The present invention relates to snap installation tools, and in particular, to plug-in adaptors adapted to be attached to existing power tools to make them capable of performing snap installations.
Snaps are a common fastener used in many applications, from clothing to large fabric coverings. In particular, snaps may be used to secure protective canvas coverings for boats, tractors, walk-behind snowplows, and the like. In these latter applications, snaps are installed on the canvas so as to be able to attach the canvas to the frame of the item to be covered. The frame will include one side of the snap and the canvas the other. Typically, the frame includes the male portion of the snap, and the canvas the female portion. The female portion includes a cap on one side of the canvas or other fabric, and a socket on the other. The socket is adapted to fit into the cap with the fabric between the socket and the cap, forming the female portion of the snap. The female portion may then mate with the male portion of the snap to complete the fastening. In some applications, the male portion is also mounted on a fabric or canvas by a similar method of pressing the fabric between male caps and sockets.
In
The mounting of a female or male snap portion onto fabric or canvas requires the use of a tool designed specifically for this purpose. The standard prior art for this purpose is a vice grip type tool that requires the installer to grip the tool with his hand and apply a large amount of squeezing force to securely rivet the cap to the socket.
In addition to this design flaw, the force required to properly operate a prior art tool is extremely fatiguing, especially considering that some applications require that the snap be installed through up to four layers of material. This is particularly true for applications requiring the installation of many snaps, such as with a canvas to cover a large boat. The average boat canvas requires the installation of approximately eighty snaps. Even for someone with good strength and dexterity in his hand, this repetitive motion can become difficult, but this is particularly true for those with limited strength or dexterity in their hands. It is well known throughout the canvas enclosure business that the repetitive, excessive squeezing force required to perform this task can lead to injuries to the hand and forearm such as tendinitis, arthritis, bursitis, etc. . . . Therefore there is a need for a snap installation tool that provides the necessary force from a source other than the human hand. Such a source may be electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic, for example.
Electric, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic snap installation devices do exist. U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,652 to Silverbush, for example, discloses a snap fastener attaching system whose operation and control is implemented by means of a control sequencer that can operate by means of electronic or electromechanical relays or by pneumatic devices. The snap fastener attaching system employs a movable carriage assembly that is controlled in linear motion by a belt system coupled to an actuator mechanism. The carriage assembly includes clamping means that are sequentially operated to clamp a garment on the assembly after emplacement by an operator. Although this snap fastener attaching system uses power other than the human hand to provide the force necessary for the snap installation, it is a large, complicated, and stationary device that is ill suited for use in the field, particularly for large applications, such as a canvas boat cover, where the device may need to be moved and set up repeatedly in different locations about the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,807 to Hochhausl also discloses an automated attaching machine for attaching fasteners. In this invention, support means carry an upper and lower tool assembly; upper and lower fastener part feed means; and pusher and tool drive means. The upper and lower tool assembly comprises an upper and a lower forward arm rigidly secured in spaced parallel relation by a bridging neck connecting the rear of the arms. The forward ends of the arms carry respectively the axially aligned upper punch and the lower die and the upper, and lower forward arms are horizontally slotted and slidably receive upper and lower pusher elements respectively. The feed means comprises removable hoppers and track which are hung on the support means and conduct the parts respectively to the pusher slots in the arms. The upper and lower tool assembly is removably secured in an opening in the frame or support means and the tool drive means respectively releasably operatively engages the upper punch and the lower die and the pusher drive means releasably operatively engage the upper and lower pusher elements. Preferably, as the tool assembly is installed in its opening, the tool drive means automatically engages the punch and die. By virtue of this structure, the integral upper and lower tool assembly can be released from the drive means and removed readily from its secured position in the support means and readily replaced by a different tool assembly to accommodate different fastener parts. Although this invention does not require hand strength and dexterity to install snap fasteners, it is also a large, stationary machine that is not easily transportable and could not easily be used in the field.
