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US 8,006,374 B1Granted
Paperclip fastening apparatus
OwnerSalvator G. Zangariinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A paperclip fastening apparatus includes paperclips each having a first half loop, a second half loop and an inner half loop. A support has an upper surface, a front end and a rear end. A track is positioned in the upper surface. A driving plate is positioned on the upper surface and is slidably movable toward and away from the front end. A housing, containing the paperclips, is attached to the support and the driving plate is slidable through the housing and engages a lowermost one of the paperclips positioned in the housing. The driving plate engages the paperclips and pushes them outwardly of the housing toward the front end while a flange on the house engages the first half loop to lift the first half loop to allow one or more sheets of paper to be placed between the first half loop and the inner half loop.
Claims20
A paperclip fastening apparatus for holding a plurality of paperclips and positioning a paperclip on one or more sheets of paper, the paperclips each having a first half loop, a second half loop and an inner half loop positioned between the first and second half loops and nearer to the first loop than the second half loop, said apparatus comprising:
- a support having an upper surface, a front end and a rear end, a track being positioned in said upper surface;
- a driving plate being positioned on said upper surface and having a proximal end with respect to said front end, said proximal end being slidably movable toward and away from said front end, said driving plate having a first slot therein and a second slot therein, said first and second slots configured to receive the second half loop and the inner half loop of one of the paperclips;
- a housing being attached to said support and extending upwardly therefrom, said driving plate being slidable through said housing and engaging a lowermost one of any paperclips positioned in said housing, said driving plate being positionable in a receiving position having each of said first and second slots positioned in said housing or in a deployed position having said first and second slots positioned out of said housing between said housing and said front end of said support, said housing including a perimeter wall having a top edge, said top edge defining an opening extending into said housing, said housing having a top wall removably mounted on said top edge to selectively close said opening;
- a mounting being attached to and extending downwardly from said top wall, said mounting extending from said top wall to said driving plate when said top wall is positioned on said top edge, said mounting being configured to receive a plurality of aligned ones of the paperclips and gravity feeding the paperclips onto said driving plate;
- and
- said perimeter wall having a front wall facing said front edge, said front wall having an aperture extending therethrough adjacent to a bottom end of said perimeter wall, a flange being attached to an inner surface of said front wall below and adjacent to said aperture and extending inwardly of said housing, said flange abutting the first half loop of a lowermost one of the paperclips when the paperclips are positioned in said housing, said flange forcing the first half loop upwardly when the second half loop and inner half loop of an associated one of the paperclips are placed in said first and second slots and forced toward said front end and under said flange by said driving plate.
3 more elements
A paperclip fastening apparatus for holding a plurality of paperclips and positioning a paperclip on one or more sheets of paper, the paperclips each having a first half loop, a second half loop and an inner half loop positioned between the first and second half loops and nearer to the first loop than the second half loop, said apparatus comprising:
- a support having an upper surface, a front end and a rear end, a track being positioned in said upper surface;
- a driving plate being positioned on said upper surface and having a proximal end with respect to said front end, said proximal end being slidably movable toward or away from said front end, said driving plate having a first slot therein and a second slot therein, said first and second slots configured to receive the second half loop and the inner half loop of one of paperclips;
- a housing being attached to said support and extending upwardly therefrom, said driving plate being slidable through said housing, said driving plate being positionable in a receiving position having each of said first and second slots positioned in said housing or in a deployed position having said first and second slots positioned out of said housing between said housing and said front end of said support, said housing including a perimeter wall having a top edge, said top edge defining an opening extending into said housing, said housing having a top wall removably mounted on said top edge to selectively close said opening, a coupler releasably coupling said top wall to said top edge;
