• Our primary method of communication will be Discord. 
• When sending a message on Discord, we will try our best to respond on the same day. This will apply to weekends as well as weekdays.
• Our primary method of collaboration will be Google Docs, and it will mainly be asynchronous.
• We will use the sequential writing strategy, where each member is in charge of writing a specific part and we will write in sequence. Thus, all of us have the role of writer and editor.
• We will check in as often as possible, and at minimum 2-3 times a week.  
• For our presentation, we will conduct a zoom meeting while one group member shares the slides from their screen.
• We aim to receive an A or better on this assignment.

Collaborators

Brendan Johnson

Farhan Khan

Jayden Garcia

Abstract

Using the Piezo Crystal from a standard long necked lighter, you can wire it to an amplifier and headphone jack to create a homemade microphone.

 

Intro

Long neck lighters are a pretty common appliance in most households. They offer a way to start small fires without the risk of burning yourself. A simple clicking ignition button on the lighter requires a small amount of force to start a fire. But how does clicking a button result in a flame? The answer lies in the Piezo Crystal. A Piezo Crystal is essentially a crystal that has a special molecular structure, and it is a main component of any long necked lighter. The main property that results from this structure is that if you hit one of these crystals, you will generate electricity! The amount of electricity you generate depends on how hard you hit the crystal. So, what you’re actually doing when you click the button on a lighter, is pushing down and releasing a small spring with a hammer attached to it. This hammer hits the Piezo Crystal that lies within the lighter, which generates an electric spark at the tip of the lighter. While the button is being held, a flow of flammable gas is being directed to the tip of the lighter as well. Once the gas contacts the heat from the spark, it ignites, and your flame is lit!

Another way we utilize piezo crystals is in microphones. It might sound bizarre, but fundamentally the crystal in a lighter and a microphone serve the same purpose, generating electricity based on force. The sound waves in the air, although small, are in fact a force. A piezo crystal can detect this force and generate electricity directly proportional to the sound waves it’s being pushed by. This electricity can then be fed into a circuit where it’s amplified and then sent to a computer or a speaker.

 

So the question is, can we create a microphone out of a lighter?

 

Materials + methods

1x Long necked lighter

1x Amplifying circuit

1x Soldering Gun

1x Cheap headphones/earphones

1x Thin piece of cardboard

1x Tape

1x Audio recording device

1. Dismantle the lighter
2. Extract the Piezo Crystal component
3. Solder the Piezo Crystal wires to the amplifying circuit
4. Snip off the end of the cheap headphones, leaving some wire before the headphone plug
5. Strip off the end of the headphone wire
6. Connect the left and right channel wires together with the soldering gun
7. Solder the headphone wires to the amplifier
8. Tape the Piezo Crystal to the thin cardboard
9. Plug in the headphone jack to your audio device

 

Results

At first, the wiring was correct, but the experimenter didn’t produce any sound in his audio recording.  He thought this was because the crystal wasn’t detecting enough vibrations, so he taped the crystal to a thin piece of cardboard so that the crystal would collect the vibrations from the cardboard but still nothing. He figured out that the issue was there was a high ohm resistor within his audio device that was completely snuffing out any input from his microphone. The combat this, he added an amplifier to his microphone to make the signal louder, and after doing this his microphone worked. It picked up his voice but the result wasn’t the best quality and it was really noisy.

Discussion

These results demonstrate the properties of the crystal. The force applied to it is proportional to the electricity produced. If it wasn’t, then the microphone wouldn’t be able to produce a clear voice, it would just be random static. Another interesting property is that the crystal can be used as a speaker aswell. The same way you can deform the crystal to produce electricity, you can also feed the crystal electricity and it will deform the same way. Speakers work by vibrating or deforming some element in the same frequency as a given audio input, so the crystal is essentially acting as a speaker aswell.

Conclusion

The crystal in a long necked lighter is functionally the same component as a crystal in a microphone. With this component and enough modification you can successfully create a microphone from a lighter.

 

Bibliography:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlVI7YJGHq0&ab_channel=ElectroBOOM

https://www.electroboom.com/?p=1156

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcJXA8IqYl8&t=0s

Abstract

A Piezo Crystal is a component that generates electricity based on the force applied to it. It is found in most household lighters as well as microphones. Connecting the crystal from the lighter to an audio input should theoretically create a functioning microphone. The sound waves picked up by the crystal are small and don’t produce sufficient electrical signals to an audio input.  Connecting an amplifying circuit and sound conducting material to the crystal produce legible results and turn the crystal into a low quality functioning microphone.

