Abstract: A rotatable wire holder for a stitching machine head has a wire-receiving slot between two wire support surfaces, and wire cam surfaces which guide the wire from the slot to the support surfaces in response to rotation of the holder. Permanent magnets hold the wire on the support surfaces. The holder is used in a stitching machine head including feed mechanism for gripping and feeding a length of wire from a continuous coil supply to the holder, a cutter for severing the length of wire from the supply and a former/driver movable past the holder for forming the held length of wire into a staple and driving the formed staple into an associated workpiece.

Abstract: A transport table reciprocates between a collator, at which it receives a stack of loose sheets, and a stapling head for stapling the sheets together. Cam followers on the table engage cam surfaces during the reciprocating table movement to cause jogging movements of end and side retaining means to jog the loose sheets into a neat stack. The stack is delivered into a gap between the stapling head and an anvil, and the stapling head moves through a first half cycle, forming a staple and clamping the stack. A gate on the transport table lifts to free the stack while the table retracts, and then the stapling head drives the staple through the stack. The gate lowers when the transport table returns to its original position.