US3917145A

US3917145A - Stapling machine particularly adapted for use in limited clearance applications

Info

Publication number: US3917145A
Application number: US449143A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur Graf; Richard A Graf
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-03-07
Filing date: 1974-03-07
Publication date: 1975-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-04

Abstract

A stapling machine particularly adapted to form and drive staples into work when there is limited clearance between the stapling machine and other parts of the work, such as in stapling a picture frame, in which the staple is supported by a disappearing arbor as it initially moves toward the work and is then supported by a second arbor, which is preferably retractable itself, as the staple is being driven into the work.

Description

United States Patent 1 Graf et al.

[ NOV. 4, 1975 STAPLING MACHINE PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN LIMITED CLEARANCE APPLICATIONS [76] Inventors: Arthur Graf, 323 W. 43rd St., New

York, N.Y. 10036; Richard A. Graf, 627 Maple St., River Vale, NJ.

2,496,974 2/ 1950 Anstett 227/77 X 2,531,985 11/1950 Nasmith 227/90 2,635,234 4/1953 Reed.....-. 227/90 X 2,765,466 10/1956 Gaines 227/77 2,960,695 11/1960 Hausknecht 227/90 X 3,751,961 8/1973 Graf 227/88 Primary ExaminerGranvi1le Y. Custer, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmWatson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [57] ABSTRACT A stapling machine particularly adapted to form and drive staples into work when there is limited clearance between the stapling machine and other parts of the work, such as in stapling a picture frame, in which the staple is supported by a disappearing arbor as it initially moves toward the work and is then supported by a second arbor, which is preferably retractable itself, as the staple is being driven into the work.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent 4,1975 sheetlof 3,917,145

US. Patent Nov.4, 1975 Sheet20f3 3,917,145

US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 STAPLING MACHINE PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN LIMITED CLEARANCE APPLICATIONS This invention relates generally to a machine for repetitively deforming metal stock and, more specifically, to a machine for making staples and applying the staples to work. The invention more specifically relates to stapling machines having particular utility in situations where there is limited clearance between the machine and the work, for example, where staples are to be driven into a picture frame to secure the contents of the frame.

In the prior art staple making machines a support means is provided about which the staple is formed, the

legs of the staple being positioned about the support and between the forming means of the machine and the support. Such support means is generally referred to in the art as a disappearing arbor and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,961 issued to Arthur Graf, one of the co-inventors of the presently described invention, on Aug. 14, 1973. Such a disappearing arbor is pivotally mounted at a location away from the length of staple stock from which the staple is formed. As it pivots, the arbor moves between and internally supports the two legs of the staple that has been formed. As the driving mechanism for moving the staple into work contacting position drives the staple downwardly, the legs are guided by grooves in the former elements and are additionally supported and prevented from collapsing by the disappearing arbor when they meet resistance to penetration. Such resistance to penetration may be found when the staple is to be used to clinch wires, such as has been exemplarily shown in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,961, or more likely when the staple is to be driven into wood or other work.

It has become common to use staples in the framing of pictures. As is now standard in this art, a picture frame, which can be of varying depth but is normally formed of wood or plastic, is provided with a lip about the inner periphery of one side of the frame. A picture, photograph or document to be displayed within the frame is positioned, either itself or on a mounting board, so that the dimensions of the picture are sufficient to enable it easily to be inserted within the frame in its largest dimensional side, but, on that side of the frame where a lip has been provided around its inner periphery, the picture or its mounting board is of such a dimension that it cannot pass through the lip. A backing sheet, such as cardboard is usually located against the document in the direction away from the lip. Often a pane of glass having the same general dimensions as the document or its mounting board, that is, dimensions less than the side of the frame that has no lip but greater than the side that has the lip, is also provided between the display document and the frame.

