Abstract: A desktop stapler includes an automatic opening staple track whereby when the stapler is opened by pivoting the body about the base, the track is de-latched by ribs of the base, and the track slides out from a chamber within the body. The stapler includes a track alignment system that holds the front of the body precisely over the anvil by use of forward and rear torque arm contact areas between the base and track. The stapler also features a striker bottom edge that is shaped to follow the curved shape of the anvil so that the striker may enter the anvil recess without impacting the anvil. A staple chamber in the stapler has staple exit ribs that allow only one staple at a time to be ejected from the staple chamber.

Abstract: A safety mechanism to prevent unintended ejection of a staple or fastener in a stapler or fastening tool. A low-start version of the stapler has a handle that when pressed pivots a lever which lifts a striker and energizes a power spring. At the release point, the striker is released and accelerated under spring bias into a staple, ejecting the staple by impact blow. A high-start version has the striker stationary in the upper position as the power spring is energized. In the safety mechanism, a movable hook or arm selectively prevents the striker, and linked components thereto, from completing an operational cycle. In one embodiment the safety mechanism includes a working surface sensing button bar operating in conjunction with the hook that latches the striker. The safety mechanism can also be a pivoting lock bar that engages the working surface, which surface pivots the lock bar into engaging the power spring, handle, and/or striker thereby preventing such components from reaching the release point.

Abstract: A stapler or like self-powered tool for dispensing and driving fasteners includes a safety mechanism to prevent unintended ejection of a staple or fastener. A movable hook normally obstructs the path of a staple so that the staple is intercepted and stopped as a spring-biased striker ejects the staple from the stapler. The striker preferably includes a notch and an end of the hook extends into the notch so that the safety mechanism can be compact. A button bar is linked to the hook and the button bar normally extends out from the stapler. When the stapler is placed against a working surface, the working surface presses the button bar vertically into the stapler, which causes the hook to rotate out from the striker slot and enables normal stapling operation.

Abstract: A desktop stapler having a feature for alignment of the anvil with the striker is disclosed. In one embodiment, a stapler body containing a striker is pivotably attached to a base. The pivoting rotation of the body causes a front-to-back motion of the striker over an anvil. A rib disposed at the back end of the body selectively pulls the back end of a linkage to the anvil backward as the body pivots downward to the stapling position. The anvil thus translates in relation to the body to maintain a close alignment of the striker over the anvil. The base assembly may include a cover plate slidable upon a base, wherein the cover plate includes the anvil. Another embodiment uses a tab that urges a staple track to be forcibly pulled open as the body is rotated away from the base.

Abstract: A heavy duty, large self-forming socket having a plurality of retractable gripping pins bundled in parallel and held in a frame within a housing is disclosed. The frame is positioned axially within the housing by radially extending, elongated hold elements that are positioned circumferentially around the housing. Slots in the housing exterior allow efficient inspection of the position of holes into which the hold elements are installed. A collar with shelf around the center pin protects the bias spring for the pin from over-compression. The gripping pins may be held to the frame by spring clips and/or a resilient O-ring. An adaptor is attached wherein a secondary operation is used to remove the adaptor from the square end of the socket. The self-forming socket is well suited for use with valves and controls for water, gas, sewage conduits and piping.

Abstract: A personal carrying device provides structures for carrying bit accessories, such as screwdriver bits and drill bits. In one embodiment a tool-carrying device includes a depending hook and bit-storage cavities within a housing. A latch and a release button hold the bits within the bit-cavities in a manner that facilitates installing and removing bits. A single structure guides the hook, and supports the latch and the release button. Further structures are disclosed that provide improvements to holding and extracting bits in general portable and non-portable devices.

Abstract: A slide switch adjustable wrench uses a laminated steel construction method that includes a stepped surface to form a guide for the worm gear driven moving jaw. A molded or similarly formed body is sandwiched between the steel housing sides to form a sturdy structure. The body provides cavities, bearings and other features to support and guide moving parts within. A rack and pinion drive system uses simple molded gears to amplify about 2 inches of switch travel into about 6 turns of the worm gear. An overmolded rubber edge grip bonds to the body to create a recess in the body; this recess seamlessly fits the steel sides to form a smooth continuously contoured grip surface.

Abstract: A compact clamp design includes an upper and a lower arm fitted with gripping pads at respective front ends and hinged together at respective back ends. The rearward positioned hinge enables the clamp to open very wide since the hinge and the gripping pads are relatively very far apart. An operating handle integrated as part of an upper arm. When the clamp is closed there are no protruding members. The clamp is very compact and minimally obtrusive.

Abstract: A bar clamp operates by squeezing a handle to close a jaw. The improvements of the present invention include: A rigid locking wedge geometry wherein the wedges are parallel to each other, a simplified wire form release element, a structure for retaining a jaw locking knob upon the jaw, and a snap fitted gripping pad.

