Device for securing an expansion anchor

#The present invention is directed to securing expansion anchors in place and, more particularly, it concerns a device for inserting and securing the expansion anchors into prepared holes in a receiving material.

#Attachments to a receiving material are preferably made by means of dowels when high anchoring values are required. In particular, high anchoring values can be obtained with expansion dowels or anchors which are secured into prepared holes formed in the receiving material by radially widening an anchor sleeve by means of an expansion element.

#It has been known to initially insert an anchor sleeve into a prepared hole and then to place an expansion element into the sleeve and then expand the sleeve by driving the element in the axial direction. In such a procedure an auxiliary device is used which supplies individual expansion elements from a magazine into the anchor sleeves and then effects the movement of the elements into expanding engagement with the sleeves.

#In the drawing

#FIG. 1 is a side view of a setting gun, embodying the present invention, and shown partly in section;

#FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the setting gun as it drives and secures an expansion anchor into the receiving material;

#In the drawing a known piston-type explosive powder charge driven setting gun is illustrated in combination with a mechanism for feeding expansion anchors into the muzzle end of the gun. In this description the muzzle end of the gun is also described as its forward or front end and this is also applicable to the various parts making up the gun. In other words, those parts of the gun which extend in the firing direction, note FIG. 2 showing an expansion anchor driven into receiving material; the front end of the parts is that end located at or closer to the muzzle end of the gun.

#In FIGS. 1 and 2, the setting gun is shown consisting of a housing 1 having an axially extending bore containing a barrel axially displaceable through the bore. The barrel is formed by a guide member 4 with an axially extending bore within which a piston assembly is also axially displaceable in the firing direction. The piston assembly consists of a piston sleeve 3 axially displaceable within the guide member 4 and a piston 2 contained within the sleeve and axially displaceable relative to the sleeve. The sleeve 3 consists of two longitudinally extending sections 3a, 3b screwed together to afford the positioning of the piston 2 within the sleeve. The guide member 4 extends forwardly from the end of the housing 1 and forms the muzzle end of the setting gun. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the forward end of the piston sleeve 3 extends through the bore in the guide member 4 and in the firing or anchoring position of the gun, projects forwardly of the muzzle or forward end of the guide member, note FIG. 2.

#Spaced closely from the forward end of the guide member 4 is an inlet opening 5 into the bore in the guide member. A magazine or feed duct 6 communicates with the opening 5 into the guide member. The magazine 6 stores a row 7 of expansion anchors each positioned for insertion by a feeder 8 through the opening 5 into the guide member 4. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 the feeder 8 is advanced through the magazine 6 toward the guide member 4 by a spring 9. A spring suitable for such purpose is one which is arranged to coil on a shaft 11, note FIG. 4, so that a continued tensioning or pulling action is provided to the feeder for displacing it inwardly through the magazine toward the guide member.