As so mounted, the problem that exists is to retain the glass, display document and backing sheet in such position that they do not fall or cannot be easily removed from the frame through the larger dimensional side thereof. Such maintenance is usually accomplished by means of staples, which are placed about all sides of the frame at such distances that it will be impossible or at least difficult to remove the contents of the frame without removing or bending one or more of the staples. Thus, the staples are driven into the margins of the wooden frame and are, as so inserted or later bent, lo-

2 cated so that they bear against the backing sheet and retain it, the display document and the glass pane in position against the frame lip.

Staples are most advantageously inserted by machines that form staples from continuous wire. However, when a stapling machine such as that illustrated and described in the aforementioned Graf patent is utilized, the disappearing arbor that had been used to support the staple as it was being driven into work contact leaves scant clearance between the staple and the work. Thus, the disappearing arbor has a relatively long nose so that as it pivots downwardly it will nevertheless over an appreciable distance provide inward support for the staple legs that have been formed about it. However, such nose becomes an abutment extending toward the backing sheet. In such position the disappearing arbor must almost be brought into contact with the backing sheet, since the backing and the glass do not permit the nose of the disappearing arbor to extend further.

Shortening the nose of the arbor so as to permit it to extend no further than necessary in the formation of the staple results in the disappearance of that arbor shortly after the driver forces the staple down and past the nose of the arbor. In such position, however, the legs of the staple have then lost the internal support that had been provided by the disappearing arbor. Thus, when the staple legs begin to penetrate the wood or plastic picture frame, the resistance of the frame often becomes too great for the thin staple wire normally used. The result is that one or both legs of the staple collapse, which renders the staple at least partially inoperative. Moreover, if the collapsing leg of the staple is directed toward the backing sheet, it may well penetrate the backing or at least increase the pressure thereon to cause the glass pane to crack. Consequently, the problem has arisen of providing a staple which will be internally supported even in instances where the staple machine must operate in close proximity to the work and such that a long nose, disappearing arbor which would under other circumstances provide that support cannot be utilized.

We have solved the difficulties above referred to by providing a machine for repetitively deforming stock in which additional support means is located in at least one position thereof between the disappearing arbor and the work, e.g., the picture frame. This additional support means, which in an embodiment thereof may also be termed an arbor, supports the staple after the disappearing arbor has moved towards its retracted position and the staple is being moved by the driving means toward work contacting position. The additional support means is most preferably located in the slot formed by a spaced pair of elements that comprise the stock deforming means.

In one embodiment of the invention the additional arbor is stationary with respect to the frame or head of the stapling machine, so that the only relative movement between the deforming means and the driving means, on the one hand, and the additional support means is caused by movement of the driving means and deforming means. Such a stationary additional arbor is satisfactorily used to provide staples for framing pictures where the staples are never driven fully into the picture frame but are allowed to protrude from the frame and extend inwardly thereof so that they can perform the function of retaining the picture within the frame.

It will be apparent that with use of a stationary, supporting arbor, the staple or other deformed metal stock can never be driven past a distance where the remaining length of staple is greater than the thickness of the stationary arbor, which will remain between the legs and finally against the crown of the staple. Even when the staple need be driven no further, it will nevertheless be apparent that, where a plurality of staplesmust be inserted on one side, or indeed, on all four sides of a rectangular picture frame, the driven staple will then have to be disengaged from the stapling machine. Such disengagement will be accomplished by the machine operator, who will move the frame in a direction away from the machine thereby to free the staple from the stationary arbor nose. The operator will then usually move the frame laterally to the position for insertion of the next staple, and will once again move the frame transversely in the direction of the stapling machine to properly align the frame with the machine for a proper insertion of the next staple.