In addition to these stationary machines that use a force other than that of a human hand to install snaps, there exist many handheld power tools that use electricity, pneumatics, and/or hydraulics for force. Common examples of these include nail guns, staple guns, and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,104 to Marshall also discloses a pneumatic crimping and capping handheld tool, which teaches a hand-held, power-operated or power-assisted, crimping/er or decapping/er tool, for container closures, such as vial caps, has a hollow handle, housing a (pneumatic) piston-in-cylinder actuator, with an external trigger operating an internal control valve, to control connection of an external pressure supply, through an internal distribution block, and displacement of an actuator output rod, coupled, through a pivoted bell crank lever, to a demountable crimper or decapper. No such handheld power tool for snap installation exists, however. U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,652 to Silverbush; U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,807 to Hochhausl; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,104 to Marshall are hereby incorporated by reference as nonessential material.
Thus there is a need for a handheld power tool adapted for snap installation and for repetitive use in the field.
The present invention includes a snap installation adaptor, a snap installation kit, and a method for adapting a handheld power tool for use as a snap installation tool.
In its most basic form, the present invention includes a snap installation adaptor. The snap installation adaptor is an adaptor that may be used for snap installation. It is designed to be easily attached to the body of a handheld power tool so that the handheld power tool may be used as a snap installation tool.
The preferred existing handheld power tool that may be used is a handheld impact torque driver. However, it is understood that many battery, electric, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic powered handheld tools may be used, either in their original state or in a modified states, to accomplish this purpose. In some embodiments, the handheld tool may have an automatic feed so that the operation of the handheld tool may be continuous. Moreover, although triggers are referred to as the common operation inducer for the handheld tools that may be used in connection with the snap installation adaptor, it is understood that other art recognized operation inducers, such as switches or buttons, may be used in some embodiments of the present invention. Herein “trigger” refers to all such art recognized operation inducers.
The snap installation adaptor has an upper and lower portion connected by a preferably curved intermediate portion so that there is an opening between the upper and lower portion. The upper portion attaches to the existing handheld power tool body. In some embodiments, this attachment is by a screw through the upper portion that secures it to the handheld power tool body, but may be by any manner that will adequately attach the snap installation adaptor to the handheld power tool body such that the tool driving apparatus of the handheld power tool body may be used to drive the snap installation function of the snap installation tool, which is the integrated handheld tool and snap installation adaptor.
The upper portion includes a cap node where the cap part of a female or male portion of a snap may be held for installation. The tool driving apparatus of the handheld power tool to which the snap installation adaptor is attached will drive the cap down onto a fabric placed between the cap part and a socket part held by the lower portion of the snap installation adaptor so that the snap portion may be installed on the fabric. The cap node preferably includes an o-ring that allows the cap to be easily snapped into and out of the cap node. The cap node of the present invention represents a substantial improvement over those used in prior art devices and it is envision that the cap node of the present invention will be sold as a separate replacement part to replace existing cap nodes.
The cap node of the present invention may include an improved placement device for placing the female cap prior to snap installation. The improved placement device may be a weakly spring loaded device that will hold the female cap in alignment with the lower portion prior to snap installation, but will not hold it so firmly that it does not easily release upon installation. The improved placement device may also be a device including a ball bearing or a magnet so as to hold the female cap in place.
The lower portion of the snap installation adaptor is positioned directly opposite from the upper portion and may include a threaded tube, a threaded screw, and a socket node. The threaded tube extends vertically through the lower portion and is adapted to accept the threaded screw. The threaded screw is positioned through the threaded tube so that the length of the threaded screw within and outside of the threaded tube may be adjusted so that more or less of the threaded screw may extend into the opening between the upper and lower portions of the snap installation adaptor. The end of the threaded screw that extends into the opening has a socket node where the socket part of a female or male portion of a snap may be held for installation. The threaded screw and threaded tube are so positioned within the lower portion of the snap installation adaptor that when the threaded screw is extended to its extreme through the opening between the upper and lower portions, the socket node of the lower portion and the cap node of the upper portion will meet.
