Eveready Mfg. Co.
of Boston

34 Southbridge St.
Worcester, MA (1917-1939)

Originally called The Lea-Irving Mfg Co. of Boston, MA

The Eveready Paper Fastener is unique among coil fed staplers in that, instead of creating the staples from wire, the Eveready fastener makes it's staples from a coil of flat 0.375" wide by 0.010" thick sheet metal that the manufacturer calls "metal tape".

The coil of metal is held in the drum-shaped container at the back of the device (on the right in the diagram above).   With each stroke of the handle, 0.050" of the "tape" is fed forward, cut from the strip at a 45° angle, formed into a staple, and clinched.

Eveready Advertising Blotter - 1919

Since the strip is cut at an angle, the ends of the cut off staple blank act as points to pierce the paper (see the diagram below).

The original patent for this device was granted to Charles Lea of Boston on February 6, 1917.  On February 6, 1923, another patent was granted to Charles Woodman of Worcester, MA for improvements including a release lever that allows you to remove the metal strip, and changes to the way the drum is mounted to facilitate easy removal.

Later models of this device (as shown in the photo) feature an external coil spring to return the lever to its "up" position. This spring was less prone to breakage than the original internal torsion spring shown in the 1917 and 1923 patents. The later models also had a redesigned casting that allowed the drum to be placed closer to the stapler body, reducing the overall length from 9" to about 8", as well as a torsion spring on the bottom left side of the casting that keeps the stapler body up (open) from the base.   While most models have black painted wooden knobs, some later models featured aluminum knobs.

Charles Lea's Wire Fed Stapling Machine - 1920 Patent

In 1920, Charles Lea was granted a patent for an unusual wire-fed stapler that stored the wire inside an oscillating drum that was mounted perpendicular to the lever and base.

This patent was also assigned to the Eveready Manufacturing Company of Boston.

In 1926, Eveready introduced its Model K fastener.   The Model K featured a base that allowed the paper to be inserted deeper, enabling the user to staple to the middle of a small booklet.   Here's a write-up from a 1926 catalog listing:

The Eveready Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass., has perfected a new model-K.   The distinctive feature of the machine is that it makes its own staples from a roll of flat steel tape.   A single roll is sufficient to produce about five thousand staples without refilling.   The stapling arm is so arranged so that there is a range of about six inches from the staple to the end of the arm.   The device weighs only six pounds.   The cast base is heavy and the machine stands firmly and can be operated readily.   It is finished in battleship gray and nickel plate.

Eveready Model K - from a 1926 catalog

Partly because of their Rube Goldberg-esque appeal, Eveready staplers are highly sought after by collectors.   Original complete examples will often sell for more than $200, with an additional premium being paid for staplers that still have a quantity of the metal tape in the drum.

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