Nail gun and methods for sequentially driving nails into a substrate or a structure

A method for sequentially driving nails into a substrate or structure, the method comprising:

• providing a nail gun comprising:
• a drive assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• a feed head assembly attached to the drive assembly and configured to provide the nails to an output segment;
• a hammer configured to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis of the drive assembly to drive the nails into the substrate;
• and
• a reservoir assembly configured to provide compressed air to the drive assembly to reciprocate the hammer and drive the nails into the substrate;
• dispensing a first nail into the drive assembly such that the first nail moves into the output segment;
• detecting, with a sensor, when the first nail is within the output segment;
• moving the hammer along a direction of the longitudinal axis when the sensor detects the nail is within the output segment;
• impacting a head of the first nail with a distal end of the hammer, thereby imparting a drive force to the first nail;
• feeding, from a nail supply and while the hammer is moving to impact the first nail, a second nail into a reload segment;
• preventing the second nail from being dispensed into the feed head assembly while the distal end of the hammer is in the feed head assembly;
• and
• dispensing the second nail into the feed head assembly after the distal end of the hammer is withdrawn from the feed head assembly.

A method for sequentially driving nails into a substrate or structure, the method comprising:

• providing a nail gun comprising:
• a drive assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• a feed head assembly attached to the drive assembly and configured to provide the nails to an output segment;
• a hammer configured to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis of the drive assembly to drive the nails into the substrate;
• and
• a reservoir assembly configured to provide compressed air to the drive assembly to reciprocate the hammer and drive the nails into the substrate;
• dispensing a first nail into the drive assembly such that the first nail moves into the output segment;
• moving the hammer along a direction of the longitudinal axis;
• impacting a head of the first nail with a distal end of the hammer, thereby imparting a drive force to the first nail;
• feeding, from a nail supply and while the hammer is moving to impact the first nail, a second nail into a reload segment;
• preventing the second nail from being dispensed into the feed head assembly while the distal end of the hammer is in the feed head assembly;
• dispensing the second nail into the feed head assembly after the distal end of the hammer is withdrawn from the feed head assembly;
• controlling, with a feed actuator, a repeated and sequential transfer of each of the nails individually into the output segment;
• detecting, using a sensor assembly, when a nail is within the output segment;
• and
• moving the hammer in a repetitive manner along the longitudinal axis, for driving each of the nails individually out of the output segment,
• wherein the feed actuator dispenses each of the nails sequentially into the output segment after the distal end of the hammer is withdrawn therefrom.

A nail gun configured to repeatedly drive nails into a substrate, the nail gun comprising:

• a drive assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• a feed head assembly attached to the drive assembly and configured to provide the nails to an output segment, wherein the output segment comprises:
• a channel having a substantially annular shape that is formed in an outer surface of the output segment;
• and
• a centering spring positioned within the channel to exert a radially inwardly oriented centering force a nail within the output segment;
• a hammer configured to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis of the drive assembly to drive the nails into the substrate;
• and
• a reservoir assembly configured to provide compressed air to the drive assembly to reciprocate the hammer and drive a nail into the substrate.

A nail gun configured to repeatedly drive nails into a substrate, the nail gun comprising:

• a drive assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• a feed head assembly attached to the drive assembly and configured to provide the nails to an output segment;
• a guide assembly that is rigidly attached to the feed head assembly, wherein the guide assembly comprises a guide plate configured receive and guide the nails towards the output segment;
• a hammer configured to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis of the drive assembly to drive the nails into the substrate;
• and
• a reservoir assembly configured to provide compressed air to the drive assembly to reciprocate the hammer and drive a nail into the substrate.

A nail gun configured to repeatedly drive nails into a substrate, the nail gun comprising:

• a drive assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• a feed head assembly attached to the drive assembly and configured to provide the nails to an output segment;
• a feed actuator configured to control a transfer of the nails individually into the output segment, wherein the feed actuator comprises:
• a push arm configured to transfer each of the nails individually into the output segment;
• a cylinder rod that extends longitudinally from a cylinder body and is pivotably attached, at a distal end thereof, to the push arm;
• and
• a shock assembly that is pivotably attached, at a proximal end thereof, to a shock bracket that is rigidly attached to the cylinder body and, at a distal end thereof, to the push arm;
• a hammer configured to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis of the drive assembly to drive the nails into the substrate;
• a reservoir assembly configured to provide compressed air to the drive assembly to reciprocate the hammer and drive a nail into the substrate.