US1948096A - Staple extractor - Google Patents

Description

Feb.

J. F. CAV

STAPLE EXTRACT Filed Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES-PATENT oFncE 1,948,098 I STAPLE EXTBACTOB John F. Cavanagh, Providence, R. 1., assignor to Boston Wire Stitcher Company, Portland, Maine, a. corporation of Maine Application December 18. 1931 Serial No. 581,818

9 Claims. (01. 254-28) '15 Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type specified having means for insertion under the head of the staple to press against the work and other means movable relatively thereof to withdraw the staple without 22 crinkling or buckling the paper or other work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type specified which is operative to withdraw or extract the staple by causing its clinched legs to be straightened without tearing or multilating the paper or other articles held by the staple.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type specifled'which is operative to extract or withdraw the staple without buckto ling or bending its head or crossbar so as to prevent tearing the paper or other articles held together by the staple.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes a 85 preferred form of construction of the device, by

way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the present improved staple-extracting device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the jaws of the device showing-a portion of the insertion beak or blade in section and illustrating the parts in position at the completion of the withdrawal of the staple; Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the device looking toward the jaws;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the jaw end of the device;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the relation, of the parts of the device in the first operationoi extracting the staple; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the parts in position as the staple is being withdrawn from the work. I 56 As before indicated, my invention is prefer- One object of the invention is to provide a.

ably embodied in a device taking the form '0: a

,pair of pliers having pivoted laws which are moved relatively of each other under manual pressure on their handles. One jaw of the implement is provided with a beak-like blade adapted for insertion under the head or crossbar of the staple and the other jaw carries hook-like projections normally seated in recesses in the blade and adapted to be lifted with respect there- I to to pry the staple upwardly as the blade is pressed down against the work.

To render the 'device light in weight and economical to manufacture its parts are preferably constructed of sheet-metal struck up in dies and shaped to the form as hereinafter'describecl. The

main'operating members 2 and 3 of the pliers are of conventional shape, being of channel form with curved handles 4 and 5 which are preferably knurled on their rounded exterior surfaces to provide a secure hand-hold. One member 2 is cut away at 6 and arranged with the' other member 3 passing through the opening and pivoted to its sides by means of a stud or rivet 7. A wire spring 10 is coiled around the pivot-stud or rivet 7 with its opposite legs 11 arranged in the hollow portions of the handles a and 6, whereby the tension of the spring tends to spread the handles apart to open the jaws of the pliers.

The jaws 12 and 13 of the members 2 and 3 of the pliers are of similar channel-like-construction having opposite side walls with relatively flat bottom plates 14 and 15 arranged in opposite relationship and carrying the two operating elements of the staple-extracting means to be next described. I

Riveted to the underside of the bottom plate 14 of the jaw 12 at 16 is a flat plate 1'! which proiects forwardly therefrom and is then bent downwardly at right-angles in the vertical portion 18. The vertical portion 18 of the plate 14 is bent at right-angles to extend forwardly in a beaklike blade 20 which terminates in a rounded point 21 beveled off on its upper side in the manner of a knife blade to provide for its convenientinsertion beneath the head or crossbar of the staple to be extracted. Preferably, the blade 20 is formed on its lateral edges with abutments or shoulders 22 which are adapted to engage the sides or legs 1 ,of the staple to serve as stops for the blade as it is inserted beneath the head of the staple. The

blade 20 is provided with opposite parallel slots or openings 24 and the upright portion 18 of the plate 17 is also provided with two similar, parallel slots 25.

Fastened to the lower Jaw 13 of the pliers is a member 30 which constitutes the prying means for withdrawing the staple'from the work. The member 30 is preferably of inverted trough-shape and arranged to overlie the jaw 13 with its portion 31 riveted thereto at 32. At its forward end the sides of the member 30 are bent inwardly, as shown in Fig.1 and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, and then extended forwardly in the fingers 33 which project through the slots 25 in the vertical portion 18 of the beak-member or plate 17.

The fingers 33 are extended downwardly and notched at their edges to provide forwardly-projecting hook-like prongs 34 which normally seat in the openings 24 in the blade or beak 20, see Figs. 1 and 5. In this position the prongs 34 are adapted to be inserted beneath the head of the staple as 'the blade or beak 20 is slid thereunder in the manner as later more fully set forth. The method of operation of the device is as next explained.

Wire. staples and similar fasteners are used .very generally for attaching papers and documents and also for many other purposes such as attaching tags and labels to articles of commerce, tacking sheets of paper to drawing-boards, fastening curtainsto rollers, matting and the like to floors and in sundry other uses too numerous to mention. In some cases the staples are used as a permanent fastening means, but in other instances their use is temporary when it is desired to detach the papers or other articles. Various expedients have been tried for applying the staples to the work in such manner that they may be easily and conveniently removed, but in most'cases such methods of clinching the staples result in an insecure fastening of the parts; and where the staples are clinched in the usual manner it has been well nigh impossible to remove theniit from the work without tearing or mutilat- With the present improved implement staples clinched in the'nsual way may be withdrawn from the work conveniently and expeditiously without danger of tearing the papers or otherwise mutilating the articles fastened thereby. In operating the improved device the handles of the pliers are grasped in the hand in the usual manner with the jaws in normally open position as shown in Fig. 1. The spring 10 holds the jaws slightly apart with the fingers 33 on the jaw 13 enga ing the bottom of the slots 25 in the portion 18 of the plate member 17 on the other jaw.- With the jaws in .this relationship the prongs 34 are de-'' presse'd within the slots or openings 24 of the blade 20. Holding the work with one hand, the operator simply inserts the sharpened point of the blade 20 beneath the crossbar b of the staple .9, see Fig. 4, and slides it forwardly until the lateral shoulders 22 bring up against the legs of the staple. With the parts of the device in this-position the hook-like prongs 34 will be located beneath the crossbar b of the staple s at points adjacent the ends thereof and it is then only necessary to force the handles 4 and 5 toward each other to withdraw the staple in the manner as next explained. l