The intermediate portion may include an attached or integral preferably 1-shaped bracket for reinforcement.
In practice a fabric or canvas that is to have snaps installed on it will be placed in the opening between the upper and lower portions of the snap installation adaptor. The distance between the cap and socket nodes may be adjusted so that fabrics of varying thickness or with one or more folds may be placed within the opening. When the proper location for the female portion of the snap is located between the cap and socket nodes, a user of the snap installation tool depresses the trigger and sufficient force is applied down from the cap node to install the cap and socket on either side of the fabric between the cap and socket nodes.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handheld tool is a right angle 12 volt impact driver torque 700 in. lbs. sold under the trademark CRAFTSMAN. In this embodiment the upper portion, lower portion, and intermediate portion are combined into an integrated block, which is approximately C-shaped. The upper portion includes the cap node. The lower portion includes the socket node and a threaded screw for adjusting the distance between the cap node and the socket node. The preferred snap installation adaptor also includes a driving apparatus extension, which includes features for transmitting the force of the handheld tool through the upper portion and down onto the lower portion so as to affix snaps to a piece of fabric between the upper and lower portions. The driving apparatus is attached to and above the upper portion, and is preferably also integrated into the integrated block. The driving apparatus extension houses stop pins, a screw shoulder, a drive rod hole, a threaded drive screw, a ball, and an o-ring lock. The driving apparatus extension and these features that it houses act as a means for transferring the handheld power tool's external downward force through the upper portion so that the snap may be installed.
The stop pins stop the screw shoulder from extending too far up through the driving apparatus extension. The threaded drive screw moves in concert with the screw shoulder and extends from the screw shoulder down to the cap node in the upper portion. The threaded drive screw houses the drive rod hole, the ball, and the o-ring lock, so that all of these features, as well as the cap node move up and down together as pressure is applied from the handheld tool when the snap installation adaptor and the handheld tool are united. The drive rod hole runs down through the driving apparatus extension toward the upper portion, through the threaded drive screw, and ending at the ball. The drive rod hole is sized and dimensioned to snugly surround the drive rod of the handheld tool. The ball is hard enough to withstand the repeated intense downward thrust and spin of the drive rod without undergoing significant degradation. The purpose of the ball is to prevent rotation of the cap node during installation and this anti-rotation feature is an important aspect of the invention when a rotating driver is utilized. The drive screw imparts both downward and rotational forces during operation and, by creating only point contact with both the drive rod and the cap node, the ball effectively prevents the rotational forces from being imparted to the cap node. The ball is locked in place by the o-ring lock, which is preferably made of rubber.
The preferred snap installation adaptor also includes a laser sight that allows a user to see exactly where on a piece of fabric the snap will be installed. The preferred snap installation adaptor also includes a support rod, which provides support between the snap installation adaptor and the handheld tool when they are integrated. The support rod is preferably made of plastic tubing that is approximately 6.75″ long and has an inner diameter of approximately ½″.
The drive rod is attached to the handheld tool at a collet. When the handheld tool and the snap installation adaptor are united, the drive rod drives down and twists into the driving apparatus extension, through the drive rod hole within the threaded drive screw until it contacts the ball. This causes the threaded drive screw, which is in contact with the cap node to move downward to meet the socket node and permanently affix both sides of a female or male portion of a snap to either side of a piece of fabric. The handheld tool and the snap installation adaptor are attached by pins and removable bands. The removable bands wrap around the handheld tool and hook onto the pins on the snap installation tool. The bands are removable to separate the handheld tool and the snap installation adaptor as necessary.