Abstract: A desktop stapler uses a spring to store energy to install staples by impact blow. The force required to fasten papers together is reduced. A very compact mechanism is used, including a dual coil power spring with a nested lever. A multi function base provides a sloped front all the way to down to a desk top surface to guide paper sheets atop the base, easy access for lifting the stapler off a desk, horizontal or vertical resting positions, and integrated soft grip under-surface. The base surrounds the rear of the stapler body to provide a smooth exterior so that the device is natural to use both horizontally and vertically. A simple re-set spring provides a smooth re-set action as the handle is raised. A staple track includes enlargement features to fit a larger staple pusher spring.

Abstract: A desktop stapler uses a spring to store energy to install staples by impact blow. The force required to fasten papers together is reduced. A very compact mechanism is used, including a dual coil power spring with a nested lever. A multi-function base provides a sloped front all the way to down to a desk top surface to guide paper sheets atop the base, easy access for lifting the stapler off a desk, horizontal or vertical resting positions, and integrated soft grip under-surface. The base surrounds the rear of the stapler body to provide a smooth exterior so that the device is natural to use both horizontally and vertically. A simple re-set spring provides a smooth re-set action as the handle is raised. A staple track includes enlargement features to fit a larger staple pusher spring.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for storing data that use a rolling window file that maintains a defined file size while sequentially replacing an oldest portion of previously stored data with new data are provided. The rolling window file operates without the use of a wrap buffer implemented through manipulation of a current offset pointer by moving a first storage region in a sequentially linked plurality of storage regions associated with the rolling window file to become the new last (or end of file) storage region associated with the file. Newly received data may then be stored in the newly designated end of file storage region. Operations moving the first region in the linked sequence to the last position can repeat theoretically indefinitely as new data is received.

Abstract: An anti-jamming design for a stapler track provides reduced force to shear a staple from a rack of staples. In stapling, a front staple must be separated from a rack of staples to eject the staple out. Conventional staplers shear the glue that holds the staples together all at once, so the peak force to separate the staple is high. In the present invention the glue that holds staples together in a rack is sheared by a peeling action. Locally progressing sections of glue are peeled as the front staple is sheared from the adjacent second staple. According to one embodiment of the invention progressive shearing is provided by an asymmetric track front end, whereby the front staples are fully supported on one side only so that the staple rack twists as the striker slowly presses down. The striker contacts the supported, higher, side of the staple first and the staple begins to shear from this higher side.

Abstract: A desktop stapler includes an automatic opening staple track whereby when the stapler is opened by pivoting the body about the base, the track is de-latched by ribs of the base, and the track slides out from a chamber within the body. The stapler includes a track alignment system that holds the front of the body precisely over the anvil by use of forward and rear torque arm contact areas between the base and track. The stapler also features a striker bottom edge that is shaped to follow the curved shape of the anvil so that the striker may enter the anvil recess without impacting the anvil. A staple chamber in the stapler has staple exit ribs that allow only one staple at a time to be ejected from the staple chamber.

Abstract: An anchoring device to support an object upon weak substrates such as wallboard, plaster walls or paperboard. A frame supports multiple long fasteners such as nails at an angle relative to the substrate. The frame includes angled fastener channels formed in segments by opposed mold core elements. The mold cores create slots that are parallel to a mold pull direction, and further are angled relative to the fastener channels. The slots expose sides of the fastener channels, alternating channel sidewalls being exposed in adjacent segments of each channel. Tabs are provided along a perimeter of the frame to create full slots to hold a wire or other thin part of an object to be supported. A recess creates a gap under each fastener head to enable a thin prying tool to remove the fastener.

Abstract: A desktop stapler uses a spring to store energy to install staples by impact blow. The force required to fasten papers together is reduced. A very compact mechanism is used, including a dual coil power spring with a nested lever. A multi function base provides a sloped front all the way to down to a desk top surface to guide paper sheets atop the base, easy access for lifting the stapler off a desk, horizontal or vertical resting positions, and integrated soft grip under-surface. The base surrounds the rear of the stapler body to provide a smooth exterior so that the device is natural to use both horizontally and vertically. A simple re-set spring provides a smooth re-set action as the handle is raised. A staple track includes enlargement features to fit a larger staple pusher spring.

Abstract: A bar clamp operates by squeezing a handle to close a jaw. The improvements of the present invention include: A rigid locking wedge geometry wherein the wedges are parallel to each other, a simplified wire form release element, a structure for retaining a jaw locking knob upon the jaw, and a snap fitted gripping pad.

Abstract: A slide switch adjustable wrench uses a laminated steel construction method that includes a stepped surface to form a guide for the worm gear driven moving jaw. A molded or similarly formed body is sandwiched between the steel housing sides to form a sturdy structure. The body provides cavities, bearings and other features to support and guide moving parts within. A rack and pinion drive system uses simple molded gears to amplify about 2 inches of switch travel into about 6 turns of the worm gear. An overmolded rubber edge grip bonds to the body to create a recess in the body; this recess seamlessly fits the steel sides to form a smooth continuously contoured grip surface.