Metallic Staples are Formed from a Continuous Length of Wire.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 7th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th July, 1887.
Metallic Staples are Formed from a Continuous Length of Wire.
1, WILLIAM EDWARD HARPER of 137, Hamilton Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
he as follows:-
This invention relates to wire stitching machines employed in binding books and
for analogous purposes and in which metallic staples are formed from a continuous
length of wire and has for its object to enable such machines to be worked safely at
higher speeds than heretofore and to diminish the various risks at present incidental
to their operation.
These improvements consist in the addition of certain new parts to such machines,
the modification or alteration of existing parts and in new combinations and
arrangements of parts. The wire is conducted from the coil or bobbin through the
channel of a spring having a Ụ or similar section whence it passes to a slotted arm or
lever upon which is mounted a gripping device permitting the wire to pass in one
direction only. This lever is hereinafter called the grip lever to distinguish it from
the feed lever which is mounted upon the same pin or fulcrum as the grip lever.
The grip lever is stationary while the machine is at work but it may be adjusted in
position by means of a pin fixed upon one end of a radial arm and passing into or
engaging with the slot in the lever. The other end of this radial arm is pinned to a
block or nut in such a manner that the arm may be moved in a right line with the
grip lever and so vary its position as may be decided by the length of the staples
required. The feed lever has given to it partly by a cam and partly by a spring or
gravity a to and fro motion the extent of which is governed by the position of the
grip lever, being greatest for the greatest length of staple, and it is provided with a
gripping arrangement which carries the wire with it in the forward stroke, but
permits it to remain stationary during the back stroke. The wire is thus fed forward
for a length corresponding to the total length of the staple at each forward stroke of
the feed lever. From the feed lever the wire passes to the former and plunger, and is
cut by a knife or other suitable means so that the ends of the severed wire are

page_text: equidistant from the centre of the former. The position of the knife or cutter is
adjusted with that of the grip lever, but to one half the extent only. This follows
from the position of the pin in the slot of grip lever being midway between the grip
and the pivot and is necessary to secure the equal length of each leg of the staple.
The plunger and former receive reciprocating motion from cams which are so
shaped or have such a configuration that the former descends first and bends down
the legs of the staple and that the plunger follows and drives it home, the former
remaining stationary while the staple is being driven home.
The severed wire is held or supported during the formation of the legs within a
notch in a block or plate having a curved working surface. After the former has
produced the legs of the staple, the plunger in its descent moves the staple from the
notch and forces it down the face of the curved block which at the same time swings
backwards. The legs of the staples are by this means held or supported between the
swing block and the former while it is being driven into the book or "stock" and
any possibility of a kink in the legs or divergence from a straight line in their motion
is prevented. The swing block may be returned to its position and kept up to its
work by a spring or springs or counterweight and the pin upon which it is pivoted is
secured to a slide or pendant, a projection from which passes through slots in the
plunger and former, the lengths of the slots and the diameter of the projection being
so arranged or related that the necessary down motion of the curved block may be
obtained.
After being driven through the book papers or "stock" the projecting ends of the
staples are clenched by a pair of levers having curved working faces.
Two pins upon the upper end of a rod engage with the levers to separate or close
them together by its vertical motion. Motion for this rod is obtained through levers
and arms from a cam on a shaft which also drives the plunger and former cams and
the feed lever. The rod is slotted longitudinally and the point of a fixed pin or screw
fits into the slot to prevent its rotation. The height or vertical position of the table
or saddle is regulated by hollow screws and by nuts concentric with the slotted clutch
motion rod and by a fixed or adjustable stop.
Dated this Seventh day of August One thousand eight hundred and eighty six.

page_text: TH DIRTIES DUCAD
աս TH WHICH
Metallic Staples are Formed from a Continuous Length of Wire.
