US2417817A - Stapling machine - Google Patents

Description

March z5, 1947. T J FWN 2,417,817

STAPLING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 6670 V//////////// 58\ IT jrlveno.

March 25,v 1947. T J, FlNN 2,417,817

STAPLING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1945 s sheets-sheet 2 Marchzs, 1947. H, NN 2,417,817

sTAPLING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1945 Fig/3.

l I?? 17627 ore Patented Mar. 25, 1947 iJNi'i'h YENT ainsi? @FFME relates to improvements in reason oi exposed moving parts more especia-ily ii a hand or fingers become caught between the stanle-driving and guiding means and the staple-clinching means, notwithstanding that guard attachments may be provided on the prior machines to minimize this danger to the operator.

it is among the objects ci my invention to provide a stapling machine having improved adaptability and edciency in the performance varied stapling and wire-stitching operations and having its staple-forming, staple-guiding and staple-driving operations performed entirely within a stationary head, so that no :moving part functioning in the head is exposed or projected out of the head but only the formed staple is delivered out of a fixed nose on the head and into the work which may be held against or be automatically thrust against the delivery nose.

Another object is to provide a staple-clinching anvil which may be adjusted relative to a fixed staple-delivering nose so that the space between them needs to be only slightly greater than the th kness of the work to be acted upon, and which nieves automatically into clinching relation to each driven staple with substantially the saine clinchinCT pressure regardless of the initial aduiusted setting of the anvil.

A further object is to provide improved means for timed actuation of wire-feeding means, wirecutting means. and staple-forming, guiding and drivingkmeans, whereby a more'certain and sure 'predetermined intermittent feed of wire is assured rect the abnormal condition before any feedaiecting increase of tension becomes eiiective at the feed means to disturb the predetermined normal feed or" wire to the wire-cutting and staple-forming mechanism.

it is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and operation of stapling machines.

in the accompanying drawings:

liilre 1 is a side elevation of a stapling machine embodying features ci my present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine of Figure l with a portion oi the base broken away, and with the front cover plate removed from the head of the machine;

Figure 3 is a vertical' cross-sectional view through the head, on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure l is an elevation of the cam disk looking at its rear side having the cam groove therein;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail View, in crosssection, showing the wire-cutting and wirestabilizing means on the staple-forming member just prior to a cutting and staple-for1ning movemeut thereof;

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5 but with the parts in their relative positions after cutting oi the wire and forming of the cut wire over the anvil;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 5 and 6 but with the staple-forming member in its lowerrnost position and with the staple-driving membei' about to engage and drive the staple, the anvil having been retracted; i

` Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the stapleforming member, with the cutter and stabilizing elements thereon; Y

Figure 91s a fragmentary sectional view showing a staple driven lthrough two work sheets and the'like elevated support lli so that the relatively small and compact stapling head I2 may be l0- cated' Vwitl'iin convenient reach of an operator standing or sitting in' front of the machine. A

base standard I4 is adapted for securement on the support I and may have the tubular housing I6 integral therewith for enclosing the main extent of the drive shaft I8. The stapling head I2 is suitably secured on the forward end of housing I5, with the forward end of the drive shaft I8 eX- tending into the interior of the head where a bearing for the shaft is provided as at (Fig. 3). The rear end of the drive shaft extends through a suitable bearing and has a clutch 22 associated therewith by means of which the shaft may be operatively connected at will with a pulley 24 which may be belt driven from any suitable source of power. actuating member 26 which conveniently may be connected for pedal actuation by the operator.

Referring more particularly to Fig, 3, the stapling head I2 comprises a hollow casing 28 whose front side is closed by the cover plate 30 which may be removably secured in place in any convenient manner, such as by the screws 32. The forward end of the drive shaft I8 has secured thereon within casing 28 the crank disk 34 whose crank pin 36 projects forwardly through and beyond one end of the crank arm 38. Crank pin 36, forwardly of the crank arm, has rotatably mounted thereon the roller 40 for engaging in the cam groove 42 at the rear side of a cam plate 44 which is shown in detail in Fig. 4.

