High load lifter for automated stapler

A lifting machine for feeding staples, comprising:

• (a) a magazine, including a space to hold a plurality of staple strips that are stacked, one staple strip atop a next staple strip, wherein there is a first staple strip disposed at a bottom-most position in said magazine, and a second staple strip disposed at a position just above said first staple strip;
• (b) a pusher subassembly comprising:
• (i) a first linear cylinder;
• including a first movable rod;
• (ii) a pusher that has at least one degree of freedom of movement in a horizontal direction and that is sized and shaped to contact an end portion of said first staple strip;
• and
• (iii) a cylinder connector that is in mechanical communication with said pusher and which moves in accordance to a position of said first movable rod of the first linear cylinder;
• (c) a lifter subassembly, comprising:
• (i) a lift fork that has at least two degrees of freedom of movement, including a first degree of freedom to move horizontally and a second degree of freedom to move vertically;
• wherein, during operation:
• (d) (i) said lift fork is configured to move horizontally to a retracted position;
• (ii) said lift fork is configured to move vertically to an upper position that corresponds to a vertical elevation of said second staple strip;
• (iii) said lift fork is configured to move horizontally to an extended position that is at least partially within an open area of said second staple strip, but is not yet making physical contact with said second staple strip;
• (iv) while remaining in said horizontally extended position, said lift fork is configured to move vertically upward until it makes physical contact with at least one leg of said second staple strip, then to continue to move slightly upward while lifting said plurality of staple strips, except for the first staple strip, which is not lifted upward, until a gap is created between a bottom-most surface of said second staple strip and a top-most surface of said first staple strip;
• (e) (i) said pusher is configured to move horizontally from its retracted position toward its extended position, until it makes physical contact with said first staple strip;
• (ii) said pusher is configured to continue moving toward said extended position, while pushing said first staple strip toward an exit position, until said first staple strip has cleared from beneath said second staple strip;
• (iii) said pusher is configured to move horizontally from its extended position toward its retracted position, until it clears from beneath said second staple strip, while releasing from contact from said first staple strip;
• (f) (i) said lift fork is configured to move vertically downward to a lower position until said second staple strip rests up on a surface, said downward movement being controlled so as to be sufficiently gentle so as to not break any of the individual staples that comprise said second staple strip;
• (ii) said lift fork is configured to move horizontally from its extended position to its retracted position, while not making physical contact with said second staple strip;
• (iii) said lift fork is configured to move vertically upward from said lower position to said upper position;
• and
• (g) said second staple strip has now become disposed at the bottom-most position in said magazine, and said first staple strip has been moved to said exit position.