Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6641021
-
Patent Number
6,641,021
-
Date Filed
Monday, March 25, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 4, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Smith; Scott A.
- Nathaniel; Chukwurah
Agents
- Soltis; Lisa M.
- Crow; Mark W.
- Breh; Donald J.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 227 109
- 227 119
- 227 120
- 227 127
- 227 128
- 227 135
- 227 136
- 227 139
- 227 150
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
In a fastener-driving tool having a reciprocating driver blade for driving fasteners into a workpiece, a magazine configured for storing and feeding at least one collated strip of fasteners to the driver blade, including a housing defining a feed end, a driving end and a guidance portion disposed between and contacting the two ends, the guidance portion having at least two guidance formations, a first guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a first location, and the second guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a second location. In a preferred embodiment, the fastener strip is supported only by the first guidance formation in a first zone of the magazine, and only by the second guidance formation is a second zone of the magazine.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to fastener-driving tools having magazine systems for storing and delivering strips of attached fasteners to a nosepiece where a reciprocating driver blade drives individual fasteners into a workpiece, and more specifically to a magazine rail system for such a tool.
Fastener-driving tools, which may be pneumatically-powered, combustion-powered or powder activated, are widely used for driving fasteners of a type having an elongate shank with a pointed end and a head. Typically, such fasteners are designed to be forcibly driven through a workpiece into a substrate. Such fasteners include nails designed to be forcibly driven into wood and drive pins designed to be forcibly driven into concrete or masonry. Typically, in such drive pins, the shank has a portion flaring outwardly where the shank adjoins the head. An exemplary use of such drive pins is for attaching metal channels, which are used to mount plasterboard walls, or other metal workpieces to concrete substrates.
Many fastener-driving tools require such fasteners to be fed in strips, in which the fasteners are collated, through magazines having mechanisms for feeding the strips of collated fasteners. Commonly, such fasteners are collated via carriers molded from polymeric materials, such as polypropylene, with individual sleeves, bushings, or holders for the respective fasteners, and with frangible bridges between successive sleeves, bushings or holders. Examples of such fasteners collated via such carriers are disclosed in Haytayan U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,459; 3,954,176 and 4,106,618; in Whitledge U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,551 and in Steffen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,821.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,340 to Ernst et al., which is incorporated by reference, discloses a strip of fasteners for use with a fastener-driving tool. The strip of fasteners featuring a molded carrier configured so that each fastener is held within a generally cylindrical sleeve. Each sleeve has opposed windows configured to receive corresponding opposed ribs of a fastener-guiding device. Each window is bordered by radially extending upper and lower portions defining a guide channel. Frangible bridges secure adjacent carriers, and their corresponding fasteners, to each other.
One operational condition experienced with prior art fastener strips is that in some cases, strips become misaligned in the magazine. In other words, the fasteners are oriented at an angle other than 90° relative to the workpiece, assuming 90° orientation of the tool. Explained differently, the fastener is oriented in a non-parallel orientation relative to the driver blade prior to driving. If a misaligned strip delivers a misaligned fastener to the nosepiece for impact by the driving blade, the fastener may be improperly driven and/or bend into rigid substrates, causing a bent or “fishhook” configuration which requires driving of an additional fastener into the workpiece. Obviously, this practice is wasteful of time and materials, and in some cases may spoil the workpiece.
Another operational condition of fastener-driving tools using magazine-fed fastener strips is that in some cases the strips become caught or stuck in the magazine at the rear end of the tool opposite the nosepiece end. One explanation for this stuck condition is that the strips are molded of polymeric material such as polypropylene or equivalent material, the dimensions of which are inherently difficult to control or to maintain within strict tolerances. Especially when the fastener strips are guided solely by rails engaging the opposing strip windows as described above, it may be difficult for the operator to efficiently insert strips and obtain optimum alignment. Thus, the magazine loading operation may become unduly time consuming and potentially frustrating to the operator.
One attempted solution to this problem is that the magazine may be constructed with rails which engage only bottom surfaces of the fastener-holding strip sleeves. While this alternative promotes easy loading, it does not maintain the proper alignment of fasteners just prior to their being driven by the driver blade. Thus, misaligned or “fish hooked” fasteners may result from this arrangement.