Intro

Long neck lighters are a common household appliance that can generate a flame using a small amount of force. This is done using a clicking ignition button that the user presses. The Piezo Crystal is the component in the lighter that allows this to happen. A Piezo Crystal is a crystal that has a specific molecular structure that lacks symmetry on specific axes. When force is applied to the crystal, the structure warps and the net positive and negative charges become offset, which creates a voltage (Appendix A).

When the switch of the lighter is clicked, there is a small hammer on a spring that is released and positioned to hit the crystal. Once the crystal is hit, electricity is generated, and a spark appears at the top of the lighter. While the switch is being held, a flow of flammable gas is being fed to the top of the lighter as well. When the spark and the gas collide, the flame is produced.

Another way Piezo Crystals are utilized are in standard microphones. Fundamentally the crystal in a lighter and a microphone serve the same purpose, generating electricity based on force. The sound waves in the air function as a small force. The piezo crystal detects this force and generates electricity directly proportional to the sound waves. This electric signal is then be fed into a circuit where it is amplified and then sent to a computer or a speaker.

The hypothesis being tested is whether the Piezo Crystal from a long-necked lighter can be reutilized as a microphone.

Materials + methods

1x Long necked lighter

1x Amplifying circuit

1x Diode circuit

1x Soldering Gun

1x Cheap headphones/earphones

1x Thin piece of cardboard

1x Tape

1x Audio recording device

I started by dismantling the lighter and identifying where the spark is created at the top. Then I cut off the audio jack from a pair of headphones, leaving about two inches of wire exposed. I stripped the end of the wire and soldered the left and right audio wires together. I connected a diode circuit (Appendix B) to the wire so the voltage would not blow out the speakers. Then I soldered that circuit directly to the top of the lighter and plugged the audio jack into the camera audio input. I spoke into the lighter at varying volumes and degrees and recorded the resulting audio.

I extracted the Piezo Crystal component from the lighter and glued it to a thin piece of cardboard. I unsoldered the headphone jack and diode circuit from the lighter and resoldered it to the wires already attached to the crystal. I plugged in the audio jack and spoke into the cardboard at varying volumes. I recorded the resulting audio. I then connected a capacitor to the already existing diode circuit and recorded another audio test.

I created an amplifier circuit on a breadboard (Appendix C) and replaced the diode circuit with it. Now I had a Piezo crystal glued to a thin piece of cardboard, wired to an amplifier circuit, which itself was wired to a headphone jack. I plugged in the headphone jack to the camera audio input and spoke into the cardboard at various volumes, recorded the resulting audio.

Results

The first audio recording, with the crystal being connected to the lighter, did not have any recognizable speech being produced. My voice did not have any effect on the signal. The only signal being heard was loud noise. When I clicked the lighter button there was a brief and audible spike in the audio signal. The second audio recording, with the crystal glued to the carboard, gave the same results, with no recognizable speech being produced and only loud noise. After I connected the capacitor, the third audio recording resulted in the same loud noise, but faint recognizable speech could be heard when I talked with a loud volume.

The fourth audio recording produced recognizable audio. There was a large amount of noise, and the audio quality was low. The speech being recorded was quieter and tinnier compared to a standard microphone input.

Discussion

The fourth resulting audio recording proved the hypothesis that a Piezo crystal from a lighter can be utilized as a microphone. It also demonstrates and proves the properties of the crystal. The force applied to it is proportional to the electricity produced. If it wasn’t, then the microphone wouldn’t be able to produce a clear voice, it would just be random static.

There are various kinds of Piezo crystals for different uses, the one in a lighter is not meant to provide a clean electrical signal as one in a microphone is meant for. It is simply used to produce an electric spark. This may be a reason why there is significant noise in all of the audio recordings. A reason why the first signals weren’t being picked up by the camera audio input could be because of the inner circuits of the camera. The camera input contains circuits that will not pick up small audio signals in an effort to reduce noise. Since the electrical signal from the crystal was minuscule, it was likely being dampened by that circuit. This is the reason an amplifier had to be implemented.

Conclusion

The crystal in a long-necked lighter is functionally the same component as a crystal in a microphone. With this component and enough modification, you can successfully create a microphone from a lighter.

