Automatic screw feeding mechanism for an automatic screw driving device

An automatic screw feeding mechanism for an automatic screw driving device, said automatic screw driving device including a rotatable tool bit and means for axially rotating the tool bit, said automatic screw feeding mechanism being adapted for use with a feed belt which includes an elongated strap that holds a plurality of spaced and aligned screws, said strap having two opposed longitudinal sides provided with a plurality of spaced engaging units, said automatic screw feeding mechanism comprising:

• a feed belt receiving unit including a hollow housing having a front end portion formed with a belt passage that permits passage of the feed belt therethrough and an open rear end portion which is provided with a limiting unit and which permits extension of the tool bit therethrough and into said housing, said receiving unit further including retaining means which is adapted to engage releasably the engaging units on the strap of the feed belt to align one of the screws with the tool bit;
• a guide plate which is connected to said housing of said feed belt receiving unit and which has a front end that is spaced apart from said front end portion of said housing and that is adapted to engage an operating surface;
• an elongated guide unit having a front end with a connection portion which is connected releasably to said open rear end portion of said housing of said feed belt receiving unit, said guide unit being formed with a longitudinal passage to permit passage of the tool bit therethrough and into said housing;
• an actuating unit including a seat member connected movably to said guide unit, said seat member being movable forward and rearward relative to said guide unit, said actuating unit further including an elongated actuating member which is disposed in said seat member and which extends into said housing via said guide unit;
• and
• an elongated hollow casing having open front and rear ends, said open rear end being adapted to be coupled releasably to one end of the automatic screw driving device, said casing receiving said housing of said feed belt receiving unit, said guide unit and said seat member therein, said open front end being provided with a stop means which engages releasably said limiting unit of said housing of said feed belt receiving unit so as to prevent disengagement of said guide unit and said receiving unit from said open front end of said hollow casing, said casing normally engaging said seat member so as to enable said seat member to move synchronously with said casing relative to said guide unit from an initial position to a second position, wherein the tool bit extends into said housing of said receiving unit to drive rotatably an aligned one of the screws into the operating surface and release the aligned one of the screws from the strap during a screw driving operation, when said casing is urged by the automatic screw driving device, said casing and said seat member being movable back to the initial position after the execution of the screw driving operation, said actuating member actuating said retaining means to engage succeeding ones of the engaging units on the feed belt in order to align a succeeding one of the screws with the tool bit when said casing moves back to the initial position.