US3739973A

US3739973A - Stapling machine

Info

Publication number: US3739973A
Application number: US00158412A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Abrams
Original assignee: Arrow Fastener Co LLC
Current assignee: Arrow Fastener Co LLC
Priority date: 1971-06-30
Filing date: 1971-06-30
Publication date: 1973-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-19

Abstract

This stapling machine embodies two improvements over prior staplers. It has means to prevent the lower front ends of the side walls of the staple magazine body from spreading apart. It also has means to prevent the lower end of the driven staples from swinging rearwardly, when using short staples, such as are used when stapling insulated electric wires to a base.

Description

United States Patent Abrams 11 June 19, 1973 [54] lsTAPLlNG MACHINE 2,603,782 7 1952 Spencer 227 132 2,671,215 3/1954 Abram 227 I32 [75] lnvemo Abrams Great Neck 2,754,515 7 1956 King.... 2271132 [73] Assignee: Arrow Fastener Co Inc Saddle 3,182,878 5 1965 Abrams 227 120 x Brook, NJ. Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, .Ir. Filfidl June 30, mgy Felshin [21] App1.No.: 158,412

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S.Cl. 227/120, 227/132 This pling machine embodies two improvements [51] Int. Cl. B251: 5/06 Over pri pl r I h s means to prevent the lower [58] Field of Search 227/109, 120, 132, front e of e Side alls of the staple magazine body 227/134, 146 from spreading apart. It also has means to prevent the lower end of the driven staples from swinging rear- [5 6] Referen e Cited wardly, when using shortstaples, such as are used when UNITED STATES PATENTS stapling insulated electric wires to a base.

2,617,097 11/1952 Spencer 227/132 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 2a y f 97 I! g; 1 1 9/ 4" 1 1 1' 1 Z!-= /flZ r ,63 ,1! 2 4v! I 22 F 1' w M Z706,\" 1

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PATENIEB .m I a ma SIEEIIUZ INVENTOR.

PAIENImJumma 3.739873 sum 2 ur 2 f ENVEIZNTOR.

F IG. 7 flaw/s 48164415 STAPLING MACHINE This invention relates to stapling machines.

An object of this invention is to improve stapling machines such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,515 dated July 17, 1955 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,215 dated Mar. 9, 1954.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stapling machine of the character described having means to prevent the front lower ends of the side walls of the staple magazine body from spreading apartwhile driving staples.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a stapling machine of the character described, means to prevent the lower ends of the driven staples, which are substantially shorter than the height of the magazine body, from swinging rearwardly as they are moved down by the plunger, below the staple strip, and before they start penetrating the base or work piece.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable staple machine of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, safe in use and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrative embodiments of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a vertical side elevational view of a staple machine embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in cross-section;

F162 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the stapling machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial, cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5 -5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6. I

Referring now in detail to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates a spring-actuated type of stapler embodying the invention. The stapler 10 is similar to that disclosed in said prior U.S. Pat. nos. 2,754,515 and 2,671,215, except for the novel staple magazine and several other features of construction, described hereinbelow and reference is hereby made to said prior patents for a more detailed disclosure of the stapler mechanisrn which is common to both said prior patents as well as to the present stapler.

The stapler 10 comprises a body or housing 11 comprising a pair of similar, symmetrically disposed parts 12' having meeting edges 14 along a longitudinal vertical plane through the middle of the body. The body is formed with a hand hole 15. It is open at the bottom and at its front end and at the forward portion of its upper end. Each of the body portions 12 has a side wall 16 from which extend inwardly, curved portions 17 forming said hand hole 15. At the lower end of each of the side walls 16 is a longitudinal bottom edge 18. The

side walls 16 have rear ends 19. The upper portion of the rear end of the said walls 16 and the top portions thereof are curved as at 20 meeting along the meeting plane 14. At their forward ends, side walls 16 are formed with vertical shoulders 21 from which extend forwardly side walls 22 spaced further apart than side walls 16.

