Mobile fastener driver tool

A device for driving fasteners through caps at spaced locations comprising:

• a rolling chassis;
• dispensing means for dispensing caps sequentially to a ready position;
• driving means for driving a fastener through the cap in the ready position and into a substrate;
• determining means for determining when the chassis has moved a preselected distance;
• and
• actuator means responsive to said determining means for actuating both said driving means and said dispensing means each time that said chassis has moved the preselected distance.

A device for driving fasteners through fastening caps comprising:

• a rolling chassis adapted to move in a first direction;
• dispensing means for advancing caps in a second direction, substantially opposite said first direction, and for dispensing the caps in a ready position;
• and
• a drive means for driving a fastener through a cap when the cap is in the ready position.

A fastening system comprising:

• a rolling chassis;
• a drive means for driving a fastener into a surface upon which the rolling chassis moves;
• sensing means for sensing a substructure under said surface, said sensing means mounted to said rolling chassis;
• and
• actuating means, in communication with said sensing means, for actuating the drive means when said sensing means senses the substructure.

A fastening tool comprising:

• a frame;
• a holder coupled to the frame adapted to store a supply of collated fastener caps, the collated fastener caps disposed in a strip having a longitudinal axis with opposing sides, the collated fastener caps including a plurality of indexing openings disposed on the opposing sides and at least one of the indexing openings being adjacent each of the fastener caps;
• a fastener driving unit coupled to the frame and adapted to drive a fastener along a path and into a work piece;
• a track coupled to the frame for supporting the collated fastener caps, the track defining a first slot and including a first surface on which the collated fastener caps are supported and a second surface, opposite said first surface;
• and
• a picker adjacent the second surface including a first movable feed pawl reciprocally mounted in the first slot for engagement in the indexing openings of the collated fastener caps for advancing the collated fastener caps toward the path.

A method of feeding fastener caps into a fastener driving path comprising:

• providing a string of collated fastener caps having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis dividing the string into a first side and a second side, the string defining a plurality of indexing openings being disposed on the first side and the second side and at least one indexing opening being adjacent each of the fastener caps;
• engaging a first indexing opening on the first side adjacent a fastener cap with a first tooth, simultaneously engaging a second indexing opening on the second side adjacent the fastener cap;
• and
• advancing the fastener cap toward the driving path with the first and second teeth.

A method of feeding fastener caps into a fastener driving path comprising:

• providing a string of collated fastener caps having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis dividing the string into a first side and a second side, the string defining a plurality of indexing openings being disposed on the first side and the second side and at least one indexing opening being adjacent each of the fastener caps;
• engaging a first indexing opening on the first side adjacent a first fastener cap with a first tooth, simultaneously engaging a second indexing opening on the first side adjacent a second fastener cap immediately preceding the first fastener cap;
• and
• advancing the first and second fastener caps toward the driving path with the first, and second teeth.

A fastener cap feeder assembly comprising:

• holding means for holding a supply of collated fastener caps;
• dispensing means for dispensing a fastener cap from the collated fastening caps into a driving path of a fastener driver;
• and
• accumulation means for regulating advancement of collated fastener caps from the holding means to the dispensing means, whereby jamming of the collated fastener caps in the dispensing means is prevented, said accumulation means disposed between the holding means and the dispensing means.

A fastener cap feeder assembly comprising:

• a frame;
• a holder for holding a supply of collated fastener caps mounted on a rotatable spool, said holder mounted to said frame;
• and
• an accumulator downstream of the holder defining an outlet, a storage compartment and including a regulator adjacent the outlet, said regulator adapted to prevent an excess supply of collated fastener caps from advancing toward the outlet, whereby the excess supply is positioned in the storage compartment.

A device for driving fasteners through caps comprising:

• driving means for driving a fastener through a cap and into a substrate;
• support means for supporting a coil of serially arranged caps;
• dispensing means for dispensing caps sequentially from the coil to said driving means;
• and
• accumulation means for receiving the caps from the coil on those occasions where said dispensing means causes the caps to spool off the coil faster than needed by said driving means.

A fastener driving tool comprising:

• a frame means for supporting said frame for movement on a surface;
• a fastener driver mounted to the frame adapted to drive a fastener in a driving path;
• a fastener cap feeder mounted to the frame adapted to dispense a fastener cap in the driving path so that when a fastener is driven, it drives through the fastener cap;
• and
• actuating means for actuating the fastener cap feeder to dispense a fastener cap in the driving path immediately after the fastener driver drives the fastener in the driving path, the actuating means operable in at least one of the manual mode wherein the user manually actuates the fastener driver to drive the fastener in the driving path and an automatic mode wherein the actuating means automatically actuates the fastener driver to drive a fastener in the driving path based on the distance the frame is moved.

A fastening tool comprising:

• a chassis;
• a component mounted to the chassis selected from the group consisting of a fastener cap dispenser, an actuator system, an actuator wheel, and an accumulator;
• a nail gun mounted to the chassis including an exhaust air vent through which exhaust air is vented;
• and
• an exhaust air shield mounted to the nail gun adapted to divert the exhaust air away from the component.

A fastener driver for driving a fastener with a supply of drive air comprising:

• a housing;
• a drive air diverter coupled to said housing;
• a drive mechanism adapted to drive a fastener with a first portion of the supply of drive air;
• a drive air conduit in fluid communication with the drive mechanism, and adapted to divert a second portion of the supply of drive air from said drive mechanism to said drive air diverter;
• a trigger adapted to actuate the drive mechanism;
• and
• a trigger actuator adapted to engage and actuate the trigger, said trigger actuator operable in at least one of a manual and an automatic mode.