Abstract:
Staplers and methods of stapling are described. The stapler includes a topsail configured to support a plurality of staples, the staples being slidably moveable on the topsail; a blade configured to drive an end staple of the plurality of staples out of the stapler and into an object to staple; a pusher configured to urge the plurality of staples on the topsail in a direction toward the blade; a finger configured to move between at least two positions by movement of the blade, a first position where the finger does not substantially counter action of the pusher, and a second position where the finger is engaged with the plurality of staples to substantially counter action of the pusher on the staples to keep the plurality of staples excluding the end staple away from the blade.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a stapler and more particularly to a stapler for preventing simultaneous dispensing of multiple staples. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, such references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art. 
         [0003]    Sod consists of grass and the part of the soil beneath the grass that is held together by the roots of the grass. Sometimes a piece of material is used to hold the sod together. When sod is laid on bare ground the sod needs to be tacked down to the ground to prevent the sod from moving so that there is a stable bed for the roots of the grass to grow into. Additionally, if the sod is not tacked down rain may create erosion problems between the sod and the ground. Tacking the sod to the ground is a laborious task where often a person may bend down and drive fastener through the sod and into the ground. This process of tacking the sod to the ground may be very laborious and expensive, which encourages workers to take short cuts that do not properly tack the sod to the ground. This may create environmental problems from erosion which may pollute local ecosystems and may result in the roots of the sod not growing into the bare ground which may result in the sod dying. Therefore, there is a need for a stapler of the type described herein. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Apparatus and methods are provided for stapling. A stapler includes a topsail configured to support a plurality of staples, the staples being slidably moveable on the topsail; a blade configured to drive an end staple of the plurality of staples out of the stapler and into an object to staple; a pusher configured to urge the plurality of staples on the topsail in a direction toward the blade; a finger configured to move between at least two positions by movement of the blade, a first position where the finger does not substantially counter action of the pusher, and a second position where the finger is engaged with the plurality of staples to substantially counter action of the pusher on the staples to keep the plurality of staples excluding the end staple away from the blade. 
         [0005]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0006]    The following detailed description can be read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like elements and in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a stapler. 
           [0008]      FIGS. 2 and 2A  illustrate an example of a stapler and the operation of the blade. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a stapler and the operation of the pusher. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an example of a stapler where the blade is beginning to engage the finger and the finger is in a first position. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an example of a stapler where the blade has engaged the finger and the finger is in a second position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a stapler. A person  100  holds the handle  20  of a stapler  10  and presses the pedal  32  down to drive a staple  72  through the sod  110  and into the ground  120 . The staple  72  tacks the sod  110  to the ground  120 . In the embodiment illustrated, the stapler  10  does not bend the ends of the staples  72 . The stapler  10  is portable so that a person  100  can lift the stapler  10  by the handle  20  and move the stapler  10  to the next location to drive in the next staple  72 . In embodiments, the stapler  10  may have wheels to assist in moving the stapler  10 . Stapling sod  110  down to the ground  120  is often very messy. There may be moisture and bits of the sod and ground may break off. A stapler  10  working in a such an environment could easily get clogged due to the moisture and bits of sod and ground, which can cause more than one staple to be presented for driving at the same time causing multiple staples to be dispensed at once, thus wasting staples, or causing the stapler  10  to jam. 
         [0013]      FIGS. 2 and 2A  illustrate an example of a stapler and the operation of the blade. The stapler  10  includes a handle  20 , a blade pedal assembly  30 , a base assembly  40 , a pedal guide  42 , a pusher  50 , a topsail  54 , a front bracket  55 , a pusher spring  52 , front plates  62 ,  64 , blade guides  66 ,  68 , and staples (the staples are shown collectively as a group  70 , with items  72 ,  74  representing individual staples within the group  70 ). The blade pedal assembly  30  includes a safety pin  38 , a spring collar  37 , a blade pedal spring  36 , and a pedal  32 . Referring to  FIG. 2A , the blade  34  is shown in phantom.  FIG. 2A  also shows a finger bracket  42 , a finger pin  44 , a finger  46  and a finger spring  48 . The parts of the stapler  10  can be made out of suitable materials. 
         [0014]    The front plates  62 ,  64  are illustrated as removed from the stapler  10  to facilitate explanation. The front plates  62 ,  64  and the blade guides  66 ,  68  provide a guide in which the blade  34  can reciprocally travel. The pusher  50  which is explained in more detail below pushes on the staples  70  to urge the staples toward the blade  34  and against the front plates  62 ,  64 . The finger  46  is rotatably attached to the base assembly  40  by a finger pin  44 . Bracket  42  provides support. The bracket  42  has a cut out (not numbered) so that the finger  46  can rotate down and engage the staples  70 . The staples  70  are illustrated as being out of the stapler  10  for clarity. The finger  46  has two positions: a first position where the finger  46  does not substantially counter the pusher  50 , and a second position where the finger  46  is engaged with the staples  70  to substantially counter the pusher  50  to keep the staples  70 , in particular staple  74  (but not  72 ) away from the blade  34  while the blade  34  is driving staple  72  out of the stapler  10 . The finger spring  48  biases the finger  46  in an up position where the finger  46  does not engage the staples  70 . The operation of the finger  46  is explained further below. 
