Paper Welder Inc.

317 Main Street
Medina, New York
Incorporated in 1957
Currently listed as inactive

Paper Welder Inc. made one device, called appropriately enough, The Paper Welder.   A 14-year design patent for this machine was granted on September 4, 1956 to Norman Bathrick and Leo Collins (both from New York).   The patent was assigned to Bathrick-Collins, Inc. which later became Paper Welder, Inc.

The Paper Welder falls into the category of "stapleless" fasteners.   These devices use no staples; instead they make the fastener from the paper itself.   Most stapleless fasteners (like the Bump and Clipless) cut and fold the paper.

However, the Paper Welder is unique: Instead of punching and folding the paper, the Paper Welder uses toothed jaws to join the paper together with a zipper-like crimp (see the photo).

The genesis of this device came in early 1936 when Ralph M. Hibbs of Philadelphia filed a patent for a device and "binding means" that held sheets of paper together.   The machine described in the 1936 patent uses a fastening method identical to what would later be used by the Paper Welder.  The weakness of Hibbs's device was that it took the strength of a mule to push the plunger down with enough force to make the fastening robust.   Norman S. Noll solved this problem with a compound lever-operated device for which he received two patents (2272473 and 2275111) in 1942.   The compound lever allowed one to exert a tremendous amount of force onto the paper; trading additional motion for multiplied force (thanks, Archimedes).   He also got a design patent for the device.  

The Paper Welder measures 5" long, by 2" wide, by 5" high with the lever in the natural (up) position. It is solidly built from chrome plated, die cast metal (probably zinc) with a cork bottom.

This is an often-copied device. Machines sold under the name "Eagle Clipless Paper Fastener" and "Haverhill Paper Fastener" are good quality copies of the original Paper Welder.   However, there are a number of inferior foreign-made knock-offs such as the "Paperina" that should be avoided, unless you just like the looks of the device and don't plan to use it.

These nifty little machines are neither common nor scarce, and are novel enough to command a bit of a premium (everyone that's seen the one I have wants one).   Original Paper Welders sell for up to $150 or so for a mint example with its original box.   Good quality copies are worth about 1/2 that amount.   The cheap knock-offs make fantastic paper weights.

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