Improved Means or Appliance for Fixing or Driving Staples or like Devices, especially applicable to Electrical Fittings.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Appliance for Fixing or Driving Staples or like
Devices, especially applicable to Electrical Fittings.
I GEORGE THOMAS MACKLEY of Harrowfield, Eltham Road, Lee in the
County of Kent, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows (the same having been communicated to me from abroad by Carl Mackley
of Ueberlingen, Lake of Constance, Germany, Gentleman):
In fixing or hammering into walls partitions and the like staples for the purpose
of attaching wires or lines it is frequently difficult or awkward to use the ordinary
hammer. Now the object of my invention is to provide a convenient tool or
appliance for the purpose of readily fixing such staples or devices.
In carrying out my invention as applied particularly to staples as before described
I provide a rectangular flattened tube preferably of metal in which slides or works
a solid rod or plunger provided at one end with a knob or head capable of being
pressed by the thumb or struck by a hammer or other tool and having the opposite
end which is enclosed by the tube formed to receive or push against the head of the
staple. The lower part of the tube in which the staple is placed may be bifurcated
so as to correspond with the points of the staple. At a convenient point in the
tube I form a slot which may be proportioned in length to the length of the staple
so that the same cannot be forced too far into the wall or partition and on the
plunger or rod I fix a stud to work in the slot.
My invention may be applied to nails or spikes and the tube in this case may
be round or of other convenient shape.
Dated this 6th day of February 1891.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Appliance for Fixing or Driving Staples or like
Devices, especially applicable to Electrical Fittings.
I, GEORGE THOMAS MACKLEY of Harrowfield, Eltham Road, Lec in the
County of Kent, Gentleman, 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 (a communication from abroad by
Carl Mackley of Ueberlingen, Lake of Constance, Germany, Gentleman):-
In fixing or hammering into walls partitions or supports staples or similar devices
used for the purpose of securing electrical wires or lines or other objects such as
wire netting it is found at times to be difficult or awkward to use the ordinary
hammer or even a specially constructed hammer alone and the object of my said
invention is to provide a convenient tool or appliance for the purpose of readily
fixing staples or the like in position and also for driving the same by pressure or
by the additional use of a hammer.
In fixing electrical wires with staples it is desirable that the staples should not
unduly press against the wire or line or be driven tightly thereon lest such wires be
cut or injured and my invention is also particularly intended to prevent this
danger.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the figures and letters of
reference thereon,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my appliance with the plunger shown in position
ready for striking or pressing the staple the lower part of the front, of the outer
case being cut away to show the interior.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the position of the plunger after the staple has
been driven home.
Figure 3 is a sectional side clevation with the outer case partially cut away.
In carrying out my invention as applied to the driving of staples for attaching
electrical lines I provide a flattened tube preferably rectangular such as A of metal
or other suitable material the lower extremity of which is arched or forked as at B
both ends being open.
Within this tube I arrange a plunger C retained in
position and controlled as to its travel by a stud or studs D working in a slot
or slots E in the tube A. The lower portion of the plunger is arched or forked
to correspond with the shape of the tube at B. On the head of the plunger
I fix or form a shouldered boss or block F which when struck by a hammer or
pressed by the thumb propels the plunger along the tube until stopped by the
studs D coming in contact with the bottom of the slots E or the shoulder of
the block F impinging on the top of the tube A.
For purposes other than electrical the foot of the plunger need not necessarily
be arched or forked for instance for driving staples for securing wire netting it
may be desirable to drive the staple home firmly to the wire.
To use the appliance the staple H is placed in or pushed into the lower part of
the tool the plunger being withdrawn for this purpose. The forked extremity B
carrying the points of the staple is then placed over the wire or line to be secured
and the said points are thus pressed against the material they are about to enter.
The plunger is then pushed forward by the thumb (say) pressing the boss F and
the points enter the material, and if this be of a yielding or soft nature the staple
may be pressed or pushed home; if however the material be hard the boss may be
struck by a hammer held in the other hand and the staple thus forced home.
It will be seen that the plunger cannot be forced beyond the crown of the. arch
and therefore the staple cannot be driven quite home unless desired say for securing
wire netting or the like in which case the end of the plunger could be square
and its travel extended and regulated by the position of the pin or stud D.
The length of the slot and the size of the tube will be regulated by the size of
the staples and the length of the forked or arched portion by the clearance to be
allowed over the wire or line.
Although I have shown and described a rectangular tube it will be seen that a
flattened ellipse or other convenient section can be used according to the shape of
the article to be driven.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In an appliance for driving or fixing staples and like fastenings the use of a
tube such as A slotted on one or both sides as at E, and having a forked or arched
extremity such as B with a plunger working therein such as C provided with a
block or head such as F and carrying a pin or stud or pins or studs such as D
such plunger being also forked or arched at its extremity, as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and substantially as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. In an appliance for driving or fixing staples and like fastenings the use of a
tube such as A slotted on one or both sides with or without a forked or arched
extremity and carrying within it a plunger as before described but having a
square or flush end instead of a forked or arched one substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.

page_text: 3. The tool or appliance for use in fixing or driving staples and the like
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 31st day of October 1891.
W. WITTON POPPLEWELL,
Fel. Inst. Chartered Patent Agents,
Of the firm of Popplewell & Co., Agents for the Applicant.