Stapling device for sheets

Abstract: A stapling device for sheets comprises a stapling head that can be adjusted to various stapling positions (A3, 11 x 17", 8.5 x 11" and A4). The stapling positions are associated with a plurality of anvils (3, 5, 7 and 9) cooperating with the stapling head and being arranged in a row extending along the adjusting direction. At least one (5) of the anvils (3, 5, 7 and 9) features three surfaces (25, 29, 27) which are successively arranged in the longitudinal direction (23) of said row. The control one (29) of said surfaces (25, 29, 27) cooperates with a leg (33 or 35) of the staple (31) arranged in the one or the other stapling position (8.5 x 11" or A4).

Description: The invention relates to a stapling device for sheets comprising at least one stapling head which for adaptation to different sheet formats can be moved in one direction so as to be adjusted to various selectable stapling positions, and a plurality of anvils, which cooperate with the stapling head, are arranged in a row extending along the adjusting direction and each of which features two surfaces for cooperating with each of the two legs of the staples ejected from the stapling head during the stapling operation, said surfaces being successively arranged in the longitudinal direction of the said row. Stapling devices of this type are known (Research Disclosure May 77, No. 15710, page 22: "Staple Sensing Apparatus"). They are widely used in sheet handling equipment arranged downstream of the sheet exiting stations of copiers, printing machines, etc. Sheet handling equipment used in connection with copiers provided with means for collecting the copy sheets and collating them in sheet stacks in addition to stapling devices are also called finishers. In cases in which the sheets are stapled by means of a stapling device and subsequently folded along the central line to form a brochure or leaflet, the respective sheet handling device is also called a saddle stitcher. Regardless of the specific design of such stapling devices, usually a first stapling head is fixedly arranged at a predetermined distance from the neighboring top (or bottom) edge of a sheet stack, while a second stapling head is arranged movably with respect to said first head such that it can be positioned equidistantly from the opposite bottom (or top) edge of the stack. The movable stapling head can be locked in these selectable stapling positions by means of releasable detents. The stapling positions are selected so as to correspond to the format steps of the sheet format systems in question, e. g. to the steps A4, A3, etc. with the DIN system or to the steps of the US systems (inch system). The anvils are arranged in a row such that opposite to said first stapling head an anvil with its two surfaces is located and that opposite to the second head also an appropriatly registered anvil with its two surfaces is located in each of the adjustable stapling positions. It is the object of the invention to provide a stapling device of the generic type which is of a particularly simple design. In a stapling device of the initially mentioned type the above object, according to the invention is attained in that at least one of the anvils is provided with three of said surfaces which are successively arranged in the longitudinal direction of said row and in two different stapling positions selected the central one of said surfaces cooperates with a leg of the staple whose other leg cooperates with one of said outer surfaces in one of the two stapling positions selected and with the other outer surface in the other stapling position. Due to the fact that in the stapling device according to the invention a combination anvil is used having more than two surfaces and one of which is effective in any of two different stapling positions, the design problems are avoided that occurred in known devices when two stapling positions the second head is to be adjustable to are located relatively close to each other. If this is the case, that is to say if the displacement path between two closely adjacent stapling positions of the second stapling head is shorter than the center-to-center distance between two anvils to be arranged in a row as close to each other as possible, the use of only one row of anvils is not possible. In the present invention such problems have been solved in a surprisingly simple way by using a combination anvil serving two different stapling positions so that a single row of anvils can be applied even if the second head is to be adjustable to closely adjacent stapling positions. As a result, the intended simplification of the design has been achieved by the present invention. The invention will now be described in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. Fig. 1 shows a schematically simplified top view of the row of anvils of the embodiment containing a combination anvil for cooperating with the stapling head in two selectable stapling positions, and Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the combination anvil in the area of its surfaces which are shown relative to the positions of two staples, said section - as opposed to Fig. 1 - being represented at a larger scale. A row of anvils shown in Fig. 1 comprises anvils 3, 5, 7 and 9. Anvils 3, 7 and 9 show similarly designed, rectangular metallic base plates 11. Anvil 5 also features a metallic rectangular base plate 13 whose lateral dimension is however larger than with the base plates 11. By means of screws extending through bores 19 and 21 in the base plates 11 and 13, respectively, the anvils 3, 5, 7 and 9 are fixed to a support (not illustrated) of the stapling device such that along their longitudinal direction designated 23 in Fig. 1 they form a straight row of anvils which is oriented so as to extend linearly along the adjusting direction of the stapling head (not illustrated) which is slidably arranged for adjusting different stapling positions. Base plates 11 and 13 carry on their upper surface visible in the top view of Fig. 1 anvil bodies 15 and 17 forming the anvils 3, 7, 9 and 5, respectively. The anvil bodies 15 and 17 are arranged in alignment with the longitudinal direction 23 of the row of anvils. Anvil 3 is arranged at the end of the row of anvils in a position so that its anvil body 15 is aligned with a stapling head (not illustrated) stationarily mounted to the stapling device. Anvils 7 and 9 are fixed in positions so that their anvil bodies 15 can cooperate with the adjustable stapling head (not illustrated) in two stapling positions, the arrangement of anvil 9 being intended for the stapling position when processing the DIN-A 3 format and anvil 7 being intended for the stapling position when processing the 11" x 17" US sheet format. Anvil 5 whose body 17 is shown in detail in Fig. 2 is designed as a combination anvil intended for cooperation with the adjustable stapling head in any of two different stapling positions, i. e. the position for processing DIN-A 4 and the 8 1/2" x 11" US format. Anvil bodies 15 of anvils 3, 7 and 9 are identically designed and, as is usual with stapling devices, each of them features two surfaces 25 and 27 in the form of elongate, concave depressions which are worked into the surface of anvil body 15 and whose widths are reduced by the spherically curved side walls in the central area. In addition to the surfaces 25 and 27, the anvil body 17 of combination anvil 5 features a third surface 29 of identical shape located between said surfaces 25 and 27. As can be inferred from Fig. 2, the surface 29 cooperates in two different stapling positions indicated by different positions of a staple 31 with the legs 33 and 35, respectively, of staple 31. For the DIN-A 4 stapling position, the staple 31 is shown in solid lines and for the 8 1/2" x 11" US formal position in dash-dotted lines. In the embodiment shown in the drawing the leg 35 on the left side cooperates with surface 29 when processing DIN-A 4 sheets, whereas the leg 33 on the righthand side cooperates with surface 29 when processing the 8 1/2" x 11" US formal sheets. The outer surfaces 25 and 27 cooperate with the remaining legs 33 and 35, respectively. Due to the availability of three surfaces 25, 27 and 29, anvil 5 can thus be used for the operation of the stapling head in two different stapling positions located closely adjacent to each other in the adjusting direction of the adjustable stapling head. When the stapling device is designed as a saddle stitcher, the length of the adjusting path of the stapling head measured in adjusting direction amounts to 6 mm between the DIN-A 4 and 8 1/2" x 11" US format stapling positions. So when changing from one stapling position to the other, the length of D₁ (Fig. 1) is 6 mm which is the amount the separating line 37 extending between surfaces 25 and 29 and the separating line 39 extending between surfaces 29 and 27 of anvil body 17 must be spaced apart from each other. In the present embodiment, this corresponds to the length of surfaces 29 measured in longitudinal direction 23. As a result, the surfaces 25, 29 and 27 on anvil body 17 may be arranged side by side. When changing from the 11" x 17" US format stapling position to DIN-A 3 position, the spacing measured between the separating lines 41 and 43 of anvils 7 and 9, respectively, amounts to 17.5 mm. This spacing designated D₂ in Fig. 1 can technically be easily realized even if using individual anvils 7 and 9.