Cam plate 44 is vertically movable along the rear side of a fixed guide member 46 which is vertically slotted at 48 (Figs. 1 and 3). The cam plate is secured, as by screws 58, to the stapleforming slide member 52 which is vertically movablealong the forward side of the fixed guide member 45, the cam plate 44 having a tongue or rib 54 on its forward side Atting slidably in the slot 48 of the fixed guide 45 and extending into contact with slide member 52, The screws 50 extend through the tongue 54 so that the cam plate 44 and staple-forming slide 52 are connected for vertical movement in unison on opposite sides of the xed guide 45. Preferably a pin 55 is inserted in aligned holes in the cam plate 44 and slide 52, noticeably off center with respect to the screws 55, so that the cam plate and slide can be connected together only in correct relation and have the holes therein register for reception of the pin 56.

With the cam plate 44 and staple-forming slide member 52 in their uppermost positions as shown rin Fig. 3, the roller 48 will be at a mid-location -until the roller negotiates the full arcuate extent of' the cam groove and re-enters the horizontal run of the groove to'quickly elevate the cam plate and slide as the roller moves back to its mid-position of Fig. 4.

The crank arm 38 extends upwardly from its connection to crank pin 36 and carries at its upper end aforwardly projecting pin 58 which extends slidably through and beyond the'slot 48 in the xed guide member 45. The staple-forming slide member 52 has a vertical extension 6B, slot- Y ted as at 62, extending upwardly along the xed guide 46, and the pin 58 of the crank arm extends slidably through this slotted extension and loosely through the upper end of a staple-driv- The clutch may be controlled by an ing slide member 64. As best seen in Fig, 3, the xed guide member 46 has the spaced side flanges 6E projecting forwardly to near the plane of the rear side of the cover plate 3), thereby to provide a vertical raceway between them, within which the slides '52 and 64 are positioned and along which said slides are independently movable. The cover plate 30 retains the slides within the raceway, which latter extends downward to well below the crank plate 34 -where its lower end is indicated by the dotted line at 58 (Fig. 3).

The staple driving slide member 64 is relatively short, as seen in Fig. 3, but it has secured to its lower end a driver 'I which has substantial downward extent. This driver 'I0 is fastened at its upper end in any suitable manner on the rear side of slide member 64, and its lower end, with the slides in their uppermost positions of Fig. 3,

is slidably engaged within a vertical slot 'I2 formed between the lower portion of staple-forming slide 52 and a block 'i4 carried on said slide 52. Conveniently the block 'i4 at its under side has mounted thereon the cutter element 15, and also a grooved member 13 the purpose of which later will appear.

A rearwardly retractible forming anvil is shown at in Fig. 3 in its forward operative position to which it is yieldably urged by spring 8l, the anvil having the inclined cam surface 82 thereon for co-action with the similar cam surface 84 on the staple-forming slide member 52, so that, after the member 52 has descended and formed a Staple over the anvil 8B, a further downward movement of slide 52 retracts the anvil, by camming engagement of the cam surfaces 82. 84, thereby to clear the way for the driving stroke of the driver l0 and the formed staple.

It is a feature of the inventon that the delivery nose 35 cf head I2 is fixed in position on the head and that no moving part of the head is exposed or projected out of the head or the del-'very nose, but only the formed staple delivers from the nose. I employ this fixed delivery nose feature in conjunction with my adjustable clinching means, to be described, to attain a degree of safety to the operator which cannot be approached with comparable power driven stapling mechanisms. The nose preferably is tapered so that it can accuratelv and convenent'y place the delivered staples relative to the work being acted upon, and has a passage 88 through which the driver i6. after retraction of forming anvil 83, drives the formed staple. The driven staple delivers out of the lower end of nose 85 with the lower end of the driver stopping on its driving stroke just -short of Aprojecting beyond the nose.