Another disadvantage of a magazine configured to engage the lower ends of the fastener holding strip sleeves is that when the tool is operated in an inverted position, such as when operators operate the tool for driving fasteners overhead, the fasteners become vertically misaligned in the magazine and cannot be properly engaged by the driver blade.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an improved fastener-driving tool magazine which facilitates easy loading of fastener strips.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fastener-driving tool magazine which enhances fastener alignment relative to the driver blade.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fastener-driving tool which facilitates alignment of the fastener strip when the tool is used in a variety of positions, including inverted.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above-listed objects are met or exceeded by the present magazine rail system, which features a dual portion guidance system for collated fastener strips. A first portion of the magazine is configured for easy loading of fastener strips and engages the strips at lower ends of the sleeves. At a designated portion of the magazine, a second portion of the guidance system engages the fastener strip in the window portion of each sleeve for facilitating proper alignment prior to engagement with the driver blade.
More specifically, the present invention provides, in a fastener-driving tool having a reciprocating driver blade for driving fasteners into a workpiece, a magazine configured for storing and feeding at least one collated strip of fasteners to the driver blade, including a housing defining a feed end, a driving end and a guidance portion disposed between and contacting the two ends. The guidance portion has at least two guidance formations, a first guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a first location, and a second guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a second location.
Each fastener strip includes a plurality of sleeves having a lower edge and a window channel defined by at least one and preferably two opposing radially projecting portions, and the first guidance formation is configured for engaging the strip at the lower edge, and the second guidance formation is configured for engaging the strip in the window channel. Preferably, the fastener strip is supported only by the first guidance formation in a first zone of the magazine, and only by the second guidance formation is a second zone of the magazine.
In another embodiment, a fastener driving tool has a magazine including a housing having a first guidance formation and a second guidance formation, the first guidance formation configured for guiding a fastener strip in a first location, the second guidance formation configured for guiding the fastener strip in a second location, the first location being different from the second location. In the preferred embodiment, the housing is configured so that the fastener strip is guided first only by the first guidance formation, then only by the second guidance formation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded fragmentary exploded perspective view of components of a fastener-driving tool suitable for use with the present magazine;
FIG. 2
is a side elevational view of the present magazine;
FIG. 3
is a vertical cross-section taken along the line
3
—
3
of FIG.
2
and in the direction generally indicated;
FIG. 4
is a vertical cross-section taken along the line
4
—
4
of FIG.
2
and in the direction generally indicated; and
FIG. 5
is a vertical cross-section taken along the line
5
—
5
of FIG.
2
and in the direction generally indicated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to
FIG. 1
, a fastener driving tool
10
is designated generally and may be combustion-powered, pneumatic-powered or powder-activated, however, in the preferred embodiment a combustion-powered tool is depicted. Illustrated components of the tool
10
include a nosepiece
12
, a driving mechanism
14
and a guiding device
16
. Other components of the fastener-driving tool
10
are not critical to this invention and may be well known components of such a tool. A combustion-powered, fastener-driving tool available from ITW-Paslode (a unit of Illinois Tool Works, Inc.) of Lincolnshire, Ill., under its IMPULSE trademark is a preferred tool, into which these components can be readily incorporated. Such combustion-powered tools are similar to the tools disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,722; 4,483,280; 4,483,474; 4,483,474; 4,522,162; 5,263,439 and Re. 32,452; all of which are incorporated by reference.
The nosepiece
12
is similar to nosepieces of conventional fastener-driving tools
10
and is preferably machined from a steel casting to have an upper tubular portion
18
defining a generally cylindrical bore
20
, a lower tubular portion
22
having generally tubular bore
24
, and a wall
26
extending between the bores
20
,
24
. In the preferred embodiment, the tubular bores are axially aligned. A generally semi-circular groove
28
is aligned with the bores
20
,
24
and defines a pathway for a reciprocating driver blade
30
which is secured at its upper end
32
to a piston
34
. The driver blade
30
and the piston
34
make up the driving mechanism
14
. The piston
34
and the driver blade
30
are arranged in a known manner to be jointly and forcibly driven by compressed air or combustion product within a cylinder of the tool, as is well-known in the art. A distal end
36
of the driver blade
30
is constructed and arranged to strike a head
38
of a fastener
40
to drive the fastener and its associated sleeve
42
forcibly through the bore
24
. In the preferred embodiment, the fasteners
40
are pins designed to be driven into concrete for retaining wallboard tracking in place, however it is contemplated that any type of conventional collated fastener suitable for use in a fastener-driving tool could be used with the present magazine.