In an alternative embodiment of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handheld tool is again a right angle 12 volt impact driver torque 700 in. lbs. sold under the trademark CRAFTSMAN. Although the CRAFTSMAN brand right angle impact driver is preferred, a standard hammer angle drill, a straight hammer drill, or a regular drill modified for higher torque may be substituted. This preferred snap installation adaptor includes a driving apparatus extension connected to the handheld tool's tool driving apparatus, and an integrated block connected to the driving apparatus extension that includes the upper portion with the cap node, the intermediate portion connecting the upper portion and lower portion, and the lower portion with the socket node. The integrated block is roughly C shaped. It also includes a laser sight and may include a block support. The laser sight is preferably connected to the integrated block and, during use, provides a laser indicator on the fabric between the cap node and socket node indicating to the user exactly where the snap will be installed. When connected to the integrated block, the laser sight may be encased in a laser sight cover to protect the laser sight. Alternatively, the laser sight may be attached to or embedded within any other feature of the snap installation adaptor as long as the laser sight's presence and position does not interfere with the function of that feature and as long as the laser sight's position allows for the function of the laser sight as described above.
The driving apparatus extension connects the tool driving apparatus, in this case preferably a drill driver, with the cap node so that the force of the handheld tool, in this case preferably a right angle impact driver, is used to install snaps. The driving apparatus extension is directly connected to the tool driving apparatus by a hex driving bit surrounding a spindle. Again, the driving apparatus extension acts as a means for transferring the handheld power tool's external downward force through the upper portion. This allows the rotating action of the tool driving apparatus to be extended beyond the handheld tool. Between the tool driving apparatus and the upper portion of the integrated block, the spindle may be surrounded by nuts and/or a driving apparatus extension housing. The nuts and/or driving apparatus extension housing are stationary but allow for the rotation of the spindle within while protecting the spindle and the spindle's rotation from exterior elements. The length of the spindle continues through the upper portion of the integrated block and is connected to the cap node. The section of the spindle that extends through the upper portion of the integrated block is hollow. Upon emerging from the upper portion of the integrated block into the opening between the upper portion and lower portion of the integrated block, the bottom of the spindle is surrounded by a threaded bushing and a rotating washer that rotates with the spindle. Below the rotating washer is a non-rotating washer integral to the cap node. Within the non-rotating washer and cap node is a bearing housing that houses a bearing that is in contact with the spindle within the rotating bearing. This bearing is anything that allows for a small point of contact with the cap held by the cap node where the contact has downward non-rotating force, but does not impede the rotation of the assembly above it. In this way, the cap being forced downward is not damaged by the rotation of the spindle but benefits from the downward force of the rotation. The bearing may be a roller bearing, or a pointed or rounded piece that fits within the bearing housing, or any other piece capable of operating as described above. In this embodiment, the socket node does not included the threaded tube and threaded screw as described above, but is stationary in its position on the lower portion of the integrated block.
Although this embodiment has been described with reference to specific pieces, one of ordinary skill in the art that there are many ways to achieve the basic setup described herein, i.e. a setup that extends and transfers the rotation and downward force of a power tool, and each of these ways is contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.
Although operable as described above, this preferred embodiment of the snap installation adaptor may also include a block support. The block support is preferably made of a strong, lightweight material, such as ABS plastic. The block support is attached to both the integrated block and the handheld tool, extending the length of the handheld tool with a space to allow for the user's hand to operate the trigger of the handheld tool. The block support preferably surrounds the driving apparatus extension between the tool driving apparatus and the upper portion of the integrated block and wraps around the end of the handheld tool.
The present invention also includes a kit, which includes, and is an integration of, the snap installation adaptor and the handheld tool as described above.
The present invention also includes a method for adapting a handheld power tool for use as a snap installation tool. The steps of the method include modifying a handheld power tool by removing apparatuses specific to the handheld power tool's original purpose, leaving only its tool driving apparatus; attaching a snap installation adaptor to the handheld power tool; placing a cap part in the cap node of the upper portion of the snap installation adaptor; placing a socket part in the socket node of the lower portion of the snap installation adaptor; placing a portion of a fabric where it is desirable to install a female or male snap portion in the opening of the snap installation adaptor between the cap and socket nodes; and pulling the trigger of the handheld power tool.