Since all excess movement on the part of the stapling machine operator detracts from the production speed, in still another embodiment of our invention the additional arbor, rather than being stationary, is itself mobile. In this preferred embodiment the additional arbor is capable of a sliding and reciprocatory motion so that, after the staple has been driven into, the picture frame to the predetermined degree of penetration, the nose of the additional arbor is automatically retracted from between the crown and legs of the staple. With the additional support means or arbor in its retracted position, the machine operator has no need to move the frame toward or away from the machine in order to free the staple from the nose of the additional arbor. Instead, all that is required of the operator is that he move the frame laterally to the next stapling location and then once again trip the machine, whereupon another staple will be formed about the disappearing arbor, driven past the disappearing arbor by the driver, further supported by the additional arbor, and then, in work contacting position, automatically be freed of the additional arbor.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when the invention is considered in connection with the embodiments of the best modes thereof known to us, which embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa primary embodiment of our stapling machine in operation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the stapling machine of FIG. 1 partly broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view ofa portion of the machine of FIG. 1, partly broken away;

FIG. 4 is a vertical elevational view along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are sequential views showing the operation of the embodiment, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention in which the sliding arbor of FIGS. 1 to 7 has been replaced with a stationary arbor.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, in that figure a stapling machine according to the present invention is generally denoted by reference numeral 10. The machine has a head 12 suitably'bolted or. otherwise affixed to a frame mounted on 4 a base (not shown) to support the machine on the floor or any similar support surface. Power is supplied to the machine head 12 by a motor drive indicated generally at 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stapling machine is mounted so that its head is in close proximity to a picture frame to which staples are in the process of being applied. The frame, indicated generally by reference numeral 16, has a forward lip 18 against which, in sequence, a glass pane 20, display document 22 and backing sheet 24 are pressed. For the purposes of illustration, two sides of the frame 16 have been removed. A staple 26 has already been inserted on the frame and closely adjacent to the backing sheet 24, having been so inserted by the stapling machine 10. The frame will then be laterally moved by the stapling machine operator until the machine is located at a position where anotherstaple is to be driven into the frame in substantial alignment with the first staple 26. When the staples have been inserted in this manner about the inner circumference of the frame, the glass pane 20, display document 22 and backing sheet 24 will be held in place with the necessary rigidity and abutting the lip 18 of frame 16.

The means that cause operation of the present apparatus are substantially the same as those illustrated and described in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,961;

With reference to FIG. 2 of the present drawings, the.

drive train and feed mechanism for the stapling'machine shown therein is substantially the same as thatillustrated and described in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,961,

the exception being in the provision of the sliding arbor and associated apparatus at the bottom of that figure. The disclosure of said patent is, where necessary, specifically incorporated by reference herein to augment the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, feed rollers 32 are connected by a gear train 34 to a drive shaft 36. The

drive gear 38 is fastened to the drive shaft 36 in axially spaced relation and independently of the crank disc 40, to which the drive shaft is splined. This results in the use of a smaller drive gear as is more particularly pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,961. A continuous stock of staple wire 42 is supplied between feed rolls 32 in the direction of arrow 44. The stock is fed until it extends completely under portions of the forming apparatus to a forward position 46; depression of the former bar acts to cut the stock at position 46, where the free end of the stock being fed will remain until the feed wheels 32 are again activated.

The mechanical structure by means of which the apparatus that severs the metal stock, forms it into the shape of a staple and drives it into contact with the work, in this case a picture frame, will be best apparent in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. In these figures it will be seen that the head 12 of the machine is formed with an elongated vertical track in which a staple former unit, also referred to as a stock deforming means, is capable of limited movement in a vertical direction. That spacer the body carries a stud 58 that extends in a direction away from spacer 56.

A driver, indicated by numeral 60 and also referred to hereinafter as driver means, includes a main driver body 62 to which has been splined a stud 64 of such size as will permit it to ride in the vertical slot 66 cut in the former body 55. By virtue of this stud-in-slot arrangement, the driver body and its associated parts are capable of movement with the former 50 but also independent of the former to the extent of the length of the slot in the former body. Downwardly of the driver body a driver rod 68 is pivotally mounted on the pin 70, the ends of which are secured in the driver body 62. The driver rod 68 has outwardly extending ridges 72 formed in its sides, which ridges cooperate with corresponding recesses 74 in the inner side walls of former elements 52 and 54. Because of such mating, vertical movement of the driver 60 causes corresponding movement of the driver rod 68 between the side walls of the deforming elements 52 and 54, such movement being limited by the abutment of the driver body 62 against the former plate 56 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and at the other extreme by the abutment of the driver stud 64 with the lower terminus of the slot 66 in the body of the former 50.