References:

Mould, Steve. “Piezoelectricity – Why Hitting Crystals Makes Electricity.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 May 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcJXA8IqYl8&t=0s.

“Piezoelectricity – Lesson.” TeachEngineering.Org, 17 June 2022, www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/uoh_piezo_lesson01.

Sadaghdar , Medhi. “LIGHTER Is a MICROPHONE.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Apr. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlVI7YJGHq0&ab_channel=ElectroBOOM.

Sadaghdar, Mehdi. “Microphone in a Lighter, A Piezo Application.” Electroboom, 5 Apr. 2020, www.electroboom.com/?p=1156.

APPENDIX:

(A) www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/uoh_piezo_lesson01.

(B) www.electroboom.com/?p=1156.

(C) www.electroboom.com/?p=1156.

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Proposal

 

Farhan Khan, Jayden Garcia, and Brendan Johnson

Grove School of Engineering, City College of New York

ENGL 21007: Writing For Engineering

Professor Julia Brown

May 6, 2025

 

 

 

 

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Summary

The most prominent source of greenhouse gases in New York City is its buildings. These greenhouse gases cloud our Ozone layer and perpetuate global warming. The program we propose to mitigate this is to add an easy-to-install, self-maintaining rooftop garden onto the majority of the buildings in New York. We would use easy-to-manufacture mechanical systems that automate the process and require little interference. The budget would range from about 50-100 million dollars. The team comprises one of New York City’s financial advisors, Jayden Garcia, former NASA engineer Farhan Khan, and well-known environmental scientist and activist Brendan Johnson.

Intro

This proposal focuses on the implementation of rooftop green spaces/gardens across residential, commercial, and municipal buildings across New York City, aiming to reduce air pollution, specifically carbon emissions. The scope of this project includes buildings across all five boroughs with flat, open rooftops that meet structural load requirements, access standards, and zoning regulations. The initial implementation would prioritize neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution, such as East Williamsburg and Brooklyn Heights, low green space per capita, and buildings compatible with rooftop adjustments.

New York City faces some of the highest air pollution levels in the country, primarily driven by emissions from buildings, automobiles, and industrial sources. When ranked on which state emits the most CO2, New York places 8th among the 50 states. (Choose Energy.) According to the NYC Climate Dashboard, building energy use, such as heating, cooling, and electricity, contributes to nearly 70% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. (New York City Comptroller). The emissions from New York City alone account for 20% of the CO2 emissions in the entire state. These emissions result in climate change as well as serious public health issues, including increased rates of asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory conditions.

    Rooftop gardens, also known as green roofs, present a practical, sustainable solution to this problem. These systems typically include layers such as a waterproof membrane, a root barrier, a drainage layer, soil, and vegetation. While they may seem simple in concept, their impact is significant and multifaceted. One of the main objectives of rooftop gardens is to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through photosynthesis, plants pull CO2 out of the air and store it in their biomass and the surrounding soil. For example, a single mature tree can absorb about 48 pounds of CO2 annually.

They also help cool the surrounding environment through a process called evapotranspiration, a process where plants release water vapor into the air, lowering the overall temperature. This helps fight the urban heat island effect, which worsens air pollution by increasing ozone formation (Brooklyn Grange). 

Green infrastructure, particularly rooftop gardens, has gained increasing popularity for its environmental and economic benefits. In major urban centers such as Lower Manhattan, rooftop gardens have been implemented to reduce stormwater runoff, combat high-pollution urban zones, and improve air quality.

According to Brooklyn Grange, New York City already hosts several functional green roofs, including farms that grow produce and reduce building energy use through insulation (Brooklyn Grange). Additionally, The Nature Conservancy reports that green roofs in NYC reduce CO2 emissions and combat the heat island effect by lowering surrounding temperatures by several degrees (The Nature Conservancy). Current market analyses suggest that the return on investment (ROI) for green roofs is competitive, especially in cities where heat, stormwater, and emissions pose costly infrastructure burdens (BIMsmith). The ROI of these green roofs could come from many sources. The property value of the buildings could increase as green roofs gain popularity. The installation of these green roofs requires workers, which means jobs are created and the money is funneled back into the economy. The reduction of emissions could lead to a cooler New York, which in turn decreases the electrical costs that go into cooling systems such as air conditioners and fans. Green roofs are said to have an estimated ROI of 224% (GSA).

