Improvements in or relating to Stapling Machines for Stitching Books and for other purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1899 --Accepted, 26th Aug., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Stapling Machines for Stitching Books
and for other purposes.
A communication from FREDERICK PETER ROSBACK, of 60, South Canal Street,
Chicago, in the State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to an improved book stitching machine in which wire
staples are formed, driven and clinched to fasten together the leaves of books
or pamphlets, or in fact sheets or pieces of suitable materials generally. In
operation the leaves, or the like, which are to be stitched or fastened together
are assembled together and placed in their assembled condition upon a platform
upon the machine to extend at the parts where the stitching is to take place
between the staple forming and driving mechanism and the clincher.
operator then starts the machine by pressing upon a treadle and causes the drive-
shaft to be given one complete revolution. In this revolution the staple is cut
and formed from a length of wire, driven downward through the assembled leaves
and clinched on the under-side by the operation of the clincher, when the machine
stops ready for another operation.
In the drawings
:
The
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Figure 2, a front view; Figure 3,
a broken and enlarged vertical section of the upper forward part of the machine
with the face-plate removed, the section being in the plane of the drive-shaft;
Figures 4 and 5 broken frout elevations partly in section with the face-plate
removed and showing the same working parts in two positions; Figure 6, a sido
view of the head-portion of the machine with the face-plate removed; Figure 7,
a broken elevation illustrating the staple wire feed-operating mechanism;
Figure 8, a broken view taken on line A A in Figure with the cam in
elevation and looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 9, a broken partly
sectional view taken on line B B in Figure 3 looking in the direction of tho
arrows; Figure 10, a plan section taken on the irregular line CC in Figure 5;
Figure 11, an enlarged broken front view of the staple forming and driving
meclianisms; Figure 12, a section on the line D in Figure 11 with tho swinging
staple guide, however, in elevation; Figures 13 and 15 views substantially liko
Figure 12 with the moving parts in other positions; Figure 14, a section on
Line E in Figure 13; Figure 16, a section on Fin Figure 15; Figure 17, a plan
section taken through the staple wire guiding and cutting mechanism in the
plane of line G in Figure 11: Figure 18, a broken face view of the wire guiding
and cutting block; Figure 19, a section on line in Figure 18; Figure 20,
end view of the wire guiding and cutting block; Figure 21, an
enlarged section taken on line I in Figure 1 and showing the starting and
all
Price R1

page_text: stopping clutch; Figure 22, a section taken on line K in Figure 21; and
Figure 23, a section taken on line L in Figure 22.
On the stand a is a sleeve b forming a bearing for a shaft c. Loose upon the
shafte is a constantly rotating drive-pulley d which in practice may be belted
to a line-shaft. In the hub of the pulley d (see Figure 23) is a half round
notch e, and set into a notch in the shaft c is a rocking clutch-pin f which is
half round where it extends along the hub of the pulley, and has a projecting
arm g. The arm y projects through a radial slot in a collar fastened to the
shaft c, and a spring i tends normally to draw the arm g in the direction of a
stop in the collar. Working up and down in a bracket on the stand a, is
a clutch-releasing head m on the end of a pivoted lever n connected with a
treadle o.
When the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 21, for
example, the head m is in the path of the army and has swung the latter to
the position wherein the pin f has released the pulley d and the said pulley is
rotating constantly without turning the shaft c. To cause the shaft c to rotate
the operator presses down the treadle o, and then releases it. The pressing down
of the treadle causes the arm g to be released by the head m and to be drawn
'toward the stop k by the spring i, whereby as the notch e, in the turning of the
pulley, registers with the pin f the latter is turned axially into the notch causing
the shaft to be clutched to the pulley. The operator instantly releases the
treadle so that the parts are raised again by the spring p, and as the shaft c
nearly completes a revolution the arm g contacts with the head m, which is again
in its path, and is swung axially to the position shown in Figure 21 to release
the shaft from the pulley, whereby the shaft stops in its rotation.
Fastened upon the end-portion of the shaft c is an eccentric disk 7, and
fastened to the end of the shaft beyond the eccentric disk is an eccentric segmental
cam-piece r. The cam-piece passes through and beyond an opening in a sta-
tionary guide-plate s. Surrounding the eccentric disk 7 is an eccentric ring t
having a downward extending arm u in the shape of a right-angle. Sliding upon
the guide-plates is a staple forming bar carrier or plate provided in its rear
face with the horizontal recess w in which the segmental cam r fits as shown.