As the former 50 and driver 60 reciprocate vertically, they coact with two machine elements that are mounted on the head of the staple forming machine.

. These are disappearing arbor 80, which is exemplary of a first support means, and a sliding arbor 90, which is exemplary of additional support means as those terms are used in the claims hereinafter. The disappearing arbor is in the shape of a pawl pivotally mounted at 82 and movable between the position shown in FIG. 4 in which it is fully extended with its nose 84 beneath the former and driver, and another position in which it has been retracted so that the former and driver can pass by the nose of the disappearing arbor. Biased spring means 86 urges the disappearing arbor 80 into the position illustrated in FIG. 4, so that an outside force, which is provided by driver rod 68 as described later, is necessary to overcome the spring pressure and displace the arbor and its nose.

The sliding arbor 90 is also mounted on the machine head so as to be capable of sliding or reciprocatory motion in a plane perpendicular to the plane of motion of the former 50 and driver 60. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sliding arbor 90 terminates at one end in a tongue 96, which is of approximately the same lateral dimension as the nose 84 of the disappearing arbor 80. Both the nose of the disappearing arbor and the tongue of the sliding arbor are of approximately the width of the slot between the two former elements 52 and 54. So, as the former elements are depressed, there is room between the elements for the staple to be formed with its legs in recess 74 straddling the disappearing arbor 80 and, in sequence, the sliding arbor 90. The sliding arbor is normally in retracted position, being so urged by spring means 92, which exerts a constant pressure at the other end of a lever arm 94 fulcrumed at 82 and cooperatively engaging the sliding arbor 90 at the other end of the lever arm 94.

The operation of the driver and former to sever predetermined lengths of incoming metal stock, deform the stock into a staple, and drive the staple into the frame of a picture will best be seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. As illustrated specifically in FIG. 5, the staple 26 has been formed and is about to be driven down into the picture frame 16. The head 12 of the stapling machine is located close to the backing sheet 24 which, together with its display document 22 and glass pane 20, is closely adjacent the lip 18 of frame 16. The disappearing arbor 80 is in operative position, being biased toward that position by spring 86. The sliding arbor 90 is likewise in operative, supporting position, it having been moved to that position against the bias of spring 92 by movement of the detent 97, mounted on a lower portion of former unit body 55, riding up over lever 94. As shown, the staple 26 has not yet entered the frame 16 and has not yet been forced against nose 84 of disappearing arbor 80.

In FIG. 6 the driver and its driver rod 68 have been forced downwardly and the staple 26 has been driven into the frame 16. The driver rod 68 has been moved past the nose 84 of disappearing arbor 80, which has been forced into retracted position, and the staple, with its legs straddling the tongue 96 (best illustrated in another embodiment in FIG. 8 as part 102) of the sliding arbor, is in position in the frame 16. In FIG. 7 the apparatus is shown as returned to its initial position wherein it can begin another sequence of operations. Upon upward movement of the driver and former, the nose of the disappearing arbor has again been released so that it is biased by spring 86 into position below the slot defined by the former elements 52 and 54. Upon such upward movement of the former 50, detent 97 is slidingly moved along the lever arm 94 that controls motion of the sliding arbor and nests in depression 98 in said arm, which permits the bias spring 92 to urge the arm to pivot about pin 82 and withdraw the nose of the sliding arbor from between the legs of the staple. In the position of FIG. 7, the picture frame 16 can be moved laterally with respect to the stapling machine, since no part of the stapling machine is in restrictive contact with the staple or any other part of the frame.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 is different from that shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 in that the additional support means in the form of the sliding arbor has been replaced with a stationary arbor 100, which projects into the path of movement of staples. The stationary arbor is formed with an extended lug 102 integral with arbor block 104, that is mounted at the base of the machine head 12 by screws 106 that secure the alignment of the tongue 108 in groove 110 mating of the head and block. Where the particular use to which the subject stapling machine is to be put requires the substitution of one of the stationary and sliding arbors for the other, that substitution can be effected by replacing one of the stationary and sliding arbor blocks for the other after the screws holding it to the machine head have been removed. Of course, the lever arm and its bias spring must be present when the sliding arbor is used and absent or at least nonobstructive when the stationary arbor is in place.

