Patent Publication Number: US-11045936-B2

Title: Staple remover

Description:
RELATED APPLCIATIONS 
     This patent application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,945, issued on Feb. 27, 1990, entitled “STAPLE REMOVER” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,281, issued on Sep. 4, 1990 entitled “METHOD OF MAKING A STAPLE REMOVER” both in the Yun L. Wang, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a staple remover and, more particularly, to a staple extracting device with a pair of slots for capturing and holding the staple being removed, where the staple is removed without causing damage to the materials being held together thereby, and will uniformly withdraw the staple ends. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Staple removers for removing whole and unbroken staples are well known. Most mechanical staple removers generally include hand grips and two pivoting jaws. Each jaw may have a pair of claws formed on the distal end thereof. The claws are operated in a pincer-like fashion. In use, the claws of the staple removers are positioned beneath the crown or uppermost exposed portion of the staple pin and pressure is applied to the grips. The claws may then engage the underside of the staple which will force the staple to ride up the claws. As the staple rides up the claws, the ends thereof will be unbent from their secured position to thereby be removed from the paper bundle. In general, most people will remove the staple from the claws upon which it rode-up upon. 
     While the design for a staple remover has been fairly constant, there continues to be a need for improved handling of removed staples. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment a staple removing device is disclosed. The staple removing device has a pair of levers pivotally coupled at one end on an axis such that their other ends are capable of movement toward one another. A bias spring acts on the pair of levers for biasing the pair of levers into an open position. A pair of extraction jaws on the other end of the pair of levers have engaging ends extending toward the other of the pair of levers for engaging the underside of a staple embedded in a material to lift the staple away from the material. A capture slot is formed one of the pair of levers that captures a staple when removed. 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a staple removing device is disclosed. The staple removing device has a pair of levers pivotally coupled at one end on an axis such that their other ends are capable of movement toward one another. A bias spring acts on the pair of levers for biasing the pair of levers into an open position. A pair of extraction jaws on the other end of the pair of levers have engaging ends extending toward the other of the pair of levers for engaging the underside of a staple embedded in a material to lift the staple away from the material. A capture slot is formed in one of the pair of levers that captures a staple when removed, wherein the capture slot is formed at an angle, the angle of the capture slot is approximately an angle of the extraction jaws. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is further detailed with respect to the following drawings that are intended to show certain aspects of the present invention, but should not be construed as a limit on the practice of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of an extraction device with a capture slot in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  showing the extraction jaws and engaging member thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an upper lever of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with an engaging member in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a lower lever of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with a slot for capturing removed staples in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIGS. 5A-5E  show the sequence of staple extraction using the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6A  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 6A . 
     
    
    
