US3311346A - Staple extractor - Google Patents

Description

March 28, 1367 1.. c. ALMOND, JR

STAPLE EXTRACTOR Filed May 6, 1966 INVENTOR Z azrva/z C fllmono n ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,311,346 STAPLE EXTRACTOR Lathan C. Almond, Jr., 1427 E. Waverly St., Tucson, Ariz. 85719 Filed May 6, 1966, Ser. No. 548,326 Claims. (Cl. 254-28) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a staple extractor for removing wire staples from a material and more particularly to a staple extractor which is also capable of removing portions of the staple that are broken off during the extracting operation.

Existing staple removers will suifice to remove a staple from a batch of paper sheets, or the like, but have no provision for removing a leg of the staple if broken off. This portion of the staple remains to be pulled out with the fingers or by using a special tool, such as a pair of pliers.

The device of the present invention is designed to pull out wire staples from a material and also to grip a portion of the staple when broken off so that it can be pulled free without using an additional tool therefor. It further prevents injury to the operators fingers when an attempt is made to remove the broken staple portions manually.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a staple extractor that is not only capable of removing a staple from the material to which it is attached, but also to provide a means whereby the operator may remove broken portions of the staple from the material without having to remove them by the fingers of the operator or to use a separate tool therefor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a staple extractor having opposed staple extracting jaws with a further pair of opposed gripping surfaces adapted to grip and hold a broken portion of a staple whereby it may be pulled from the material.

It is a still further object to provide a gripping means for extracting broken portions of a staple, the means consisting of a pair of opposed blocks carried by the extracting jaws of a staple extractor.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a staple extractor constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the staple extractor showing it in position to extract a staple;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the staple as removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the blocks gripping a broken portion of a staple;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing staple holder with the blocks closed; and

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, reference character 1 indicates generally the staple extractor of this invention.

Generally, the staple extractor 1 is of conventional design and consists of a pair of facing, rectangular members or channel units indicated generally by 2 and 3 which are pivoted at their rearward ends as at 4. They are further biased apart by a spring 5 as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 only.

Each unit, 2 and 3, is undercut as at 6 and 7, respectively and bent out to form a pair of ears 9 and 10, one pair on each unit 2 and 3 respectively, for the purpose of facilitating operation of the extractor by the users fingers.

The forward portion of channel units 2 and 3 form pairs of jaws 11 and 12 which are concave at their inner edges 13 and 14 and convex at their outer edges 15 and 16 to form pointed . teeth 17 and 18 on jaws 11 and 12 respectively.

A pair of blocks 19 and 20 are secured, one each, in the floor of the forward portions of units 2 and 3.

Each block is rectangular and the forward ends thereof are rounded as at 21 and 22 as shown. The rounded portions 21 and 22 are flush with the forward edges 15 and 16 of units 2 and 3.

Blocks 19 and 20 may be fastened to the floor of each unit 2 and 3 by suitable means, not shown.

A staple 23 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and is illustrated as holding a sheaf of material 24, such as paper.

A broken leg portiton of a staple leg is indicated at 25 in FIG. 4.

Unit 3 is wider than unit 2 so that teeth 17 will slide bet-ween teeth 18 when the units 2 and 3 are closed to provide a oarnming action between the inwardly curved inner ends 13 and 14 when a staple 23 is being extracted from material 24.

Each unit 2 and 3 may be fabricated from sheet metal or the like and each unit is a unitary member. Blocks 19 and 20 may be of metal or like hard material.

Both blocks 19 and 20 are of equal dimensions and have planar opposed faces, as shown.

The operation of the staple extractor 1 is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

The extractor 1 is pressed together with the teeth 17 and 18 engaging under the staple 23, as shown. The concave edges 13 and 14 cam the staple 23 upwards. If more force is required, then the extractor 1 is rocked sideways and the rounded ends 15 or 16 provides more upward pull.

If a portion of staple 23 should break off (see PEG. 4), then the blocks 1-9 and 20 will engage the broken portion 25 as shown, and then it may be pulled free from the material 24.

Staple extractor 1 may be made in any size to accommodate the size of staple to be removed.

The device is extremely simple, both in construction and in operation.

While only a preferred form of the invention is shown and described, other forms of the invention are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A staple extractor for the removal of wire staples from a material to which attached comprising in cornbin' tion, a pair of opposed, spring biased channel units pivoted together at one of their ends, there being an undercut in each unit and a portion bent outward to form a pair of ears, a pair of opposed jaws formed on the free ends of each unit, said jaws having teeth at their opposed ends and a pair of opposed blocks fixed, one each in the floor of each jaw whereby when said units are pressed together, said pairs of teeth will normally remove a staple from the material, said blocks being adapted for gripping a broken piece of staple when remaining in the material for removal therefrom.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said units is of a different width throughout than the other one whereby one unit will slide within the other one when said units are pressed together.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaws are concave at their inner ends and convex at their outer 3 4 ends whereby a pair of pointed teeth are formed on their References Cited by the Examiner 5:; pressed togethen 1,922,681 8/1933 Heise 254-28 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer 5 2,431,922 12/1947 254'28 ends of said blocks are of the same contour as the outer 2940727 6/1960 Segal 254-28 edges of said jaws arid are flusl therewith. WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

5: A devlce as claimed in clalm 1 wherein the opposed surfaces of said blocks are planar. MILTON MEHR: Examine"-

Claims (1)

1. A STAPLE EXTRACTOR FOR THE REMOVAL OF WIRE STAPLES FROM A MATERIAL TO WHICH ATTACHED COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF OPPOSED, SPRING BIASED CHANNEL UNITS PIVOTED TOGETHER AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS, THERE BEING AN UNDERCUT IN EACH UNIT AND A PORTION BENT OUTWARD TO FORM A PAIR OF EARS, A PAIR OF OPPOSED JAWS FORMED ON THE FREE ENDS OF EACH UNIT, SAID JAWS HAVING TEETH AT THEIR OPPOSED ENDS AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED BLOCKS FIXED, ONE EACH IN THE FLOOR OF EACH JAW WHEREBY WHEN SAID UNITS ARE PRESSED TOGETHER, SAID PAIRS OF TEETH WILL NORMALLY REMOVE A STAPLE FROM THE MATERIAL, SAID BLOCKS BEING ADAPTED FOR GRIPPING A BROKEN PIECE OF STAPLE WHEN REMAINING IN THE MATERIAL FOR REMOVAL THEREFROM.

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