Abstract:
A stapler having ergonomic benefits includes a housing situated along a principal axis. The housing is conformed to include a handle and a head with a staple discharge opening spaced apart from the handle along the principal axis. A generally planar knife is within the head and oriented in parallel to a plane defined by an intersection of the principal axis and a normal axis. A magazine includes a sole at the staple discharge opening. The sole receives at least one first strip of staples. The first strip of staples is aligned such that the bight of a first staple within the strip of staples is parallel to the principal axis and the first strip is aligned with a lateral axis orthogonal to both of the principal and normal axes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to fastener setting and, more specifically, to setting of staples. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , strips of staples  3 , according to the prior art, are configured of pluralities of individual staples  5 , each staple optionally including a molded body  9  formed on the free end portions of the legs  7 . Molded body  9  is formed of an insulating material, such as a thermoplastic resin, or the like, which is non-conductive to electricity. Molded body  9  has a generally rectangular peripheral configuration. The legs  7  each are parallel, spaced apart, and joined by a staple bight  6 . 
         [0003]    The construction of the staples  5  enables a plurality of insulated staples whose plurality of molded bodies  9  formed at the same time in a molding operation wherein, for example, the staples  5  are installed in spaced slots in a mold into which molten insulating material is poured or injected. In addition, by this construction, the molded bodies  9  are suitably molded of a frangible insulating material thereby to allow the individual staples to be set while the strip  3  of the remaining staples remains configured as an integral whole. As a result, a strip of insulated staples  3  is provided which is easily installed in a staple gun in the conventional manner. 
         [0004]    Staple guns are generally of conventional construction such as a conventional Arrow T-50® brand staple gun such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,671,215 and 2,754,515. Electricians have regularly used such staplers as are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,444 to Wingert, whose teaching is incorporated herein as though set forth herein. And as with the stapler taught in Wingert, electricians have used staplers that set staples perpendicular to a principal axis of the stapler. Use of such a stapler forces an electrician to secure shielded cable such as Romex™ to align the principal axis to the Romex™. 
         [0005]    Within such staplers, the magazine is a generally inverted U-shaped metal frame having a bight  6  and a pair of spaced apart vertical legs  7 . The lower ends of the legs include inwardly extending flanges on which the bases of molded bodies  9  will slide. Flanges aligned with and spaced apart from the principle axis thus support the strip of staples  3  in the magazine with minimal friction during movement. 
         [0006]    The shortcomings of the prior art cause the prior art staplers to be cumbersome and tiring. Forcing the use of the prior art stapler by its alignment to the Romex™ cable moves the electrician to an awkward position as he is simultaneously required to stretch the cable and fasten it with the stapler. Powered staplers generally are unbalanced, placing the weight toward the head, much as a hammer is unbalanced. Because the powered stapler does not rely upon the swinging of the device to drive the staple, the unbalanced configuration tends to tire electricians as they must both position and support the device. Finally, because the staples are carried within the tool in sticks aligned with the principal axis, there exists no practical way to align bights of staples with the principal axis. There exists an unmet need in the art for a stapler configured to carry strips  3  of staples  5  such that the bights are aligned with the principal axis and the weight is generally equally distributed relative to a centrally located handle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A stapler having ergonomic benefits includes a housing situated along a principal axis. The housing is conformed to include a handle and a head including a staple discharge opening, spaced apart from the handle along the principal axis. A generally planar knife is within the head and oriented in parallel to a plane defined by an intersection of the principal axis and a normal axis. A magazine includes a sole at the staple discharge opening. The sole receives at least one first strip of staples. The first strip of staples is aligned such that the bight of a first staple within the strip of staples is parallel to the principal axis and the first strip is aligned with a lateral axis orthogonal to both of the principal and normal axes. 
         [0008]    The present invention comprises a magazine for presenting staples to a knife for driving staples out of a stapler. The stapler has a principal axis and a generally planar sole. The sole includes a generally rectangular surface configured to receive a plurality of strips of staples arranged with bights parallel to the principal axis, such that a first strip of staples includes a first staple and is arranged to contact a second strip of staples that includes a second staple such that the bights are generally collinear. A pusher is configured to advance the strip toward a discharge opening such that the legs of the first staple are parallel to a direction of reciprocating movement of a knife. The movement is configured to drive the first staple out of the stapler through the discharge opening. 
         [0009]    In accordance with some examples of the invention, the knife is driven in its reciprocating motion by an electric motor. In one non-limiting example, the electric motor includes one of a group consisting of a spring and a flywheel as an energy storage device. In an alternate embodiment, the electric motor is a solenoid. 
         [0010]    In accordance with other examples of the invention, a method is disclosed for driving a staple from a stapler. The stapler is oriented along three mutually orthogonal axes including a principal axis, a lateral axis, and a normal axis. The method includes drawing a knife out of a first position, in a movement parallel to the normal axis to a second position, the knife being oriented in a housing generally parallel to a plane defined by the intersection of the principal and normal axes. Moving a staple in a movement parallel to the lateral axis generally into a space vacated by the movement of the knife allows driving the knife from the second to the first position whereby the staple is expelled out of the stapler through a staple discharge opening. 