         [0015]    The blade pedal assembly  30  translates pressure on the pedal  32  to the blade  34  and provides support for the handle  20 . In the example illustrated, the blade pedal assembly  30  also transmits hand pressure on the handle  20  from a person&#39;s hands to the blade  34 . In the example illustrated, the handle  20  moves down as the pedal  32  (and blade  34 ) move down. Other configurations are possible so that the handle  20  would not move down as the pedal  32  moves down. The blade pedal assembly  30  goes through an opening in the pedal guide  42 , which is attached to the base assembly  40 . The safety pin  38  holds the handle  20  within guide tube  39 . In embodiments, there are additional holes (not illustrated) in the handle shaft  21  so that the handle  20  height relative to guide tube  39  can be adjusted. The blade pedal spring  36  is held between the spring collar  37  and the pedal guide  42 . The blade pedal spring  36  biases the blade pedal assembly  30  in an up position. The handle  20  is relatively stable for transporting the stapler  10  because the top of the blade  34  presses against the bottom of the pedal guide  42  and the blade pedal spring  36  biases the blade pedal assembly  30  in an up position. 
         [0016]    In operation, the pedal  32  is pushed down by the foot of a person, which drives the blade pedal assembly  30  and the blade  34  attached to the blade pedal assembly  30  downward. In the embodiment illustrated, a person may also press down on the handle  20  with the hands to drive the blade  34  down, apart from or together with applying foot pressure to pedal  32 . As the blade  34  is driven down the blade  34  engages the finger  46  which causes the finger  46  to engage the staples  70 . The finger  46  is positioned so as to engage the staple  74  next to the end staple  72 . As the blade  34  continues to be driven down the blade  34  engages the end staple  72  and drives the end staple  72  out of the stapler  10  and into the medium below the stapler  10 , which may be sod, and then the stapler  10  further drives the staple  72  into the ground under the sod. The sod is thus tacked to the ground. Once the end staple  72  is driven out of the stapler  10 , the person stops pushing on the pedal  32  and the bade  34  goes back up to its resting position due to the bias provided by the blade pedal spring  36 . As the blade  34  goes up, the blade  34  no longer engages the finger  46 . The finger  46  moves up due to the bias of the finger spring  48 . Upward movement of finger  46  permits the staples  70  to move forward to permit staple  74  to replace the end staple  72  below the blade  34  for the next stroke. The staples  70  move forward under the force of the pusher  50  which is biased to move toward the blade and against the front guards  62 ,  64  by the pusher spring  52 . 
         [0017]    The finger  46  ensures that only the end staple  72  is pushed on by the blade  34  and that the staple  74  does not move into the position of the end staple  72  until after the end staple  72  has been driven out of the stapler  10 . This may help to insure that the stapler  10  does not simultaneously push out two staples  72 ,  74 , and this may help to prevent the stapler  10  from becoming jammed. In alternative embodiments, the finger  46  may substantially counter the push of the pusher  50  in other ways. For example, the finger  46  may engage other staples  70  since the staples  70  may be attached to one another, or the finger  46  may engage the pusher  50 . In alternative embodiments, different structures other than a finger  46  may be used to substantially counter the push of the pusher  50 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a stapler and the operation of the pusher. The stapler  10  includes a base assembly  40 , a pusher  50  with pusher plates  56 ,  58 , a pusher spring  52 , a topsail  54 , a pusher holder assembly  58 , pusher rider  82 , slot  80 , and a pusher rod  86 . The pusher rider  82  includes an edge  84 . Also illustrated are staples  70 . 
         [0019]    The topsail  54  supports the staples  70 , shown for clarity as removed from the stapler  10 . The pusher rod  86  provides a guide on which the pusher bushing  88  may slide back and forth. The bottom guide (not illustrated) provides a guide for the pusher plates  56 ,  58  on the opposite end from the pusher rod  86 . The pusher rider  82  is pushed on by the pusher spring  52  and slides along the rod of the pusher holder assembly  58 . The pusher rider  82  is connected to the pusher  50  and transmits the force of the pusher spring  52  through the pusher rider  82  to the pusher  50 . The pusher rider  82  has a notch (not numbered) and a riding edge  84  for latching the pusher  50  onto the slot  80  while loading staples  70 . The pusher  50  has a pusher handle  92  for pushing the pusher  50  into and out of a latched position where the notch is latched into the slot  80 . The pusher  50  has pusher plates  54 ,  56  and front edges  51 ,  53 . The pusher plates  54 ,  56  are fixedly attached to the pusher bushing  88  and the pusher rider  82 . The pusher  50  pushes on the staples  70  to push them toward the blade (not illustrated) and against the front plates  62 ,  64 . 