One advantage of the stationary arbor illustrated in FIG. 8 is its ease of mounting on a machine head where only a disappearing arbor had been previously used. Thus, when the proximity to work makes necessary additional support means for the staples, the stationary arbor block can simply be attached to the head. When the need for the block is no longer present, the block can be unscrewed and reserved for later use. However, when the stationary arbor is used on a stapling machine for applying staples to picture frames, the staple illustrated in FIG. 7 will not be free of the head of said staplingmachine to permit lateral movement between the staple and the machine but the stationary arbor will remain between the legs and below the crown of the staple, thereby necessitating a transverse movement of the picture frame away from the machine prior to lateral 7 movement of the frame.

The foregoing illustrations and descriptions of two embodiments of our invention have been disclosed only for the purpose of showing forms the invention may assume. Modifications, alterations and equivalents of these forms will be apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the purview of the invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the following, appended claims.

We claim:

1. A machine for repetitively deforming a piece of stock, after it has been moved along a predetermined path into a deformation position, and driving deformed stock into work engaging position, comprising means for deforming pieces of stock, means for driving said deformed stock into work engaging position, means for guiding movement of said deforming means and said driving means along paths intersecting the path of said stock, first support means movable between an extended position in which it is disposed in the path of said deforming means and cooperates therewith in the deformation of stock and retracted position in which it is withdrawn from said path and permits deformed stock to move freely in the direction of the work, and additional support means located in a position between said first support means and a portion of the work to receive said deformed stock, in such position said additional support means furnishes support for said deformed stock in conjunction with said first support means as said stock is moved toward work engaging position and constitutes sole support for said stock after said first support means has been moved toward its retracted position and said stock is in contact with said work, said first support means and said additional support means both being arranged within said machine so that they are on the same side of said deformed stock thereby enabling said machine to be disposed in close relationship to the work during the entire stock deformation procedure.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for moving said additional support means between its position in engagement with the deformed stock and a retracted position, said additional support means being moved into its retracted position after the deformed stock has been driven into engagement with the work.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for deforming pieces of stock also severs a length of stock into individual lengths forming such pieces.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said deforming means is comprised of a spaced pair of elements connected for simultaneous movement and defining between them an elongated slot in which the length of stock is deformed.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, in which said first support means in its extended position in operative relation to said deforming means moves in said slot and between the elements of said deforming means so that a length of stock is disposed between said first support means and said elements.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, in which said driving means is mounted for reciprocation in said slot in a stroke direction toward said work to contact a deformed length of stock in the slot and move it past said first support means in the direction of the work, and in a return direction prior to another stroke.

8 7. A machine for repetitively deforming stock moving along a predetermined path and driving such deformed stock into a position in which it contacts work at a location thereof to be stapled, where an upstanding portion of said work is generally parallel to the path of movement of said stock and spaced in close proximity thereto, such machine including a head containing means for cutting and deforming lengths of stock into staples, means for driving said staples individually into work at a work stapling location, means for guiding movement of said deforming means and said driving,

means along paths intercepting the paths of said stock, first support means movable between an extended position in which it is disposed in the path of said deforming means and cooperates therewith to deform stock, and a retracted position in which it has moved in a direction away from said upstanding work portion and permits a staple to move past it in the direction of the work stapling location, additional support means located in at least one position thereof between said first support means and said stapling location of said work to furnish support for said staple in conjunction with said first support means and as said staple is moved toward the work and sole support after said first support means has tended position in which it supports said staple and a retracted position out of the path of movement of said staple, said moving means being located on that side of r i said head away from said upstanding work portion, said first and said additional support means in fully extended supporting positions being located within the plane of that side of said head toward said upstanding work portion so that said head can be disposed in close relationship to said upstanding work portion during all parts of the stapling procedure. 7

