Stitching method and wire stitcher having a stitching head for processing annular-eyelet staples

Abstract

A stitching method and a wire stitcher having a stitching head for stitching sheet-like materials using annular-eyelet staples, includes a staple support with a supporting body in the stitching head. The staple support supports a region of the annular eyelet during a driving-in operation and is moved out of the annular eyelet only when legs of the staple passing through the sheet-like material, have been largely bent over.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified, diagrammatic, perspective view of a gang stitcher with a stitching station;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a stitching head which is guided in the stitching station of the gang stitcher according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a bottom region of the stitching head of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D are simplified, fragmentary, perspective views of important components of the stitching head of FIGS. 2 and 3 as seen from different viewing directions and in different stages of a movement sequence for annular eyelet stitching;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating a “collapse” of an unsupported annular eyelet as legs are bent over; and

FIG. 6 is a simplified, partly perspective and partly block diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of stitching sheet-like materials with annular-eyelet staples, the method comprising the following steps: pressing a driver onto shoulders of the staples and driving-in the staples into the sheet-like material;supporting an eyelet region of the staples during the driving-in step with a staple support introduced between legs of the staples; andmoving the staple support out of the eyelet region only when the legs of the staples passing through the sheet-like material have been largely bent over.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises removing the staple support, during a return movement of the staple support, from a supporting region of the eyelet, only when a staple end of the driver has already passed beyond a bottom end of the staple support located opposite the sheet-like material.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises executing a return movement of the staple support with a separate drive.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises deriving a return movement of the staple support out of the annular eyelet region from a movement of a configuration bending over ends of the staple, or coupling the return movement to the movement of the configuration.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises deriving a return movement of the staple support out of the eyelet region from a movement of the driver, or coupling the return movement to the driver movement.

6. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises effecting the return movement of the staple support out of the eyelet region with a control curve on the driver.

7. A wire stitcher, comprising: a stitching head for stitching sheet-like materials using preferably annular-eyelet staples, said stitching head having a driver pressing onto shoulders of the staples and driving the staples into the sheet-like material;a staple support for supporting the staples during a driving-in operation;a bending configuration for bending over legs of the staples passing through the sheet-like material; anda drive for moving said staple support out of a region of the staple, said drive being configured and controlled for moving said staple support completely out of the region of the staple or of the annular eyelet, only once the legs of the staples passing through the sheet-like material have been largely bent over.

8. The wire stitcher according to claim 7, wherein said driver has a staple end, said staple support has a bottom end being located opposite the sheet-like material, and said drive is configured and controlled for causing said staple support, during a return movement of said staple support, to leave a supporting region of the annular eyelet only when said staple end of said driver has already passed beyond said bottom end of said staple support.

9. The wire stitcher according to claim 7, which further comprises a coupling for coupling movement between said bending configuration and said staple support.

10. The wire stitcher according to claim 7, wherein said drive for moving said staple support has a separate electric drive motor.

11. The wire stitcher according to claim 7, which further comprises a mechanical coupling between said driver and said staple support.

12. The wire stitcher according to claim 11, wherein said mechanical coupling between said driver and said staple support includes: a first curve on said staple support, along which a side of said driver directed toward the staple slides in a region of the shoulders of the staple; anda second curve or cam on a rear side of said driver, interacting with said staple support.

13. The wire stitcher according to claim 12, wherein said first curve includes two partial curves.

14. The wire stitcher according to claim 12, wherein said second curve or cam is integrally formed on said rear side of said driver.

15. The wire stitcher according to claim 13, wherein said second curve or cam is integrally formed on said rear side of said driver.