Abstract:
A staple-forming and inserting apparatus  10  is provided having an apparatus  22  for movement of the cutter box  20  to allow automatic variations in staple length for one or more staple-forming and inserting apparatus  10  said staple-forming and inserting apparatus  10  being provided with a staple crown  105  supporting shoe  56  to permit supported insertion of the staple into the workpiece the device  10  having blades  50   a   , 50   b  for pinch-cutting of the staple wire  72  to provide chisel ends to legs  101  of stable  100  device  10  have key and rail construction to allow the operating drive  16  and bender  18  rails to travel on keys  32  that may be replaced to avoid wear on drive  16  and bender  18  rails and replacement of the rails and a floating bender rail  18  that prevents overstrike and damage to knives  50   a,    50   b.

Description:
PRIORITY DATA 
       [0001]    This application is a division application based on U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/951,341 filed on Sep. 27, 2004 and which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/506,630 filed Sep. 26, 2003. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the field of automatic stapling devices, specifically devices which form staples and immediately insert the staple into the workpiece or material to be secured together. The present invention provides for a stapler housing which provides operating assemblies on key tracks within the housing and which provides for continued support of the staple during the insertion step as well as automatic adjustability and automatic centering of a selected staple wire length on the staple forming jig during the stapling process 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0003]    In order to staple material such as paper, cardboard or the like, use is made, according to the prior art (DE 44 44 220), in stapling machines of so-called stapling heads which, in addition to other components, have staple-forming apparatuses. In these stapling apparatuses, which are also referred to as staple forming means, a cut-to-length piece of wire is bent into a u-shaped staple before being driven, by means of a staple driver, into the paper stack which is to be stapled. 
         [0004]    The staple driver in this case is usually fitted in a moveable manner on a pusher in a forming-means housing. In order to form the staple, the forming-means housing has two side guides, in each of which is provided a groove for guiding the wire. The two end legs of the staple are formed in said side guides. The pusher itself comprises a driver which is positioned thereon and has an accommodating groove in a direction transverse to the movement direction so that the crosspiece of the staple or crown is formed between the two end legs. The entire forming means is actuated via a drive acting on the pusher. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1   a  is an exploded view of the device which is shown assembled in  FIG. 3   d;    
           [0006]      FIG. 1   b  is an exploded front and left side perspective view of the bender rail shown assembled in  FIG. 1   a;    
           [0007]      FIG. 1   c  is a front elevation view of a staple showing the parts of a typical staple; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1   d  is a front and left side elevation assembled view of the staple device of  FIG. 1   a;    
           [0009]      FIG. 1   e  is an exploded rear and left side perspective view of the bender rail shown assembled in  FIG. 1   a;    
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the body of the staple device which is shown assembled in  FIG. 1   a;    
           [0011]      FIG. 3   a  is a left side elevation view of the staple forming and insertion device having the cutter box adjustment unit attached thereto and the cutter box  20  shown rotated downwardly in the maintenance position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   b  is a left side elevation view of the assembled staple forming and insertion device with the cutter box adjustment unit  22  shown in cross-section view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3   c  with the cutter box adjustment unit in the engaged position and showing the spline gear  24  of the adjustment unit registered with the adjustment wheel  26  of the cutter box  20 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3   c  is a top perspective view of a gang of three stapling forming and insertion devices  10  engaged with a single cutter box adjustment unit  22  and showing the top surface of the cutter box adjustment unit in fragmentary view to reveal the spline gear  24  seated within; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3   d  is a front elevation view of  FIG. 3   c  with the case of the cutter box adjustment unit removed to show the positioning of spline gear  24  against adjustment wheel  26  of cutter box  20 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4   a  is an enlarged view of Area A of  FIG. 4   b  and showing the pinch-cut knives in closed position; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4   b  is a side elevation view of the operating components of the staple forming an insertion device with the cutter box  20  ( FIG. 1   d ) and the body  12  of the staple device removed for clarity; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4   c  is an enlarged portion of area B of  FIG. 4   d  showing the pinch cut knives in open position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4   d  is a side elevation view similar to that of  FIG. 4   b  of the operating components of the staple forming an insertion device with the cutter box  20  ( FIG. 1   d ) and the body  12  