Method and apparatus for stitcher wire loading
First Claim
1. A wire dispensing supply item having a reel of wire that includes a wire end, said supply item being for use with a stitcher having wire cutting means, wire feeding means for feeding said wire end to said wire cutting means, and manually operable coupling means for releasably receiving a handle/mounting member of said supply item, said handle/mounting member, when coupled to said coupling means, being operable to support said wire end in operative relation to said wire feeding means, said supply item comprising;
- a reel of wire rotatably mounted in a substantially closed housing,a flexible tube having one end connected to said housing, said tube operating to guide said wire end away from said reel of wire,a handle/mounting member connected to said tube at the other end thereof, said handle/mounting member being constructed and arranged to releasably cooperate with the manually operable coupling means of said stitcher, andreleasably wire holding means contained within said handle/mounting member for releasably holding said wire end,the manually operable coupling means of said stitcher being operable to couple said handle/mounting member with said wire end in operating relation to said wire feeding means, and in so doing, to release said releasable wire holding means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A replaceable, closed, container, cartridge or supply-item cassette holds a roll of stitcher wire from which U-shaped wire staples are to be formed by operation of a stitcher. The wire'"'"'s end is led from the cassette to the stitcher by way of a flexible tube that terminates in a coupler/handle member. The coupler/handle member includes a releasable wire clamp that is operable to hold the wire'"'"'s end. The coupler/handle member is constructed and arranged to protect the operator'"'"'s hands from contact with the wire'"'"'s sharp, needle-like end. When the coupler/handle member is locked or coupled to the stitcher, the stitcher'"'"'s wire feed rollers automatically move to a nip-closed position, to entrap the end of the wire, and the wire is automatically released from the wire clamp. The stitcher'"'"'s wire feed rollers are driven by a stepping motor. The cassette includes a brake that is operable to control the orderly feeding or wire by the stepping motor.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A wire dispensing supply item having a reel of wire that includes a wire end, said supply item being for use with a stitcher having wire cutting means, wire feeding means for feeding said wire end to said wire cutting means, and manually operable coupling means for releasably receiving a handle/mounting member of said supply item, said handle/mounting member, when coupled to said coupling means, being operable to support said wire end in operative relation to said wire feeding means, said supply item comprising;
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a reel of wire rotatably mounted in a substantially closed housing, a flexible tube having one end connected to said housing, said tube operating to guide said wire end away from said reel of wire, a handle/mounting member connected to said tube at the other end thereof, said handle/mounting member being constructed and arranged to releasably cooperate with the manually operable coupling means of said stitcher, and releasably wire holding means contained within said handle/mounting member for releasably holding said wire end, the manually operable coupling means of said stitcher being operable to couple said handle/mounting member with said wire end in operating relation to said wire feeding means, and in so doing, to release said releasable wire holding means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Supply-item apparatus for replenishing the supply of wire to a stitcher having manually operable coupling means adapted to releasably couple a portion of said supply-item apparatus to said stitcher, comprising;
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a replaceable cassette containing a roll of stitcher wire from which U-shaped wire staples are to be formed by operation of a stitcher, a handle/mounting member for cooperating with the coupling means of said stitcher, and including a releasable wire clamp operable to hold the wire end of said roll of wire, and a flexible hollow tube containing the wire end, and leading said wire end from said cassette to said handle/mounting member, said handle/mounting member being constructed and arranged as a substantially closed housing, so as to protect the operator'"'"'s hands from contact with the wire end. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In combination,
a stitcher having wire cutting means, staple forming means, staple driving means, and staple clinching means, first power means for driving said cutting means, said staple forming means, said staple driving means, and said staple clinching means, a replaceable wire-supply cassette having as integral portions thereof, a housing for holding a supply of wire, a mechanical coupler/handle member, and a flexible hollow tube that mechanically interconnects said housing and said coupler/handle member and guides said wire from said housing to said mounting/coupling member, stitcher coupling means for receiving said coupler/handle member, and wire feeding means for feeding wire from said coupler/handle member to said wire cutting means, and second power means, separate from said first power means, for driving said wire feeding means, whereby the functional power operation of feeding wire from the cassette is operationally separated from the functional power operations of wire cutting, staple forming, staple driving, and staple clinching.
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18. A method for replenishing the supply of wire to a stitcher, comprising the steps of;
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providing a replaceable cassette containing a roll of stitcher wire from which U-shaped wire staples are to be formed by operation of a stitcher, providing a handle/mounting member including a releasable wire clamp operable to hold the wire end of said roll of wire, providing a flexible hollow tube containing the wire end, and leading said wire end from said cassette to said handle/mounting member, and constructing and arranging said handle/mounting member as a substantially closed housing, so as to protect the operator'"'"'s hands from contact with the wire end. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification