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History of Staplers Timeline

(1700s–Present)

The history of staplers traces the development of mechanical fastening devices from royal court curiosities to affordable, indispensable office equipment. Less

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Origins and early patents

Paper usage drives fastener demand

1800 - 1899

The growing use of paper during the 19th century created demand for a more efficient way to fasten sheets together, helping stimulate the development of stapling devices.

Image source: Stapler

Paper usage drives fastener demand

Slocum and Jillion invent a pin machine

1841

Slocum and Jillion invented a machine for sticking pins into paper. The device is often regarded as the first stapler, although its exact function and patent history are more limited than that description suggests.

Pin-packaging purpose of patent 2275 clarified

1841

The 1841 Slocum and Jillion patent was for packaging pins, clarifying why it is disputed as the first true stapler even though it is frequently cited in stapler histories.

Slocum and Jillion file patent 2275

Sep 30, 1841

Slocum and Jillion received patent number 2275 on September 30, 1841. Despite its association with early stapling history, the patent described a device used for packaging pins rather than a modern paper stapler.

English stapler patent awarded to C. H. Gould

1868

An English patent for a stapler was awarded to C. H. Gould in 1868, adding to the growing number of early stapling inventions.

Albert Kletzker patents a stapling device

1868

In the United States, Albert Kletzker of St. Louis, Missouri, also patented a stapling device in 1868.

Staple development

McGill patents a bendable brass fastener

1866

George McGill received U.S. patent 56,587 for a small, bendable brass paper fastener. This fastener was an important precursor to the modern staple.

Brass fastener becomes a staple precursor

1866

McGill's 1866 bendable brass fastener established a form of paper fastener that could be driven through sheets and bent to hold them together, anticipating the modern staple.

Image source: Staple (fastener)

Brass fastener becomes a staple precursor

McGill patents a fastener press

1867

In 1867, George McGill received U.S. patent 67,665 for a press designed to insert his paper fastener into paper.

Press-based staple insertion develops

1867

McGill's 1867 press connected the separate fastener and insertion stages, providing an early mechanical basis for the later stapling machine.

McGill continues fastener development

1876 - 1889

After exhibiting his invention, McGill continued working on it and on various other paper fasteners throughout the 1880s.

Merik Herron helps shape the staple base

1876

At the Centennial Exhibition period, architect Merik Herron helped make the base shape of the staple, contributing to the form that supported later staple designs.

McGill exhibits a paper fastener

1876

George McGill showed his invention at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bringing his paper-fastening work to public attention.

Stapling inventions target books

1876 - 1877

The inventions associated with the Novelty Paper Box Manufacturing Co. were also intended for books, expanding stapling beyond individual sheets of office paper.

Stapling inventions target boxes

1876 - 1877

The Novelty Paper Box Manufacturing Co.'s inventions were designed to staple boxes, illustrating an important industrial use of stapling technology.

Heyl files a box-stapling patent

1876

Henry R. Heyl filed one of his early patents in 1876 for the Novelty Paper Box Manufacturing Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company's inventions were intended for stapling boxes and books.

Patent 195,603 advances the modern stapler

1877

Heyl's patent 195,603 is one reason he is considered by some to be the inventor of the modern stapler: it combined staple insertion and clinching in a single operation.

Heyl develops one-step staple insertion

1877

Henry R. Heyl filed patent number 195,603 in 1877 for machines that could both insert and clinch a staple in one step.

Heyl files a second box-stapling patent

1877

In 1877, Heyl filed another patent associated with the Novelty Paper Box Manufacturing Co. Its inventions focused on stapling boxes and books rather than solely on office paper.

Commercial machines

Magazine-fed staple machine appears

1878

The first machine able to hold a magazine containing many pre-formed staples appeared in 1878, making repeated stapling more practical.

Pre-formed staple magazines enable repeated use

1878

The 1878 magazine-fed design introduced a supply of multiple pre-formed staples, reducing the need to load individual fasteners for every operation.

The first commercially successful stapler emerges

1879

McGill's Single-Stroke Staple Press marked the transition from experimental and patented devices to a stapler with sustained commercial success.

McGill Single-Stroke Staple Press launches

Feb 18, 1879

The McGill Single-Stroke Staple Press, covered by patent 212,316, became the first commercially successful stapler.

McGill receives patent 212,316

Feb 18, 1879

George McGill received U.S. patent 212,316 on February 18, 1879, for the McGill Single-Stroke Staple Press.

Clipless Stand Machine enters production

1909

The Clipless Stand Machine, made in North Berwick, was sold beginning in 1909.

Clipless Stand Machine remains on sale

1909 - 1929

The North Berwick Clipless Stand Machine continued to be sold from 1909 into the 1920s, representing a commercially available stapling design of the period.

Modern stapling

The word stapler appears in print

1901

The first published use of the word “stapler” to describe a machine that fastens papers with thin metal wire appeared in an advertisement in American Munsey's Magazine in 1901.

Stapleless staplers are invented

1910

Stapleless staplers were invented in 1910 as an alternative to metal staples. They fasten paper without adding a separate metal fastener.

Image source: Stapler

Stapleless staplers are invented

Stapleless staplers weave paper flaps

1910

The stapleless design works by punching out a small flap of paper and weaving it through a notch, creating a paper-based fastening method.

Four-way paper stapler is developed

1941

In 1941, the four-way paper stapler was developed. It became the type of paper stapler most commonly used.

Four-way stapler becomes the common design

1941

The four-way paper stapler developed in 1941 became the most common type in use, reflecting the standardization of the modern office stapler.

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Key Facts

  1. One of the earliest known stapling devices was made for the court of King Louis XV of France in the 18th century.
  2. Early staplers used individually made metal staples and were designed for specialized or luxurious purposes rather than mass office use.
  3. George McGill patented an influential metal fastener and hand-operated stapling machine in the United States during the 1860s.
  4. The development of standardized wire staples and improved manufacturing made staplers more practical and affordable in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  5. Modern staplers include desktop, heavy-duty, electric, pneumatic, and surgical models, showing how the basic mechanism has adapted to many uses.

Source

This History of Staplers timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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