    Perhaps most importantly, rooftop gardens play a key role in the broader ecosystem of urban vegetation. A 2023 study by Columbia University’s Climate School found that the combined greenery of New York City, including trees, parks, and rooftop plants, absorbs a surprising amount of the city’s CO₂ emissions, especially during the peak growing season (Schlossberg). This reinforces the idea that rooftop gardens have a significant impact on the city’s green infrastructure rather than just contributing cosmetically or aesthetically.

The scale of implementation remains modest relative to NYC’s potential. The opportunity exists to position NYC as a national leader in green infrastructure by expanding rooftop garden adoption. Other states could take influence and develop their own similar programs after seeing one work successfully in practice. The benefits of this proposal could spread worldwide if done correctly.

There are about 730 Rooftop gardens in New York, or “green roofs”(The Nature Conservancy). If we could expand this to have even the smallest rooftop garden on each of the 1 million buildings (NYC Mayor’s Office) in NYC, we could easily offset the carbon emissions in the city.

 

Project Description

The way we will use our budget is by manufacturing rooftop garden units. These garden units are intended to maximize the effect of the little space they occupy. Our units will include plants that can manage to survive in close proximity, in order to increase the concentration of plant life on the roofs. It will also be easy to install and maintain. Ideal plants for these rooftop gardens should be durable, low-maintenance, and pollution-absorbing. One plant species that would be effective in our solution is the serviceberry plant, which is a small shrub that is effective at sequestering CO2 and filtering pollutants like fine dust out of the air. Another good choice of plant would be the sedum plant, which is a durable flowering plant. It is able to withstand drought-like climates and is also effective for filtering particulate matter from the air and absorbing CO2. Additionally, its size and minimal root structure make it suited for shallow soil rooftops. The installation of one of these units shouldn’t take more than a few days. The maintenance will include cheap mechanical automatic systems, such as automatic sprinklers and fertilizers. The units are designed in a modular way. This means that they break down into separate parts that can be installed onto any flat surface on the roof. This allows for a non-invasive and passive approach to having a rooftop garden. The residents of the building will be able to easily co-exist with and maintain their gardens. The city would fund and provide these gardens to the major buildings in New York, with typically higher scores on the CO2 and energy efficiency chart.

    However, there are several limitations to our approach. Firstly, structural feasibility is a concern given the weight of the gardens. Not all rooftops can support the added weight of a garden without significant reinforcement, which may increase costs (BIMsmith). Next, although the units are automatic, rooftop gardens still require regular upkeep, irrigation systems, and seasonal care, which can be financially challenging to sustain on a city-wide scale (Ecosustainable House). One way to introduce a degree of automation into our system is to use smart irrigation systems that rely on rainwater to drip water onto the gardens. These systems can be powered by solar panels and monitored remotely to ensure efficient water use, reducing both labor and utility costs over time. While automatic maintenance is ideal, realistically, there has to be some human intervention. The baseline we propose would be watering once a month, if the smart irrigation systems fail. Alternatively, the residents could hire specialists to fix these issues. This process could take indefinite amounts of time and cost unpredictable amounts of money. On a small scale, the cost is reasonable, but the scope raises this cost. The high initial cost creates barriers for widespread adoption. Although long-term benefits are notable, the upfront installation costs can deter adoption, especially in low-income communities (BIMsmith). However, using low-maintenance and durable plants like sedum and serviceberry can minimize these costs.

There are a few limitations associated with this proposal. Due to climate limitations, seasonal changes in NYC may restrict year-round plant growth and CO2 absorption efficiency (Ecosustainable House). Additionally, gaining permissions from building owners and navigating property laws presents logistical challenges. There would have to be laws put in place and voted on that allow the city to intervene in the building owner’s property. However, there are ways to counteract these limitations. To avoid the expensive process of litigation, we can use incentives and assistance to motivate and educate the public to adopt green roofs. For example, programs such as New York City’s Green Roof Tax Abatement currently offer up to $15 per square foot of green roof. We can incentivize building owners to adopt green roofs by strengthening these kinds of programs and making them easier to access and more economically feasible for them. In residential or multipurpose buildings, we can employ tenants and local neighborhood organizations in co-managing these rooftop gardens to increase community involvement and reduce the workload on the property owner. Finally, we can offer pre-built green roof templates or installation kits to reduce the knowledge barrier to adoption and simplify the process for potential green roof adopters. 

Budget 

To begin with the process of the idea, an estimated budget and how many buildings are in New York must be considered. According to NYC.gov, New York has an approximate amount of 1 million structures/buildings of every type and combination (NYC Mayor’s Office). With this amount of buildings, the estimated cost of each rooftop garden will vary depending on how much space the roof has. However, for most rooftops, the average price to install a rooftop garden will be at most $100 more or less. To do this for almost half of the buildings in NYC, it would take about 50-100 million dollars to ensure this can be done successfully and without future issues. Additionally, making sure that the building is suitable enough to hold the garden, the materials, design, and labor also increases the cost. These can impact the cost, all depending on where the area is, how the resources around them are, and if creating more space is needed for the garden to survive. 

 

Budget Breakdown
Items:	Prices/Total cost:
Waterproof membrane	$5,000-$15,000
Draining system	$22 per square foot
Lightweight containers	$12-$50
Lightweight soil	$60-$85 per cubic yard
Trellises (Windbreak)	$60
Water Source	Varies between method
Water Storage	Varies between method
Plants	Varies between plant
	Total: $5,154+

 

Conclusion 

The purpose of this proposal was to find a solution to reduce carbon emissions in the five boroughs of New York using rooftop gardens. From what was researched and calculated to the positives, negatives, and budget for this, it should be possible for this to work correctly as long as everything is done correctly. Having this project go through can greatly improve the air quality in all five boroughs and the surrounding environment, overall making the lives of people here better. New York ranks 8 out of 50 for the states that emit the most carbon gas. This means that New York is one of the top ten states in America that contributes to climate change negatively. New York’s pollution level is already bad, and if this continues, the air we breathe every day will become toxic to the point of no return.  If New York City managed to balance out the carbon emissions it created by using our proposal, then the whole state of New York would rank at 11. (US Energy Administration) With your help, we can make everyone’s lives here better. So please, help us give the citizens of this State in all five boroughs a healthier experience to live. 

 

Works Cited

 

“Buildings.” NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Justice, https://climate.cityofnewyork.us/subtopics/buildings/#:~:text=With%20over%201%20Million%20buildings,and%20resiliency%20in%20this%20sector

“Carbon Dioxide Emissions by State.” Choose energy, https://www.chooseenergy.com/data-center/carbon-dioxide-by-state/

“Emissions.” Office of the New York City Comptroller, https://comptroller.nyc.gov/services/for-the-public/nyc-climate-dashboard/emissions.

“Energy-Related CO2 Emission Data Tables.” US Energy Administration, https://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/state/

“Green Roofs.” U.S. General Services Administration, https://www.gsa.gov/governmentwide-initiatives/federal-highperformance-buildings/resource-library/integrative-strategies/green-roofs

“Green Roofs in New York City.” The Nature Conservancy, https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/new-york/stories-in-new-york/green-roofs-new-york-city.

“How Much CO2 Does One Tree Absorb?” One Tree Planted, https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/how-much-co2-does-tree-absorb.

“How Much Impact Do Green Roofs Actually Have?” BIMsmith, https://blog.bimsmith.com/Rooftop-Gardens-How-Much-Impact-do-Green-Roofs-Actually-Have

“NYC Green Roof Advocacy.” Brooklyn Grange, https://www.brooklyngrangefarm.com/blog/nyc-green-roof-advocacy.

“New York City’s Greenery Absorbs a Surprising Amount of Its Carbon Emissions.” State of the Planet, Columbia Climate School, 5 Jan. 2023, https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2023/01/05/new-york-citys-greenery-absorbs-a-surprising-amount-of-its-carbon-emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Stapler:

A Technical Description

Brendan Johnson

Grove School of Engineering, City College of New York

ENGL 21007: Writing For Engineering

Professor Julia Brown

March 18, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents:

Definition: Page 3

Overview: Page 3

Components: Page 4

Explanation: Page 5

Visuals: Page 6

Conclusion: Page 7

References: Page 7

 

 

 

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Definition:

A stapler is a small device that is used to bind multiple sheets of paper together. It is typically used in offices, schools, and homes. The most widely used stapler is called the Desktop Stapler, which is what this document will be about.

