Patent ID: 7951180

Claim:
A stapling apparatus, comprising: a triangular fulcrum having a fulcrum point, a first linear guide, and a second linear guide; a first lever arm; a second lever arm, wherein the first lever arm and the second lever arm are rotatably coupled to a point on the triangular fulcrum, such that the first and second lever arms rotate in opposite directions about the fulcrum point of the triangular fulcrum; a first cartridge having a first follower that is guided by the first linear guide of the triangular fulcrum; and a second cartridge having a second follower that is guided by the second linear guide of the triangular fulcrum, wherein each cartridge holds one of a first staple portion and a second staple portion, each of the first staple portion and the second staple portion including a bracket having a nail member extending perpendicular to the bracket, an alignment member extending perpendicular to the bracket and parallel to the nail member, and an alignment slot, and wherein, when ends of the first lever arm and the second lever arm are rotated towards each other about the fulcrum point of the triangular fulcrum, a portion of the first lever arm engages the first cartridge and a portion of the second lever arm engages the second cartridge such that the first cartridge corresponding moves toward the second cartridge, the first follower moves linearly in the first linear guide of the triangular fulcrum and the second follower moves linearly in the second linear guide of the triangular fulcrum, and the first staple portion from the first cartridge is interlocked with the second staple portion from the second cartridge.