Screwdriver with slotted nose for collated screws

A screwdriver assembly to drive screws collated together in a strip spaced in parallel relation from each other in combination with a plastic holding strip holding screws spaced in parallel side-by-side relation from each other,

• the strip having joining lands which extend both between the screws and axially relative the screws, and
• the lands having a forwardly directed surface for engagement with the strip supporting surface of the exitway,
• the screwdriver comprising:
• a cylinder guideway to receive a screw coaxially therein,
• a screw-and-strip entranceway opening generally radially into the guideway on a first side thereof,
• a strip exitway opening generally radially out of the guideway on a second side thereof opposite the entranceway,
• the guideway, the entranceway and the exitway juxtapositioned to permit screws collated in a strip spaced in parallel relation from each other to be successively advanced through the entranceway radially into the guideway to locate each successive screw coaxially within the guideway with portions of the strip from which screws have been driven extending from the guideway via the exitway,
• an elongate, rotatable driver shaft having at a forward end a bit, the shaft reciprocally movable axially in the guideway to engage the screw with the bit and drive the screw axially forwardly from the guideway into a workpiece,
• the exitway having an axially, rearwardly directed strip supporting surface axially forward of the strip for engagement by the strip to support the strip against movement forwardly on the shaft driving a screw axially forwardly,
• the exitway encircling the strip with the exitway having an axially forwardly directed surface axially rearward of the strip and side surfaces on either side of the strip extending between the rearwardly directed surface and the forwardly directed surface,
• the guideway having an inner diameter marginally greater than a diameter of a head of a screw to be driven therein and a screw locating sidewall about portions of the guideway to engage the head of a screw and coaxially locate the screws in the guideway,
• a lateral strip receiving slotway cut from said sidewall on one side thereof extending normal the axis of the guideway from the entranceway to the exitway opening at each of its ends as part of the entranceway and exitway,
• the slotway sized to receive the strip therein radially to one side of the guideway when the head of the screw being driven passes through the guideway past the strip.