removed for clarity and showing the drive rail  16  in the downward position to drive a formed staple into a workpiece and the shoe  56  drawn rearward to allow the staple to supportably slide down the face of shoe  56  as the staple is driven into the workpiece and the former tool moved forward; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the former tool which is used to hold, orient and align the wire for forming into a staple by the bender rail; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 1   a  of the shoe and tongue which is used to support the crown of the staple as it travels down wire guide groove  30  as staple insertion takes place; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a rear and left side exploded view taken along line J-J of  FIG. 8  of a portion of the wire capture mechanism or the wire advancing drive of  FIG. 8  and showing the movable off-on pins  86  with three of the pins in the raised “off” position  86   a  which prevents frictional capture of the wire in the wire advancement drums; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  shows the wire advancing drive or wire feed mechanism which receives multiple continuous strands of wire from bulk wire spools to allow for selection of specific wire lengths to be advanced by a stepper motor  84  ( FIG. 9 ) into the staple forming and insertion device  10  of  FIGS. 1-3   d  and showing the wire capture mechanism of  FIG. 7  in position for coupling to the drive mechanism; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  shows the wire advancing drive in exploded view; 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the wire inlet guide which delivers a continuous length of wire to wire advancing drive shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  shows the incoming wire alignment tubes and wire cleaning pads disposed therebelow for cleaning of the incoming strand of wire; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  shows the wire alignment device for guiding the wire as it exits from the wire advancing drive of  FIG. 8  and which is spring mounted and distendable from the lower guide plate of wire advancing drive to permit ease of initial threading of new wire through the wire advancing drive. 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The invention is comprised of two major components which work in tandem to form and insert a staple into material to be stapled together. The first component is the staple forming and insertion device  10 , and the second component is the wire advancing unit. 
         [0028]    The staple forming and insertion unit is shown in  FIGS. 3A-C  where it is connected to cutter box adjustment unit  22  which permits lateral movement and adjustment of a cutter box  20  of a staple forming and insertion device to accomplish centering of a cut length of staple wire within the staple forming portion of the staple forming and insertion device  10 . 
         [0029]    It will be appreciated that the present invention allows automatic adjustment of the position of the wire within the staple forming and insertion unit to permit the selection and use of a new staple leg length to accommodate a new thickness of material to be stapled. This is accomplished while avoiding manual adjustment of cutter box  20  to center the newly selected staple wire length within the staple forming portion of the staple forming and insertion unit. The present invention also provides for pinch-cutting of the staple wire rather than shear-cutting of the staple wire thereby providing a staple having a chisel point in contrast to the flat or blunt end provided by the shear cutting of the wire in prior art in automatic staple forming units. 
         [0030]    In addition to automatically adjusting for a new overall wire length and centering the newly selected wire length within the staple forming portion of the device to provide generally equal legs to the new staple length, the present invention allows for full automation of the spacing apart of the staple forming and insertion unit heads in conjunction with the automatic selection of a new staple length and the automatic centering of the newly selected length of staple wire with respect to the staple forming and insertion unit. The prior art units merely permitted automatic repositioning of the spacing between staple forming and insertion heads through the use of shaft encoder technology followed by manual adjustment of the cutter box to center the newly selected wire length on the forming apparatus to provide even length staple legs. 
         [0031]    The present invention further allows the bender rail of the forming device to “float” or to move outwardly from the body of the device through the use of spring washers or a “bellville washer” to thereby reduce the pressure on the knives if the knife stroke is not properly adjusted thereby reducing wear on the knives and need for replacement of the knives. 
         [0032]    A Belleville washer is also known as a cupped spring washer, and is a type of non-flat washer having a slight conical shape which gives the washer a spring characteristic. A similar device is a wave washer. Belleville washers are typically used as springs or to apply a pre-load or flexible quality to a bolted joint. Multiple Belleville washers may be stacked to modify the spring constant or amount of deflection. Stacking in the same direction will add the spring constant in parallel, creating a stiffer joint (with the same deflection). Stacking in an alternating direction is the same as adding springs in series, resulting in a lower spring constant and greater deflection. Mixing and matching directions allow a specific spring constant and deflection capacity to be designed. 
