Fastening device and a spacer, and a method of using the same

A fastening device comprises a "U" shaped spacer wherein the recess of the "U" shape is captured by the upper cross bar of a staple when the staple is used to fasten a protective sheeting to an item to be stored or transported. The spacer has a flat bottom surface and a flat side surface. The flat bottom surface increases the surface area of the staple in contact with the item during transport thereby reducing the chances that the protective sheeting may become torn from the item. The flat side surface increases the surface area of the standard staple during removal of the plastic sheeting because the spacer rotates about the crossbar of the staple. This rotation of the spacer reduces frictional contact between the spacer and the protective sheeting so that when the plastic sheeting is pulled from the lumber, the plastic sheeting will pull the spacer and the staple therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, the staples and the spacers are fed along flat, parallel elongate axes underneath the handle of a staple gun to allow one-handed fastening of the staples and the spacers to a lumber unit.

TECHNICAL FIELD
 The present invention relates to a fastening device for securing wrapping
 material to an item, and more particularly, to a removable spacer and
 fastener wherein the spacer increases the surface area of the fastener and
 thereby reduces the probability that the fastener will tear through the
 wrapping material such that the spacer and the fastener can be easily
 removed along with the wrapping material.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Goods such as lumber units are often shipped great distances and stored in
 harsh environmental conditions for extended periods of time. In
 particular, the lumber may be left on sea docks or in open lumberyards for
 months at a time. During these periods the lumber is subject to harsh
 environmental conditions such as rain, snow and high winds, and other
 conditions such as pollution and bird droppings. During transit on trains
 or on open semi-tractor trailers, the lumber units may be subjected to
 flying debris such as small sticks and stones, which may hit the lumber at
 speeds of seventy miles an hour. Due to the high cost of lumber, and in
 order to minimize the damage done to the lumber during transport and
 storage, it is desirable to protect the lumber from exposure to these
 harsh environmental conditions.
 Lumber units, which are shipped in a variety of sizes, typically are
 wrapped in a protective plastic sheeting or material, such as Nova-Thene
 Plus TP (Trademark owned by Intertape Polymer Group of Nova Scotia,
 Canada), a high strength, lightweight coated fabric consisting of a
 reinforcing high density polyethylene scrim coated on both sides with a
 film of low density polyethylene blended with other specialty resins. The
 protective sheeting typically is secured to the lumber unit by fasteners
 such as staples which are shot from a staple gun through the plastic
 sheeting and into the lumber. The staple typically retains the sheeting on
 the lumber unit during transport and storage but must be removed prior to
 sale or use of the lumber.
 When a wrapped lumber unit is subjected to high winds, the high winds may
 tend to tear the plastic sheeting from the lumber unit due to the small
 surface area of the fastener in contact with the sheeting. In other words,
 as the plastic sheeting is pulled from the lumber, the fasteners tend to
 tear through the plastic. Moreover, during purposeful removal of the
 plastic sheeting from the lumber prior to use, pulling of the plastic
 sheeting from the lumber tends to result in the fastener tearing through
 the sheeting such that the fasteners remain in the lumber unit. The
 fasteners typically are manufactured of metal or hard plastic such that
 when the fasteners remain in the lumber, the fasteners may damage or
 destroy saw blades used to cut the lumber. In addition, fasteners left
 remaining in the lumber mar the appearance of the lumber and decrease the
 value of expensive specialty lumbers.
 A variety of devices have been sold which attempt to alleviate the problem
 of fasteners tearing through sheeting material. For example, round, flat
 tabs of sheeting material or plastic having a diameter of approximately
 1.5 inches have been used wherein the fastener is shot through the plastic
 tabs, through the sheeting material and into the lumber. These plastic
 tabs increase the surface area of the fasteners on the sheeting material.
 However, these tabs typically require two-handed operation in that the
 operator must hold the round tab in one hand and the staple gun in the
 other hand. This two-handed operation is time consuming and increases the
 possibility that the operator may injure his or her hands with the staple
 gun. If the plastic tabs are fed through a staple gun, the large size of
 the plastic tabs requires a large roll of the tabs to extend outwardly
 from the staple gun rendering the staple gun bulky and awkward to handle.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fastening
 device that increases the surface area of the fasteners so that high winds
 will not tear protective sheeting from a lumber unit.