The side walls 22 have forward edges 23. The shoulder 21 has an intermediate semi-circular shoulder portion 21a. At the axis of shoulder portions 21a, side walls 22 are formed with aligned through-openings 24. The wall portions 20 are upwardly curved as at 20a at their forward ends. Extending from the upper ends of walls 20a are forwardly and upwardly inclined edges 25 merging with a downwardly curved edge 26 from which extend downwardly and forwardly, inclined edges 27. The edges 27 extend down to the forward edges 23. Forward edges 23 are formed with longitudinal grooves 23a for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The side wall portions 22 are formed adjacent the curved edges 26 with aligned through-openings 28.

Fitted over the front of the body is a front nose piece 32. Nose piece 32 may be-made of hardened steel. It comprises a front wall 33 from which extend rearwardly parallel side walls or flanges 34. The front wall 33 has a bottom edge 35. The side walls 34 have bottom edges 36 in the same plane as edges 35. The front wall 33 has a forwardly pressed substantially rectangular portion 38 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. Furthermore, said wall 33 is formed below the forwardly spaced portion 38 with a. pair of parallel horizontally aligned vertical slots 39..

At the upper end of the front wall 33 is an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall 40 contacting the inclined edges and extending about half way up said edges. Said side walls or flanges 34 contact the outer surfaces of the side walls 22 of the body. Side walls 34 are formed at their rear ends with rear edges 41 extending upwardly from the lower edges 36. The rear edges 41 extend substantially from the lower ends of the semicircular shoulder portion 21a. Extending from edges 41 are edges 42 following the semi-circular shoulder portions 21a. Extending downwardly and forwardly of the semi-circular edges 42 are inclined edges 43. Extending forwardly from the edges 43 are edges 44 disposed below slots b in side walls 22. Extending upwardly from the front ends of edges 44 are vertical edges 45. Extending from the upper ends of edges 45 are rearwardly inclined edges 46 from which extend edges 47 located around and spaced from openings in side walls 22. Edges 47 extend up to the upper end of thefront wall 33. The upper ends of the side walls 34 thus comprise ears 48 and they are formed with openings 49 registering with openings in the side wall portions 22, referred to hereinafter.

Extending through the registering openings 28, is a shaft 50 riveted at its ends as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The portion of the side walls 34 bounded by edges 42, 43 comprises cars 51 formed with through openings 51a registering with the openings 24 in the side wall portions 22. Extending through registering openings 24, 51 is a bolt 53. Bolt 53 is removable, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. It will now be understood that shaft 50 and bolt 53 serve to attach nose piece 32 to the front of the body.

Mounted on the body 11 is a bottom stop member 55. Said bottom stop member 55 is a metal plate and may be hardened. It is in horizontal position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and has side flanges 55a passing through slots 55b in side walls 22.

Attached onto the top surface of the bottom stop 55 is a shock absorber 60 of the same shape as member 55 and overlying the same and made of either rubber, plastic or any other suitable material to absorb shocks.

Mounted on and between wall portions 22 is a top stop 61. Top stop 61 is formed with a plurality of downwardly pressed lips 63 arranged in a circle, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. Top stop 61 is disposed above the bottom stop 55 and its shock absorber 60.

Slidably mounted within the front of the body and between side walls 22 and adjacent the front wall of the nose piece 32, is a plunger member 65. The same comprises a plunger cup 66 made ofa single sheet of metal, die cut and pressed to the shape shown in the drawing. The cup 66 has a front wall 67 from which extends rearwardly a wall 68. Extending upwardly from the rear of wall 68 is a rear wall 69. Extending rearwardly from the front wall 67 are side walls 70. The side walls 70 are formed with rearwardly extending hooks 70a having upwardly and rearwardly inclined under edges 70b located substantially midway between the front and rear ends of said side walls.