         [0033]    The present invention further provides for a beneficial reduction of the number of movable parts which ride on the frame or body of the device by utilizing keys or rails  40  mounted on the body for support of moving parts of the staple forming an insertion unit thereby reducing the repair costs of the device by avoiding wear on the body of the device and allowing for substitution of the mounting rails or keys  40  or the part moving on the support rails or keys rather than replacement of the entire staple forming and insertion unit. 
         [0034]    The present invention further provides for a knife support shoulder which prevents the opposed knife edges from being pushed past one another as a result of misadjustment of the knife stroke and which operates in combination with the “floating” aspect of the bender rail to reduce wear and damage to the cutter knives. 
         [0035]    The invention further comprises a staple forming and cutter head device having a shoe or shoe tongue comprising a radius surface thereon which allows support of the crown of the staple during the insertion of the staple into the work piece thereby permitting a reduction in the gauge of wire that is selected for use in stapling the work piece thereby resulting in a substantial cost savings through use of the present invention. 
         [0036]    The present invention further comprises a stop on the shoe or shoe tongue which avoids overextending of the shoe tongue in its rearward movement thus contributing to breakage of the spring biasing of the shoe tongue in the prior art devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, the stop attached to the shoe or shoe tongue impacts the bender rail of the present invention and prevents overextention rearwardly of the shoe tongue. 
         [0037]    The present invention further comprises the use of a wedge mounting plate for the cutter box which alleviates binding of the cutter box on the mounting plate during the downward stroke of the cutter knives thereby permitting repositioning of the cutter box during operation of the stitching head or staple forming and insertion unit to permit automatic adjustment of the cutter box during the process of selection of a new staple leg length and the centering of the new wire length with respect to the staple forming apparatus. 
       Wire Selection and Advancing Unit 
       [0038]    The present invention also comprises a wire advancing and length selection drive which permits selection of new wire lengths for feeding to a stitching head or staple forming and insertion unit. The new design is compact and allows for air cooling of the device by air vents or vanes which utilize the rotating motion of the wire advancing drive and stapling unit to direct air toward the stepper motor to cool the motor and adjacent circuit board during its operation to advance the wire through the device. 
         [0039]    The wire advancing drive device comprises, generally, a central driving shaft operated by the stepper motor upon which gears associated with grooved wire advancing drums or cylinders are mounted. The drums are compressible against an opposed set of wire advancing drums to provide frictional capture of the wire therebetween thus providing secure and accurate advancement of the wire in indexed or incremental fashion. 
         [0040]    The invention further comprises individual engagement and stop keys which govern the compression of the drums or cylinders against one another to initiate or terminate wire advancement on an individual wire strand to thereby permit refeeding of a single wire strand through the wire advancing device. The compact design of the inventive wire advancement device permits mounting of the wire advancement device directly adjacent to the stitching head or staple forming and insertion unit. The wire advancing unit further comprises a wire exit alignment unit which is spring biased in position and permits movement of the guide away from the body of the wire advancement unit for ease of insertion of new wire through the device. The wire advancing drive further comprises beveled wire guide plates adjacent to the drums or wheels which compressively capture the wire therebetween thereby permitting self feeding of a new wire strand through the wire advancing drive. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0041]    First referring to  FIGS. 3   c  and  3   d,  three staple forming and insertion devices  10  are shown gang mounted as would be the case on a gathering and stapling unit of a printing operation. Devices  10  are engaged with cutter box adjustment unit  22  which, in the present invention, operates to properly space cutter box  20  ( FIG. 3   b ) of device  10  to permit proper positioning of a length of wire within cutter box  20  device  10  to allow formation of equal leg lengths  101  of a typical staple  100  ( FIG. 1   c ). 