The guiding device
16
, which is preferably machined from a steel casting, preferably has at least one steel pin
44
to project at an angle from the device
16
and matingly engage a respective socket
46
in the nosepiece
12
. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of pins
44
and a pair of respective sockets
46
are provided, however the number and arrangement of pins and sockets may vary to suit the application. This mating engagement allows the guiding device
16
against the nosepiece
12
in an operative position in which the guiding device is secured to the nosepiece by other structures (not shown) which are well known in the art. A feature of the guiding device
16
is a generally semi-circular groove
48
which matches the groove
28
in the nosepiece
12
to complete the definition of the fastener pathway by the nosepiece described above.
Another feature of the guiding device
16
is an aperture
50
which opens into the groove
48
and which is configured to permit or accommodate any one fastener
40
and its associated sleeve
42
to pass through the aperture into the groove. In addition, the guiding device
16
has a pair of generally parallel ribs
52
provided by relatively hardened steel inserts on opposite sides of the aperture
50
. The construction and arrangement of the fasteners
40
and the sleeves
42
are described in great detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,340, which is incorporated by reference, and will be described below as needed to describe the operation of the present magazine.
Referring now to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the guiding device
16
is configured to receive a carrier or strip
54
of collated fasteners
40
secured to each other by frangible bridges
56
preferably integrally molded to adjacent sleeves
42
. As is well known in the art, the downward movement of the driver blade
30
in the groove
28
,
48
impacts a single fastener
40
and severs the fastener and its associated sleeve
42
from the strip
54
, by breaking the bridges
56
. The strip
54
is delivered to the guiding device
16
by a magazine, generally designated
60
which feeds the strip
54
longitudinally to the guiding device
16
as is known in the art.
As is described above, an important object of the present invention is to provide the magazine
60
which addresses problems encountered in prior art magazines in feeding strips
54
of fasteners
40
to the aperture
50
in an efficient and obstacle-free manner. More specifically, as will be seen below, the present magazine
60
achieves its goals by providing a dual guidance system for guiding the strips
54
of fasteners
40
toward the aperture
50
.
Referring now to
FIGS. 2-5
, the magazine
60
includes a housing
62
defining a feed end
64
defining a slot-like opening (not shown) through which the strips
54
of the fasteners
40
are inserted, a driving end
66
defining an exit opening
68
(best seen in
FIG. 5
) which is in alignment or registry with the aperture
50
(shown in
FIG. 1
) to allow free sequential passage of the fasteners
40
and sleeves
42
therethrough. Between the feed end
64
and the driving end
66
and contacting the two ends is a guidance portion
70
. An important feature of the guidance portion
70
is that it is provided with at least two guidance formations, a first guidance formation
72
configured for engaging the fastener strip
54
at a first location on the strip, and a second guidance formation
74
configured for engaging the fastener strip at a second location.
It is important to note that the present magazine
60
is designed primarily to address operational characteristics of the fastener strip
54
, which is described in detail in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,340, and is incorporated by reference. The strip
54
includes a linear array of the molded sleeves
42
, each defining a vertical bore
78
for accommodating one of the fasteners
40
. Each sleeve
42
has a lower edge
80
and a window channel
82
defined by at least one and preferably two opposing radially projecting portions
84
,
86
. The upper annular portion
84
is integrally joined to the lower portion
86
and the window channel
82
is defined in part by a recessed, preferably concave portion
88
(best seen in FIG.
3
). The window channel
82
is so named because the configuration of the recessed portion
88
is such that it communicates with the vertical bore
78
of the sleeve
42
.
As discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,340, the upper annular portion
84
is configured to break or collapse during the driving of the fastener
40
. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the upper portion
84
has a smaller diameter than the lower portion
86
. However, it is contemplated that the sleeve
42
may have a variety of configurations of the window channel
82
, the upper and lower portions
84
,
86
as well as the concave portion
88
depending on the application. At a minimum, the channel
82
should have sufficient structure to be slidingly engaged by an elongate rib as described below such that vertical movement of the fastener strip is restricted and maintained for proper alignment with the fastener aperture
50
.
Adjacent sleeves
42
are connected to each other by the preferably integrally molded, frangible bridges
56
which are configured to easily break once the forward-most fastener
40
in the strip
54
is engaged in the grooves
28
,
48
and is impacted by the driver blade
30
. There are various known structural configurations suitable for causing the frangibility of the bridges
56
, including but no limited to slits, grooves, perforations, lighter weight material, cutouts and the like.