 Another object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device
 that increases the surface area of the fasteners so that when the
 protective sheeting is purposefully removed, the sheeting will remove the
 fasteners therewith.
 Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a fastening
 device wherein the fastening device may be installed with one-handed
 operation.
 Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a removable
 fastening device that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
 Another object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device
 that increases the surface area of the fastener but is relatively small in
 size.
 Accordingly, the fastening device preferably comprises a "U" shaped spacer
 wherein the recess of the "U" shape is captured by the upper cross bar of
 a standard fastener/staple as the fastener is fastened to the lumber. The
 spacer has a flat bottom surface and a flat side surface. The flat bottom
 surface is used to increase the surface area of the standard staple so as
 to retain the sheeting on the lumber during shipping. The flat side
 surface is used to increase the surface area of the standard staple during
 removal of the plastic sheeting so that when the plastic sheeting is
 pulled from the lumber, the plastic sheeting will pull the spacer and the
 staple from the lumber. In other words, the spacer prevents the staple
 from ripping through the plastic and remaining in the lumber when the
 plastic is removed. Removal of the staple with the plastic sheeting allows
 milling of the lumber without the fear of breaking a saw blade due to
 staples remaining in the lumber. In a preferred embodiment, the staples
 and the spacers are manufactured in tracks which are fed along flat,
 parallel elongate axes underneath the handle of a staple gun to allow
 one-handed fastening of the staples and the spacers to a lumber unit.
 The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and
 distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification.
 However, both the organization and method of operation, together with
 further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by
 reference to the following description taken in connection with
 accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like
 elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fastening device of the present
 invention 100 showing a spacer 102 and a staple 104. Spacer 102 includes a
 recess 106 extending downwardly from a top surface 108 of the spacer
 wherein the upper crossbar 110 of the staple is captured within the
 recess. In this position, a bottom surface 112 of the spacer contacts a
 piece of protective plastic sheeting (not shown) placed over a shipping
 unit, such as a stack of lumber. The lower, pointed ends 116 of staple 104
 ideally extend through the fabric of the plastic sheeting and into the
 lumber unit to retain the sheeting and the fastening device in place.
 The fastening device of the present invention may be secured to a variety
 of items such as stacks of lumber, also called lumber units, large pieces
 of furniture, the open halves of unassembled double wide mobile homes,
 packing crates, materials held on pallets, greenhouse frames, and the
 like. The fastener may be secured into any material into which the
 fastener will penetrate, such as plastic, lumber or other materials.
 Still referring to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, spacer 102 has a
 height 118 of approximately 3.69 millimeters, a length 120 of
 approximately 11.75 millimeters, and a thickness 122 of approximately 3.69
 millimeters. Recess 106 has a depth 124 of approximately 2.43 millimeters
 and a width 126 of approximately 0.9 millimeters. Accordingly, each of
 upwardly extending arms 128 of the spacer has a thickness 130 of
 approximately 1.395 millimeters. In other embodiments, each of arms 128 of
 the spacer may have a thickness different from one another so that the
 spacer is not symmetrical. Crossbar 110 of fastener 104 has a length 132
 of approximately 1.2 millimeters and downwardly extending legs 134 of the
 staple each have a length 136 of approximately 1.2 millimeters. The width
 138 of crossbar 110 is just less than 0.9 millimeters. Accordingly, the
 fastener cross bar is frictionally received within recess 106. The legs
 134 of the fastener extend downwardly on either side of the spacer such
 that the spacer is captured between legs 134 of the staple and such that
 the legs extend downwardly from the spacer a distance sufficient to be
 received in an item of lumber or the like to secure plastic sheeting
 thereto.