     It is understood that like reference characters refer to like elements throughout the several figures. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the figures. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of the present inventive extraction device is shown generally by reference numeral  10 . The device  10  includes two levers,  20  and  24 , pivotally connected at one end by a pin  13  extending through apertures therein. The levers  20  and  24  are shown in an open position, and being spring biased in this position by spring  14 . The levers  20  and  24  are, therefore, able to pivot toward one another at the opposite end of coupling. The levers  20  and  24  provided with thumb or finger rests  15  such that a force may be applied with a user&#39;s hand to pivot the levers  20  and  24 . Lever  20  has a slot  22  that captures staples as the staples are removed from a substrate such as one or mote sheets of joined paper as will be further described below. 
     At the opposite end from coupling on the levers  20  and  24 , are provided extraction jaws  17  having a pair of respective points engaging ends thereon for engaging a staple which is embedded in a paper bundle or the like. This structure is seen more clearly with reference to  FIG. 2 , wherein the extraction jaws  17  are more clearly shown with a pair of points formed on each respective jaw. The jaws  17  enable engagement with the head of a staple which is embedded in a paper bundle for extraction. The extraction jaws  17  provide a tapering surface  18  upon which the engaged staple will ride up when the levers  20  and  24  are pivoted towards one another, thereby extracting the embedded staple. As the engaged or captured staple progresses along the tapering surface  18  of lever  20  the staple encounters slot  22  that entraps the staple and holds the staple as the device  10  is pulled away from the paper bundle. The slot  22  is formed at an angle. The angle of the slot  22  is similar to the angle of the extraction jaws  17 . 
     The lever  24  has a projection or engaging member  16 . The engaging member  16  may be positioned within a slot  19  formed between the extraction jaws  17  formed on the lever  24 . The engaging member  16  is similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,945 to Wang. The engaging member  16  may include a section having a greater width extending between the points of the extraction jaw  17  so as to provide reinforcement to the end thereof as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     The member  16  is simply stamped in conjunction with the lever  24  and is then bent into its position between and adjacent the points of extracting jaw  17 . The lever  20  is constructed similarly to that of a presently known device, and includes, the extracting jaw  17  and tapered surfaces  18  which will be bent into their U-shaped. The engaging member  16  may be incorporated in either lever, as desired, and will function in the same manner as described. The engaging member  16  holds down the center of the staple to be removed as the ends of the staple are lifted by the levers  24  and  20 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are perspective views of an embodiment of an inventive lower lever  20  with a slot  22  for capturing removed staples and the invent on upper lever  24  with the engaging member  16  respectively. 
       FIGS. 5A-5E  illustrate the operation of the device  10  and shows different stages of operation to extract a staple  50  embedded in a paper bundle  51  or the like as shown in  FIG. 5A . The extraction jaws  17  associated with the lever  24  is shown in  FIG. 5B  and it is to be understood that the opposite lever  20  (not shown) will be engaging the staple  50  from the other side thereof for extraction of the staple and for capture in slot  22 . Engaging member  16  is shown as engaging the top portion of the staple  50  at a location near the middle thereof. The engaging member  16  may engage the staple  50  either simultaneously with or immediately after engagement of the points on extraction jaw  17  with the underside of staple  50 . As shown in  FIG. 5C , the engaging member  16  will act to anchor the center of the staple  50  against the paper bundle  51  while the points of extraction jaw  17  lift the edges of the staple away from the paper. As the levers  24  and  22  are brought together, the staple  50  will be made to ride up the tapered surface  18  thereby straightening the ends and extracting the staple cleanly from the paper bundle  51  as shown in  FIG. 5D . The engaging member  16  still retains the middle portion of staple  50  anchored at a location near the paper in the formed slot  19 . By the anchoring operation of engaging member  16 , the two staple legs are straightened independently and completely such that they are uniformly withdrawn from the paper bundle  51 . The engaging member  16  will ensure that the force or straightening action applied to each of the staple legs is identical so that there is no possibility of a staple leg being retained in the paper bundle  51 . It can be seen that the complete straightening of the legs on staple  50  by the action of engaging member  16  facilitates uniform withdrawal of the legs and proper removal of the staple without damaging or tearing the paper  51 . 
     As the levers  24  and  20  are continually forced together, the staple  50  will be completely removed from the paper bundle  51  and is bent into a position as shown in  FIG. 5E  wherein the legs of the staple  50  will be drawn back from the gap  19  between the tapered surface  18  of the extraction jaw  17  and engaging member  16 . The engaging member  16  forces the staple to be captured within the slots  22  of the lever  20 . In this way, the staple will have a raised portion at the middle thereof after removal from the paper bundle  51  which creates pressure on the legs of the staple  50  to retain the staple within the slots  22  and to facilitate easy grasping for disposal thereof when captured in slots  22  of lever  20 . 
     An additional inventive embodiment is shown with reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B  wherein the extraction device is generally shown by reference numeral  70 . The device  70  again comprises two levers  71  and  72  which are able to pivot towards one another from an initial open position. The levers  71  and  72  are formed integrally with a curved portion  73  providing the bias force necessary to keep the device in an initially opened position. The levers  71  and  72  and curved portion  73  are made of a resilient plastics material which will enable pivoting of levers  71  and  72  towards one another and will then spring back to its original shape and open position. The use of such a plastics material obviates the need for separate levers which are coupled by a pin as shown in  FIG. 1 . The levers  71  and  72  may also be integrally formed with a thumb or finger rest  74  therein similarly to that shown in  FIG. 1 , but not requiring any fastener. The device  70  may be formed by molding the plastics material, and also comprises a pair of slots  75  formed in the ends of levers  71  and  72 . The slots  75  are produced to enable engagement with separate extracting jaw members  76  and  77 . The extracting jaws  76  and  77  are formed similarly to that shown in  FIG. 1  with points  78  having tapering surfaces  79  therefrom. As seen with reference to  FIG. 6B , the extracting jaws may be provided with a plate portion  82  which fits into the slotted portion  75  of the levers  71  and  72  to frictionally retain the extracting jaws therein. This structure eliminates the need for additional fasteners, but the extracting jaws  76  and  77  may he fastened to the levers  71  and  72  by any suitable fastening means if desired. A separate engaging member  80  is provided which extends between the points of extracting jaw  77  similarly to member  16  of  FIG. 1 . Capture slot  22  in extracting jaw member  76  collects staples as the staples are extracted from a paper bundle. 
     It can be seen that the present invention improves the function of a staple removing device such that the staple may be easily removed without damaging or caring the paper in which it is embedded, and it will extract the legs of a staple uniformly so that the staple is assuredly removed from the paper. It is seen that with capturing slot and in specific embodiments the separate engaging member, as shown in the embodiments of the present invention, the objects and advantages of the present invention are realized in a very cost effective and easily manufactured method to provide an improved structure. While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of these particular embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as found in the appended claims. 
     Various modifications of the present invention, in addition to those shown and described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the above description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. 
     The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the invention.