An important feature of the present magazine
60
is the ability to facilitate loading of the strips
54
at the feed end
64
so that the strips do not become caught on the magazine, and also properly guiding the strips to the fastener aperture
50
in the nosepiece
12
. To that end, the magazine
60
defines a fastener passageway
90
which extends the full length of the magazine from the feed end
64
to the driving end
66
. A first guidance zone or portion
92
incorporates the first guidance formation
72
, begins at the feed end
64
and is configured for engaging the strip
54
at the lower sleeve edge
80
.
While alternative configurations are contemplated, the first guidance formation
72
is formed from at least one and preferably a pair of opposing rails
94
projecting laterally into the fastener passageway
90
to provide a track for the fastener. The lower sleeve edge
80
slidably rides on the track, and a lower portion
96
of the fastener
40
protrudes vertically between the rails
94
. In the preferred embodiment, strip alignment is maintained by the spacing of the rails
94
, which allow limited lateral movement of the fasteners, and correspondingly, the strip
54
. At the upper end or head
38
of the fastener
40
, lateral misalignment or tipping is prevented by an upper portion
100
of the magazine. An inverted, “L”-shaped channel formation is defined by a long sidewall
102
, a top wall
104
and a short sidewall
106
(best seen in FIG.
3
). Opposing, preferably parallel portions of the sidewalls
102
,
106
provide lateral alignment or “anti-tipping” guidance to the fastener head
38
. The fastener passageway
90
is defined in part by opposing end surfaces
108
,
110
of the upper magazine end portion
100
and a lower magazine end portion
112
.
An important feature of the present invention is the guidance provided to the strip
54
, as opposed to any guidance provided to the fastener
40
. At the feed end
64
, the guidance is the sliding engagement with the lower sleeve edge
80
and an upper end surface
110
of the rails
94
. This engagement has been found to provide sufficient slidability of the strips
54
to promote loading and to hinder strips becoming caught in the passageway
90
. However, it has also been found that additional alignment guidance is beneficial at the driving end
66
to promote efficient operation of the tool
10
.
Accordingly, another feature of the present magazine
60
is that a second guidance zone or portion
114
of the magazine provides the second guidance formation
74
which engages the strip
54
at a distinct location on the strip as compared to the first guidance formation
72
. In the preferred embodiment (best seen in FIG.
5
), the second guidance formation
74
engages the window channel
82
and the second guidance portion
114
is configured to extend from a location near the driving end
66
of the magazine
60
toward, but not reaching the feed end
64
.
To achieve the benefits of both types of guidance formations
72
,
74
, it is preferred that the second guidance portion
114
extend only about ⅓ the length of the magazine
60
, or a sufficient length to accommodate approximately 1¼ standard 10-fastener strips
54
. This length provides a good transition for adjacent engagement of multiple and partial strips
54
. Conversely, the first guidance portion
92
preferably extends approximately ⅔ the length of the magazine
60
.
The second guidance formation
74
preferably takes the form of laterally projecting window channel-engaging rails
116
. An important design criterion for the formation
74
is that the rails
116
project inwardly in pincer-like fashion into the fastener passageway
90
. The short sidewall
106
is replaced by a long sidewall
118
so that the sidewalls
102
,
118
are approximately equal in height. It is preferred that the window channel-engaging rails
116
are spaced from each other to permit free slidability of the strip
54
lengthwise along the passageway
90
, but only permitting slight side-to-side movement of the strip. By engaging the window channels
82
, the strip
54
is maintained in sufficient alignment for engagement with the fastener aperture
50
(shown in
FIG. 1
) of the nosepiece
12
(shown in FIG.
1
). As such, there is no need to extend the first guidance formation
72
to the driving end
66
.
Thus, a feature of the present invention is that each sleeve
42
of the fastener strip
54
is supported only by the first guidance formation
72
in the first guidance portion
92
of the magazine, and only by the second guidance formation
74
in a second portion
114
of the magazine
60
. As will be seen in
FIGS. 2 and 4
, the two portions
92
,
114
overlap or form a transition zone
120
where both formations
72
and
74
briefly engage the strip
54
. In other words, a single sleeve
42
at a time will be engaged by both formations
72
and
74
as the second guidance formation replaces the first formation as the sole sleeve guidance mechanism.
An advantage of the support and guidance provided by the second portion
114
is that the strip
54
is properly aligned for engagement in the fastener aperture
50
. This alignment is maintained even when the tool
10
is used in an inverted position, which may cause the strip
54
to shift in the passageway
90
.