         [0011]    In accordance with still further examples of the invention, the driving includes driving in response to activation of a trigger. 
         [0012]    In accordance with yet other examples of the invention, a stapler having ergonomic benefits includes a housing situated along a principal axis. The housing is configured to define a staple discharge opening and conformed to include a handle situated generally centrally along the principal axis. A head including the staple discharge opening is spaced apart from the handle along the principal axis. A generally planar knife is situated within the head and oriented in parallel to a plane defined by an intersection of the principal axis and a normal axis. The knife is configured to move from a first position to a second position spaced apart from the first position being displaced in a direction parallel to the normal axis and away from the staple discharge opening. 
         [0013]    In accordance with still another example of the invention, a magazine includes a sole defining the staple discharge opening. The sole is configured to receive at least one first strip of staples at a first space. The first strip of staples is aligned such that the bight of a first staple within the strip of staples is parallel to the principal axis. The first strip is aligned with a lateral axis orthogonal to both of the principal and normal axes. The first space is located such that movement of the knife from the second position to the first position ejects the first staple out of the staple discharge opening. 
         [0014]    These and other examples of the invention will be described in further detail below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art plurality of strips of staples; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a first perspective view of a flywheel embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a second perspective view of the flywheel embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a spring-loaded embodiment; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a solenoid-driven embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]      FIGS. 2 and 3  depict a perspective and a reverse perspective view of an embodiment of a stapler  10  having a housing  11  configured to define a head  13 , a handle  14 , and a heel  15 . As is evident, the stapler  10  is situated such that its principal axis is aligned with the z-axis shown. A lateral axis generally extends from side to side or along the x-axis shown. The third axis, a normal axis, defining the direction of a driven staple, aligns with the y-axis shown. Within the handle  14 , a trigger  12  is advantageously positioned to allow an operator to activate a mechanism within the housing configured to drive one of the staples  5  within the strip  3  thereby setting the staple. 
         [0022]    Within the housing  11  in a magazine  19 , strips  3  of staples  5  are held generally as shown in  FIG. 1  having a plurality of strips  3  held in parallel arrangement to the lateral axis such that individual staples  5  of adjacent strips stand leg  7  to leg  7  and align to the principal axis. Strips  3  of the inventive configuration are generally shorter than those of the prior art, though prior art strips  3  can be readily broken to suitable length. 
         [0023]    The magazine  19  holds the strips  3  in alignment against a sole  17 , parallel to a plane defined by the intersection of the principal and normal axes, of the stapler  10  with the aid of a pusher  45  and a sled  49 , the sled  49  being drawn to the pusher  45  by a tensioned tape  47 . In such a manner, the staples  5  are urged into alignment with a staple discharge opening  41  (not shown) such that the staples  5  in spaced relation to the discharge opening  41  through which the staple  5  can be driven. The staple  5  is urged into alignment with the discharge opening  41 , the staple strip  3  is allowed to advance and thereby to position the next staple  5  in line beneath a knife  21 . When the trigger  12  is activated, the knife  21  is driven down against the bight  6  ( FIG. 1 ) of the staple  5  to drive the staple  5  through the discharge opening  41 . This magazine  19 , along with the knife  21 , the sled  49 , the tape  47 , and the pusher  45 , as well as the housing  11  and trigger are common to each of the embodiments pictured in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  and thus will not be recounted within the individual descriptions of those drawings. While varied means of driving the knife  21  are presented in these non-limiting embodiments, they share the magazine  19  configuration and the orientation of the knife  21  relative to the principal axis. 
         [0024]    In the first non-limiting embodiment shown in this  FIG. 2 , the knife  21  is drawn downward by a cable  23 . A rotating pulley  25  reels in the cable  23  as the pulley  25  rotates on a shaft  27 . While a cable  23  on a pulley  25  is shown, any of a number of known means can be used to translate rotary motion into linear motion, and for that reason, the teaching of this specification is not to be limited to systems employing a cable  23 . For example, instead of the pulley  25 , a pinion gear might be used to drive a rack mounted on the knife  21 . Similarly, a crank on the shaft  27  might engage the knife  21  at a bearing surface to drive the knife  21  downward upon rotation of the shaft  27 . The cable  23  on the pulley  25  has been selected for clarity of illustration. 
         [0025]    Rotation of the shaft  27  is occasioned in this non-limiting embodiment by a motor  35  driving a flywheel  31  by means of a transmission  33 . The flywheel  31  as configured serves as a Flywheel Energy Storage (FES). The FES works by accelerating the flywheel  31  to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. The energy is converted back by slowing down the flywheel  31  as it turns a driven shaft (not shown) in a clutch  29 . The motor  35  restores the energy lost to the clutch  31  to the flywheel  31 . 