I WILLIAM EDWARD HARPER of 137 Hamilton Street Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer 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 wire stitching machines employed in binding books and
for analogous purposes and in which metallic staples are formed from a continuous
length of wire and has for its object to enable such machines to be worked safely
at higher speeds than heretofore and to diminish the various risks at present inci-
dental to their operation. These improvements consist in the addition of certain new
parts to such machines modifications or alterations of existing parts and in new
combinations and arrangements of parts-The wire is conducted from the coil or
bobbin through the channel of a spring having a U or similar section whence it
passes to a slotted arm or lever upon which is mounted a gripping device permitting
the wire to pass in one direction only-This lever is hereinafter called the grip lever
to distinguish it from the feed lever which is mounted upon the same pin or fulcrum
as the grip lever. The grip lever is stationary while the machine is at work but it
may be adjusted in position according to the length of the staples required as herein-
after described. The feed lever has given to it partly by a cam and partly by a
spring or by gravity a to and fro motion the extent of which is governed by the
position of the grip lever, being greatest for the greatest length of staple, and it is
provided with a gripping arrangement which carries the wire with it in the forward
stroke but permits it to remain stationary during the back stroke. The wire is thus
fed forward for a length corresponding to the total length of the staple at each forward
stroke of the feed lever. From the feed lever the wire passes to the staple former
and is cut by a knife or other suitable means so that the ends of the severed wire are
equidistant from the centre of the former.
The position of the said knife or cutter is adjustable with that of the grip lever but
is so connected therewith as, to move only one half the distance, this being necessary
to secure the equal length of each leg of the staple. The staple former and driver
receive reciprocating motion from cams which are so shaped or have such a configu-
ration that the staple former descends first and presses the ends of the wire over the
sides of a block or anvil to form the legs of the staple and then the driver follows and
drives the staple into the work the former remaining stationary while the staple is
being driven home. The severed wire is held or supported during the formation of
the legs within a notch in the block or anvil which is provided with a curved surface.
After the staple former has produced the legs of the staple the driver in its descent

page_text: moves the staple from the notch on the anvil and forces it down the curved face of
the block which at the same time is caused to swing backwards. The legs of the
staple are by this means held or supported between the swing block or anvil and the
former while it is being driven into the book or "stock" thereby preventing any possi-
bility of a kink in the legs or divergence from a straight line while being driven into
the work. The swing block or anvil may be returned to its position and kept up to
its work by a spring or springs or counterweight and the pin or pins upon which
it is pivoted is or are secured to a projection on the anvil and arranged to slide in
slots in a fixed part of the apparatus the lengths of the slots and the size of the
projection being so arranged that the necessary down motion of the curved block
may be obtained.
"
After being driven through the book papers or
"
stock the projecting ends of the
legs of the staples are clenched by a pair of levers having curved working faces the
motions of which are obtained through levers and arms from a cam on the shaft
which carries the cams for also driving the staple driver the staple former and the
feed lever. The rod which actuates the clenching levers is slotted longitudinally and
the point of a fixed pin or screw fits into the slot to prevent its rotation. The height
or vertical position of the table or saddle is regulated by hollow screws and by nuts
concentric with the slotted cam motion rod and by a fixed or adjustable stop.
The driving pulley is mounted loosely upon the driving shaft but is coupled there-
with when required to impart motion to the machine by a sliding bolt or clutch acted
upon by a spring and is coupled therewith by a wedge shape plate caused to enter a
notch in the bolt or clutch as hereinafter described.
And in order that iny said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the machine showing the
arrangement of the wire feeding mechanism and the staple clenching device Figure 3
is a detached view (shewn to a smaller scale) of the face plate carrying the wire
feeding mechanism and the bobbin upon which the wire is wound.
Figure 4 illustrates in side elevation the mechanism for starting and stopping the
machine Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same the section being taken along
the line 1-2 Figure 4 and Figure 6 are detached views of the clutch mechanism.
Figure 7 represents in front and side elevations the staple driver for forcing the
staples into the work.
Figure 8 illustrates in front and side elevations the staple former in the act of
forming a staple.
Figure 9 is a side elevation shewing the relative positions of the staple former the
staple driver and the cutting mechanism when the wire to form a staple has been fed
forward and about to be severed.
Figure 10 is a similar view shewing the parts in the positions they occupy after
the wire has been severed and formed into a staple and the staple is being driven
into the work.
Figure 11 shews the staple driven into the work ready to be clenched.
Figure 12 is a view of the clenching levers in the position they occupy when
they have affected the clenching of a staple.
Figure 13 is a side elevation of the swing block or anvil upon which the
staples are formed.
Figure 14 is a front view of the same, and Figure 15 is a horizontal section of the
staple former the staple driver and the guides in which they work.