 

 

Overview:

The Desktop Stapler has a blocky rectangular appearance. It tends to weigh about half a pound, similar to a large apple. The entire shape is about as long as an average human hand, and no taller than an average human thumb. The width of the stapler is slightly less than the height. It consists of a long plastic rectangular base at the bottom. The height of this base is relatively thin in comparison to the rest of the stapler. It rests flat on a surface. The top of the stapler consists of a separate plastic rectangular shape. This shape is thicker height-wise, but the length and width are about the same as the base. The top of the stapler is angled about 20 degrees upward relative to the base. The place where the top and base of the stapler touch is considered the back of the stapler. Here, there is a plastic component that elevates the top of the stapler from the bottom while also connecting them as well. This component is above the base but below the top, and has a thinner width than the stapler. It takes up about a fourth of the stapler’s length. Connected to the top of the stapler, is a metal bar that is the same length as the top. It is attached directly underneath the top of the stapler and has a thin width compared to the base and top of the stapler. The top and bottom should resemble an alligator’s mouth slightly, with the base being the bottom of the alligator’s jaw and the top being the top of its jaw. The desktop stapler is usually a black or grey color, although staplers can be bought in many assorted colors.

Components:

The Handle

The Handle of the stapler is the described “top” of it. It is the top of the alligator’s jaw analogy. The Handle itself has a metal bar connected to it that has a thin metal strip at the front called the hammer. The handle can be forced upwards, pivoting at the connection point at the back of the handle. Once this happens, the metal bar seems to split into two pieces. The one that is not connected to the handle and stays in place is called the magazine.

The magazine is a metal bar that usually has thin metal walls on each lengthwise side of it. This allows the magazine to house a few different components of the stapler. It holds the staples at its front. The staples are thin rectangular metal wire objects that are stored in the magazine. The staples appear to be a small rectangle that’s missing one of its longer sides. The two shorter sides of this rectangle could be considered the “legs” of the staple, and the magazine has grooves near the walls where the legs can fit. This allows for multiple staples to fit perfectly in place on top of the magazine. The magazine has a long spring attached to the back of it and attached to the front of this spring is a component called the pusher. The pusher can move freely back and forth with some resistance from the spring. It’s shaped like a long staple, and it also fits within the grooves near the walls of the magazine.

The handle is connected at the back to the Base of the stapler with a small pin at this connection point. The Base of the stapler houses several components as well.

Labeled anatomy of a stapler (1)

The Base:

The Base of the stapler has a thin piece of metal attached directly to the top of it (between the base and the handle.) This thin piece of metal is usually attached to the front of the base and may span to the back of the base. This piece of metal is called the anvil. The anvil houses what is called the crimp. The crimp is made up of thin grooves engraved into the front of the anvil that align perfectly with the hammer of the stapler. These grooves appear to be thin line horizontal lines if we consider a vertical line to be lengthwise of the stapler.

 

Explanation:

When someone staples a group of papers, they will usually place the stack of papers over the crimp of the stapler. The crimp is the area where the legs of the staple will connect. The Base and the head of the stapler are connected at the back with a pin. This allows the head of the stapler to rotate freely, with the pin being the axis of rotation. The user will push on the head of the stapler. This places pressure on the hammer of the stapler, which is aligned directly above the crimp and the staple at the front of the row on the magazine. As the user pushes, the staple stabs through the papers. The legs of the staple eventually make contact with the crimp once enough pressure has been applied. The crimp guides the legs of the staple to cross behind the group of papers, securing them in place. Once a staple is placed, there is a space where it once was in the magazine. The pusher attached to the spring handles this, and it pushes the next staple to the front, to be in line with the hammer.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

The Invention of the Stapler was initially a royal gift for King Louis XV in the 18th century. (2) Each staple was inscribed with his name, and he used them to bind together royal decrees. The official patent for the stapler in the US was created in 1866 sometime after for official home use. Now you can purchase a stapler for under ten dollars. The simple design allows for cheap production, which in turn makes them cheap for consumers as well. The stapler gone over in this description was the common Desktop Stapler. There are other more heavy duty staplers that vary in price. They can range from 20-40 dollars, and they are typically used to staple large stacks of paper, or a piece of paper to a hard surface like wood. Users of any stapler should be careful, as it is possible to accidentally place your hand underneath the head of the stapler and staple your skin. Some special staplers, such as medical staplers, are made intentionally to puncture the skin, as a way of securing together open wounds.

References:

(1) “Types of Staplers and Staples.” WebstaurantStore, 26 Nov. 2024, www.webstaurantstore.com/guide/763/types-of-staplers-and-staples.html

(2) “The History of Staplers.” Bostitch Office, 18 June 2019,         bostitchoffice.com/articles/history-of-staplers/.