It will be noted that the cup is open at its upper end. lnserted within the cup and contacting the bottom wall 68 is the lower end of a coil compression spring 72, the upper end of which contacts the underside of the top stop 61. The downwardly pressed lips 63 are received within the upper end of spring 72. Riveted to the front wall 67 as by rivet 73 is a driver blade 74 passing through registering slots in the bottom stop 55 and the shock absorber 60, respectively. The head of the rivet 73 may be moved through the recess formed by the forwardly pressed wall 38.

The front wall 67 has a forwardly pressed lip 75 contacting the upper edge of the blade 74. Also the front wall 67 has side extensions 77 received within the groove 23a and contacting the rear surface of the front wall 33. It will now be understood that the compression spring 72 presses the plunger downwardly.

Means is provided for raising and releasing the plunger 65 to drive a staple from the magazine. To this end there is pivoted on the shaft 50 a handle 85. Handle 85 has a top wall 86 from which extend side flanges 87. Said flanges 87 are formed with through openings through which the shaft 50 passes. The said side flanges 87 fit over the side walls 34 of the front nose piece. The top wall 86 has a forwardly and downwardly inclined extension 89 contacting the inclined edges 27. The lower end of flange 89 substantially meets the upper end of flange 40. On shaft 50 and within the body is a torsion spring 91, one arm of which contacts the underside of the top wall of the handle and the other arm of which engages the back of top stop 61. Thus the torsion spring 91 tends to raise the handle.

Attached to the underside of the handle, rearwardly of the shaft 50, is a saddle 92 formed with a pair of downwardly extending apertured flanges 93 carrying a transverse pivot pin 94. Pivoted to the pivot pin 94 and disposed within the flanges 93 is a link 95. Link 95 has a pair of side walls 96 interconnected by a rear web 97. The lower ends of side walls 96 carry a transverse pivot pin 98. Side walls 16 of the body members 11 are formed with aligned openings registering with openings 49 and carrying a transverse pivot pin 100 disposed below and forwardlyof the pivot pin 98.

Pivoted to the pivot pin 100 is a lever 10]. Lever 10! comprises side flanges 102 interconnected by a bottom web 103. Side walls 102 have upwardly and rearwardly extending arms formed with openings through which the pivot pin 98 passes. Said side walls 102 also have downwardly and forwardly inclined arms carrying a transverse pivot pin 105. Pivoted to the pivot pin 105 is the upper end of link 106. Link 106 has side walls 107 interconnected by front web 108. On the pivot pin 105 is a torsion spring 109 having one arm engaging the front edge of the web 103 and a second arm contacting the back of the web 108. Thus torsion spring 109 tends to swing the link 106 forwardly.

The side walls 16 of the body members 11 are formed with aligned through-openings through which pass a transverse pivot pin 110. Pivoted on the pivot' pin 110 is a trigger member 111. Trigger member 111 has side walls 112 interconnected by a bottom web 113. Side walls 112 are formed adjacent their rear ends with kidney shaped openings 114 through which pivot pin 110 passes. These kidney shaped openings 114 are somewhat elongated but have a notch 1 15 at their rear lower ends, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The side walls 1 12 are in alignment with the side walls of the cup 66. Said side walls 112 have at their forward ends upwardly projecting pointed portions 116 engaging under edges 70b of the hook 70a. Said side walls 112 are formed with aligned through openings rearwardly of the pointed portions 116 carrying a transverse pivot pin 119. The lower ends of the side walls 107 of the links 106 are formed with apertures through which the pivot pin passes.

It will be noted that the torsion spring 109 normally tends to press the trigger 111 forwardly so that the pivot pin 110 is located at the rear end of the slots 114 and is engaged within the offset portions 115 of said slots.