Therefore it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a snap installation adaptor that may be attached to a handheld power tool so that their integration is a snap installation tool.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a handheld snap installation tool that is powered by something other than the human hand.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to save expense and materials by providing a snap installation adaptor that does not duplicate the complexity and expense of a handheld power tool, but merely attaches to an existing handheld power tool.
These aspects of the present invention are not meant to be exclusive and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description and accompanying drawings.
Referring first to
Stop pins 93 are located near top 150 of driving apparatus extension 82. Stop pins 93 stop screw shoulder 33 from extending any farther up through driving apparatus extension 82. Threaded drive screw 23 moves in concert with screw shoulder 33 and extends from screw shoulder 33 down to cap node 24 in upper portion 12. Threaded drive screw 23 houses drive rod hole 27, ball 87, and o-ring lock 31, so that all of these features, as well as cap node 24 move up and down together as pressure is applied from handheld tool 32 when snap installation adaptor 10 and handheld tool 32 are united. Drive rod hole 27 runs down through driving apparatus extension 82 toward upper portion 12, through threaded drive screw 23, and ends at ball 87. Drive rod hole 27 is sized and dimensioned to snugly surround drive rod 142, shown in
Now referring to
If the user wishes to install integrated female portion 48 of snap 46 to fabric 60 (as shown in
In
The embodiment of snap installation adaptor 10 shown in
Now referring to
Now referring to
Now referring to
Driving apparatus extension 82 is directly connected to tool driving apparatus 40 by hex driving bit 90, which surrounds spindle 88. Driving apparatus extension 82 is a means for transferring the external downward force of handheld tool 32 through upper portion 12. This allows the rotating action of tool driving apparatus 40 to be extended beyond handheld tool 32. Between tool driving apparatus 40 and upper portion 12 of integrated block 80, spindle 88 is surrounded directly by nuts 92 and by driving apparatus extension housing 86, although there is space between driving apparatus extension housing 86 and nuts 92 surrounding spindle 88. The length of spindle 88 continues through upper portion 12 of integrated block 80 and is in mechanical contact with cap node 24. Spindle 88 is hollow through upper portion 12, which is best depicted in
Now referring to
Upper portion 12 includes attachment screw 20 and cap node 24. Upper portion 12 is designed to attach to a handheld tool 32 through attachment screw 20. Attachment screw 20 is preferably threaded and runs through upper portion 12 as shown in dashed lines. Handheld tool 32 includes a corresponding threaded hole (not shown) designed to accept attachment screw 20. Although a threaded attachment screw 20 is the preferred device for joining the handheld tool 32 and the snap installation adaptor 10, other art recognized attachment devices may be substituted in other embodiments. In addition, in some embodiments, such as that shown in
Upper portion 12 also includes cap node 24, where female cap 52 or male cap 56 (as shown in
Lower portion 14 is positioned directly opposite from upper portion 12 and includes a threaded tube 26, a threaded screw 28, and a socket node 30. Threaded tube 26 is depicted in
Intermediate portion 16 may include reinforcement 17, shown in dotted lines in
Now referring to
Snap installation adaptor 10 and handheld tool 32 are attached at attachment screw 20. As mentioned above, with reference to
The modifications to a handheld tool to make it handheld tool 32 are illustrated in
Referring now to
Now referring to
Now referring to
Snap installation tools 200, 300, and 400 as shown in
Referring now to
The cap holder 242 is preferably manufactured of plastic and includes an open top 258 and a male detent 252 that mates with the female detent 256 of the metal base 241. An O-ring 254 is disposed in a groove proximate the top 258 of the cap holder 242 and is dimensioned to deform when a cap, such as cap 52 of
The assembled cap node 24 is shown in
It is noted that the present invention may be adapted to install other two part items, such as grommets or the like, by simply modifying the cap node 24 and socket node 30 and the present invention should not be seen as being limited to the installation of snaps.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the description should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/523,450 filed on Aug. 15, 2011.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3581373 | Murdoch et al. | Jun 1971 | A |
5463807 | Hochhausl | Nov 1995 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130075442 A1 | Mar 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61523450 | Aug 2011 | US |