Powder-actuated tool with power adjustment and angle-fire control

An improved powder-actuated tool comprising:

• (a) a barrel having a longitudinal bore, a breech end and a muzzle end;
• (b) a piston, having a piston head, slidably disposed in said barrel bore;
• (c) a barrel breech including a cartridge-receiving chamber and a gas expansion chamber adapted to slidably receive said piston head;
• (d) stop means, on said barrel, limiting the extent of protrusion of said piston head from said breech end of said barrel into said gas expansion chamber;
• (e) a receiver;
• (f) first means adjustably connecting said barrel and said barrel breech, such that the extent of penetration of said piston head, into said gas expansion chamber, may be varied by axially displacing said barrel breech relative to said barrel, whereby the power level of the tool may be adjusted;
• (g) a slide assembly telescopically carried by said receiver, said barrel and said barrel breech being telescopically carried by said slide assembly and displaceable therein between a loading position and a battery position;
• and
• (h) second means operatively connecting said slide assembly and said barrel, said second means maintaining a constant axial relation between said slide assembly and said barrel during said power level adjustment.

An improved powder-actuated tool comprising:

• (a) a barrel assembly including a longitudinal bore, a power load-receiving chamber and a middle chamber communicating therebetween;
• (b) a piston, slidably disposed in said barrel bore, including a piston head adapted to enter into said middle chamber;
• (c) means for adjustably controlling the extent of penetration of said piston head into said middle chamber;
• (d) a slide assembly, said barrel assembly being telescopically carried by said slide assembly and axially displaceable therein between a loading position and a battery position;
• and
• (e) means operably connecting said barrel assembly and said slide assembly, said connecting means maintaining a constant axial relation between said slide assembly and the muzzle end of said barrel assembly during adjustment of said penetration controlling means.

A power actuated tool comprising:

• (a) means forming a barrel having a bore;
• (b) means forming a firing chamber communicating with a breech end of said barrel bore;
• (c) a fastener-driving piston reciprocally slidably disposed in said barrel bore for movement between a breechward battery position and a muzzleward driven position;
• (d) stop means in said barrel bore for contacting a breechward surface on said piston to define said battery position of said piston;
• (e) means forming a muzzle end of said tool for positioning against a work surface preparatory to driving of a fastener by said tool;
• (f) means for cocking said tool for firing when said muzzle end of said tool is pressed against a work surface;
• (g) angle-fire control means operably associated with said muzzle end of said tool in a predetermined relationship for enabling cocking of said tool only when the axis of said barrel is substantially perpendicular to a work surface;
• and
• (h) power control means for axially displacing said stop means whereby a breechwardmost surface of said piston can be variably spaced from said firing chamber when said piston is in said battery position while maintaining said predetermined relationship between said angle-fire control means and said muzzle end of said tool to provide substantially constant angle-fire control at all power levels of the tool.