Patent Application
20140367443
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nail guns, and in particular, what is known in the trade as a coil nail gun, and more particularly, to a coil nail gun which has a dual muzzle capable of driving two nails simultaneously, such a dual drive of particular importance and advantage when installing roofing shingles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nail guns, industrial staples, and tackers, are all used in the construction industry to secure interior and exterior construction materials. These devices are pneumatic in nature being operated from a source of compressed air. The general working principles of these pneumatic devices are similar, but their structures differ from nail gun to nail gun and stapler to stapler.
A coil nail gun normally would include a body in which a piston and cylinder are installed, a handle is formed to the body portion and grasped by the hand of the user, and having a supply passage for the communication of compressed air to the piston. The coil nail gun would include a magazine installed adjacent the body portion in which the nails, staples, or pins are loaded.
A feed mechanism automatically moves the securing devices (nails, staples, pins) into alignment and registration with a muzzle which is positioned on the front side of the body member and which through trigger activation the pneumatic action of the nail gun inserts the nail into the construction material.
Applicant's coil nail gun differs from the prior art in that it has two feed mechanisms and two muzzles for delivery of two nails to the construction piece. This dual action is particularly advantageous with respect to the installation of roofing singles.
Shingle blow off is very common when a roof is hit with high winds. Most shingles are nailed down with eight nails, four when attaching the shingle, and four more when the next row of shingles goes on above the initial shingle. This is the most common nail pattern with most laminated shingles. Eight nails will usually hold down shingles in winds up to 70 miles per hour. Shingle adherence can be increased by adding two extra nails per shingle. This would increase the adherence to approximately 120 miles per hour. Although a misnomer, it is commonly called hurricane nailing, and is code in many states frequented by hurricanes. This type of nailing is explained with respect to
The International Building Code stipulates wind loads for areas based on weather patterns and weather history. In no area of the United States is the International Building Code wind rating lower than 90 miles per hour. This would mandate the six nail pattern for the installation of shingles, however, it is up to the local building code enforcement offices to enforce this requirement.
Compliance would require six nails, three groups of two nails each. In order to comply with this code, a roofer utilizing a non-pnuematic hammer, would have to hammer in six separate nails. A roofer using a conventional pneumatic nail gun would still have to activate the nail gun six times in order to install the shingle. Applicant's dual muzzle nail gun allows the roofer to install two nails simultaneously, thereby allowing the roofer to activate the nail gun only three times in order to secure a shingle in accordance with building codes.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel nail gun which has a dual feed mechanism and a dual muzzle such that activation of the nail gun results in the installation of two nails simultaneously.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel nail gun having two feed mechanisms and two muzzles which allows for the simultaneous installation of two nails, the nail gun of the present invention having particular advantage with respect to the installation of roofing shingles.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel nail gun which simultaneously fires and installs two nails with a single trigger application.
A nail gun, for particular use with respect to the installation of roofing shingles, the nail gun having a dual feed and a dual muzzle for permitting the nail gun to drive two nails simultaneously.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:
Current international building codes require the roofing shingle 10 to be secured to the underlying substrate by means of six fasteners or nails 24, positioned as illustrated to withstand winds of 90 miles per hour. The fasteners or nails 24 should be installed in sets of two at the locations indicated. Each shingle would initially have six nails securing it. Subsequent rows of shingles would overlap and be offset with respect to the underlying row of shingles so as to cover the abutting side edges of the lower row of shingles and the six nails securing these higher shingles would also further secure the immediately lower shingle by penetrating the area above the seal down strip 23. Subsequent rows of shingles would be similarly installed using the fastener pattern illustrated.
Since the code requires a pattern of two nails per set, the installation of shingles would be much easier and more quickly accomplished if the nail gun which would normally be utilized for the installation of the fasteners were capable of having a dual muzzle such that it could drive two nails simultaneously, and thus accomplish the required pattern and installation in half of the time.
The drive assembly 51 which is vertically oriented and positioned above the dual muzzle 42, is comprised of a series of biasing means 54, valves 56, seals 58, and a piston driver assembly 60 and guide 62, which are all activated by means of a trigger mechanism 64 proximate the handle portion 46 of nail gun 40. Activation of the trigger mechanism 64 activates the pneumatic action of the piston driver 60 via the pneumatic pressurized gas, which in this particular type of nail gun, has two contact heads 66 and 68 for engaging two nails simultaneously, one in each of the muzzles 70 and 72 of the dual muzzle head 42. The nails 24, so positioned, are fed from the nail canister 52 to each of the muzzles 70 and 72 and placed in registration therein by means of a transport mechanism and guide trip 74. The muzzle 70 and 72 are nested in a trigger safety 80 which also includes a pair of contact feet 82 and 84, which further complement the safety features.
A single activation of the trigger mechanism, activates the drive mechanism such that the piston driver moves downwardly within the muzzle head engaging the head of each nail simultaneously in each of the muzzles, and drives the nail through the single and into the underlying substrate. The driver piston is automatically withdrawn vertically upwardly after having driven the nails and is positioned into the dual muzzle head assembly awaiting the activation of the trigger mechanism to repeat the task. During the driver piston's upward movement, nails are automatically transported to and registered in the dual muzzle head for the subsequent activation of the trigger mechanism and the driver piston.
Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.