 Lower surface 112 of the spacer is referred to as having a substantially
 flat surface in that at least approximately 50% of the footprint of the
 spacer is in contact with the protective sheeting. In this particular
 embodiment, 100% of the footprint of the spacer is in contact with the
 protective sheeting. The "footprint of the spacer" is defined as length
 120 of the spacer, measured at its longest point, multiplied by width 122,
 measured at its widest point. This footprint is divided into the surface
 area which contacts the protective sheeting, to define the percentage of
 the footprint which contacts the protective sheeting. A spacer having a
 "substantially flat" lower surface is defined as having a footprint
 contact percentage greater than 50%. For example, in the case where the
 footprint is equal to the surface area of lower surface 112 that contacts
 the protective covering, then the spacer is referred to as having a 100%
 contact footprint. In the case where only 33% of the footprint of the
 spacer contacts the protective sheeting, the spacer is not defined as
 having a substantially flat lower surface because 67% of the lower surface
 is not in contact with the protective covering. This same terminology is
 used to describe a "substantially flat" side surface of the spacer wherein
 the side surface has a contact percentage of 50% or greater of the
 "sideprint" of the spacer (wherein the sideprint is determined by
 multiplying the longest length of the spacer by the longest height of the
 spacer).
 FIG. 2 is a side view of a continuous track 140 of the spacers 102 showing
 recesses 106 and bottom surfaces 112. The spacers are typically
 manufactured of plastic but any appropriate material may be used. Nubbins
 142 and 144 are positioned between each of individual spacers 102 and
 secure the spacers together. In the preferred embodiment, two upper
 nubbins 142 and two lower nubbins 144 are positioned between adjacent
 spacers. Spacers 102 are molded in the form of continuous tracks 140
 wherein each track has a length sized appropriately to be received within
 the magazine of a staple gun. For example, a track length of six inches or
 more may be appropriate. Accordingly, multiple spacers are easily loaded
 into a staple gun so that the multiple spacers are each correctly aligned
 within the staple gun. Due to the relatively narrow width of the spacers,
 a relatively large number of spacers may be manufactured in a single
 track. Even though the width of the spacers is relatively small compared
 to the width of the flat round tabs of the prior art, the surface area of
 the spacers of the present invention is surprisingly effective at reducing
 tearing of the protective sheeting and in increasing the number of
 fasteners that are removed with the sheeting, compared to staples used
 without spacers.
 When an individual spacer is secured to a lumber unit, as will be described
 below, the nubbins are easily severed or broken by the impact of the
 driver of the staple gun thereby allowing the endmost spacer to be removed
 from the remainder of track 140. Nubbins 142 and 144 may have different
 shapes and thickness in different embodiments, so long as the nubbins
 function to secure adjacent spacers to one another. In addition, any
 number of nubbins may be used to secure adjacent spacers together, such as
 one nubbin or a plurality of nubbins between each spacer. Upper and lower
 nubbins are shown as one example illustration. In FIG. 1, the nubbins are
 shown having a relatively large size for ease of illustration. However,
 the nubbins are generally small in size so that side surfaces 146 of each
 of the spacers will be substantially flat once the nubbins have been
 severed.
 FIG. 3 is a front view of a staple 104 showing cross bar 110. The staple
 typically is sized so that the length 132 of the crossbar is typically
 just larger than the length of recess 106 (shown in FIG. 1). In this
 manner, the spacer is frictionally held on the crossbar of the staple but
 is allowed to rotate around the crossbar, as will be described below.
 FIG. 4 is a side view of a track 150 of standard staples that may be
 received in a magazine of a staple gun. The individual staples 104 within
 the track typically are held to one another with a small amount of
 adhesive or the like. The track has a length sized appropriately to be
 received within the magazine of a staple gun, for example six inches or
 more. Accordingly, multiple fasteners are easily loaded into a staple gun
 so that the endmost fastener is correctly aligned with the endmost spacer
 at the impact point within the staple gun. When an individual staple is
 secured to a lumber unit, as will be described below, the adhesive is
 easily severed or broken by the impact of the driver of the staple gun
 thereby allowing the endmost fastener to be removed from the remainder of
 track 150.
 FIG. 5 is a side view of a staple gun used to secure the fastening device
 of the present invention and a protective material, such as plastic
 sheeting, to a lumber unit. The gun 152 includes a handle 154, a piston
 156 driven by an air compressor (not shown) via an airline 158, and a
 trigger 160 for actuating piston 156. Actuation of the piston moves a
 blunt driver 162 downwardly wherein the driver is aligned with the endmost
 staple 164 of standard staple track 150, and wherein the driver is also
 aligned with the endmost spacer 166 of spacer track 140, positioned below
 the endmost staple. Staples 104 and spacers 102 are each held on a
 magazine 168 and 170, respectively, wherein each magazine includes a
 spring 172 and 174, respectively, that forces the staples and the spacers
 toward driver 162 of the piston. In this manner, a relatively large amount
 of staples and spacers can be provided on an underside 176 of the staple
 gun without rendering the gun awkward or bulky in use. Additionally, due
 to positioning of the spacers within magazine 170, the spacers need not be
 individually handheld, thereby significantly decreasing the installation
 time of plastic sheeting to a lumber unit and decreasing the possibility
 that an operator may injure his or her hands. The spacers typically would
 be hidden from view within magazine 170. Accordingly, magazine 170 is
 shown partially cutaway for ease of illustration.