The sliding plate 1 moves up and down in guides forming part of the stationary
plates, and sliding upon the plate v is a vertically movable staple driving bar
carrier or plate y, provided in its front face toward its lower end with a horizontal
recess terminating at its lower end in a shoulder 1 and having on its rear
side a backward extending lug 2 projecting through a vertical slot 3 in the
plates and connected with the arm by means of a pin 4. Thus it will be under-
stood that in each rotation of the drive-shaft c the eccentric ring with its
arm is raised and lowered and raises and lowers the sliding plate y. Also in
each revolution of the drive-shaft e the plate is moved down and up by the
engagement of the cam r in the recess w. The cam is formed with segmental
side faces 5 and 6 and with a segmental end-face 7, so that in turning from the
position shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 5 the segmental face 5 will
bear against the shoulder 8 of the recess and press the plate down. In the
further turning of the shaft e the surface 7 of the cam slides over the surface 8
without moving the plate v and when it reaches the surface or shoulder 9 of
the recess to it raises the plate e to the position shown in Figure 4. While the
surface 7 of the cam is moving across the surface or shoulder 9 the plate v remains
stationary. Fastened against the lower end of the plates below the slot 3 is
a block 10 provided in its face with a horizontal guide-recess 11. In the block 10,
in the position shown, is also a socket 12 containing a spring-plunger or anvil 13
held normally by its spring 14 in the forward position indicated in Figure 12.
In the head of the plunger is a horizontal slot 15 which forms the anvil over
which the staple wire is bent to give it the staple shape. Fastened to a lug 21
on a flange of the plate is a staple-forming or bending bar 16 which slides
upon the face of the sliding plate y, and is provided on its rear side with a
vertical recess 17 flanked by vertical grooves 18 18. Working up and down in

page_text: the grooves 18 is a staple driving bar 19 fastened by means of a screw 20 to the
plate y. The plate is as wide as the distance between guides, and its side
Hange forms one of the side-guides for the sliding plate y. The staple-forming
bar 16 straddles and moves along opposite sides of the head of the plunger or
anvil 13. The driving bar 19 is provided at its lower edge with a hook 22 as
shown. Pivotally mounted in the forming bar 16 is a swinging staple-guide 23
provided in its rear face with a shoulder 24,, and below said shoulder with a
cam-edge 25. A spring 26 on the forming bar tends to press the swinging
staple-guide in the backward direction, as indicated. In the guide-recess 11 of
the block 10 is a horizontally movable staple-wire guiding and cutting block 27
which is pressed normally to the position shown in Figure 5 by a spring 28. In
the face of the block 27 is a gradually diminishing wire guiding groove 29
terminating at a vertical recess 30 in said block. On the end of the block in
line with the groove 29 is the cutting edge of a cutter-plate 31. The cutter-
plate 31 is fastened in place with screws 32, so that it may be readily removed
and replaced when desired. In the recess 30 and overlapped by the cutter-
plate 31 is a vertically movable cutter-bar 33 provided in its rear face with
a groove 34 registering with the groove 29 and gradually diminishing to a cutting
edge 35. At the top of the bar 33 is an offset or shoulder 36 which extends
into the recess of the plate y to be engaged by the shoulder 1. Connected with
the block 27 is an operating rod 36 which extends loosely through a guide open-
ing 37 in the block 10 and similar opening in the flange a of the plate s. A
bell-crank lever 38 pivoted upon the flange at 39 has an arm 40 which extends
over the path of the top of the forming-bar 16. The end of the rod 36 extends
into a socket in the lower part of the lever 38 and there contacts with the end
of an adjusting screw 41, as shown in Figure 5. The wire 42, from which the
staples are formed, passes between feed-wheels 43, 44, respectively, and thence
through a guide opening 45 in the adjacent flange and block 10 to the gradually
reducing opening 29 in the block 27. The wheels 43 44 are suitably geared
together, and integral with the wheel 43 is a ratchet wheel 46. Adjacent to the
ratchet wheel, and pivotally mounted upon the shaft 47, which carries the
wheel 43 and ratchet wheel, is a cam-plate 48 having the reduced surface 49
and raised surface 50. The cam-plate 48 is provided toward one end with an
elongated segmental slot through which passes a clamp-screw 51 into the adjacent
surface of the plate s. The feed-wheel 44 is mounted to rotate upon a disk 52,
(Fig. 5), the disk being eccentric upon a shaft 53 journaled in the plate s. On
the shaft 53, on the side of the plate s opposite the wheel 44, is a handle 54
(Fig. 7). By turning the handle 54 the eccentric disk 52 is turned to move the
feed-wheel 44 toward or away from the feed-wheel 43. In this way the wheels
can be caused to grip the wire as firmly as desired. Pivotally mounted between
its ends upon the shaft 47 is a swinging lever 55 provided at one end with a
spring-pawl 56 and pivotally connected at its opposite end to a link 57 which in
turn is pivoted to the arm u of the ring t. In the descent of the eccentric ring t
the lever 55 and pawl 56 are swung to the position indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 7. In the rise of the ring t the pawl 50 engages the ratchet wheel 46
and turns the latter and feed-wheels 43 44 to feed the wire 42 forward. The
distance of the feed may be regulated by turning the cam-plate 48, so that in
the movement of the pawl 56 it will move from the surface 49 to the surface 50
and release the ratchet-wheel.