         [0042]    The adjustment of cutter box  20  by cutter box adjustment unit  22  functions in the following manner: Cutter box adjustment unit  22  contains a spline gear  24  which engages with or registers with cutter box adjustment wheel  26  of cutter box  20 . Cutter box adjustment wheel  26  is provided with a central threaded void  28   b  ( FIG. 1   a ) for mounting of the wheel  26  on threaded post  28  ( FIG. 1   a ). Adjustment of the position of cutter box  20  along the length of cutter box threaded post  28  in the directions of arrows D ( FIG. 3   d ) is accomplished by the rotation of cutter box adjustment wheel  26  which is urged into rotation by spline gear  24  of cutter box adjustment unit  22 . 
         [0043]    In this manner, when it is desired to change the length of the legs  101  of a staple  100  ( FIG. 1   c ), a longer or shorter length of wire is released from the wire supply feeding cutter box  20  and a control unit signals cutter box adjustment unit  22  to rotate in the proper direction indicated by Arrow D ( FIG. 3   d ) to adjust the position of cutter box  20  on cutter box threaded post  28 . The movement of cutter box  20  on cutter box threaded post  28  shifts cutter box  20  in the directions indicated by Arrow D ( FIG. 3   d ) to position cutter box  20  nearer to, or farther from, staple forming jig  29  ( FIG. 1   a ) of bender rail  18  thereby allowing centering the length of wire that is cut by cutter box  20  with respect to staple forming jig  29  and wire guide grooves  30  ( FIG. 1   a ) of staple forming jig  29 . The result of this automatic movement caused by signals to cutter box adjustment unit  22  is to provide two generally equal length legs  101  on staple  100  ( FIG. 1   c ). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the signals to cutter box adjustment unit  22  are to be supplied from a controller that is provided with data regarding the thickness of the workpiece to be stapled. The controller then signals cutter box adjustment unit  22  the direction of rotation for spline gear  24  and the amount of rotation to extend or retract cutter box  20  along Arrow D ( FIG. 3   d ) to properly position cutter box  20 . In U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,555, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference, a means for determining the number of sheets, or thickness, of a stack of workpieces is described and a logic and control means for incrementally advancing the wire for staple forming. Additional devices for determining the height of a stack of sheets may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,308,951 and 6,773,004 the specifications of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0044]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b,  the movement of cutter box adjustment unit  22  in the directions indicated by Arrow M moves unit  22  between an open maintenance position shown in  FIG. 3   a  and a closed operating position shown in  FIG. 3   b.  In  FIG. 3   b,  the engagement between spline gear  24  and cutter box adjustment wheel  26  for movement of cutter box adjustment wheel in response to movement of spline gear  24  is shown. 
         [0045]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4   a - d , the cutting stroke of the device  10  will be described. In  FIG. 4   b,  the staple forming an insertion device  10  is shown in top dead center position of the machine timing which presents the knives  50   a,    50   b  of cutter box  20  in closed position as is shown in  FIG. 4   a.  This closed position of the knives serves to cut the wire into the desired length for the staple to be inserted corresponds to cam follower  42 , mounted on follower arm  43 , being in its lowest position along the length of cam  44 . In achieving this lowered position shown in  FIG. 4   b,  cam follower  42  will have passed over ridge  46  of cam  44  which actuates a downward stroke of shaft  48  and the closing of knives  50   a,    50   b  ( FIG. 4A ) to cut the wire that is to be formed into a staple as it passes between knives  50   a,    50   b.    
         [0046]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that cam  44  is a reciprocating motion cam that is built into bender rail  18 . Thus as bender rail  18  moves in its up and down stroke to form the legs  101  of the staple  100  ( FIG. 1   c ), the cutting of the wire is properly timed to present a cut segment of wire to bender rail  18  for formation of the staple shoulders  105  and legs  101  ( FIG. 1   c ) on the downward stroke of bender rail  18  as will be described hereinafter. 
