Staplers

Staplers are essential office, home and school equipment used for putting together documents by joining sheets of paper with staples. While there are specialty stapling machines for inserting surgical staples, sealing cartons and stitching upholstery, the most common type of this simple machine is the one for fastening pages of paper.

Comparing the Different Types of Staplers

There are three general types of staplers: manual, electric and pneumatic. A manual stapler uses a spring-loaded mechanism to drive in staples.

Using this design requires simply pressing down the metal head against the base of the tool. Electric stapling machines, on the other hand, are powered tools.

While some run on replaceable or rechargeable batteries, others are plug-in models. A pneumatic staple gun uses compressed air to push out staples. Most industrial stapling machines are of this type.

Choosing the Right Stapler

Before selecting a stapler, first consider how many people will use the device, how often they will use it and what they will use it for. While a basic desktop stapler or a mini model is good enough for home users and small offices, consider a heavy-duty version for a large office.

Furthermore, note that a desktop stapler can only handle up to 70 pages at once, but a heavy-duty stapling machine can bind 100 sheets of paper or more. For a shared office with lots of users and high-volume binding jobs, choose a heavy-duty electric option.

An electric stapler is generally faster than a manual model. It is also more powerful and can, therefore, punch through thicker stacks of paper.

What Lever Class is a Stapler?

A stapler is a second-class lever because its load sits between its fulcrum and the point of effort. The load, in a stapler, is the staples while the fulcrum is the hinge between the head and the base of the tool.

The point of effort is the position where a user applies force. For a stapler, this is at the front of the head where the user presses down on the sheets of paper placed between the jaws of the tool.

What is a Stapleless Stapler?

As the name suggests, a stapleless stapler is one that does not use staples to bind pages of paper. To fasten sheets together, this stapler cuts a wing or V-shaped slot on one side of the pages and then punches a flap on the other side.

The flap slips into the slot and locks the pages together. While this is convenient and eliminates staples, a stapleless stapler can only handle up to 10 - 12 pages at once.

Since it does not secure sheets with staples, users have to handle pages bound by this stapler carefully as the sheets can easily separate and fall apart.

Why do Staplers Jam?

There are many reasons why a stapler might jam. The most common cause is thin staples with blunt points.

When pressed hard, these bend and get stuck. To avoid this, only use the type and size of staples recommended for the device.

Also, make sure to punch staples directly through paper rather than at an angle. A staple may also jam when stapling more sheets than the recommended capacity of the tool.

To keep an electric stapler from getting jammed, make sure to replace its spent batteries regularly with fresh ones.