Collated Fencing Staple Geometry for Stable Powered Driving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fencing staples require multiple pieces or geometries for collated control, which can obstruct the line of sight and hinder reliable driving by powered fastening tools into fence posts, necessitating a staple design that maintains consistent orientation and secure grip.
Innovation Solution
A fencing staple with a crown section and leg section, featuring radiused portions, barbs, and divergent points for secure engagement, allowing serial collation and stable feeding into fastening tools, and an adhesive material for connecting staples, ensuring consistent orientation and easy loading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple pieces or geometries are used for collated staple control, then staple control is improved, but line of sight to the workpiece is obstructed and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control functions into a single integrated staple geometry. The crown portion's specific shape (width greater than leg width, radiused edges) provides both collation control and orientation stability without requiring separate control pieces or cover components, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable staple control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the control function from separate cover components and embeds it directly into the staple's crown geometry. The radiused edges and width differential of the crown portion inherently provide control during collation and feeding, eliminating the need for additional control pieces that would obstruct the line of sight
2Ease of operation
If traditional staple geometries are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but consistent orientation during feeding is not maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric geometry in the crown portion, where the crown width is deliberately made greater than the leg width, and radiused edges are positioned specifically. This asymmetric design creates a natural orientation reference that ensures consistent staple alignment during feeding through the powered fastening tool, improving ease of operation without excessive complexity
3Strength
If barbs are added to enhance grip, then holding power is improved, but driving reliability into the workpiece deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies barbs only to specific locations on the leg portions, not along the entire length. This localized application provides enhanced holding power in the workpiece while maintaining a smooth driving surface at the tip and along the majority of the leg, ensuring reliable driving into the workpiece without the trade-off that would result from full-length barbs
Data Source
AI summary
A barbed staple for installing fencing wire onto a fence post. The staple has a crown section and a leg section. The crown section has an arcuate crown portion and a radiused portion, and the leg section has a pair of leg portions that extend in parallel from the radiused portion of the crown section. At least one barb protrudes from each of the leg portions, the barb having projecting points. The distance between the distal edge of the projecting points defines an outer leg width. The crown portion of the crown section has a greater width than the pair of leg portions in parallel. The outer crown width is greater than the outer leg width.