         [0047]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4   c  and  4   d,  knives  50   a,    50   b  are shown in their open position as a result of downward movement of bender rail  18  and driver rail  16 . Drive rail  16  is provided with a cam  52  ( FIG. 4   b ) which provides the repositioning of cam follower  42  to ensure the upward stroke of shaft  48  as cam follower contacts shoulder  53  of cam  52  on driver rail  16 . Through this movement of cams provided on bender rail  18  and driver rail  16 , shaft  48  exhibits reciprocating movement to move knife blades  50   a,    50   b  to affect the cutting of the wire as it passes through cutter box  20 . A proximity switch  14  ( FIGS. 1   a  and  2 ) is mounted on body  12  to detect the position of driver rail  16  when it is positioned upwardly and when it is positioned downwardly in its stroke. 
         [0048]    As has been previously described, a length of wire is advanced through cutter box  20  by the operation of a wire feeding mechanism providing a length of wire to cutter box  20 . The length of wire provided is then centered with respect to staple forming jig  29  by the movement of cutter box  20  with respect to staple forming jig  29  through the automatic movement of cutter box  20  by cutter box adjustment unit  22  in communication with adjustment wheel  26 . Now with reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , the formation of the staple and insertion of the staple into a work piece will be described. Once the wire (not shown) has been advanced through cutter box  20 , it is held in place by wire holding arm  54  which is provided with a magnetized head  55  to hold the wire piece in position with respect to wire forming jig  29 , and in particular, with respect to wire guide grooves  30  within staple forming jig  29  of bender rail  18 . A downward movement of bender rail  18  is then initiated and wire guide grooves  30  of bender rail  18  capture the wire piece therein and press the wire downwardly over shoe  56  to create staple shoulders  105  ( FIG. 1   c ) and legs  101  of staple  100  with crown  103  of staple  100  supported across the face  60  of shoe  56 . This action forms the shoulders  105  and legs  101  of the staple from the wire segment that has been cut by cutter box  20 . This formation of the staple is then followed by a downward movement of driver rail  16  having insertion head  58  mounted thereon which engages staple crown  103  as it is positioned on face  60  of shoe  56  to drive the staple into the work piece. 
         [0049]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a cross section view of shoe  56  taken along line B-B of  FIG. 1   a  is shown. The orientation of the structure shown in cross section of  FIG. 6  also may be appreciated by viewing the exploded view of the structure in  FIG. 1   b . Shoe  56  has a radius face  60  which engages staple crown  103  thereon. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that as insertion head  58  attached to driver rail  16  moves downwardly, it contacts face  60  of shoe  56  and staple crown  103 , and as insertion head  58  is pressed downwardly by driver rail  16 , shoe  56  which is spring biased in a position underneath wire guide grooves  30  is forced rearwardly by the downward movement of insertion head  58 , while the radius face  60  of shoe  56  continues the support of crown  103  of staple  100  until insertion head  58  has finished the stroke caused by driver rail  16  and the staple is inserted into the work piece. 
         [0050]    Shoe  56  is also provided with shoe tongue stop  62  on shoe tongue  61 . During the travel of shoe  56  shoe tongue. 
         [0051]    This constant support of staple crown  103  by radius face  60  of shoe  56  during the insertion stroke allows a thinner gauge of wire to be used during the stapling process as less staple strength is required to withstand the force placed upon the staple by insertion head  58  and the contact of the staple with the work piece. This reduction in the wire gauge that is necessary for forming an insertion of a staple within a work piece allows a significant savings to the user of the present invention. For example, each reduction in a gauge size provides 18 percent more wire per pound of metal used to form the wire. For example, it is typically necessary that a 24 to 25 gauge wire be used to form a staple for insertion through a quarter inch of paper product. With the present invention, 27 gauge wire can be used to form a staple that will be insertable within a quarter inch of paper material. Therefore with the present invention, a user may be able to use a gauge of wire for staples which is one, two or three gauge sizes smaller than has previously been used resulting in 18 percent to 54 percent more wire length per pound of metal used to form the wire thus presenting a substantial reduction in cost to the operator. 
