US 5,341,708 AGranted

Fastener support apparatus

OwnerEdward V. Nickinventor

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Abstract

A fastener support apparatus for facilitating the installation of individual screws into a work surface which includes a rotatable bit for engaging the head of the screw; a housing borne by the rotatable bit and defining a passageway, and wherein the bit is received in the passageway and the housing simultaneously rotates with the bit; a screw support assembly movably borne by the housing, the screw support assembly including a passageway defining a screw receiving station and which is operable to receive the head of the screw; a locking assembly movably borne by the screw support assembly and operable to travel from a first, partially occluding position relative to the screw receiving station to a second, substantially nonoccluding position; and an actuating assembly movably borne by the screw support assembly and which positions the locking assembly in the first or second positions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fastener support apparatus for facilitating the installation of individual screws into a work surface comprising:

a rotatable bit for engaging the head of the screw;
a housing borne by the rotatable bit and defining a passageway, and wherein the bit is received in the passageway, and the housing simultaneously rotates with the bit;
a screw support assembly movably borne by the housing and including a passageway defining a screw receiving station and which is operable to receive the head of the screw;
a locking assembly borne by the screw support assembly and operable for travel from a first, partially occluding position relative to the passageway, to a second, substantially nonoccluding position;
and
an actuating assembly borne by the screw support assembly, and which positions the locking assembly in the first or second positions, and wherein the actuating assembly is freely rotatable relative to the screw support assembly, and wherein during operation, the locking assembly, when disposed in the first, partially occluding position retains the head of the screw in the screw receiving station, and when disposed in the second, substantially nonoccluding position releases the screw from the screw receiving station such that the screw may be driven completely into the work surface.

3 more elements

A fastener support apparatus for facilitating the installation of individual screws into a work surface comprising:

means for driving the individual screws into the work surface;
a housing borne by the drive means and defining a cavity, and wherein the drive means is received in the cavity;
a screw support assembly borne by the housing and reciprocally moveable along a path of travel from a first, extended position, to a second, retracted position, and wherein the screw support assembly includes a passageway defining a screw receiving station which is operable to receive the head of the screw;
a first spring positioned in force transmitting relation between the screw support assembly and the housing and operable to urge the screw support assembly towards the first position;
a locking assembly borne by the screw support assembly and operable for travel from a first, partially occluding position relative to the screw receiving station, to a second, substantially nonoccluding position;
and
an actuating assembly borne by the screw support assembly and which positions the locking assembly in the first or second positions, and wherein, during operation, the locking assembly, when disposed in the first, partially occluding position retains the head of the screw in the screw receiving station, and when disposed in the second, substantially nonoccluding position releases the screw from the screw receiving station such that the screw may be driven completely into the work surface to a predetermined depth.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.