Claims: Stapling device for sheets comprising at least one stapling head which for adaptation to different sheet formats can be moved in one direction so as to be adjusted to various selectable stapling positions, and a plurality of anvils (3, 5, 7 and 9), which cooperate with the stapling head, are arranged in a row extending along the adjusting direction and each of which features two surfaces (25, 27) for cooperating with each of the two legs (33, 35) of the staples (31) ejected from the stapling head during the stapling operation, said surfaces being successively arranged in the longitudinal direction (23) of the said row, characterized in that at least one (5) of the anvils (3, 5, 7 and 9) is provided with three of said surfaces (25, 29, 27) which are successively arranged in the longitudinal direction (23) of said row and in two different stapling positions selected the central one (29) of said surfaces cooperates with a leg (33 or 35) of the staple (31) whose other leg (33 or 35) cooperates with one (25) of said outer surfaces in one of the two stapling positions selected and with the other (27) outer surface in the other stapling position. Stapling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the three surfaces (25, 29, 27) of the anvil are arranged next to each other. Stapling device according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the two stapling positions selected are intended for stapling the DIN-A 4 sheet format and the 8 1/2" x 11" US sheet format, respectively.

Inventors: RADTKE MANFRED, RIES JUERGEN, RADTKE, MANFRED, RIES, JUERGEN
Applicants: EASTMAN KODAK CO, KODAK AG, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, KODAK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B42B4
IPC codes: B27F7, B25C5