         [0020]    In operation, the pusher  50  pushes the staples  70  along the front edge  51  and  53  of the pusher  50 . The staples  70  are held between the pusher  50  and the front plates  62 ,  64 . When the blade  34  is driven down into a staple  72 , the finger  46  may substantially counter the force of the pusher  50  so that other staples  74 ,  76  are not pushed toward the staple  72  when the blade  34  is driving the staple  72  down. Once the blade  34  has substantially completed driving the staple  72  down, the finger  46  no longer substantially counters the force of the pusher  50  so that other staples  74  through  76  can be pushed against the front plates  62 ,  64 . 
         [0021]    The stapler  10  may be loaded with staples by a person grasping the pusher handle  92  and sliding the pusher  50  back so that the riding edge  84  rides up the slot  80  and the notch of the pusher rider  82  latches onto the slot  80 . The stapler  10  may then be loaded with staples  70  by placing the staples  70  on the topsail  54 . The person may then grasp the handle  92  and lift the pusher  50  so that the notch of the pusher rider  82  is released from the slot  80 . The pusher  50  then slides forward from the bias of the spring  52  and holds the staples  70  against the front plates  62 ,  64 . 
         [0022]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an example of a stapler where the blade is beginning to engage the finger and the finger is in a first position. The stapler  10  includes a blade  34 , a finger pin  44 , a finger  46 , a finger spring  48 , a pusher  50 , a topsail  54 , a pusher spring  52 , front plates  62 ,  64 , and staples  70 ,  72 ,  74 . The finger  46  is rotatably attached to the base assembly  40  by the finger pin  44 . The finger  46  is biased in an up position by the finger spring  48 . The bracket  42  has a cut out (not illustrated) which permits the finger  46  to rotate to engage the staples  70 ,  72 ,  74 . The pusher  50  pushes the staples  70 ,  72 ,  74  toward the front of the stapler  10  against the front plates  62 ,  64 . As illustrated, the blade  34  is just above the finger  46 , and the blade  34  may be considered to either be in the process of being driven down, in which case it is just about to push the finger  46  down as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7  and engage the staple  72 , or the blade  34  may be in the process of returning up after having driven a staple  72  out of the stapler  10 , in which case the blade  34  will have just released the finger  46  to permit the finger  46  to return to a first position where the finger  46  is not substantially countering the force of the pusher  50 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an example of a stapler where the blade has engaged the finger and the finger is in a second position. The finger  46  is rotatably attached to the base assembly  40  by the finger pin  44 . The finger  46  is biased in an up position by the finger spring  48 . The bracket  42  has a cut out (not illustrated) which permits the finger  46  to rotate to engage the staples  70 ,  72 ,  74 . The pusher  50  pushes the staples  70 ,  72 ,  74  toward the front of the stapler  10 . As illustrated, the blade  34  has pushed the finger  46  down into a second position where the finger  46  engages the staple  74  next to the end staple  72  to substantially counter the bias of the pusher  50  for the group of staples  70 . By substantially countering the bias of the pusher  50 , the staples  70 ,  74  are held back from the blade  34 . This ensures that staple  74  is not engaged by the blade  34  and permits the blade  34  to act only on the staple  72 . As illustrated, the blade  34  has pushed the staple  72  down to have partially driven the staple  72  out of the stapler  10 . Once the blade  34  has driven the staple  72  completely out of the stapler  10 , the blade  34  returns to a location above the finger  46  so that the finger  46  no longer substantially counters the bias of the pusher  50  on the staples  70 ,  74  and the staples  70 ,  74  are then pushed by the pusher  50  against the front guard, (so that staple  74  is ready to be driven out of the stapler  10  by the blade  34 . 
         [0024]    In alternative embodiments, the finger may be pushed on not directly by the blade but by the action of pushing the pedal. For example, another piece could move with the action of the pedal and push on the finger. Additionally, the finger may be biased down. In alternative embodiments, the finger may be touching the staples even when the finger is not substantially countering the push of the pusher. In alternative embodiments, the blade need not be driven directly by the action of the pedal. For example, the pedal may be pressed down to bias a spring and then once the pedal is pressed down passed a certain point the tension in the spring may be released to drive the blade down. 
         [0025]    Although described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications, and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.