A is the frame or standard of the machine in the upper end of which is fitted to
rotate in bearings at B the driving shaft (carrying cams D E F for imparting the
necessary motions to the various parts of the machine as hereinafter described.
The wire from which the staples are formed for stitching books or the like is wound
on a bobbin G from which it is led to the staple forming mechanism through guide

page_text: eyes H in the opposite ends of a trough shaped spring plate I thence beneath a
clamping or gripping device K on the lower end of a bar or grip lever L, and beneath
a similar gripping device K¹ on the lower end of the wire feeding lever M whence
it passes through a tube N to the staple former. The clamping bar L and the wire
feeding lever M are fitted to turn on a stud O in the face plate P.
The gripping or clamping devices which are centred to the bar L and lever M
respectively each consists of an arm or link Q Q₁ arranged at a slight angle to the
bars L and M in the direction of feed and are acted upon by springs R R₁ tending to
press the rollers K K carried thereby on to the wire beneath them. The bar Ĺ is
provided with an adjustable stop S against which the lever M in its normal position
is caused to bear by a spring T attached at one end to the upper end of the said lever
and at its opposite end to the bracket U or to other suitable fixed part of the machine.
The upper end of the lever M is provided with a friction bowl V against which the
periphery of the cam D acts to cause the lever to turn or oscillate on the stud O to
effect the feed of the wire.
When the feeding lever moves forward the roller K' carried by the link Q'exerts a
downward pressure upon the wire so as to securely hold it against the lip or pro-
jection W¹ and ensure it moving with the lever, the wire passing freely beneath the
roller K carried by the arm or link Q. The distance to which the lever M travels in
its backward motion is regulated by the position of the stop S on the bar L and should
be equal to the length of wire required to form the staple. The return motion of the
lever M after feeding the wire is effected by the spring T during which return motion
the pressure of the roller K on the wire will be released, the said roller passing freely
over the wire, whilst the roller K on the bar L will by reason of the angle of the
arm press upon the said wire so as to prevent it moving back with the roller K'.
The wire fed forward as described to form the staple is severed by a cutting
instrument which may consist of a sliding plate fitted to slide vertically in suitable
guides in an adjustable block W containing the tube through which the wire passes to
the staple former.
I prefer however to employ a circular or disc cutter X secured to a lever Y centred
at Z to the inner face of the said adjustable block W as shown clearly in Figures 9
and 10 so that the cutting edge of the disc will work against the inner end of the
tube N and sever the length of wire extending beyond the said inner end. The cutter
is operated by the staple former as hereinafter described and when the cutting edge
at one part of the disc becomes worn or blunted it may be easily turned on its centre
so as to bring another part into position to operate, and when the cutter is worn out
it may be readily removed, and replaced by a new one. The severed length of wire
to form a staple is supported in the notch in the movable or swinging block a
constituting an anvil upon which the staple is formed. Another portion of the staple
former consists of a plunger b fitted to slide in guides on the face plate P and operated
by the cam groove c in the cam E acting upon a friction bowl d on the upper end of
the plunger b.
At the lower end of the plunger b a portion is cut away to admit of the passage of
the swinging anvil block a and the face of the said plunger is provided with a recess
in which is fitted a sliding plate e constituting a driver for inserting the staple into
the work. This driver is operated by the cam groove c¹ in the cam D acting upon a
bowl d' on the upper end thereof.
The swinging block or anvil a may be fitted to the apparatus in any suitable manner
I prefer however the arrangement shewn in Figures 16, 17, 18 and 19 wherein the
head or projection a' of the block or anvil is provided with a pin or pins a' constituting
the axis upon which the block swings the said pin or pins being arranged to slide
vertically against the face of the plunger 6 in slots a' in the cap or cover W' screwed
to the guides W between which the plunger b slides.
The upward traverse of the block a is effected by a projection or projections e on
the driver e acting on the pins at when the driver rises, the upward motion of the
block being limited by the rising motion of the driver bringing the head a of the
block against a stop a secured to the cap W2 whilst the downward motion of the said

page_text: block is limited by the pins a' coming against the bottom of the slots a³ in which the
pins work.
The book or the like to be stitched being placed in position on the table or saddle f
and the wire having been fed forward as herein before described the plunger
commences to descend and in doing so a pin or projection on the back of the said
plunger comes into contact with a projection or pin h on the lever Y carrying the
cutter X (see Figures 9 and 10) causing the said lever to turn on its centre, and
bringing the cutter X into contact with the wire, thereby severing the projecting length
of wire to form the staple, which wire is supported upon the swinging block or anvil a.
