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US 5,671,641 AGranted
Devices and methods for guiding nails
OwnerRoger Emmett Stephenson, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides devices and methods for holding and guiding nails. The nail guide devices comprise a flexible polymer foam body having one or more slits for inserting a nail. The foam body may additionally comprise one or more adhesive layers for temporarily bonding the device to a finger or to the surface of a workpiece. Methods are provided to utilize the nail guides of the current invention for seating and driving a nail into a workpiece.
Claims16
A nail guide comprising a flexible polymer foam body, wherein the foam body comprises:
- a) a first end;
- b) a second end opposing the first end;
- c) a first surface;
- d) a second surface opposing the first surface;
- e) a peripheral edge between the first surface and the second surface;
- f) a predetermined thickness between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the predetermined thickness ranges from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch;
- and
- g) an area defining a slit adapted for receiving a nail, wherein the slit:
- (1) is positioned in the foam body first end, (2) extends through the foam body from the first surface to the second surface, (3) is provided along a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface, (4) has a first side and a second side, (5) begins at a starting point which is positioned at the peripheral edge, (6) ends at a terminal point, (7) has a predetermined distance between the starting point and the terminal point which ranges from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch, (8) has a first region along the first side defining a first groove such that the first groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the first groove is positioned at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the first groove is adapted for receiving a nail and (9) has a second region along the first side defining a second groove such that the second groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the second groove is positioned at an angle of about 30 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the second groove is adapted for receiving a nail.
6 more elements
A nail guide comprising a flexible polymer foam body, wherein the foam body comprises:
- a) a first end;
- b) a second end opposing the first end;
- c) a first surface;
- d) a second surface opposing the first surface;
- e) a peripheral edge between the first surface and the second surface;
- f) a predetermined thickness between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the predetermined thickness ranges from about 3/8 inch to about 5/8 inch;
- g) a first area defining a first slit adapted for receiving a nail, wherein the first slit:
- (1) is positioned in the foam body first end, (2) extends through the foam body from the first surface to the second surface, (3) is provided along a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface, (4) has a first side and a second side, (5) begins at a first starting point which is positioned at the peripheral edge, (6) ends at a first terminal point, (7) has a predetermined distance between the first starting point and the first terminal point which ranges from about 3/8 inch to about 3/4 inch, (8) has a first region along the first side defining a first groove such that the first groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the first groove is positioned at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the first groove is adapted for receiving a nail, (9) has a second region along the first side defining a second groove such that the second groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the second groove is positioned at an angle of about 60 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the second groove is adapted for receiving a nail and (10) has a third region along the first side defining a third groove such that the third groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the third groove is positioned at an angle of about 30 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the third groove is adapted for receiving a nail;
- and
- h) a second area defining a second slit adapted for receiving a nail, wherein the second slit:
- (1) is positioned in the foam body second end, (2) extends through the foam body from the first surface to the second surface, (3) is provided along a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface, (4) has a third side and a fourth side, (5) begins at a second starting point which is positioned at the peripheral edge, (6) ends at a second terminal point, (7) has a predetermined distance between the second starting point and the second terminal point which ranges from about 3/8 inch to about 3/4 inch, (8) has a fourth region along the third side defining a fourth groove such that the fourth groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the fourth groove is positioned at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the fourth groove is adapted for receiving a nail, (9) has a fifth region along the third side defining a fifth groove such that the fifth groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the fifth groove is positioned at an angle of about 60 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the fifth groove is adapted for receiving a nail and (10) has a sixth region along the third side defining a sixth groove such that the sixth groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the sixth groove is positioned at an angle of about 30 degrees with respect to the first surface, wherein the sixth groove is adapted for receiving a nail.
8 more elements
A nail guide comprising a flexible polymer foam body, wherein the foam body comprises:
- a) a first end;
- b) a second end opposing the first end;
- c) a first surface;
- d) a second surface opposing the first surface;
- e) a peripheral edge between the first surface and the second surface;
- f) a predetermined thickness between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the predetermined thickness ranges from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch;
- and
- g) a first area defining a first slit adapted for receiving a nail, wherein the first slit:
- (1) is positioned in the foam body first end, (2) extends through the foam body from the first surface to the second surface, (3) is provided along a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface, (4) has a first side and a second side, (5) begins at a starting point which is positioned at the peripheral edge, (6) ends at a terminal point, (7) has a predetermined distance between the starting point and the terminal point which ranges from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch, (8) has a first region along the first side defining a first groove such that the first groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the first groove is positioned at a first predetermined angle with respect to the first surface, wherein the first groove is adapted for receiving a nail and (9) has a second region along the first side defining a second groove such that the second groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the second groove is positioned at a second predetermined angle with respect to the first surface and in which the second angle is smaller than the first angle, wherein the second groove is adapted for receiving a nail.
6 more elements
A combination of a nail guide and a nail comprising:
- a) the nail guide comprising a flexible polymer foam body wherein the foam body comprises:
- (1) a first end, (2) a second end opposing the first end, (3) a first surface, (4) a second surface opposing the first surface, (5) a peripheral edge between the first surface and the second surface, (6) a predetermined thickness between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the predetermined thickness ranges from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch;
- and (7) an area defining a slit adapted for receiving a nail, wherein the slit:
- (i) is positioned in the foam body first end, (ii) extends through the foam body from the first surface to the second surface, (iii) is provided along a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface, (iv) has a first side and a second side, (v) begins at a starting point which is positioned at the peripheral edge, (vi) ends at a terminal point and (vii) has a predetermined distance between the starting point and the terminal point which ranges from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch, (viii) has a region along the first side defining a first groove such that the first groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the first groove is positioned at a first angle with respect to the first surface, wherein the first groove is adapted for receiving a nail and (ix) has a second region along the first side defining a second groove such that the second groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the second groove is positioned at a second predetermined angle with respect to the first surface and in which the second angle is smaller than the first angle, wherein the second groove is adapted for receiving a nail;
- and
- b) the nail inserted in a predetermined groove which is selected from the group of grooves consisting of the first groove and the second groove, such that the nail is inserted into the predetermined groove through the second surface.
3 more elements
A method of guiding a nail comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting a nail guard comprising a flexible polymer foam body wherein the foam body comprises:
- (1) a first surface, (2) a second surface opposing the first surface, (3) a peripheral edge between the first surface and the second surface, (4) an area defining a slit extending through the foam body such that the slit starts at the peripheral edge and is substantially perpendicular to the first surface wherein the slit has a first side and a second side, (5) a first region along the first side defining a first groove such that the first groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the first groove is positioned at a first predetermined angle with respect to the first surface, wherein the first groove is adapted for receiving a nail and (6) a second region along the first side defining a second groove such that the second groove extends from the first surface to the second surface, in which the second groove is positioned at a second predetermined angle with respect to the first surface and in which the second angle is smaller than the first angle, wherein the second groove is adapted for receiving a nail;
- b) inserting the nail into a predetermined groove which is selected of the group of grooves consisting of the first groove and the second groove, such that the nail is inserted into the predetermined groove through the second surface;
- c) selecting a workpiece;
- d) selecting a position on the workpiece for driving the nail,
- e) placing the nail guide on the workpiece such that the nail is positioned on the selected position;
- f) striking the nail with an impact tool until the nail is seated in the workpiece;
- and
- g) removing the nail guide from the workpiece.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.