Various embodiments relate to fastening tool assemblies.
Prior art fastening tool assemblies that load and release a spring for driving a fastener often employ a lever for loading the spring, and a handle for actuating the lever. The handle is often connected to the lever with a linkage. Prior art fastening tool assemblies often employ a magazine body for retaining fasteners. The magazine body is often retained to a tool housing via a latch mechanism that is mounted upon the magazine body.
According to at least one embodiment, a fastening tool assembly is provided with a housing having a contact surface to contact a workpiece, and a fastener outlet provided through the contact surface to dispense fasteners from the outlet. A magazine is mounted in the housing to store fasteners and to convey the fasteners to the fastener outlet. A knife is mounted in the housing for translation relative to the outlet for a loaded position and an unloaded position to drive a fastener from the magazine through the outlet during translation to the unloaded position. A biasing member is mounted in the housing and operably connected to the knife to bias the knife to the unloaded position. A lever is pivotally connected to the housing. The lever has a proximal end operably engaged with the knife in the unloaded position, and a distal end extending from the housing. Application of an external force to the distal end towards the housing pivots the lever relative to the housing, thereby translating the knife from the unloaded position to the loaded position, whereby the proximal end disengages from the knife permitting the biasing member to return the knife to the unloaded position to consequently drive a fastener through the outlet. Rotation of the distal end away from the housing reengages the proximal end with the knife. A handle is pivotally connected to the housing and operably engaged with the lever distal end, such that rotation of the handle towards the housing rotates the lever towards the housing. A roller is directly connected to the lever and the handle for permitting translation of the lever relative to the handle as the lever and the handle are pivoted relative to the housing.
According to at least another embodiment, a fastening tool assembly is provided with a housing having a contact surface to contact a workpiece, and a fastener outlet provided through the contact surface to dispense fasteners from the outlet. A magazine sleeve is fixed longitudinally within the housing. A magazine body has a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart from the proximal end. The magazine body is received within the magazine sleeve to translate longitudinally to a retracted position whereby the proximal end is adjacent the housing outlet to store fasteners within the sleeve and to convey the fasteners to the fastener outlet, and to translate to an extended position whereby the body extends at least partially out of the sleeve and external of the housing for receipt of fasteners to the body. A bracket is operably connected to the magazine body distal end for longitudinal translation and partial rotation relative to the body. A biasing member is connected to the bracket and the magazine body for biasing the bracket longitudinally away from the magazine body distal end. A latch is mounted to the housing to engage the bracket in the retracted position of the magazine body to lock the bracket to the housing, and consequently to maintain the magazine body in the retracted position. The latch is movable to a disengaged position wherein the bracket is biased away from the magazine body.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring to
The staple gun 20 has a housing 22, which may be formed from a pair of housing portions 24, 26. The housing 22 has a workpiece contact surface 28 for engaging a workpiece. A fastener outlet 30 is provided through the contact surface 28 for egress of fasteners 29 from the staple gun 20. A magazine assembly 32 is also provided in the housing 22 for storing fasteners 29, and conveying the fasteners 29 to the outlet 30.
The housing 22 also provides a grip 34 spaced apart from the magazine assembly 32 with an opening, or finger well 36, between the grip 34 and the magazine assembly 32, for receipt of a user's fingers when grasping the grip 34. A handle 38 is pivotally connected to the housing 22 for manual actuation for driving a fastener 29 from the outlet 30. In operation, a user inserts her or his fingers into the finger well 36 for contact with the grip 34. The user wraps her or his thumb about the handle 38 so that the user's palm engages the handle 38. By squeezing the grip 34 and handle 38, or by pressing the handle 38 toward the housing 22, the user actuates the staple gun 20 thereby driving a staple out of the staple outlet 30.
According to at least one embodiment, a mid-range staple gun 20 is depicted. In other words, a staple gun 20 is depicted for driving staples of a range of gauges that is in a middle of an entire range of staples that are commercially available. A mid-range staple gun can be marketed for use with mid-range staples only and therefore does not require the driving force of a high-range staple gun, i.e. a staple gun that drives staples of a high range of gauges of staples that are commercially available. By reducing the driving force that is required, a reduction in structure, function, mechanism, and consequently weight and cost can be achieved.
The magazine assembly 32 receives a strip of fasteners 39 that are typically adhered collectively in a linear array by an adhesive. Referring to
A biasing member, known as a power spring, is collectively provided by a pair of leaf springs 44, 46, retained in the housing 22. The leaf springs 44, 46 each include a fixed end 48, 50 with a pair of recesses 52, 54 formed therein. Each of the housing portions 24, 26 has a rib 56 formed in the grip 34 for extending into the recesses 52, 54 of the leaf springs 44, 46 for fixing the fixed ends 48, 50 relative to the housing 22. The leaf springs 44, 46 extend from the grip 34 into the slot 42. Driving ends 58, 60 of the leaf springs 44, 46 engage the knife 44 driving the knife 40 to the unloaded position of
A trigger lever assembly 64 is illustrated pivotally connected to the housing 22 at a pin 66 in
A distal end 78 of the lever 68 extends from the housing 22. A roller assembly 80 is provided on the distal end 78 of the lever 68.
Referring now to
A fastener driving operation is now described with reference to
A torsion spring 90 is provided in the housing 22 and engages the housing 22 and the lever 68 for returning the lever 68 into engagement with the knife 40. Thus, once the user releases the force upon the handle 38, the torsion spring 90 pivots the lever 68 from the position in
Referring again to
Referring to
Once the latch switch 96 is slid out of engagement from the bracket 106 as illustrated in
In the extended position of
While various embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 61/606,002 filed Mar. 2, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
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Entry |
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Extended European Search Report for corresponding Application No. 13275045.6, dated Oct. 24, 2013, 11 pages. |
U.S. Appl. No. 13/866,561, entitled “Fastening Tool Assembly”, filed Apr. 19, 2013, 12 pages. |
European Search Report for corresponding European Application No. 13275045.6, dated Jun. 10, 2013, 6 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130228608 A1 | Sep 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61606002 | Mar 2012 | US |