         [0026]    The clutch  29  is a mechanism for selectively transmitting rotation of a driven shaft (not shown) to a drive shaft (not shown). The clutch  29  connects the two shafts so that they can either be locked together and spin at the same speed (engaged), or be decoupled and spin at different speeds (disengaged). In typical applications the driven shaft is typically driven by a motor such as the motor  35  and, in turn, the drive shaft drives another device. In the present embodiment, the clutch  29  selectively engages the flywheel  31  to drive the shaft  27 , drawing only a portion of the rotational energy of the flywheel  31 . When so driven, the shaft  27 , in turn, rotates the pulley  25 , reeling the cable  23  drawing down the knife  21 . The knife  21  drives the staple  5  out of the staple discharge opening  41  such that the bight  6  is aligned parallel to a principal axis of the stapler  10 . 
         [0027]    The motor  35  is selectively energized by a controller  39  that allows a flow of electrical current from an energy source such as, by way of non-limiting example, batteries  37 . The controller  39  monitors the energy stored in the flywheel  31 , increasing the rotational speed of the flywheel  31  as necessary to maintain a designated energy state within the flywheel  31 . By suitably energizing the flywheel  31  and then drawing off the energy from the flywheel  31  in a sudden impulse to drive the knife  21 , the motor  35 , a traditional dense device whose size is generally dictated by its requisite peak performance, can be designed to be much smaller, and, thus, much lighter for the operator to carry. Nonetheless, because acceleration of the knife  21  is a function of the energy drawn from the flywheel  31  rather than generated by the motor  35 , the energy storage capacity of the batteries  37  need not be as large as if the shaft  27  were turned merely by the motor  35 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  depicts an alternate embodiment of the stapler, relying upon a spring  43  rather than a flywheel  31  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3 ) to store energy for purposes of driving a staple  5 . Many of the remaining elements are the same as those depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . For example, the stapler  10  has the housing  11  configured to define the head  13 , the handle  14 , and the heel  15 . As is evident, the stapler  10  is situated such that its principal axis is aligned with the z-axis shown. The lateral axis generally extends from side to side or along the x-axis shown. The third axis, the normal axis, defining the direction of a driven staple, aligns with the y-axis shown. Within the handle  14 , a trigger  12  is advantageously positioned to allow an operator to activate a mechanism within the housing configured to drive one of the staples  5  within the strip  3  thereby setting the staple. Batteries  37  power the electric motor  35  in response to the controller  39 . Unlike the earlier embodiment, here, the rotation of the electric motor  35  is conveyed through the transmission  33  to “wind” the spring  43 . 
         [0029]    Upon activation of the trigger  12 , the potential energy stored in the “wound” spring  43  is released to the shaft  27  to rapidly turn the pulley  25 , drawing in the cable  23 , drawing the knife  21  from the second position to the first position and ejecting the staple  5  out of the staple discharge opening  41 . In all other regards, the device operates as the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The staples  5  in strips  3  are similarly urged into alignment with the knife  21  when the knife  21  is in the second position. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a third embodiment of the device is shown. In this third non-limiting embodiment, a solenoid  53  is substituted for the electric motor  35  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 ). A solenoid is a 3-dimensional coil. The term solenoid  53  refers to a loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core oriented along the z-axis, which then produces a magnetic field along the z-axis (the principal axis of the stapler in this embodiment) when an electrical current is passed through it. 
         [0031]    Advantageously, the solenoid  53  will directly draw the cable  23  without the need for a shaft  27  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 ). Upon activation of the trigger  12 , the solenoid  53  contracts against the pressure of a plunger spring  52 . Attached, as it is, to the solenoid  53 , the cable  23  is drawn through the pulley  25  drawing the knife  21  from the second position to a first position, thereby ejecting a staple  5  from the strip  3  out of the staple discharge opening  41 . 
         [0032]    To aid the solenoid  53  in the rapid generation of a magnetic field by adding more electrons to the current in the solenoid  53 , a capacitor  55  is used in a manner that resembles its use in a photographic strobe light. The capacitor  55  is an electrical device that can store energy in the electric field between a pair of conductors (called “plates”). The process of storing energy in the capacitor  55  is known as “charging,” and involves electric charges of equal magnitude, but opposite polarity, building up on each plate. 
         [0033]    Capacitors are often used in electric and electronic circuits as energy-storage devices. The capacitor  55  is charged by current flowing through the controller  39  from the batteries  37 . The capacitor  55  then acts as a reservoir for charge that will supply a surge of current to the solenoid  53  upon activation of the trigger  12 . The reservoir capacitor  55  will discharge into the solenoid  53  assuring its rapid and complete contraction, drawing the cable  23  through the pulley  25 , in turn, drawing the knife  21  from the second position to a first position to eject the staple  5 . 
         [0034]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.