On the side of the standard a is a bracket 58 carrying a head 59, and below
the head an internally threaded lug 60. Supported in the head 59 are guide-
plates 61 62, the plates passing through a guide-opening 63 in the head. 64
is a rearwardly inclined platform or table extending downward and backward
from the top of the guide-plate 61. At the top of the table 64 is a gage-strip 65
removably fastened in place by a thumb-screw 66 in a common manner.
a table or platform extending downward and forward from the top of the guide-
plate 62. The table 67 may be hinged to swing upward to the horizontal plane
67 is

page_text: or a removable table 68 may be provided, which may be attached when desired
by any suitable means, to extend in a horizontal plane. It will be obvious that
when a pack of leaves 69 are to be stapled at their edges, as indicated in Figure 15,
the table or platform 68 will be placed in position and also the gage 65. On
the other hand, when leaves are to be stapled along the line of folding the table
or platform 68 and gage 65 will be removed, and the leaves caused to rest on
the platforms 64, 67. In the guide-opening 70, between the plates 61 62, and
pivotally mounted upon said plates, is a pair of swinging clinchers 71, of the form
shown, having the clincher-arms extending toward each other and curved
arms 72. Movable up and down in the guide-opening 70 is a clincher-rod 73
having a head 74' which fits into the curved arms 72 when raised as indicated in
Figure 5. The lower end of the rod 73 is formed into a threaded cylinder 75
and engages an internally threaded sleeve-piece 76. The sleeve-piece 76 is
oxternally square and fits in the squared opening 77 of a nut 78. The nut 78
which is threaded on its outer surface, passes through the internally threaded
lug 60. The brackets 79, on which the tables 64 67 are mounted, are connected
with the plates 61 62, whereby they may all be raised and lowered in the head 59,
and in order that this raising and lowering may be accomplished the brackets
are connected, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5, with the upper end of the nut 78
in a manner not to interfere with the turning of said nut.
On the drive-shaft c is a cam 80, see Figure 1. A lever 81 pivoted to the
standard a at 82 is pivotally connected at one end with a rod 83 passing upward
through a guide-opening in the bracket and carrying an anti-friction wheel 84
which rides against the cam 80. On the other end of the lever 81, and pivotally
. connected thereto, is a rod 85 threaded at its upper end to fit the thread of the
square sleeve 76. It will be noticed in Figure 3 that the threads of the parts 75
and 85 are right and left hand, respectively, and the internal thread of the
sleeve 76 is right and left hand to correspond therewith. Therefore in the turning
of the nut 78 to raise or lower the tables; plates 61 62 and clinchers 71, tho,
clincher operating rod 73 will be raised and lowered to correspond. It will be
understood that for this purpose the pitch of the threads on the parts 75 85
and 78 are made to correspond.
The operation is as follows:
Starting with the mechanism in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, it
will be noticed that the ring t and the parts connected therewith, as well as
the cam and parts operated by it, are at the extreme upward limits of their
rise. The staple wire 42 has been fed forward and cut to the proper length for
-a single staple and extends through the slot 15 of the anvil 13. When the
q
operator presses down the treadle o, and the shaft commences to rotate, the
eccentric forces the ring't downward with the arm until the wire feeding pawl
and lever are in the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 7 ready for another
feed of the wire. In this descent of the ring the plate y is moved downward
to the position shown in Figure 5. In the turning of the cam r the plate is
forced down to the position indicated in Figure 5, the descent of the plate, owing
to the nature of the cam, being more rapid than the descent of the plate y. The
downward movement of the plate forces down the forming bar 16, whereby
the lower ends 86 of said bar engage the wire 42 at opposite sides of the anvil
and form the staple-87, the legs of the staple resting in the guide-slots 18:18
of the bar 16. In the downward movement of the forming bar from the position
shown in Figure 12 to that shown in Figure 13 the swinging cam-piece 23 slides
over the anvil 13 and under the block 10 as shown; the resistance of the spring 14
being greater than the resistance of the spring 26 the anvil will not be moved
by the part 23. When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 13 the
staple 87 will straddle the cam-piece 23. Immediately that the staple is
formed the driving bar 19, being forced down with the plate y, will engage
the cam shaped top of the anvil 13 and force the latter from the position slown
in Figure 12 to the retracted position shown in Figure 13.