       Wire Incrementing and Advancing Device 
       [0052]    Referring now to  FIG. 7-13 , the wire advancing drive  70  or wire incrementing and advancing device  70  of the present invention will be described. First referring to  FIG. 8 , wire incrementing and advancing device  70  is shown in partial exploded view. In general, the operation of wire incrementing and advancing device  70  is that a strand of wire  72  is fed to the device by first passing along entry wire guide  74  ( FIG. 10 ) where it is received in feed tubes  76  after which it passes through cleaning pads  78  and into entry guide plate  80 A. Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 9 , the wire is then captured between advancement drums  82   a  and  82   b  which are in operational, facing orientation in  FIG. 8 . Drums  82   a,    82   b  capture wire  72  and drums  82   a,    82   b  rotate to incrementally advance the wire in response to movement of motor  84 . Again, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the signals, similar to those supplied to cutter box adjustment unit  22 , are provided to wire incrementing and advancing device  70 . As is the case with cutter box adjustment unit  22 , a controller is provided with data regarding the thickness of the workpiece to be stapled and the controller signals wire incrementing and advancing device  70  and advancement drums drive motor  83  which then causes the proper incremental rotation of advancement drums  82   a,    82   b  to advance the desired length of wire  72  through advancement drums  82   a,    82   b.  Wire  72  then passes through apertures  92  in guide plate  80   b  and into exit guide  84  ( FIG. 12 ) and into exit guide tubes  86  for communication of the wire to cutter box  20  of staple forming and insertion device  10 . 
         [0053]    Referring now to  FIG. 7  wherein a view taken along line J-J of  FIG. 8  shows wire advancement drums  82   b.  Advancement drums  82   b  engage with wire advancement drums  82   a  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) for frictional capture of wire  72  therebetween. In  FIG. 7 , advancement drum compression keys  88  are shown adjacent to wire advancement drums  82   b.  Keys  88  may be withdrawn or inserted to effect the compression of advancement drums  82   b  against advancement drums  82   a  to frictionally capture wire  72  therebetween for advancement as motor  83  rotates shaft  90  upon which drums  82   a,b  are mounted. When a key  88  is in the down position the advancement drum  82   b  associated with the key is urged against the corresponding advancement drum  82   a  to provide a frictional grip of wire  72  as it passes between advancement drums  82   a,    82   b.  When a key  88  is in the down position the key provides resistance for spring support pin  91  which resides in void  92 . The resistance provided by key  88  allows contact pressure spring  93  to urge drum block  94  holding advancement drum  82   b  therein toward advancement drum  82   a.  When key  88  is in the up position, no resistance is provided by key  88  to support spring support pin  91  and the urging of spring  93  is overcome by relief springs  95   a,b  which urges drum block  94  holding advancement drum  82   b  therein away from advancement drum  82   a.    
         [0054]    Referring now to  FIG. 9 , on either side of advancement drums  82   a,    82   b  are guide plates  80   a,    80   b.  Guide plates  80   a, b  are provided with beveled guide voids  92  which permit self threading of wire  72  into plate  80   a  and out of beveled guide voids  92  on plate  80   a  to thereby position the wire to move across advancement drums  82   a,b  and into beveled guide voids  92  on plate  80   b.  The configuration of these beveled guides on plates  80   a,b  allows the wire to move across advancement drums  82   a,b  during loading of the wire and be captured in the opposed guide plate  80   b  without operator intervention or with only minimal operator intervention. 
         [0055]    Referring now to  FIG. 11 , it will be appreciated that prior to the wire entering the previously described advancement mechanism containing advancement drums  82   a,b  that the wire is cleaned by passing the wire across cleaning pads  78 . In  FIG. 11 , is shown an exploded view of the cleaning pads  78  as mounted on the device is shown and the wire passes between pads  78   a  and  78   b  and is cleaned by the frictional contact between the wire and the pads. Once the wire has been advanced by the rotation of the wire advancement drums  82   a,b  the wire passes out of plate  80   b  and into exit guide  84  for insertion of the wire into tubes  86  which lead the wire to cutter boxes  20 . Exit guide  84  is spring biased against plate  80   b  to allow a separation to be caused between exit guide  84  and guide plate  80   b  as the wire is loaded. 
         [0056]    In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. 
         [0057]    Certain changes may be made in embodying the above invention, and in the construction thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not meant in a limiting sense. 
         [0058]    Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the inventive oral fluid collection device is constructed and used, the characteristics of the construction, and advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0059]    It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.