HOW PAPER CLIPS LOST OUT

We know Staples Inc. paid $116 million for naming rights, and we know Staples sells staplers. But where did the stapler originate? Louis XV had a stapler custom-made in the 18th century to keep his royal papers together. Too bad he couldn’t do the same thing for the monarchy, which was soon to lose its head. In fact, he probably didn’t even call his new toy a “stapler.” Like much of the English language, the origin of the words “staple” and “stapler” are obscure. In the Middle Ages, a staple was a central town where merchants brokered the sale of goods--later, staples--such as grain and cloth. It was the town that helped bind together an area’s trade. Binding, stapling . . . you be the judge. As for the stapler, various early patent-holders could probably claim its invention. An 1895 patent issued to the Acme company describes a rear-loading, hand-operated machine using loose wire staples, according to Acco Brands, makers of the ubiquitous Swingline stapler. Although many refinements have occurred since then, all in all, staplers haven’t changed much. Says Nate Pickell, a longtime employee of Stanley Bostitch: “Every stapler has to have a driver, a clincher, a magazine and a pusher, and that’s basically what we make today.” Sounds like a hockey lineup to me.