As an option, the magazine
60
may be provided with a visual indicator of the guidance zones
92
,
114
and the corresponding formations
72
,
74
. As is seen in
FIG. 2
, the first zone
92
lacks the long upper sidewall
118
until the transition zone
120
. A radiused edge
122
marks the beginning of the sidewall
118
and the end of the edge marks the transition zone
120
. Similarly, an outer sidewall
124
forming the first guidance portion
92
ends with a radiused edge
126
ending at the transition zone
120
. The intersection of the two radiused edges
122
,
126
marks the transition zone
120
and forms an “S”-curve when viewed from the side, thus providing a visual indication of the location of the transition zone.
While specific embodiments of the magazine rail system for a fastener driving tool of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
- 1. In a fastener-driving tool having a reciprocating driver blade for driving fasteners into a workpiece, a magazine configured for storing and feeding at least one collated strip of fasteners to the driver blade, comprising:a housing defining a feed end, a driving end and a guidance portion disposed between and contacting the two ends; said guidance portion having at least two guidance formations, a first guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a first location, and said second guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a second location; each fastener strip includes a plurality of sleeves having a lower edge and a window channel defined by at least one radially projecting portion, said first guidance formation is configured for engaging the strip at the lower edge and said second guidance formation is configured for engaging the strip in the window channel.
- 2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the fastener strip is supported only by said first guidance formation in a first zone of the magazine, and only by said second guidance formation is a second zone of the magazine.
- 3. The tool of claim 1 wherein said first guidance formation extends from said feed end and said second guidance formation extends from said driving end.
- 4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said magazine is provided with a transition zone where said first guidance formation ends and said second guidance formation begins.
- 5. The tool of claim 4 wherein said magazine is provided with at least one sidewall which visually displays said transition zone.
- 6. The tool of claim 5 wherein said at least one sidewall defines an “S”-curve for indicating said transition zone.
- 7. The tool of claim 3 wherein said first guidance formation extends approximately ⅔ the length of said magazine.
- 8. The tool of claim 1 wherein said first guidance formation is at least one rail which engages the bottom of said sleeve.
- 9. The tool of claim 1 wherein said second guidance formation is a pair of opposing rails which each engage a corresponding set of windows in the fastener strip.
- 10. A fastener driving tool having a magazine comprising:a housing having a first guidance formation and a second guidance formation, said first guidance formation configured for guiding a fastener strip in a first location, said second guidance formation configured for guiding the fastener strip in a second location, the first location being different from the second location, wherein said housing is configured so that the fastener strip is guided first only by said first guidance formation, then only by said second guidance formation.
- 11. The magazine of claim 10 wherein the fastener strip includes a plurality of frangible sleeves each having a lower edge and a window channel, said first guidance formation being configured for slidably engaging said lower edge, said second guidance formation being configured for slidably engaging said window channel.
- 12. The magazine of claim 10 further including a sidewall configured for indicating a transition zone between said first guidance portion and said second guidance portion.
- 13. In a fastener-driving tool having a reciprocating driver blade for driving fasteners into a workpiece, a magazine configured for storing and feeding at least one collated strip of fasteners to a nosepiece reciprocally engaged by the driver blade and having a fastener receiving aperture, said magazine comprising:a housing defining a feed end, a driving end opposite the feed end, said driving end having an opening in communication with the aperture of the nosepiece; said feed end having a guidance formation configured for engaging said collated strip of fasteners at opposing channel formations for guiding the strip of fasteners into said opening, said guidance formation being the only guidance formation engaging the fastener strip.
- 14. In a fastener-driving tool having a reciprocating driver blade for driving fasteners into a workpiece, a magazine configured for storing and feeding at least one collated strip of fasteners to the driver blade, comprising:a housing defining a feed end, a driving end and a guidance portion disposed between and contacting the two ends; said guidance portion having at least two guidance formations, a first guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a first location, and said second guidance formation configured for engaging the fastener strip at a second location, wherein said first guidance formation extends from said feed end and said second guidance formation extends from said driving end.
- 15. The tool of claim 14 wherein said magazine is provided with a transition zone where said first guidance formation ends and said second guidance formation begins.
- 16. The tool of claim 15 wherein said magazine is provided with at least one sidewall which visually displays said transition zone.
- 17. The tool of claim 16 wherein said at least one sidewall defines an “S”-curve for indicating said transition zone.
- 18. The tool of claim 14 wherein said first guidance formation extends approximately ⅔ the length of said magazine.
US Referenced Citations (17)