When the handle is in its normal up position and the plunger 65 rests on the shock absorber 60, the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing. When it is desired to operate the device, the handle 85 is depressed causing the handle to swing downwardly about the shaft 50. Link is then pushed downwardly to rotate the lever 10] in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin to raise the link 106 and thus swing the trigger 111 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 1 10 to raise the plunger 65. As the plunger is raised, the pointed ends of the trigger slide upwardly and rearwardly along the under edges 70b of the hooks 70a. At a predetermined point in the vertical movement of the plunger, the pointed ends 116 move beyond the hooks and permit the compressed spring 72 to cause the plunger to descend and at the same time the driver blade will push out the foremost staple in the staple magazine. As the plunger descends the hook 70a will move down below the pointed ends 116. When the handle is released the trigger 111 will swing in a counterclockwise direction down with the upward movement of the handle.

The forward edges of the flanges 112 adjacent the pointed ends 116 are curved or cammed downwardly and rearwardly as at 117. As the cammed edges 117 contact the downwardly and forwardly curved or cammed edges 70b of the hooks 70a (see FIG. 1), the trigger 111 is pushed rearwardly against the tension of the torsion spring so that the trigger will by-pass the hooks a. During such movement the shaft of the pivot pin will move out of the offset portion of the kidney shaped slot 114.

Elongation of the slot 1 l4 permits the trigger to move back. However, as soon as the pointed end 116 passes below the hook 70a, torsion spring 109 will again snap the trigger forwardly and the pivot pin 117 will again snap into the offset portions 115 of the slots 114 and then the tacker will again be in the position shown in FIG. 1.

At the lower end of the housing 11 is a staple magazine 130. Said staple magazine comprises a staple magazine body 131 having a bottom wall 132 from which vertical side walls 133 extend upwardly in spaced relation to side walls 22 of the body members 12. The upper ends 134 of side walls 133 are curved inwardly. The bottom wall terminates at its front end rearwardly of wall 33 of the nose piece 32, as indicated by numeral 135. At the front ends of side walls 133 are flange extensions 136 passing through slots 39, to support the front end of the staple magazine to the body 11.

At its rear end, side walls 133 have apertured ears 140 engaging a through bolt 141 which passes through suitable openings in the housing 11, to removably attach the rear end of the magazine to said housing.

Attached to the bottom wall 132 of magazine body 131 is a central staple guide 145 extending longitudinally of the body. Said staple guide 145 has a bottom wall 146 riveted as by rivets 147 to bottom wall 132. Extending up from bottom wall 146 are side walls 148 spaced inwardly from walls 133 and having upper edges 149 spaced below the inwardly turned edges 134 of the staple magazine body 131.

A staple strip 150 rides on the staple guide 145 and its staple have webs 151 riding on said upper edges 149, and legs 152 riding in the spaces between side walls 148 and side walls 133. A spring pressed staple strip pusher mechanism of well known construction pushes the staple strip forwardly to press the forwardmost staple against the front wall 33 of the nose piece 32 (when the plunger 74 is raised above the staple strip). As the plunger is then moved downwardly, this foremost staple is driven.

Since the forward ends of the side walls 133 of the magazine body 131 extends forwardly of the bottom wall 132, it has been found that the lower ends thereof sometimes have a tendency to spread apart, below flanges 136.

Means is provided to overcome this difficulty. To this end, the front wall 33 of nose piece 32 is formed at its lower end with a pair of rearwardly punched, vertical lugs or projections disposed in planes just outside of side walls133, and engaging the forward end of said side walls below the flanges or wings 136, and thereby prevent said side walls from spreading apart while sta' ples are being driven.

When short leg staples are used, it has been found that when the foremost staple is being driven, it must move through a substantial distance before the lower ends of the legs of the staple reach the base or work piece. This is true of stapling machines for stapling wires to a wall or floor etc. It has been found that with such machines, the lower end of the foremost staple, as it is being driven, has a tendency to swing rearwardly. Means is hence provided to obviate this difficulty. To this end, the side walls 133 of the body 132 of the staple magazine are punched inwardly to provide vertical aligned lugs or projections disposed in the plane of the staple next to the foremost staple in the staple strip, and below the lower ends of the legs of the staples in the staple strip. With such construction, as the fore most staple is being driven downwardly, its legs will en gage in front of the lugs 175 to prevent said foremost, driven staple from swinging back, and to ensure that said staple is driven vertically in the direction of the movement of the plunger and in its plane, without changing directions.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative.

