficient tension to maintain the rod 49 telescoped within the tube 46 and hold the stapler in retracted relation with respect to the spring structure when the stapler is not in operation. The stapler yieldably supported above the level of the top surface of the springs of the box spring structure may then be readily maneuvered to position the stapler nose 16 between the springs of the box spring structure and engage said nose with a wire of a coil of the spring and staple the same to the frame for the mattress, upon the grasping of the stapler by the hand.

The stapler support arm 50 is shown as being of an inverted L-shaped formation, pivotally mounted on the bottom of the rod 49 for movement about the axis thereof and retained thereto by means of a nut 56 threaded on the end of said rod. A pin, such as a cotter pin may be placed through said nut and rod, to retain said nut thereto, to support the support arm 50 for pivotal movement about the axis of the rod, when manipulating the stapler for stapling. The support arm 50 is shown as extending downwardly along the side of the stapler 15 and as having the stapler pivotally connected thereto at its lower intermediate the ends of the stapler, on a transverse pin 59. The pin 59 thus connects the stapler to the suspension arm 50 for movement about a transverse axis, and enables the stapler to be held at any desired angle, for stapling or for maneuvering the nose 16 of the stapler, to engage the wire of a lower coil of a spring, and guide and staple to pass along opposite sides thereof, and staple the same to the frame structure for the spring.

The wire container or reel 11 is shown as being of a generally cylindrical form. having a relatively large diameter bottom 60 and a cylindriacl side wall 61 extending upwardly therefrom. The reel 11 is shown as being mounted on top of an upright post 63 mounted on the arm 10 and extending upwardly therefrom. As herein shown the arm 10 extends through the post 63 and is secured thereto as by a transverse pin 64. The post 63 is shown as having a threaded member such as a bolt 65 threaded therein and extending upwardly therefrom. A collar 66 for a wire guide arm 67 is mounted on the bolt 65 and rests on the top of the post 63. A thrust bearing 69 is mounted on the bolt 65 and rests on the top of the collar 66 and forms a support for the bottom 60 of the reel 11. The reel 11 is retained to the bolt 65 by means of an internally threaded post 70 threaded on the bolt 65. The lower end of the post 70 is shown as being adjacent, but spaced above the bottom 60 of the reel 11, to accommodate free rotation of said reel on the bearing 69.

The coil of staple wire 21 is laid within the reel 11 about the post 70 and is retained within said reel by means of a cover 71, abutting the top of the post 70 and retained to said post by a. wing nut 72 threaded on a reduced threaded upper end portion 73 thereof.

The wire guide and tensioning arm 67 is shown as extending laterally from the collar 66, beneath the bottom of the container 11 in parallel relation with respect thereto beyond the outer periphery thereof, and 8S having an upright guiding end portion 75 having aperture 76 extending thereacross. The aperture 76 is shown as being located beneath the top of the cover 71 and a slight distance above the top of the side wall 61 and as having the staple wire 21 threaded therethrough. The upright end 75 of the tension arm 67 likewise has a friction brake member 77 mounted thereon intermediate the ends thereof. The brake member 77 may be a piece of spring steel and is shown as having an inner facing 79 of friction material, which may be leather or any other suitable friction brake material. The braking surface 79 may engage the outer periphery of the wall 61 to restrain pivotal movement of the reel 11 about the axis of the threaded member 65. The brake member 77 is shown as being secured in position on the upright portion 75 of the arm 67 by a set screw 80. Said brake member may be adjusted to force the friction surface 79 into engagement with the periphery of the wall 61 of the reel 11 with the desired frictional resistance, so as to prevent the reel from running away and to hold the reel to uniformly pay off staple wire therefrom under a slight degree of tension.

The wire 21 is shown as being trained from the aperture 76 along the arm 10 through the lower hooked end 81 of a tension spring 82. The tension spring 82 is hooked to and suspended from an eye 83 secured to and depending from the plate 37 of the carriage 12. The staple wire 21 is trained from the tension spring 81 to and through the center of the coil spring 25 to the pinch and feed rolls 19 and 20, feeding the wire to the staple drive plunger and forming jaws, which cut the wire to staple length, form the same to staple form and drive the individual staples along the nose 16 for stapling.

The container or reel 11 is thus restrained from rotation about the axis of the threaded member 65 by the frictional resistance afforded by the friction surface 79 on the end of the spring brake arm 77, so as to maintain the staple wire relatively taut while being trained from said arm. In addition, the coil spring 25 through which the staple wire is trained, exerts a downward pull thereon against the upward pull of the tension spring 82 and against the force required to rotate the reel 11 against the friction braking surface 79, to maintain the staple wire taut between said springs for feeding to the pinch and feed rolls 19 and 20 as the carriage 12 is moved along the support arm 10.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple and efiicient yieldable and maneuverable support has been provided for a stapler which is of particular advantage in the stapling of springs for box springs to the frame of the box spring structure, in that it yieldably retains the stapler in a plane above the tops of the springs when the hand is removed therefrom, and enables the stapler to readily be depressed against the bias of the tension spring 51, and into engagement with a wire of a lower coil of the spring for stapling the same to the frame structure of the box spring.

