Patent ID: 7021513

Claim:
A method for forming U-shaped staples from a staple blank and preventing spring-back of leg portions of the formed staple until the staple is driven into a workpiece, said method comprising: forming a U-shaped staple from a staple blank by bending the staple blank about a bending cushion using a bending punch, said forming process establishing a crown connecting two legs of the U-shaped staple; withdrawing the bending punch thereby allowing the legs of the formed staple to tend to spring back toward the original staple blank configuration due to spring characteristics of the staple blank's material of construction; and providing a staple leg catch device that presses against the legs in a shape-maintaining configuration after the bending punch is withdrawn, the catch device arranged to urge the legs toward the bent U-shaped configuration and thereby facilitate continued processing of the staple toward a stapled configuration in a workpiece.