The plunger b continuing to descend, the lower end thereof comes into contact, as
shewn in Figure 8, with the ends of the severed length of wire which project on both
sides of the anvil or block a thereby forming the legs of the staple by bending the
said ends over the edges and down the sides of the anvil a as shewn at a¹ Figure 2.
The plate e now descends on to the central portion or top of the staple resting upon
the block a the legs of which staple enter slots or grooves 6 in the sides of the recess
in the plunger in which the plate e slides.. The plunger then remains stationary
while the plate e continuing to descend ejects the staple from the grooves in the
plunger and forces its legs into the work resting on the table as shewn in Figure 11.
The said driver having by its pressure on the curved upper surface of the anvil
block a, by which the staple is supported, caused the said block to turn on its pin or
fulcrum a and recede from beneath the staple against the pressure of the spring or
springs a which tended to keep it beneath the plunger.
The staple being thus formed and inserted into the work the legs thereof which
project through the work are clenched or bent inwards against the underside of the
work in the following manner-ii Figures 2 and 12 are two levers pivoted between
two plates kk and each provided with a notch or recess in which corresponding
projections m on a plate n are caused to engage. The plate n is fixed to a piece of
attached to the upper end of a rod o. This rod is screwed into a piece p connected to
one end of a lever q which is centred at r to the bracket s. The opposite end of the
lever is connected to the lower end of a rod t fitted to slide in a guide t' the upper
end of which rod carries a friction bowl t¹ upon which the cam F acts, as the shaft C
rotates so as to depress the end q' of the lever q at the requisite periods and thereby
raise its opposite end and through the rod o force the levers ii against the two
projecting ends of the legs of the staple so as to bend them inwards towards each
other against the under surface of the work as shewn in Figure 12.
The bowl is mounted in a piece t³ screwed on to the upper end of the rod t and is
capable of being adjusted, and fixed in position thereon by a nut t* so as to vary
the motions of the clenching mechanism to suit different thicknesses of work or the
the length of the legs of the staple, projecting through the work, to be clenched.
The bowl t' is kept in contact with the cam F by a spring G₁ interposed between the
guide to and the adjusting nut 4. The piece t³ is provided with horns or projections to
between which the cam F and the shaft C works.
The staple having been clenched the plate n descends drawing down with it the
levers and at the same time the driving plate e and plunger b are raised by the
cams D and E to their former position in readiness for the next operation whilst
the block or anvil a will also under the action of the spring or springs a be brought
into position beneath the plunger to receive the next length of wire to form a
staple.
the
During the rising motion of the plunger ba pin or projection g¹ on the back thereof
arranged below and which is rather longer than the pin or projection engages
pin on the lever Y so as to return the same together with the cutter into its former
position to be operated by the next descent of the plunger. The work is then shifted
in position on the table to receive the next staple and the operations herein before
described are repeated.
In order to adjust the height of the table and the clenching levers i according to
the thickness of the work to be stitched an externally screwed tube u is fitted to turn
in a bearing in the table support the screwed portion of which tube works in u

page_text: stationary nut fixed to the brackets and is rotated therein for the purpose of
adjusting the height of the table by a wheel y fixed on the lower end of the said
tube.
The rod o which passes through this tube is caused to rotate therewith by a pin or
screwz passed through the tube into a slot in the said rod o. The threads of the
screw on the tube are equal in number to an inch to those on the rod o it therefore
follows that as the tubo is turned in the nut for adjusting the height of the
table the rod o will also be adjusted in the piece p to the same extent and consequently
the table and clenching levers will always maintain the same position relative to each
other.
To enable the machine to make staples of different lengths to suit work of different
thickness the block W to which the cutter is attached is adjustable nearer to or further
from the staple former by means of a screw 2 provided with a head 2× and working
in an internally screwed projection 3 screwed to the block W and in order to ensure
the wire, severed to form the staple, being fed centrally to the former so that the legs
of the staple shall be of equal length, the block W is connected by a link 4 to the wire
clamping rod L at about midway between the nipping point of the roller K and the
fulcrum or stud o upon which the said clamping rod is mounted or at such a point
that by the act of adjusting the position of the block W the clamping rod L will be
simultaneously adjusted so as to cause the extend of the backward motion of the
feeding lever to be equal to twice the distance to which the cutter is moved and that
thereby the length of wire severed for forming the staple will project equally on both
sides of the staple former and consequently the legs of the staple will be equal in
length.