- a mounting being attached to and extending downwardly from said top wall, said mounting extending from said top wall to said driving plate when said top wall is positioned on said top edge, said mounting being configured to receive a plurality of aligned ones of the paperclips and gravity feeding the paperclips onto said driving plate, said mounting including a first post and a second post, said first post being extendable between the first half loop and the inner half loop of the paperclips, said second post being extendable between the second half loop and the middle half loop of the paperclips, said first post abutting the first half loop and said second post abutting the second half loop of any of the paperclips positioned on said mounting;
- said perimeter wall having a front wall facing said front edge, said front wall having an aperture extending therethrough adjacent to a bottom end of said perimeter wall, a flange being attached to an inner surface of said front wall below and adjacent to said aperture and extending inwardly of said housing, said flange abutting the first half loop of a lowermost one of the paperclips when the paperclips are positioned in said housing, said flange forcing the first half loop upwardly when the second half loop and inner half loop of an associated one of the paperclips are placed in said first and second slots and forced toward said forward end and under said flange by said driving plate, said flange and a perimeter edge of said aperture being angled upwardly from said flange to an outer surface of said perimeter wall to more further force said first half loop upwardly away from a plane of the associated second and inner half loops;
- an actuator being mechanically coupled to said driving plate to selectively move said driving plate toward or away from said front end, said actuator including;
- a handle being pivotally coupled to said housing and extending toward said rear end of said support;
- a drive rod having a first end pivotally coupled to said handle and a second end attached to said driving plate, said drive rod forcing said driving plate toward said front end when said handle is depressed;
- a biasing member being mounted to said support and being attached to said driving plate, said biasing member biasing said driving plate toward said rear end of said support;
- a magnet being mounted in said support and being positioned beneath said housing, said magnet pulling any paperclips in said housing toward said driving plate;
- an upper paper guide being attached to said front wall and being positioned above and adjacent to said aperture, said upper paper guide extending outwardly from said front wall and having a lower surface being angled upwardly from said front wall;
- and
- a lower paper guide being attached to and extending upwardly from said front end of said support, said lower paper guide having an upper edge having a notch extending downwardly therein, said notch providing a paperclip receiving space between said support and paper positioned to receive a paperclip.
10 more elements
A paperclip fastening system for positioning a paperclip on one or more sheets of paper including:
- a plurality of paperclips, said paperclips each having a first half loop, a second half loop and an inner half loop positioned between the first and second half loops and nearer to the first loop than the second half loop, said paperclips being aligned with each other, a removable tab being adhered to each of said paperclips to retain said paperclips in alignment with each other;
- a support having an upper surface, a front end and a rear end, a track being positioned in said upper surface;
- a driving plate being positioned on said upper surface and having a proximal end with respect to said front end, said proximal end being slidably movable toward or away from said front end, said driving plate having a first slot therein and a second slot therein, said first and second slots configured to receive the second half loop and the inner half loop of one of the paperclips;
- a housing being attached to said support and extending upwardly therefrom, said driving plate being slidable through said housing and engaging a lowermost one of said paperclips positioned in said housing, said driving plate being positionable in a receiving position having each of said first and second slots positioned in said housing or in a deployed position having said first and second slots positioned out of said housing between said housing and said front end of said support, said housing including a perimeter wall having a top edge, said top edge defining an opening extending into said housing, said housing having a top wall removably mounted on said top edge to selectively close said opening;
- a mounting being attached to and extending downwardly from said top wall, said mounting extending from said top wall to said driving plate when said top wall is positioned on said top edge, said mounting being having a plurality of aligned ones of the paperclips thereon and gravity feeding the paperclips onto said driving plate;
- and
- said perimeter wall having a front wall facing said front edge, said front wall having an aperture extending therethrough adjacent to a bottom end of said perimeter wall, a flange being attached to an inner surface of said front wall below and adjacent to said aperture and extending inwardly of said housing, said flange abutting the first half loop of the lowermost one of the paperclips, said flange forcing the first half loop upwardly when the second half loop and inner half loop of an associated one of the paperclips are placed in said first and second slots and forced toward said forward end and under said flange by said driving plate.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.