Referring now, to Fig. 2, a coil of wire is rotatably mounted beside the head I2, from which coil a strand 9! of the wire passes through a side wall of the head casing 28 and between the feed rolls 92, 94, which intermittently feed a predetermined length of wire across the space at 96 immediately above the anvil 80. The feed of the wire is in response to each rotation of the crank disk 34 which has a projecting finger 98 thereon which is adapted to engage the projection |00 on member |02 which latter is mounted to rotate freely about the axis of shaft |54 of the upper feed roll 92. Member E02 has pivotally mounted thereon at |55 the pawl |08 which co-acts with ratchet Ii on roll shaft H14 to effect a predetermined partial rotation of roll 92 each time finger 58 of disk 34 engages projection IB on the pawlcariying member H12, the latter said member being lifted by a said engagement and dropping back by gravity to its position of Fig. after the finger 98 has passed and disengaged itself from the projection Hit.

The upper feed roll 92 is fixed on its shaft |04 as also the gear ||2 which meshes with a similar gear Hd fixed to the lower roll. However, the lower roll E-'l and its gear are loose on their shaft H6 which latter is eccentric so that the shaft Sie may be manually rotated by means of lever IlS which extends out through a vertical slot in the side wall of housing 23. Hence, although the feed rolls are geared together, the lower roll may be manually lowered a little by lifting lever ||8 to rotate the eccentric shaft H6, thereby to permit the wire 9| to slip freely between the feed rolls.

As represented in Fig. 10, a spring |29 may be positioned as a buffer for relieving any shock incident to gravity-fall of the pawl-carrying member |02.

In Fig. 2, the finger 9% has just eected a feed of the wire and the projection it has dropped back to its normal position where it will be in the path of finger 98 as the latter comes around on the next rotation of the crank disk. The cam plate 4Q, its carried staple-forming slide 52 and the staple-driving slide Erl all are in their uppermost positions in Figs. 2 and 3. Hence a further rotation of drive shaft i8 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 will cause the slides 52, t4 to start downward substantially in unison. Block 'Hi on the lower portion of slide 52 has the cutter element 'le thereon for co-action with a xed cutter element |22 adjustably secured at |2$ below the wire which is to have a staple length cut therefrom. Also the block M has on its lower end the grooved member '58. Hence, as the block 'M is carried down on the slide 52, the grooved member 'i3 first engages the end portion of the wire which has been projected across the space 95 above anvil Sii, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby to steady this end of the wire as the cutter element 'l5 moves into engagement with the wire to out it by co-action with fixed cutter element H2. Both of the slides 52, Btl continue d-ownward and the slide 52 forms the cut wire over the anvil Sil, as shown in Fig. 6, and subsequently retracts the anvil by cc-action of the inclined cam surfaces 22, 8e.

When slide 52 has descended an amount suiiicient to have retracted anvil 8D, the roller lie will have reached the concentric run of the cam groove di? and slide 52 comes to rest in its lowermost position of Fig. 7 just short of the upper end of the delivery nose 85. However, the slide Sl continues downward and rits driver l!) ultimately engages the formed stapleand drives it through nose passage 8S and out at the delivery end of the nose SS. The driver itself, however, Stops short of being projected out of the nose.

' Continued rotation of drive shaft I8 first elevates the driver '59 while slide 52 remains stationary and then, when roller fl rides into the horizontal run of cam groove Il?, slide 52 is elevated and the two slides then move upward substantially in unison to their uppermost positions of Figs. 2 and 3.

According to my invention, the work to be acted upon conveniently may be held against the stationary staple-delivery nose 85 so that the staples may be precisely placed in the Work as desire-d, and I provide a novel clinching anvil which automatically moves into clinching relation to a driven staple in timed relation to each driving actuation of the staple 'driver'. A fea- 6 ture is that the clinching anvil may be preliminarily adjusted to receive between it and nose 8B work which may vary in thickness within the range of thicknesses which can be effectively stapled with the length of staples which any particular machine is designed to produce. Yet the anvil cyclically moves into effective clinching relation to staples driven through such varying thicknesses of work.

Referring to Fig. l, the clinching anvil is seen at |26 mounted at the forward end of a lever |28 which is pivoted at |35 on a bracket |32 secured on base standard i4. The base standard lll has its walls slotted for passage therethrough of the rearwardly extending arm of lever |28, and the under side of housing I6 is open at its rear portion so that the rear end of the lever can extend within the housing I6 for engagement with a cam II-i on drive shaft I8. As shown, a ball |36 is mounted at this end of the lever for engagement by the cam, and a spring-pressed plunger |38 on the bracket |32 forcibly but yieldably presses on the lever to constantly urge the lever counter-clockwise about its pivot. lAt the forward side of pivot |33 the bracket |32 mounts the adjustable sto-p le!) which conveniently may be a screw with knurled head for linger adjustment of the stop. A lock nut |42 on the screw may be a wing nut which readily may be screwed by the operators fingers into and out of locking relation to the stop screw.

