Abstract: A xerographic cassette for a printing or copying machine includes a photoreceptor drum, a cleaning blade, and a waste toner conveyor for conveying waste toner cleaned off the photoreceptor drum by the cleaning blade into the interior of the photoreceptor drum for storage. The conveyor includes a flexible helical wire which acts as an auger. A curved tube portion of the conveyor passes through an auxiliary waste toner container. Once the auxiliary container is substantially full, waste toner is conveyed into the interior of the photoreceptor drum. The auxiliary container is provided with an aperture which enables it to be emptied, thereby prolonging the useful life of the cassette.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and driving staples in a single stroke includes a former for forming staples from pre-cut lengths of staple wires, a forming block around which each staple wire is bent by the former, and a driver for driving each formed staple into a workpiece. A removable cartridge (1) for containing a supply of staple wires comprises a housing (53) for the supply of wires and a staple wire delivery portion (2) through which staple wires are delivered for use. The delivery portion (2) of the cartridge has formed on it the forming block (61) for the apparatus. This arrangement provides a fresh forming block for the apparatus each time the cartridge is replaced.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and driving staples in a single stroke includes a former (4) for forming staples from pre-cut lengths of staple wires, a forming block around which each staple wire is bent by the former, and a driver (3) for driving each formed staple into a workpiece. The former (4) and driver (3) each comprise a substantially flat plate, with the driver slideable within a cut-out portion (33) of the former, and with both plates having their two major surfaces in sliding contact with parallel, spaced apart, guide plates (5, 6). A common driving member (7) is linked to the driver (3) and disengageably linked to the former (4) by means of a retractable link pin (38). The driving member (7) is arranged to initially drive the driver and former together to form a staple around the forming block. Once the staple has been formed, the forming block is withdrawn from within the formed staple.

Abstract: An active clincher 201 has a housing 202 forming a support surface 203 for an article, such as a set of sheets, to be stapled. One or a pair of clincher ears 204 is positively driven by an actuator 223 for bending over the staple leg(s) to form clinches. The clincher ears 204 are pivotally mounted on the housing 202 and rotatable by the actuator 223 so as to engage and bend the staple legs. The or each clincher ear 204 is mounted, suitably by having a slotted pivot hole 212, so that it also moves normally to the support surface during and/or following the end part of the rotational movement of the ear.