At the

page_text: same time the hook-portion 22 of the driving bar will engage the staple 87 and
move it down to the shoulder 24 of the movable cam-piece 23. Further down-
ward movement of the driver 19 forces the cam-piece 23 outward against the
resistance of the spring 26, and at the same time slides the staple along the
surface 25 of the cam-piece. A pack of sheets 69 placed on the table 68 will
be penetrated by the legs of the staple, and as the latter is forced by the driver 19
from the end of the forming bar 16, the staple logs will be passed through the
pack 69. Just as the driving operation is completed the cam 80 (Figure 1)
strikes the wheel 84 and lowers the rod 83 and raises the rod 85, whereby the
rod 73 and its head 74 are moved from the position shown in Figure 4 to the.
position shown in Figure 5, causing the clinchers 71 to engage the downward
projecting legs of the staple and turn them up to the position indicated most
plainly in Figure 16. It will be noticed that whon the parts are in the initial
position indicated in Figure 4 the top of the forming bar 16 has engaged the
arm 40 of the lever 38 and swung it so that the wire-guide and cutting block 27
are moved against the resistance of the spring 28 to the position shown in that
figure. As the plate v and former move in the downward direction, as described,
the upper surface of the forming-bar releases the arm 40 of the lever 38, whereby
the spring 28 moves the block 27, rod 36 and lever 38 to the position shown in
Figure 5. The block 27 is thus caused to move with its guide-slot 29 to a point ·
directly adjacent to the opening 15 in the anvil.
Owing to the shape of the cam the plate v and forming bar 16 remain at
rest in the lowest position during the time that the surface 7 of the cam is sliding.
over the surface of the plate. Immediately that the driving of the staple
has been effected the eccentric g starts to raise the plate y and driving bar; and
the arm turns the pawl 56 to feed the staple wire 42 forward. The end of the
staple wire reaches the opening 15 of the anvil just as the latter has been released
by the driver 19 and has sprung forward to the position shown in Figure 12.
On the anvil 13, as is. shown most clearly in Figure 12, is a wire gripping lever
or catch 88, which is operated by means of a spring 89 to bear against the staple
wire in the slot 15 and hold it against displacement. In the backward movement
of the anvil one arm of the lever or catch 88 slides against a cam-surface 90 in
the block 10 and opens the catch to release the wire. Just as the plate vis
nearing the limit of its rise the top of the forming bar 16 engages the arm 40
of the lever 38 and moves the block 27 to the position shown in Figure 4;
just as the plate y is nearing the limit of its rise the shoulder 1 thereon engages
the shoulder 36 of the cutter-bar 33 and moves the latter upward against the
resistance of the spring 91 (Fig. 19), so that the wire is severed by the cutting
edges 31 35. At this instant the arm of the clutch-pin, having been engaged
by the head m, is swung to the position shown in Figure 21, to release the
shaft c, whereby the latter stops in its rotation.
and
The cam and eccentric 7 upon the shaft c, actuating the plates v and y, as
described, form particularly compact and desirable operating and timing means
for the staple forming and driving devices. The sliding wire guide 27 insures
the positioning of the staple wire in the anvil, while the hook shoulder 24 insures
the proper engagement of the hook 22 with the staple. Thus even when a com-
paratively fine wire 42 is employed the staples will be formed without danger of
a miss. The face plate 92 is fastened to the flanges with screws and holds the
plates in place. By taking out the bolts 93, the plates and operating
mechanisms carried thereby may be removed from the head b, which is a great
convenience in the event that the mechanism should need repairing.
Having now particularly described and, ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is: -
1-A book-stitching machine, characterized by a stand, a platform on the
stand, a drive-shaft with means for giving thereto a single rotation with each

page_text: operation, staple wire-feeding, cutting, bending driving and clinching devices
all actuated to perform their functions by the rotation of the drive-shaft, a
movable anvil over which the staples are formed and the movable wire-guide
between the wire-feeder and anvil.
°
2-The machine characterized in Claim 1, wherein the wire-guide is moved by
a. spring to position the wire at the anvil and is moved out of the way of the
bending operation by rise of the staple bender.
3-The machine characterized in Claim 1, wherein the staple bending device
is actuated by a cam r on the drive-shaft.
4 The machine characterized in Claim 1, wherein the staple-driver is actuated
by an eccentric on the drive-shaft.
5 The machine characterized in Claims 1 and 2; wherein the wire guide
.carries the cutter, and the cutter is operated when the guide is moved to its
said out of the way position.
6-The machine characterized in Claims 1 and 4, wherein the wire feeding
wheels are actuated by rise of the eccentric.
7--The machine characterized in Claim 1, wherein the staple forming and
driving devices are mounted on a removable plate s.
8-The machine characterized in Claim 1, wherein the platform and clincher
mechanism may be positioned by turning of the nut 78..
9 The machine characterized in Claim 1, wherein the bending-bar carries a
movable staple-guiding cam 23.
.10 The machine characterized in Claims 1 and 9, wherein the cam 23 has a
shoulder 24 and the driving bar is formed with a hook 22.
Dated this 6th day of July 1899
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.