Fastener History

Fasteners have been with us for approximately two hundred years and it appears the little office machine has a small following.

The fastener originally was made for King Louis XV of France. The individual staples were hand made and inscribed with the royal courts insignia.

Samuel Slocum is credited with the first paper fastener patented in American. Unfortunately, a thorough examination of this patent drawing and description would indicate that this machine was not a paper fastener at all, but a machine that stuck a number of pins to paper for the purpose of packaging pins in quantity for sell.

Several attempts were made at perfecting the fastener, such as the Novelty, and McGill, but, it wasn't until the end of the 19th century that the machine was produced in large quantities.

Even so, the fastener was considered an extravagance that most business owners were not prepared to provide. Taking into account the value of the dollar at the turn of the century,the price of a machine was considerably higher than those of today.

It is said that one machine in a office of 500 employees was considered sufficient.

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The Novelty Paper Fastener

This little tool was first patented by the Patent Novelty Mfg Co. on August 7, 1866 with additional patents on April 13, 1880, April 3, 1883, January 12, 1886, May 31, 1887, November 24, 1891 and December 5, 1893. The interesting thing about this machine, is that you load one staple at a time.

The makers described its uses as: For binding books, papers, pamphlets, putting down carpets or matting, frames, garters, fancy work, etc. Upholstering furniture, putting up window curtains, exhibiting goods in windows, labeling trunks, boxes, etc., etc.

Its intent was for lawyers, printers, salesmen, merchants, and almost everybody, it is one of the most desirable articles ever offered.

Steel tinned staples could easily be obtained from the P.N. Mfg. Co. with several sizes offered; 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2.

If desired, the Staple Driver could be used without the use of the Staple Clincher. The instructions read: Place a staple in the slot, then set the tool squarely against the paper, etc., first laying the same upon a soft wooden block, old paper, book or something of the sort. Then drive the staple home. To clinch it, turn the paper over, bend the projecting points slightly together, cover them with the slotted end of the tool and repeat the blow which will clinch them most effectually.(Anyone have an old block of wood?)

McGill Single Stroke Staple Press

George W. McGill of Washington, DC, and subsequently New York, NY, was a prolific inventor of brass paper fasteners and paper fastening devices from the mid-1860s through the early 1890s. On July 24, 1866, he was awarded US Patent No. 56,587 for a small bendable brass paper fastener, and on Aug. 13, 1867, he was awarded Patent No. 67,665 for a press designed to insert these fasteners into papers.

He exhibited his paper fasteners at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, where he was awarded a first prize medal, and continued to patent variations and improvements on these products through the 1880s.

On February 18, 1879, McGill was awarded Patent No. 212,316 for the McGill's Single-Stroke Staple Press. Like all McGill paper fastening products, the press was manufactured and distributed by Holmes, Booth and Haydens of New York. To use the device, a single preformed bent wire staple one-half inch wide is inserted into a slit under the plunger.

After the device is used to insert the staple, the device is ready to be reloaded with another individual staple.

The patent states that "The principal object of my invention is to effect the insertion and clinching of a staple in sheets of paper, pamphlets, or other articles. My invention is arranged as a hand-press, and consists of a bedplate, furnished at its front end with a clinching anvil, and at its rear with a pillar, in which is pivoted one end of a lever-arm, the other end of which is provided with the mechanism for inserting the staple in the articles to be bound, and which, in connection with the anvil, clinches the staple in said articles."

This cast iron press is 4.5 inches high by 6.25 inches long and weighs 2 lb. 9 oz. It is painted black with gold and red details. The gold lettering on the base reads "McGill's Patent Single Stroke Staple Press Patented Feb. 18, 1879."

Similar machines produced during this period include Brown's Single Blow Staple Binder, produced by W. J. Brown, Jr., of Philadelphia, PA.

Two other types of stapling machines were invented at virtually the same time as these hinged single staple devices. One other type included a variety of devices with two separate pieces, a clincher and a driver, which was also loaded with staples one at a time. Examples are the small Novelty and Victor paper fasteners, as well as the larger McGill Staple Press No. 2. The latter was covered by Patent No. 252,841, which was issued to McGill on Jan. 24, 1882.

Like McGill's Single-Stroke Staple Press, these two-piece devices were heavily marketed from around 1880 to the mid-1890s. The second other type of stapling machines had a magazine that could hold a row of staples. While such devices were patented as early as the late 1870s, I have not seen an advertisement or example that pre-dates the late 1880s.

The Brown Staple Machine

It is now known that this machine was in fact invented with the purpose of fastening papers or books. Also referred to as the Yarger, for S. J. Yarger who was the Distributor, this stapler was actually invented by William J. Brown and manufactured in Philadelphia, PA. The patent date, September 13, 1887 is cast into the right side of this machine.

Initial investigation reveled that the fastener is made of cast medal and each part was numbered. It was designed to be permanently attached to a bench, table or desk.

Like the McGill Single Staple Press, the anvil on this machine is round, confirming an early method of turning the staple inward after passing through the paper.

The Acme

The Stapling machine produced by the Acme Stapling Company was made of cast iron. Staplers were loaded from the rear of the machine. The design was typical of the 19th century design. The staples were loose wires mounted on cardboard or metal cores. They were driven forward by a cannon type spring.

Acme advertised that its machine was "especially adapted for office work and its usefulness is not at all confined to any one class of customer. In fact the lawyer, the tailor, and the munitions maker - all need to use the Acme Stapler."

The Hotchkiss

Probably in greater demand today than any other stapler is the Hotchkiss. These early machines are beautifully built and have the Victorian design about them that just says, "Antique".

This model used what was known as the Herringbone stapler. It took a strong fist to strick the head of the stapler to separate the staple from the strip. To support an extra long strip of staples, this early example has a long curved tail on it.

While some collectors have indicated that the original design was attributed to James Keyes' patent number 572,346 a close examination clearly credits his patent as an improvement to the stapling machine patented by Edwin T. Greenfield. Patent 572,293 is in fact the true patent for the invention of this machine.

Many collectors believe that all Hotchkiss Fasteners came with this tail, but in fact, they did not.

Hotchkiss had a great deal of success and commanded its fair share of the market up until the 1930's. By that time others decided to share in the profits to be made by this little office giant.