 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a lumber unit 180 wrapped in plastic
 sheeting 182. Lumber unit 180 typically comprises multiple individual
 lumber boards 184 stacked in a compact arrangement for transport. The
 lumber unit may have, for example, a height 186 of four feet, a width 188
 of six feet, and a length 190 of twelve feet or more. Of course, the item
 of material being protected by sheeting 182 may have any dimensions as is
 desired. The lumber unit typically is held together with strapping tape
 (not shown). The fastening devices used to secure the plastic sheeting to
 the lumber typically have a length less than one centimeter. Accordingly,
 fastening devices 100 shown securing sheeting 182 to lumber unit 180 are
 greatly exaggerated in size so as to illustrate the principle of the
 present invention. As stated earlier, the fastening devices may be used to
 secure protective material to a variety of items having a variety of
 sizes. Accordingly, the size of the fastening devices, or the items being
 protected, may be of any size and dimension.
 Still referring to FIG. 6, a region 192 of plastic sheeting is shown
 cutaway in order to view individual boards 184. The boards typically are
 supported on a pallet or on support beams 194. Individual fastening
 devices 100 are shown generally equally spaced around lumber unit 180 to
 secure plastic sheeting 182 tightly around the lumber unit. The sheeting
 covers and protects the lumber unit against harsh environmental elements.
 The plastic wrapping may be neatly folded on an end 196 of the lumber unit
 wherein the fastening devices are secured through the multiple layers of
 plastic material and into the lumber unit. Fastening devices 100 are shown
 in a preferred orientation wherein an elongate axis 198 of recess 106 of
 the spacer and of crossbar 110 of the staple extends generally vertically.
 When the fastening devices are all secured in this general vertical
 arrangement, the fastening devices are easily pulled from the lumber unit
 together with the plastic sheeting, as will be explained in more detail
 below. Moreover, when the fastening devices are all secured in this
 general vertical arrangement, the installation time is minimal because the
 staple gun is not twisted into different orientations between the stapling
 of each staple. However, other arrangements of the fastening devices may
 also be utilized, such as diagonal placement, horizontal placement, or
 mixed diagonal, vertical and horizontal placement of the fastening devices
 on the lumber unit. In these cases, the sheeting material will be pulled
 in a direction perpendicular to the elongate axis of each of the spacers
 to remove the sheeting, as will be described below.
 FIG. 7 shows a top view of a single fastening device 100 including a staple
 104 and a spacer 102 fastened to a lumber unit 180 wherein the sharp legs
 of the fastener have penetrated the fabric sheeting 182 and extend
 downwardly within the lumber unit. The hardness of the staple used
 typically will depend on the type of wood being wrapped. For example, when
 wrapping hardwoods such as oak, relatively hard staples are used, whereas
 when wrapping relatively softwood such as pine, softer, less durable
 fasteners may be used. Moreover, the hardness of the staple used may also
 depend on the area of the wood in which the staple is fastened. For
 example, when the staple is secured within the end grain of a board, the
 staple used may be less hard than when the staple is secured against the
 grain of the board. The fastener typically used will have a hardness and
 strength so that the staple can be secured within a variety of materials
 in a variety of areas of the materials. The staple is shown having a
 length 132 slightly greater than a length 120 of spacer 104 such that the
 crossbar 110 of the staple is received within recess 106 of the spacer.