As pressure is exerted on the handles of the pliers its opposite jaws 12 and 13 will be drawn together with the fingers 33 sliding upwardly in the slots 25 of the vertical portion 18 of the plate 17. During this operation the blade 20 is pressed down against the top of the work and the prongs 34 will be raised away therefrom to pry the staple up through the work in the manner indicated in Fig. 6.. The notches or openings above the prongs 34 on the fingers 33 engage the head of the staple closely, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that one end thereof cannot'rise in advance of the other and thus the staple is prevented from bending or buckling during its withdrawal. As the staple is withdrawn in this manner its legs are bent back and straightened, due to the pressure of the blade 20 against the work, and at the same time the sheets of paper or other articles are held from buckling or bending. Stated another way, the clinched legs of the staple are forced apart ,through their engagement with the lateral edges of the blade 20 and'thus they are straightened without tending to tear or mutilate the paper sheets or other articles through which the staple is withdrawn. As has been demonstrated in practice, the legs of the staple will be straightened and withdrawn through the work without tearing or even enlarging the holes through which the legs have been clinched. The device thus provides a most convenient and efficient appliance for extracting staples and similar fastening means where it is required to detach the articles held together or fastened thereby.

It is to be observed that the present device is extremely simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture, besides being light in weight and of small compass to render it adaptable for-carrying in the pocket. Moreover, the appliance is practically proof against derangement or getting out of order and is durable in use over long periods of time.

While the invention is herein shown and described as embodied in a preferred form of construction, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts of the device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect,'I claim:

1. A plier device having movable jaws, a member on one jaw projecting downwardly across the end of the opposite jaw and terminating in a forwardly projecting blade, said downwardly projecting portion of said member formed with a slotted opening, and a finger on the opposite jaw projecting through said opening in the first member and formed with 2. prong conforming to the plane of the blade.

2. A plier device having movable jaws, a member projecting from one of the jaws downwardly across the end of the opposite jaw and terminating in a forwardly projecting tapered blade having openings therein, and a member on the opposite jaw having fingers projecting forwardly with hooked prongs at their ends adapted to seat in the openings in the blade.

3. In a plier device, the combination of a pair of pivoted jaws,.a member extending downwardly from one of the jaws across the end of the opposite jaw and terminating in a forwardly projecting tapered blade, said downwardly projecting portion of the member and said blade formed with slotted openings, and a member carried by the opposite jaw and provided with fingers projecting forwardly through the openings in the downwardly extending portion of the first member and terminating in hooked prongs normally seated in the openings in the blade. 4. In a device for extracting staples and the like from articles fastened thereby, the combinabeing movable away from the blade when they handles are pressed together to withdraw the staple while the work in held by the blade.

I 5. In a plier device for extracting staples and the like from articles fastened thereby, the combination of a pair of pivoted members having handles, a blade carried by one of the members on the opposite side of the pivot from its handle for insertion under the head of a staple, a litter element carried by the other member on the opposite side of the pivot from its handle, said lifter member arranged to move into alinement with the blade when the handles are in open position to adapt it to bear against the work whereby it may be inserted under the head of the staple with the blade, said litter element being movable away from the blade when the handles are pressed together whereby to pry out the staple while the work is held by the blade.

6. In a plier device for extracting staples or the like from articles fastened thereby, the combination of a pair of pivoted members having handles at one side of the pivot and jaws at the opposite side thereof, a relatively thin tapered blade carried by the jaw of one 01 said members to adapt it to be inserted under the head of a staple and pressed against the work, and a litter member carried by the opposite jaw and provided with fingers adapted to aline with the blade when the handles are opened to allow them to pass under the head of the staple in contact with the work, said lifter member being movable away from the blade when the handles are drawn together whereby to withdraw the staple while its clinched legs are straightened by the sides of the blade bearing against the work.

'7. In a plier device for extracting staples from articles fastened thereby, the combination of a pair or pivoted members having handles at one end and jaws at their opposite ends a blade carried by one of the jaws and formed with openings passing therethrough, and a litter member carried by the opposite jaw and provided with fingers arranged to enter the openings in the blade to aline them with said blade when the handle members are opened to adapt the fingers to be inserted under the head of a staple with the blade and to be withdrawn from said openings by closing the handles to pry out the staple while the work is held by the pressure of the blade thereagainst.

8. In a device of the type specified, the combination or a pair of crossing handle, members pivoted to move relatively of each other, an element carried by one of said members on the opposite side 01' the pivot from the handle andprojecting across the end of the corresponding portion of the other member, said element having a forwardly-extending blade at its end, and a lifter element carried by the other member on the opposite side of the pivot from its handle and adapted for insertion under the head of a staple with the blade, said lifter element and blade being moved toward each other when the handles are moved apart and separated from each other when said handles are moved toward each other.

means and blade being movable toward each other when the handles are swung apart and said liftermeans being movable away from the blade when the handles are moved toward each other.

JOHN F. CAVANAGH.

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