Elongated-member-driving apparatus – With means to move or guide member into driving position – Including supply magazine for constantly urged members
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2001-10-09
Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)
Elongated-member-driving apparatus
With means to move or guide member into driving position
Including supply magazine for constantly urged members
C227S121000, C227S155000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299047
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a stapler having a magazine and staples guided therein under spring tension and fed thereby to an ejection channel. The staple located in the region of the ejection channel is thrust out of the ejection channel and through the material to be stapled by a thrust blade. The legs of the staple are bent when the thrust blade ejects the staple against a stapling material support having a slit-like perforation and an apparatus for flat-clinch stapling, both of which are located below the ejection channel.
In flat-clinched stapling, staple legs penetrate vertically through the material to be stapled and, subsequently, are bent over at right angles. In other words, the free lengths of the legs are bent over virtually parallel into the plane of the material to be stapled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,025 to Eriksson discloses a generic type stapler described above. The stapler possesses a stapling material support with a slit-like perforation having n associated apparatus for flat-clinch stapling. These staplers have proved their value, as have the staplers whose stapling plates have shaped stampings on their upper sides for legs of the ejected staples. Such a stapler is disclosed, for example, in German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application 21 19 484.
The configuration has a disadvantage that the staple legs are given a curved shape in the stamping after passing through the stapling material. As a result of their shape, the legs bent over below the stapled material protrude, creating undesirable protrusions when the stapled material is placed in a file. Although the defect is absent in flat-clinch stapling, flat-clinch stapling is unsuitable for the stapling material of relatively low thickness (i.e., a few sheets of paper) because the risk of unintentional staple release cannot be eliminated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a stapler that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that can be optionally used for flat-clinch stapling or for external and/or internal stapling.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a stapler, including an upper part having a thrust blade, an ejection channel and a magazine for guiding staples within the ejection channel under spring tension and for feeding the staples to the ejection channel, a staple located at the ejection channel thrust out of the ejection channel and through the material to be stapled by the thrust blade, a base plate connected to the upper part and a stapling plate having an upper side for receiving staple legs, the upper side having a slit-like perforation and shaped stampings for flat-clinch stapling, and disposed below the ejection channel, the stapling plate being selected from the group consisting of a rotating stapling plate, a sliding stapling plate and a divided stapling plate.
The object of the invention is achieved in that the stapling material support is a stapling plate of rotating or sliding or divided configuration and has shaped stampings on its upper side for receiving the staple legs.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the stapling plate has projecting, shaped, outer gripping edges, and the gripping edges have shaped portions.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the stapler has a platform defining a guide groove attached to the base plate and the stapling plate has a C-shaped cross section and is guided by its mutually facing inner webs in the guide groove, the guide groove being closed on one side in the longitudinal direction and, thus, serving as a stop position for the stapling plate.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the stapling plate has two parts, one part being fixed and one part sliding or folding. In a preferred embodiment, the folding part has a hinge connection for external or internal stapling.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the folding part can be locked in the functional and standby positions by a clip connection. The folding part can be pivotably connected to the base plate.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the folding part is mounted on the base plate by an angled portion.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a stapler including an upper part having a thrust blade, an ejection channel and a magazine for guiding staples within the ejection channel under spring tension and for feeding the staples to the ejection channel, a staple located at the ejection channel thrust out of the ejection channel and through the material to be stapled by the thrust blade, a base plate connected to the upper part by a sliding pivoting mount and a stapling plate connected to the base plate for receiving staple legs and having a slit-like perforation and shaped stampings for flat-clinch stapling, and disposed below the ejection channel.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the stapling plate is fixedly mounted on the base plate and the upper part with the magazine and the thrust blade is slidingly and pivotably mounted, the sliding pivoting mount being a connecting pivot and a bearing block having a slot, the bearing block being connected to the base plate, and the upper part being slidingly and pivotably mounted in the slot on the connecting pivot.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the upper part is mounted to be able to slide in a slot in the bearing block, the slot extending parallel to the underside of the base plate.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the upper part is connected to the base plate by a sliding connecting pivot.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the length of the slot corresponds to the distance between the slit-like perforation and the shaped stampings.
Advantageously, the central distance between the end positions of the sliding connecting pivot corresponds to the central distance between the slit-like perforation and the stampings.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the connecting pivot in the slot has at least two latching positions and a latching member, preferably a latching spring, configured to retain the connecting pivot in the selected position in the slot.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the base plate is connected to the upper part by a yaw pivot bearing for pivotally moving the upper part with respect to the base plate. The slit-like perforation and the shaped stampings are in line with each other and the pivoting travel of the upper part in the region of the ejection channel is adapted to engage the thrust blade and both the slit-like perforation and the shaped stampings with a staple.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, a horizontally pivotable bearing block receives the upper part, the pivot travel of the upper part in the region of the ejection channel being adapted to the slit-like perforation and the shaped stampings, which are flush with one another.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the bearing block can be raised from each latching position in order to pivot it. For latching in the respective position, corresponding latching members are configured on the lower side of the bearing block and on the upper side of the base plate.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the bearing block is pivoted about a pivot bearing disposed on the base plate.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a stapler, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and me
Ghibely Bruno
Taubken Werner
Willenbrock Hans
Erwin Mueller GmbH & Co
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Smith Scott A.
Stemer Werner H.
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