Looking at Fig. l, it will be obvious that mere adjustment of the stop screw lli!) effects raising or lowering of the clinching anvi1 lZ, with the spring-pressed plunger |38 constantly holding the forward arm of lever |28 against the stop itt. Yet the forward end of lever |23, upon each rotation of cam |34, is moved into precisely the same relationship to the staple-delivering nose 86, with the same clinching pressure, regardless of the adjustment ,of stop screw it. In other words, the high point of the cam |34, engaging the rear end of lever |28 always lowers this end of lever to the same degree, with movement of the forward end of the lever to the same elevation regardless of the lowerrnost limit of the forward end of the lever. However, when the anvil is set for its lower level to be relatively close to nose 86, such as when working on thin sheet stock, the rear end of the lever Will be out of contact with the cam |34 through the major part of a cam revolution as shown in Fig. l2, and will be engaged and forced downward only by the high part of the cam. c

The clinching anvil |26 may be a hardened steel blo-ck set in a socket at the forward end of lever |28 and secured therein Yin any suitable manner as by a set screw ill-4|. For work which has relatively small variations in thickness,'the anvil can have a fixed setting in the lever and the variations in thickness of work will be taken care of by greater or less impressing of the staples into the work being acted upon. Where, however, it is contemplated that there may be substantial Variations in thickness of work to be stapled by the machine, the clnching anvil |25 preferably is adjustably mounted in lever |28 so that it may be raised or lowered to accommodate different thicknesses of work. Fig. l1 shows such an adjustable clinching anvil |2 resting on an adjusting screw |46, with the set screw |44 for securing it in any particular adjusted position.

It wi'l be obvious from the foregoing description, and by reference to Fig, l ofthe drawings,

feed rolls. Suitable retaining that my clinching anvil 2S may be adjusted rela# tive to the fixed staple-delivering nose B so that the maximum space between the anvil andrnose will be only slightly greater than the thickness of the work to be stapled, Ordinarily the total thickness of work to be stapled will not exceed one quarter of an inch or thereabout and the usual run of work has thickness considerably less than a quarter of an inch. Hence the anvil 42d may be initially set to just loosely receive the particular thickness of work between it and nose 86 and, even with slightly more than a quarter of an inch spacing of the anvil, the space between the anvil and nose will be too small for a finger to become engaged between them. However, with work in operative position even this small space is almost entirely occupied by the work and there is no possibility of the operators fingers becoming caught. In the case of thicker work, the work similarly will occupy substantially all of the space between the xed nose and the adjusted anvil.

The successful and efficient operation of stapling machines depends in large measure upon the maintenance of a proper feed of the wire with assurance that the predetermined staple-length of Wire will be advanced to the cutter during each cycle of operation of the machine. Heretofore it has been a, rather frequent occurrence to get incorrect staple lengths or a complete failure of staples, due to the tendency of the wire being drawn from the coil or spool to become pinched between adjacent convolutions in the coil or otherwise held against free withdrawal thereby building up tension in the wire between the coil and the feed rolls sufficient to interfere with or completely stop the feed.

It is an important feature of my improved stapling machine that I ensure against any such failure or interference with the wire feed and provide for a uniform intermittent feed of the wire with complete assurance that a precise pre determined length of wire will be advanced to the cutter prior to each wire-cutting actuation of the machine.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the coil of wire Si? is slipped over the forwardly projecting part M8 of a supporting rod 45S which is suitably mounted on the housing IE. A spool or reel 52 is rotatable on the part it, for reception of the coil, and the removable front plate i511- of the spol retains the coil on the spool. A wire guide t is pivotally mounted at 158 beside the spool and comprises a fiat strip of resilient spring metal or the like which is generally'bowed as seen in Fig. 2, with its upper end extending to above the spool and its lower end extending generally toward the entrance for the wire between the eyelets or the like |58 are distributed along the resilient strip 45S for maintaining the wire Si in propei` position on the strip. At its upper vend, the strip l@ carries a trough (S2 through which the wire leaving the coil extends. lThe entrance end of the' trough is adapted to rest by gravity on the periphery of the coil of wire Se, and a weight i645 is adjustable on screw IE5 for varying the effect of gravity on the trough. y I