 FIG. 8 shows a side view of the staple and spacer of FIG. 7 wherein staple
 104 is secured in lumber unit 180 to secure the protective fabric 182 to
 the lumber. In this manner the lumber unit is protected from the elements
 during shipping and handling. Lower surface 112 of the spacer effectively
 increases the surface area of the crossbar of the staple which contacts
 the fabric sheeting so that the fabric will not as easily be torn from the
 lumber unit during shipping, compared to the case when just the staple is
 used by itself without a spacer. For example, using the dimensions recited
 with respect to FIG. 1, lower surface 112 of the spacer has a surface area
 of approximately 43.36 square millimeters. The lower surface 200 of the
 crossbar of the staple has a surface area (this is the surface that would
 contact the plastic sheeting if no spacer were used with the staple) of
 approximately 9.44 millimeters. The larger surface area of the spacer will
 tend to reduce tearing of the plastic sheeting compared to when a staple
 is used by itself. In addition, due to the larger surface area of the
 spacer compared to the surface area of the crossbar of the staple, the
 spacer will tend to facilitate purposeful removal of the spacers and the
 fasteners together with the protective sheeting when the sheeting is
 removed from the lumber unit. Using the spacer of the present invention,
 over 90% of the fasteners are removed from the lumber unit with the
 sheeting, thereby reducing the risk that fasteners are left remaining in
 the lumber when the protective sheeting is removed.
 Still referring to FIG. 8, legs 134 of the staple are shown having pierced
 protective sheeting 182 and the lumber unit. The legs of the staple are
 driven into the lumber unit with enough force such that lower surface 112
 of the spacer contacts the plastic sheeting and forces the sheeting
 downwardly and against an outer surface 202 of the lumber unit.
 Accordingly, the sheeting is tightly bound to the lumber unit. The
 crossbar 110 of the staple is shown completely received within recess 106
 such that the crossbar does not extend upwardly or outwardly from the
 recess. The staple is driven with enough force so that the crossbar of the
 staple contacts the bottom surface 204 of recess 106 and wherein the
 bottom surface of the recess of the spacer acts as a stop to prevent
 further penetration of the staple into the lumber unit.
 FIG. 9 shows the fabric being pulled by a force 206 of high winds. In this
 scenario, the high winds may blow an edge of plastic sheeting 182 away
 from the lumber. This creates an approximate ninety degree angle 208 of
 the sheeting at spacer 102 and a force on the spacer in a direction 210,
 approximately perpendicular to side surface 146 of the spacer. This force
 on the spacer perpendicular to side surface 146 is also perpendicular to
 elongate legs 134 of the staple which are secured within the lumber unit.
 Accordingly, this perpendicular force on the spacer typically will not
 result in the fastening device being pulled from the lumber unit. In
 addition, due to the large surface area of the spacer in contact with the
 plastic sheeting, the perpendicular force on the spacer typically will not
 result in the spacer tearing through the plastic sheeting. Accordingly,
 the spacer of the present invention acts to reduce the chances of the
 plastic sheeting being torn from the lumber unit during periods of high
 winds.
 FIG. 10 shows protective fabric 182 being initially purposefully pulled
 from lumber unit 180. The fabric sheeting preferably is initially pulled
 upwardly at an angle 212 of approximately forty-five degrees with respect
 to top surface 202 of the lumber unit. This angle of pulling of the
 plastic sheeting results in top surface 214 of the sheeting pulling on
 bottom surface 112 of the spacer with a force 216. Due to the positioning
 of crossbar 110 within recess 106, this angle of pulling also results in
 the force 216 being applied to the elongate legs of the staple, at an
 angle of approximately forty-five degrees with respect to top surface 202
 of the lumber unit. It is believed that this angle of force maximizes the
 upwardly force on the entirety of bottom surface 112 of the spacer and the
 staple such that the spacer pulls the staple upwardly together with the
 plastic sheeting. This force tends to move elongate legs 134 of the staple
 within the lumber unit such that the original aperture 218, which was
 created in the lumber when the staple was initially secured therein, is
 only slightly enlarged near the surface of the lumber unit. This slight
 enlargement of aperture 218 allows the staple to be pulled from the lumber
 unit without substantially marring the appearance of the lumber. Moreover,
 an even force on the underside 112 of the spacer is maintained because the
 spacer rotates about crossbar 110 of the staple in a direction 220. This
 rotation of the spacer ensures that the full surface area 112 of the lower
 surface of the spacer is always in contact with the plastic sheeting
 during purposeful pulling of the sheeting, thereby reducing the chances
 that the spacer or the staple will tear through the plastic sheeting.
