Patent ID: 6854714

Claim:
A staple puller for removing a wire staple from a stack of pages, comprising: a first jaw member having a first side wall with a front end portion and a back end portion, the front end portion of the first side wall having a first tooth that is configured to slide under the staple, the first side wall also having a first clamping surface; a second jaw member having a second side wall with a front end portion and a back end portion, the front end portion of the second side wall having a second tooth that is configured to slide under the staple, the second side wall also having an edge that provides a second clamping surface; and means for pivotably connecting the first and second jaw members so that they are movable with respect to one another between an open position and a closed position, the first and second teeth being disposed side-by-side in the closed position and the first and second clamping surfaces facing one another in the closed position so as to permit the wire of the staple to be gripped between the clamping surfaces if the staple has been removed only partially from the stack of pages, wherein the first side wall has a slot and a flange at an edge of the slot, the flange providing the first clamping surface; and wherein the first side wall has a major portion that includes the first tooth and that lies substantially in a plane, and the flange extends transverse to the plane so as to overlap the second clamping surface when the jaw members are in their closed position.