When the wire is withdrawing freely from the coil 90, the weighted trough rides on the periphery of the coil. When, however, the leaving strand of wire becomes pinched between adjacent convolutions of the coil or otherwise held against free` withdrawal, the increased vtension Y on; the wire resiliently rocks the guide strip 156 about its pivot |53 to swing the trough upward away from the coil Sil. This movement of the trough projects the strand of wire leaving the coil outward away from the coil thereby to disengage it from any pinching adjacent convolutions. By this means I provide a positive release of a pinched wire, in response to increased wire ension dus to the pinching. Yet the increased tension is not communicated deleteriously to the feed rolls because the lower extent of the strip yields resilient-ly while the trough W2 is being elevated and the abnormal condition is corrected before any substantial increase in wire tension can become effective at the feed rolls to disturb the normal feed.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided a Starling machine which has a superior degree of eiciency in the performance of staplincr and wire-stitching operations. improved machine gives assurance of a proper predetermined feed of wire and uniformity of staple lengths. But more important, I have eliminated the hazards to the operator by providing a xed staple-deliverirg nose against which work to be acted upon may be held, with no moving part of the machine projected out of the nose, and with the clinching anvil adjustable and movable into clinching relation to each riven staple with substantially equal clinching pressure regardless of the spaced adjustment of the clinching anvil relative to the xed stapledelivering nose. By this novel arrangement and cc-action of parts, the space between the nose and the clinching anvil ordinarily may be maintained too small for a hand or finger to enter. Yet, when desired, such as for special and unusual particular stapling requirements, the clnching anvil may be spaced from the Ilo-se a substantial amount, yet the clinching pressure will be the same as for any closer setting of the anvil.

I claim as myinventi l. In a stapling niacl e having a fixed head with a staple-forming anvil therein, the combination therewith of means to feed wire to said anvil, a staple-forming member movable in direction toward the anvil for bending a length of wire about the said anvil thereby to form a staple, a stapiesdelivering nose fixed on said head, a staple-driver for driving the formed staples out of said nose, a rotary actuating member, and means responsive to rotation of said actuating member for moving said saplemforming member toward and from the anvil in a path which is entirely within fixed head, and for moving ,rd staple-driver toward and from said fixed nose in a path which is entirely within said head and nose, whereby the staple-driver stops short of ever projecting beyond thcplane of the delivery end cf'said fined nose.

2.1In a sterling machine, a fixed head having a saple-delive ing nose fixed at the under side of the head, a vertical receway in the head extending in direction toward said fixed nose, a stapie-forming member and a staple-driver in superimposed relation in said raceway and independently movable thereaiong, a rotary actuating member operatively connected to said stapleforming member and said staplecl1iver, and means responsive to rotation of said actuating member for reciprocating said staple-forming member toward and from said anvil in a path which is entirely within said iixed head, and'for reciprocating said staple-driver toward and from said fixed nose in a path which is entirely within 9 said head and nose with one limit in the plane of the delivery end of said fixed nose.

3. In a stapling machine, a xed head having a staple-delivering nose fixed at the under side of the head, a vertical racevvay in the head extending in direction toward said iixed nose, a staple-forming member and a staple-driver in sun perimposed relation in said racevvay and independently movable therealongy a rotary actuating member having crank connection to said sta-- ple-driver and cam connection to said stableiorming member and operative at each rotation to depress the staple-forming member towards said fixed nose and to depress said staple-driver through said fixed nose to the plan-e of its discharge end and, through another portion of the same rotation, to elevate the staple-driver and the staple-forming member.

4. In a stapling machine, a head having a ixed staple-delivering nose, means within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed sta-- pie through said iixed nose, a rotary actuating member for actuating said staple-forming and driving means, a clinching anvil movable toward and from said iixed nose, and means relating in unison with said rotary actuating member for moving said anvil into clinehing relation to each staple delivered at said iixed nose.