 FIG. 11 shows the staple almost completely removed from the lumber unit and
 spacer 102 rotated approximately ninety degrees in direction 220 about
 crossbar 110 of staple 104. As protective sheeting is further pulled in a
 direction 222 (which may be greater than a forty five degree angle from
 surface 202 in this latter stage of removal of the fastening device) from
 the position shown in FIG. 10, the spacer rotates about crossbar 110 which
 allows movement of the plastic sheeting with respect to the staple without
 the sheeting frictionally pulling across or rubbing directly against the
 staple or the spacer. (The sheeting may also be pulled from the other
 direction so that that the spacer will rotate about crossbar 10 in a
 direction opposite to direction 220.) Accordingly, a flat surface of the
 spacer (either bottom surface 112 or side surface 146) is in contact with
 the protective sheeting throughout the entire pulling cycle of the sheet
 from the lumber unit. This distributes the pulling force across a
 relatively large area of the spacer and reduces the chance that the
 sheeting will become torn. Additionally, this frictionless movement of the
 protective sheeting with respect to the spacer, i.e., the sheeting "rolls"
 with the rotating spacer instead of pulling across the surface of the
 spacer or the fastener, reduces the chance that the sheeting will become
 torn. In this manner, fastener 104 is removed from aperture 218 in lumber
 unit 180 along with the spacer and the sheeting material. Accordingly, the
 sheeting is removed without leaving any staples in the lumber, thereby
 reducing the chance that damage may occur to the wood or to saw blades
 used to cut the wood.
 FIG. 12 is another embodiment 230 of the spacer secured to a lumber unit.
 In this embodiment, spacer 230 includes a recess 232 having an elongate
 channel 234 which terminates in a keyed area 236. Keyed area 236 includes
 recesses 238 and 240 which extend outwardly from elongate channel 234.
 These recesses facilitate capture of crossbar 110 of fastener 104 as the
 spacer is rotated about the crossbar during removal of sheeting 182 from
 lumber unit 180. In this embodiment, the spacer has a substantially flat
 lower surface in that 100% of the footprint of the spacer contacts the
 protective sheeting.
 FIG. 13 shows a top view of spacer 230 secured to a lumber unit.
 FIG. 14 shows a side view of the spacer 230 just prior to removal of the
 fastening device from the lumber unit wherein crossbar 110 is captured
 within the keyed area of the recess.
 FIG. 15 shows another embodiment 246 of the spacer having rounded corners
 248 and 250 between bottom surface 112 and side surfaces 146 of the
 spacer. The rounded corners facilitate rotation of the spacer about the
 crossbar of the fastener. Bottom surface 112 and side surfaces 146 are
 still substantially flat, however, which facilitates a relatively large
 contact area between the spacer and protective sheeting 182 during removal
 from the lumber unit 180.
 FIG. 16 shows another embodiment 254 wherein recess 106 includes cutout
 regions 256 and 258 (region 258 is not shown in this view but is a mirror
 image of region 256) for receiving legs 134 of fastener 104. A length 260
 of spacer 254 typically is longer than length 132 of crossbar 110 so that
 legs 134 of the fastener are aligned between arms 128 of the spacer. In
 this embodiment, arms 128 of the spacer facilitate alignment of each
 staple with its corresponding spacer during stapling of the fastening
 device to the lumber unit through use of the staple gun. The large surface
 area of lower surface 112 of the spacer facilitates removal of the spacer
 and the fastener during removal of protective sheeting. Arms 128 of the
 spacer which enclose legs 134 of the fastener, however, prohibit rotation
 of the spacer about crossbar 110 of the staple during removal of
 protective sheeting 182. In this embodiment, lower surface 112 of the
 spacer still has a substantially flat surface in that at least
 approximately 75% of the footprint of the spacer is in contact with the
 protective sheeting.
 FIG. 17 shows a top view of fastening device 254 of FIG. 16.
