Patent ID: 7726535

Claim:
A stapler for stapling together a workpiece, comprising: a stapling unit; and an anvil, which interacts with the stapling unit, on which the workpiece is placed, and against which stapling is performed, the stapling unit and the anvil being driven relative to each other in a reciprocating stapling movement by a drive mechanism, during which movement stapling takes place, wherein the stapling unit includes a frame and a staple cassette, the staple cassette housing staple blanks, being exchangeable, and being detachably attached to the frame by attachment devices, wherein the staple blanks are fed one by one to an outlet channel by a feeding device incorporated in the stapler, a staple which has been fed and formed into staple shape during the stapling movement being driven through the outlet channel by a blade-shaped driver so as to staple the workpiece, the driver being driven by drive links driven by the drive mechanism and acting on a crown of the formed staple, wherein the outlet channel is, in a direction which is transverse to a longitudinal direction of the crown of the formed staple, defined by a first guide surface and a second guide surface, the first guide surface having a first face disposed on the staple cassette, the second guide surface having a second face disposed on the frame, the first and second faces guiding the formed staple as it is driven through the outlet channel, a clearance between the first and second faces being determined by spacing elements, wherein at least one of the first and second guide surfaces is movable toward and away from the other of the first and second guide surfaces and is biased toward the other by one or more elastic elements.