5. In a stapling machine, a head having a iixed staple-delivering nose having a generally hori' zontally disposed delivery end, means Within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed staple through said iixed nose,v a. rotary acl'uating member for actuating said staple-forming and driving means, a Work-supporting clinchanvil pivotally mounted for movement toward and from the fixed nose and having a generally horizontally disposed Work-holding surface, and means rotating in unison with said rotary actuating member for rocking said anvil about its pivot to press the work against the delivery end of said nose and simultaneously to clinch each driven staple While the bridge of the staple is approximately in the plane of the delivery end of said iixed nose.

6. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose having a generally horizontally disposed delivery end, means Within the head for forming a staple and for driving a formed staple through said xed nose, an actuator for actuating the staple-forming and staple-driving means in timed relation, a drive shaft for said actuator, a Work-supporting clinching anvil movable toward and from said xed nose and having a generally horizontally disposed Work-holding surface, and means on the drive shaft for moving said anvil against the delivery end of said nose and simultaneously into clinching relation to each driven staple While the bridge of the staple is approximately in the plane of the delivery end of said xed nose.

'7. In a stapling machine having a Fixed head and a staple-forming member and a staple-driver operable entirely Within the head, a rotary actuating member within the head having cam-connection to said staple-forming member and crankconnection to said staple-driver whereby the rtary actuating member, at each rotation, first depresses the staple-forming member and the staple-driver simultaneously but at different relative speeds and then depresses the staple-driver further and elevates it While the staple-forming member rests stationary at its lower limit, followed by elevation oi the staple-forming member and further elevation of the staple-driver, all by said rotary actuating member at each rotation and all With the staple-forming member and the staple-driver stopping short of projecting out of said head. n

8. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose with a-sharply defined generally horizontal plane surface at its delivery end, means Within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed staple through said iixed nose, ay pivoted lever having extent on both sides of its pivot, a clinching anvil mounted at one end or" the lever and having a generally horizontally disposed Work-holding surface, said anvil being movable toward and from said iixed nose, and means for engaging the other end of the lever for rocking it to bring the work against said nose and simultaneously to bring said anvil into clinching relation to a driven staple While the bridge of the staple is at the delivery end vof said xed nose, and means for adjusting the anvil-carrying end of the lever toward and from said fixed nose to vary the distance of travel of the anvil to and from clinching position.

9. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose, means within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed staple through said fixed nose, a pivoted lever having extent on both sides of its pivot, a clinching anvil mounted at one end of the lever and movable toward and from said fixed nose, and means for engaging the other end of the lever for rocking it to bring said anvil into clinching relation to a driven staple While the bridge of the staple is at the delivery end of said xed nose, and means adjustably supporting the anvil at the end of the lever whereby the anvil may be adjusted toward or from said iXed nose independently of movement of the lever.

l0. ln a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose with a sharply defined generally horizontal plane surface at its delivery end, means within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed staple through said xed nose, a clinching anvil pivotally mounted for movement toward and from the xed nose and having a generally horizontally disposed Work-holding surface, means for rocking said anvil about its pivot to lift the Work into engagement with said horizontal plane surface of the nose and simultaneously to clinch each driven staple at said fixed-nose, and means for adjusting the anvil about its pivot to vary the distance of travel of the anvil toward and from said iixed nose in response to actuation by said rocking means.

1l. in a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose, means within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed staple through said iixed nose, a clinching anvil, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends and carrying said anvil at one end, means yieldably urging the lever in one direction about its pivot, adjustable means limiting the movement of the lever in the direction in which it is urged by said yieldable means thereby to adjust the setting of said anvil relative to said fixed nose, and means for intermittently rocking said lever to bring the anvil into clinohing relation to driven staples at said fixed nose.

i2. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose having a Work-engaging surface at its delivery end in general parallelism with Which Work may be fed in all parallel directions, means for cutting a staple-length or" wire, means for forming the cut wire into a staple, means for driving the formed staple out of said fixed nose, all of said means being entirely enclosed within the head and free from projection out of said head and nose, and a rotary actuator for actuating all of said means in predetermined timed relation to deliver` a formed staple from said nose while every part of said means continues free from projection beyond said work-engaging surface of said nose.

13. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose having a work-engaging surface at its delivery end in general parallelism with which work may be fed in all parallel directions, a forming anvil within the head, means for disposing a staple-length of wire across said anvil, means for forming said staple-length of wire over the anvil into a staple, means for driving said formed staple out of said fixed nose, and a rotary actuator for actuating all of said means in predetermined timed relation to deliver the formed staple from said fixed nose while said driving means remains free from projection beyond said work-engaging surface of said nose. Y

14. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose having a surface constituting a support against which the work to be stapled may be held and moved in all directions at right angles to the direction of de` livery of the staples, means Within the head for forming a staple and for driving the formed staple out of said fixed nose and into the work held thereagainst while the staple-driving means continues entirely within said head and nose, actuating means for actuating said staple-forming and staple-driving means, a staple-clinching anvil having a work-engaging surface relative to which work may be moved in all directions parallel to said work-engaging surface, and means associated with said actuating means for moving said anvil to clamp the work between the nose and anvil and simultaneously into clinching relation to each staple driven out of said nose into the work.

15. In a stapling machine, a head having a fixed staple-delivering nose having a work-engaging surface in parallelism with which work may be moved in all parallel directions. means for intermittent feed of wire into said head, means within the head'for cutting the Wire to stap'e lengths and for forming the cut lengths of wire into staples, means within the `head for driving each formed staple through and out of said xed nose while said driving means continues free from projection out of said nose, a rotary actuator for actuating all of said means in predetermined timed relation, a staple-clinching anvil having a work-engaging surface relative to which work may be moved in all directions parallel to said work-engaging surface, said anvil being movable toward and from said xed nose, and means operating in unison with said actuator for moving said anvil to clamp the work between the work-engaging surfaces of said nose and anvil and simultaneously into clinching relation to each stanle driven out of said nose thereby to clinch the staple while its bridge is at the delivery end of the xed nose.

16. In a stapling machine, a fixed staple-delivering head having a xe-d work-engaging nose portion, means entirely within the head for forming a'staple and for driving the formed staple out of the head at said nose portion thereof, said driving means stopping short of projecting out of said nose portion, a clinching anvil having a Work-engaging surface disposed generally at right angles to the direction of travel of the driven staple and spaced from said fixed nose portion of the head a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of the Work to be stapled, and means for moving the anvil toward the head as the formed staple is driven from the head, thereby to enga-ge the work between the anvil and said xed nose portion of the head and simultaneously to clinch the driven staple.

17. In a stapling machine, means for forming and driving a staple, a rotary actuating member for reciprocating said forming and driving means, a casing completely enclosing said forming and driving means and said rotary actuating member and having a work-engaging surface at which only the formed staples ever are projected out of the casing, said driving means stopping short of projecting beyond the plane of said workengaging surface, means mounting said casing with extensive free space beside said Work-engaging surface in all directions parallel with the plane of said work engaging surface, whereby work may be fed in all of said parallel directions, a Work-supporting clinching anvil having a wcrk-engaging surface spaced in general parallelism with the plane of the engaging surface of the head, and means for moving the anvil in direction generally across said free space for pressing work thereon against said work-engaging surface of the head and simultaneously clinching a staple delivered at said surface and driven through the engaged work.

18. In a stapling machine, a xed staple-delivering head having a generally horizontal workengaging surface, means within the head for forming and driving a staple, said means operating entirely within the head and stopping short of projecting beyond the plane of said horizontal work-engaging surface of the head, a-Work-supporting clinching anvil having a generally horizontal work-engaging surface disposed in spaced relation to said work-engaging surface of the head, and means for raising the anvil to engage the work between said generally horizontal surfaces of the head and the anvil and for simultaneously clinching a staple driven through the engaged Work, said head and anvil being mounted with laterally extensive free space in all directions generally parallel with said surfaces whereby Work may be fed between said surfaces in all directions generally parallel thereto.

THOMAS J. FINN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date German Aug. 8, 1887 Number Number

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