Fastener feeding and driving apparatus

An automatic fastener feeding and driving apparatus comprising

• a source of pressurized air, and air supply line connected to said source,
• fastener supply means including an outlet chute, and vibratory means for serially supplying fasteners along said chute,
• fastener feeding means connected to said outlet chute for serially delivering fasteners from said chute to a fastener delivery line, said feeding means including a body member having a longitudinal slot adapted to serially receive fasteners from the delivery chute, a discharge opening positioned transversely from said slot, a fastener delivery line connected to said discharge opening, and a slide mounted for transverse sliding movement in said body member, said slide having a front transverse surface facing said longitudinal slot, and with said front transverse surface having a notch therein which is adapted to receive the shank of a fastener therein, and with said slide being transversely slidable between a first position wherein said notch is aligned with said longitudinal slot so as to be adapted to receive a fastener from said longitudinal slot, and a second position wherein said notch is aligned with said discharge opening, spring biasing means for biasing said slide toward one of said first and second positions, a first air line for when pressurized moving said slide toward the other of said first and second position against the force of said spring biasing means, and a second air line within said body member and including an outlet opening in said body member and a communicating guide channel in said slide so as to be adapted to direct a stream of air into only the portion of the notch which is immediately adjacent said discharge opening and then into said discharge opening only when said slide is essentially in said second position,
• a fastener driver comprising a housing which includes a forward barrel portion, said barrel portion having a fastener inlet opening which is connected to said fastener delivery line for receiving a fastener into said barrel portion, and driver means which is mounted for longitudinal movement within said housing so as to be adapted to move forwardly through said barrel portion and drive a fastener which is positioned in said barrel portion into an adjacent workpiece,
• air valve means operatively connected to said air supply line and to said fastener feeding means, and being selectively movable between a first position wherein said first air line is connected to said air supply line, and a second position wherein said second air line is connected to said air supply line and so that air is injected into said discharge opening and said fastener delivery line to deliver a fastener therein through said inlet opening and into said barrel portion of said driver, and
• trigger means mounted on said driver for when closed causing said plunger to rapidly move forwardly within said barrel portion of said driver and causing said air valve means to move to its first position, and when open causing said air valve means to move to said second position and said plunger to return in a rearward direction.

A fastener feed apparatus adapted for serially feeding fasteners of the type having a shank and an enlarged head at one end of the shank, and from a fastener delivery chute to a powered fastener driver or the like, said feed apparatus comprising

• a body member having a longitudinal slot which extends downwardly thereinto and so as to be adapted to serially receive the fasteners from the delivery chute with the shanks thereof depending into said slot, a transverse slot communicating at right angles with said longitudinal slot, and a downwardly extending discharge opening communicating with said transverse slot at a location transversely spaced from said longitudinal slot,
• a slide mounted for transverse sliding movement in said transverse slot, said slide having a front transverse surface facing said longitudinal slot, and with said front transverse surface having a notch therein which is adapted to receive the shank of a fastener therein, and with said slide being transversely slidable between a first position wherein said notch is aligned with said longitudinal slot so as to be adapted to receive a fastener from said longitudinal slot, and a second position wherein said notch is aligned with said discharge opening,
• spring biasing means for biasing said slide toward one of said first and second positions,
• first air line means for selectively moving said slide toward the other of said first and second positions against the force of said spring biasing means, and
• second air line means for directing a stream of air downwardly into the lower portion of said notch in said slide only when said slide is essentially in said second position, and so that the stream of air flows from said notch downwardly into said discharge opening.