Margin stripper

A device for tearing the margins off of a stack of edge driven continuous feed pages of the type having a central area on which writing is placed, divided by a perforate line from the margin which engages a device mechanism, the pages being connected and folded into the stack, the device comprising

• a planar base having first and second edges, a planar cover having first and second edges and a pivot connection securing the first edge of the plate and cover together allowing pivotal movement therebetween for moving the base and cover about an axis between a first open position and a second closed position in which the base and cover substantially overlie;
• an abutment, on the base extending generally in the direction of the axis, for engaging the edge of the stack and positioning the perforate line at a predetermined distance from the abutment;
• a rib, on the cover extending generally parallel to the abutment, the rib having an outer edge, linear from end to end, juxtaposed to the perforate line in the second closed position;
• and
• a spring between the base and cover for biasing the same into the first open position.

A method of tearing the margins off of a stack of edge driven continuous feed pages of the type having a central area, on which writing is placed, divided by a perforate line from the margin which engages a drive mechanism, the pages being connected and folded into the stack, by using a device comprising a base, a cover and means mounting the base and cover for pivotal movement about an axis between a first open position in which the base and cover define an acute angle and a second closed position in which the base and cover substantially overlie;

• an abutment, on the base extending generally in the direction of the axis, for engaging the edge of the stack and positioning the perforate line at a predetermined distance from the axis;
• and a rib, on the cover extending generally parallel to the abutment and spaced further from the axis than the abutment, the rib having an outer edge, linear from end to end, at substantially the predetermined distance from the axis, the method comprising
• placing the stack of pages between the base and cover in the first open position thereof and abutting the edge of the margins against the abutment;
• then
• moving the base and cover toward the second closed position thereof and forceably placing the rib on the margin facing the rib at a location juxtaposed to the perforate line;
• then
• moving the central area of the stack relative to the margins and tearing the central area of all of the pages from their respective margins along the perforated lines.