 FIG. 18 shows another embodiment 266 wherein recess 106 includes cutout
 regions 268 and 270 for receiving legs 134 of fastener 104 and for
 allowing the spacer to rotate about crossbar 110 of the fastener. A length
 272 of spacer 266 typically is longer than length 132 of crossbar 110 so
 that legs 134 of the fastener are aligned between arms 128 of the spacer
 during initial movement of the fastener through the spacer while being
 secured to the lumber unit by the staple gun. Accordingly, side walls 128
 of the spacer help to align the fastener and the spacer during attachment
 to a lumber unit. However, recesses 268 and 270 allow the spacer to rotate
 about fastener 104 in direction 220, or in a direction opposite to
 direction 220, during removal of the protective sheeting. In this
 embodiment, lower surface 112 of the spacer has a substantially flat
 surface in that at least approximately 60% of the footprint of the spacer
 is in contact with the protective sheeting. The large surface area of
 lower surface 112 and side surface 146 of the spacer facilitates removal
 of the spacer and the fastener during removal of protective sheeting. This
 embodiment has the dual benefit of facilitating alignment of the spacer
 with the fastener during fastening, and allowing the spacer to rotate
 about the crossbar of the fastener during removal of the fastening device.
 However, due to the relatively high manufacturing costs of this
 embodiment, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is the preferred embodiment.
 FIG. 19 shows a top view of fastening device 266 of FIG. 18.
 FIG. 20 shows a pin type fastener 276 held within a spacer 278 having a
 cutout region 280 which connects with recess 106 which in turn facilitates
 rotation of the spacer about upper crossbar 110 of fastener 276 in either
 of directions 220 or 282. The connection between cutout region 280 and
 recess 106 may be described and two rectangular channels which intersect
 with each other at right angles. In this embodiment, fastener 276 includes
 only one downwardly extending leg 134, which extends downwardly from a
 central region of crossbar 110. In this embodiment, lower surface 112 of
 the spacer has a substantially flat surface in that at least approximately
 75% of the footprint of the spacer is in contact with the protective
 sheeting. This embodiment has the dual benefit of facilitating alignment
 of the spacer with the fastener during fastening, and allowing the spacer
 to rotate about the crossbar of the fastener during removal of the
 fastening device. However, due to the relatively high manufacturing costs
 of this embodiment, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is the preferred
 embodiment.
 FIG. 21 is a side view of the fastener and spacer of FIG. 20.
 With reference to the figures, the method of the present invention will now
 be described. The method of securing a protective sheeting to an object,
 comprises the steps of: providing an object; providing a protective
 sheeting; providing a fastener having a crossbar and at least one leg
 extending perpendicularly outwardly from said crossbar; providing a spacer
 having a substantially flat lower surface and a top surface with a recess
 extending downwardly therefrom; aligning the fastener and the spacer such
 that the crossbar of the fastener is aligned with the recess of the
 spacer; and forcing the leg of the fastener through the protective
 sheeting and into the object such that the crossbar is received within the
 recess, the fastener forces the spacer and the protective sheeting against
 the object, and the spacer and the protective sheeting are captured
 between the object and the crossbar. The method further comprises the step
 of pulling the protective sheeting from the object to remove the spacer
 and the fastener from the object wherein during pulling of said protective
 sheeting the sheeting initially contacts the spacer along its
 substantially flat lower surface. As the protective sheeting is pulled,
 the spacer typically rotates about the crossbar such that the protective
 sheeting is removed from the object in the absence of a frictional force
 between the spacer and the protective sheeting. The fastener may be
 provided in a track, the spacer may be provided in a track, and the step
 of forcing the leg of the fastener through the protective sheeting and
 into the object may be accomplished with a staple gun. The spacers may
 include an elongate axis wherein the spacers are typically secured to the
 object with the elongate axis extending vertically with respect to the
 object so that the sheeting can be pulled in a single direction to remove
 the sheeting and the staples without tearing the sheeting. During pulling
 of the protective sheeting from the object, the protective sheeting
 initially contacts the spacer along its substantially flat lower surface
 and thereafter the spacer rotates about the crossbar of the fastener such
 that a substantially flat side surface of the spacer contacts the
 protective sheeting. In this manner, the flat lower surface or the flat
 side surface of the spacer is in contact with the sheeting thereby
 reducing the chances that the sheeting may become torn.
 While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and
 described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many
 changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention
 in its broader aspects. The appended claim are intended to cover,
 therefore, all such changes and modifications as fall within the true
 spirit and scope of the invention.