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, in which said means for moving said additional support means be-. tween extended and retracted positions includes a pivotable lever arm engaging said additional support means and normally biased to urge said means outward away from said upstanding work portion out of staple supporting position, and a detent controlled by movement on said driving means for forcing said lever arm away from its biased position and said additional support means into staple supporting position when said driving means has forced a staple into a position adjacent to said additional support means.

9. A machine for repetitively deforming a piece of stock, after it has been moved along a predetermined path into a deformation position, and driving said deformed stock into work engaging position, comprising! means for deforming said piece of stock, means for driving said deformed stock into work engaging position, means for guiding movement of said deforming means and said driving means along paths intersecting the path of said stock, first support means movable between an extended position in which it is disposed in the path of said deforming means and cooperates the rewith in the deformation of stock and retracted position in which it is withdrawn from said path and permits deformed stock to move freely in the direction of the work, and additional support means located in a posi-. tion between said first support means and a portion of the work to receive said deformed stock, in such posi-. tion said additional support furnishes support forsaid:

means as said stock is moved toward work engaging po- 10 only relative movement between the deforming means and the driving means, on the one hand, and the additional support means is caused by the movement of said driving means and said deforming means.

Claims

7. A machine for repetitively deforming stock moving along a predetermined path and driving such deformed stock into a position in which it contacts work at a location thereof to be stapled, where an upstanding portion of said work is generally parallel to the path of movement of said stock and spaced in close proximity thereto, such machine including a head containing means for cutting and deforming lengths of stock into staples, means for driving said staples individually into work at a work stapling location, means for guiding movement of said deforming means and said driving means along paths intercepting the paths of said stock, first support means movable between an extended position in which it is disposed in the path of said deforming means and cooperates therewith to deform stock, and a retracted position in which it has moved in a direction away from said upstanding work portion and permits a staple to move past it in the direction of the work stapling location, additional support means located in at least one position thereof between said first support means and said stapling location of said work to furnish support for said staple in conjunction with said first support means and as said staple is moved toward the work and sole support after said first support means has moved toward its retracted position, and means for moving said additional support means between an extended position in which it supports said staple and a retracted position out of the path of movement of said staple, said moving means being located on that side of said head away from said upstanding work portion, said first and said additional support means in fully extended supporting positions being located within the plane of that side of said head toward said upstanding work portion so that said head can be disposed in close relationship to said upstanding work portion during all parts of the stapling procedure.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, in which said means for moving said additional support means between extended and retracted positions includes a pivotable lever arm engaging said additional support means and normally biased to urge said means outward away from said upstanding work portion out of staple supporting position, and a detent controlled by movement on said driving means for forcing said lever arm away from its biased position and said additional support means into staple supporting position when said driving means has forced a staple into a position adjacent to said additional support means.

9. A machine for repetitively deforming a piece of stock, after it has been moved along a predetermined path into a deformation position, and driving said deformed stock into work engaging position, comprising means for deforming said piece of stock, means for driving said deformed stock into work engaging position, means for guiding movement of said deforming means and said driving means along paths intersecting the path of said stock, first support means movable between an extended position in which it is disposed in the path of said deforming means and cooperates therewith in the deformation of stock and retracted position in which it is withdrawn from said path and permits deformed stock to move freely in the direction of the work, and additional support means located in a position between said first support means and a portion of the work to receive said deformed stock, in such position said additional support furnishes support for said deformed stock in conjunction with said first support means as said stock is moved toward work engaging position and constitutes sole support for said stock after said first support means has been moved toward its retracted position and said stock is in contact with said work, said additional support means being stationary with respect to the frame of the machine so that the only relative movement between the deforming means and the driving means, on the one hand, and the additional support means is caused by the movement of said driving means and said deforming means.