I claim:

1. A stapling machine comprising a housing, a staple magazine comprising a magazine body in said housing, a staple strip guide fixed to said staple magazine body, said magazine body having side walls, and means to prevent said side walls from spreading apart at their lower front ends, said prevent means comprising lugs on the housing engaging outer surface of the lower front ends of said side walls of said magazine body.

2. The combination of claim 1, said housing of the stapling machine having a front wall formed with parallel slots, said side walls of the magazine body having flanges above their lower ends, received in said slots, said lugs extending rearwardly from said front wall and disposed below said slots to engage said outer surfaces of the lower front ends of said side walls of the staple magazine body.

3. The combination of claim 2,. said magazine body comprising a bottom wall interconnecting the lower ends of said side walls thereof, said bottom wall terminating short of the forward ends of said side walls of said magazine body.

4. The combination of claim 1, said staple strip guide having means to slidably support a staple strip, plunger means to drive the foremost staple of the strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end of said foremost staple in the staple strip, from swinging rearwardly as it is being driven by said plunger means.

5. The combination of claim 4, said means to prevent rearward swinging of the driven staple, comprising lugs on the side walls of the staple magazine body, extending inwardly therefrom, in a plane just rearwardly of the path of driven staple, and located at the lower ends of said side walls, to engage the rear of the lower ends of the legs of the driven staple as said staple is being driven.

6. A stapling machine comprising a staple housing, a staple magazine in said housing, said magazine comprising a body having parallel side walls, a staple strip guide fixed within said magazine body, to guide a staple strip between said body and guide, means to drive the foremost staple in said staple strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end of the legs the foremost staple, from swinging rearwardly as it is being driven by said driving means, said prevent means comprising lugs on said side walls of said staple magazine body, projecting inwardly in a plane just rearwardly of the foremost staple in the staple strip and adapted to engage the rear sides of the legs of said foremost driven staple, as said staple is being driven.

7. The combination of claim 6, said lugs being located near the lower ends of said side walls.

8. The combination of claim 1, said housing comprising a pair of housing parts, means to attach said housing parts together, a nose piece at the front of said housing parts, said nose piece having a front wall, said prevent means comprising a pair of lugs extending rearwardly from said front wall and engaging outer sides of the side walls of said magazine body adjacent front ends of lower edges of said side walls, said side walls being interconnected by a bottom wall, the front edge of which is spaced rearwardly of the front ends of said side walls.

9. The combination of claim 10, a staple strip guide fixed to said bottom wall and having side walls spaced inwardly of the side walls of said magazine body, and

lugs at the inner sides of the side walls of said magazine body, projecting inwardly and located in a plane spaced from said front wall of said nose piece and adapted to back up the legs of a driven staple, as said staple is being driven.

10. The combination of claim 2, said staple strip guide having means to slidably support a staple strip, plunger means to drive the foremost staple of the strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end of said foremost staple in the staple strip, from swinging rearwardly as it is being driven by said plunger means, said means to prevent rearward swinging of the driven staple, comprising lugs on the side walls of the staple magazine body, extending inwardly therefrom, in a plane just rearwardly of the path of driven staple, and located at the lower ends of said side walls, to engage the rear of the lower ends of the legs of the driven staple as said staple is being driven.

Claims

3. The combInation of claim 2, said magazine body comprising a bottom wall interconnecting the lower ends of said side walls thereof, said bottom wall terminating short of the forward ends of said side walls of said magazine body.

9. The combination of claim 10, a staple strip guide fixed to said bottom wall and having side walls spaced inwardly of the side walls of said magazine body, and lugs at the inner sides of the side walls of said magazine body, projecting inwardly and located in a plane spaced from said front wall of said nose piece and adapted to back up the legs of a driven staple, as said staple is being driven.