Elongated-member-driving apparatus – With means to move or guide member into driving position – Including supply magazine for constantly urged members
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-06
2004-01-06
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
C227S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672499
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a top loading staple cassette that has a top piece removable engaged with the top opening of the cover on the base member and staples are inserted from a top of the cassette.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional staple cassette
10
for staplers is disclosed in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, and generally includes a base member
12
having two side walls
122
on a top thereof and a plurality of connection protrusions
121
extend laterally from two sides of the base member
12
. A cover
11
has two side walls and a close top, and a plurality of holes
111
are defined through the side walls of the cover
11
so that the cover
11
may be mounted to the base member
12
with the two side walls
122
of the base member
12
located inside of the two side walls of the cover
11
, and the protrusions
121
engaged with the holes
111
. A slot
113
is defined through an end of the close top of the cover
11
so that a pushing plate (not shown) connected to an arm of the stapler is movably inserted in the slot
113
. A cap
14
includes a rod
141
which is connected to a head
142
. Two lugs
144
extend from a side of the head
142
and each of which has a hook
143
on an outside thereof The hooks
143
are engaged with positioning holes
112
defined in the two side walls of the cover
11
. A spring
15
is mounted to the rod
141
and a pushing member
13
has a connection port
132
which is connected to a distal end of the spring
15
so that the staples
123
mounted across the two side walls
122
are urged by the two sides
131
of the pushing member
13
.
When reloading the staples
123
, the cover
11
is disengaged from the base member
12
and put a stack of staples
123
across the two side walls
122
. The cover
11
is then engaged with the base member
12
again. Nevertheless, because the spring
15
applies a force to the head
142
so that the hooks
143
could disengage from the positioning holes
112
. Once the head
142
is disengaged from the cover
11
, the spring
15
will bounce away and the user has to spend a lot of time to find it back. Therefore, the manufacturers firmly engage the hooks
143
with the positioning holes
112
, once the staples are completely empty, a new set of cassette with pre-loaded staples is replaced. Obviously, this is not an ideal way to used because the whole set of the base member
12
and the cover
11
with the cap
14
are discarded every time replacing a new stack of staples.
The present invention intends to provide a staple cassette wherein the staples can be re-loaded from a top opening of the cassette without pivoting the cover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a staple cassette for staplers and the cassette comprises a base member having two side walls and two flanges extend from two sides of the base member. A first hook extends from an underside of the base member and is located close to a first end of the base member. An opening is defined through the underside of the base member and located close to a second end of the base member.
A pushing member is movably mounted onto the two side walls of the base member and has a second hook extending from an underside of the top. A spring has a first end hooked to the first hook on the base member and a second end of the spring extends through the opening and is engaged with the second hook on the pushing member.
A cover is mounted to the base member and includes a top and two side walls. A slot is defined through the top of the cover and an opening is defined through the top of the cover. The two side walls of the base member are located between the two side walls of the cover. A top piece is slidably engaged with the opening.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3883064 (1975-05-01), Hilgers
patent: 4826066 (1989-05-01), Koester et al.
patent: 5655697 (1997-08-01), Yeh
patent: 5931364 (1999-08-01), Dennis
patent: 5931365 (1999-08-01), Huang
patent: 6062456 (2000-05-01), Patti et al.
patent: 6494356 (2002-12-01), Frank
patent: 6550660 (2003-04-01), Chlebowski et al.
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Smith Scott A.
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