The machine may be driven by any suitable means but I prefer to employ the
following arrangement.
On the driving shaft is fitted to turn loosely a pulley which may receive
motion by a driving strap from any suitable prime mover. A bolt or clutch 6 is
fitted to slide in a slot 7, in the shaft C which bolt, when the machine is required
to be started, is by the action of a spring 8 caused to slide along the slot in the shaft
and enter a notch 9 formed in the boss 10 of the pulley 5 thereby connecting the
shaft with the said pulley and thus causing them both to rotate together to drive the
machine. When the machine is not required to work, the sliding bolt or clutch 6
is held out of engagement with the driving pulley by a wedge shaped plate 11 carried
on a slide 12 and caused by a spring 13 to engage in a notch 14 in the bolt 6. The
slide 12 carrying the wedge shaped plate 11 is connected by a rod 15 to the
treadle 16 so that by depressing the said treadle the plate 11 will be withdrawn from
the notch in the bolt 6 which will then under the action of the spring 8 enter
the notch 9 in the boss 10 of the pulley 5 and start the machine as hereinbefore
described. Upon removing the pressure from the treadle the slide 12 and plate 11,
will be automatically raised by the spring 13 and the thin edge of the wedge shaped
plate 11 will then first enter the notch in the bolt 6 and afterwards by the further
partial rotation of the shaft the thicker portion of the wedge will pass into the said
notch and thus disengage the bolt from the notch 9 in the pulley and thereby stop
the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
First In wire stitching machines employed in binding books and for analogous
purposes, the combination of the wire feeding lever (M) and clamping bar or grip
lever (L) cach provided with a gripping device (K) (Q) arranged to operate as
herein before described so that the necessary length of wire to form a staple is fed into
the machine by the forward motion of the feeding lever and prevented from moving
back with the feed lever when the said lever is making its backward or return motion
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second-In wire stitching machines the combination of the clamping or gripping

page_text: devices K KQ Q' constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Third-The combination with the feeding lever, clamping bar and gripping
devices, of an adjustable cutter for severing the lengths of wire to form the staples,
the said cutter being connected to the clamping bar so that by adjusting the position
of the cutter for different lengths of wire, according to the length of staples required,
the clamping bar and consequently the traverse of the feeding lever will be
simultaneously adjusted substantially as and for the purpose herein before described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fourth In wire stitching machines a circular or disc cutter for severing the
lengths of wire to form staples the said cutter being carried on a lever arranged and
operated substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Fifth-In wire stitching machines a hinged or swing block serving the double
purpose of an anvil upon which the staples are formed and as a support for the staples
whilst they are being forced into the work substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Sixth-In wire stitching machines the hinged block or anvil a fitted to slide in
slots in a fixed part of the machine, in combination with the projection e³ on the staple
driver e and the spring or springs a' arranged and operating substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described more particularly with reference to Figures 16, 17,
18 and 19 of the accompanying drawings.
Seventh-In wire stitching machines the combination of the staple former or
plunger 6 staple driver e and supporting block a the whole being constructed and
arranged to operate substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Eighth In wire stitching machines the combination with the staple former
or plunger b and staple driver e of the clenching mechanism consisting of the pivotted
clenching levers or pieces i and sliding plate n constructed arranged and operating
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
Ninth-In wire stitching machines means for simultaneously adjusting the
height of the the work table and the position of the clenching device to suit various
thicknesses of the work to be stitched substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Tenth In wire stitching machines the combination of the feeding lever clamping
bar and gripping devices circular cutter, or its equivalent, staple former, staple driver
and staple clenching device the whole being constructed and arranged to operate
substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
Eleventh-In wire stitching machines the combination with the cam F and parts
connected therewith for working the staple clamping mechanism of the means for
varying the stroke of the clamping levers substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
:-
Twelfth The general construction combination and arrangement of parts
constituting a wire stitching machine for binding books and for analogous purposes
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 7th day of May 1887