Patent ID: 7686281

Claim:
An apparatus for removing a staple from a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a base member having a front end, a rear end, and a first section near said front end, said base member further having a substantially flat surface for resting on the substrate during removal of the staple; a lever member having a front end, a rear end, and a first section near said front end, said first section of said lever member being pivotally joined to said first section of said base member; a tongue extending from said first section of said base member and parallel to said flat surface for wedging under a crossbar of the staple and supporting the substrate during removal of the staple; means for preventing the staple crossbar from moving beyond a point where the staple can be removed, said preventing means comprising a flange protruding from a middle of said tongue; and means for lifting the staple from the substrate using a leverage from said lever member when said lever member is rotated away from said base member, said lifting means joined to said first section of said lever member where said lifting means remains above said flat surface of said base member during the staple removing operation.