It may further be seen that the stapler may be readily maneuvered at various angles for access to all parts of the frame structure, and that the stapler support relieves the operator from carrying the weight of the stapler during the stapling operation, and affords storage capacity for the stapling wire paying off and guiding the wire and maintaining tension thereon, for feeding to the stapler for severing into staple length and forming and driving the same.

It will be understood that various modifications and variations of the present invention may be effected with out departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a support structure for a stapler comprising an elongated arm pivotally supported for horizontal movement over an article to be worked upon, a carriage movable along said arm, a support suspended from said carriage and adapted to have a stapler suspended from the lower end thereof. a reel mounted on said arm for rotation about a vertical axis and adapted to contain a roll of staple wire, means training the staple wire from said reel to the stapler including a guide arm pivoted for movement about the axis of rotation of said reel and extending radially of said reel beyond the periphery thereof and having an end portion forming a guide for the stapling wire, and a yieldable brake rigidly secured to said end portion and extending inwardly therefrom for engagement with said reel, and yieldably engaged with said reel in accordance with the tension of the wire on said guide arm, for restraining pivotal movement of said reel during paying off of the wire therefrom.

2. In a support structure supporting and supplying wire to a stapler comprising an elongated support arm, a carriage movable along said arm, a stapler support suspended from said carriage and adapted to have a stapler suspended from the lower end thereof for universal movement with respect thereto, a wire reel supported on said arm for rotation about a vertical axis and including an upwardly opening drum mounted on said arm for free rotation with respect thereto and having a bottom and a cylindrical upright side wall, a guide arm pivoted for movement about the axis of said reel and extending beneath said bottom radially beyond the periphery thereof and having an upright end spaced radially from the side wall of said reel, said upright end having a horizontal apertured portion forming a wire guide for the training of staple wire therethrough, a friction brake rigidly secured to the upright end of said guide arm and extending inwardly therefrom for engagement with said cylindrical upright side wall, for restraining rotation of said drum in accordance with the tension of the wire on said guide arm, a yieldable member guiding the wire from said apertured portion to the stapler, and a spring extending from the stapler for guiding the wire thereto and cooperating with said yieldable member and guide arm to maintain tension on the wire.

3. In a stapler support structure, a horizontally extending support arm mounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a carriage movable along said arm, a telescopic stapler support depending from said carriage, a tension spring retractably moving said telescopic support, said support being adapted to have a stapler suspended therefrom, for up and down movement with respect to the coils and frame of a spring, for stapling the coils to the frame, a wire reel supported for rotation about a vertical axis and having a closed bottom, a cylindrical outer wall and an open top, an arm pivoted beneath said reel for movement about the axis of rotation thereof and extending radially therealong beyond the wall thereof, said arm having an upright end portion extending parallel to the Wall of said reel and above the top thereof and having a wire guide leading therethrough, and a friction brake on said upright end portion of said arm extending inwardly therefrom towardsaid drum and being yieldably engageable with the periphery of said drum by the tension of the wire on said wire guide, and yieldably restraining said drum from rotation by the tension of the Wire thereon.

4. In a stapler support, an elongated support arm pivotally supported for horizontal movement over the work to be stapled, a carriage movable along said arm and having a telescopic stapler support suspended therefrom, for suspending a stapler from the lower end thereof, for movement with respect thereto about horizontal and vertical axes, spring means biasing said support in a retracted position and yieldably maintaining the stapler in position above the work to be stapled, a wire reel for supplying wire to said stapler, a spring on said carriage forming a guide for the wire, guiding the wire to the stapler, said reel being supported for rotation about a vertical axis and including an upwardly opening drum having a closed bottom, a cylindrical outer wall and an open top, a guide arm pivoted for movement about the axis of rotation of said reel and extending beneath said reel and upwardly along the wall thereof, the upwardly extending portion of said guide arm having an apertured portion forming a wire guide spaced above the top of said outer wall, a leaf spring secured to the upright portion of said guide arm extending inwardly therefrom toward said drum, and a friction member on the end of said leaf spring engageable with the Wall of said drum, said friction member being yieldably engageable with the wall of said drum in accordance with the tension of the wire thereon to restrain rotation of said drum and maintain tension on the wire trained from said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,101,966 Schoenky June 30, 1914 1,189,044 Boden a- June 27, 1916 1,505,567 Kelley Aug. 19, 1924 1,542,618 Lindholm June 16, 1925 2,294,998 Mitchell Sept. 8, 1942 2,314,184 Zeruneith Mar. 16, 1943 2,614,254 Lenart et a1. Oct. 21, 1952 2,617,098 Lenart et a1. Nov. 11, 1952

Images