Fastener driving device with enhanced depth adjusting assembly

A fastener driving device comprising

• a frame structure presenting a handle portion constructed and arranged to be gripped by a user enabling the user to handle the device in portable fashion;
• nosepiece structure operatively fixed with respect to said frame structure defining a fastener drive track;
• a fastener driving element slidably mounted in said drive track;
• a manually actuated fastener driving system carried by said frame structure constructed and arranged to move said fastener driving element through successive operating cycles each including a drive stroke and a return stroke;
• a magazine assembly carried by said frame structure having fixed structure defining a fastener feed track leading to said drive track and movable structure constructed and arranged to enable a package of fasteners to be loaded in said magazine assembly and fed along said feed track so that the leading fastener of the fastener package is moved into said drive track to be driven outwardly thereof into a workpiece during the drive stroke of the fastener driving element;
• an actuating member constructed and arranged with respect to said frame structure to be moved rectilinearly in a direction generally parallel with said drive track between a normally biased inoperative position and an operative position;
• a trigger member constructed and arranged with respect to said frame structure to be manually pivoted between an inoperative position and an operative limiting position thereabove;
• a work contact assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said frame structure to be moved from a normally biased inoperative position into an operative position in response to the movement of said device into cooperating engagement with a workpiece;
• said work contact assembly includes an upper structure and a lower structure separate from said upper structure and a fastener depth adjusting assembly interconnecting said upper and lower structures constructed and arranged to be manually adjusted to change the relative positions of said upper and lower structures between (1) a first position of adjustment wherein said lower structure portion when said work contact assembly is in the operative position thereof extends from said nosepiece structure a first extent and a fastener driven into a workpiece by said fastener driving element has a minimum workpiece penetration and (2) a second position of adjustment wherein said lower structure portion when said work contact assembly is in the operative position thereof extends from said nosepiece structure a second extent and a fastener driven into a workpiece by said fastener driving element has a maximum workpiece penetration,
• said fastener depth adjusting assembly comprising
• a rotary adjusting member having an internal threaded section extending along an axis threadedly mounted on one of said upper and lower structures so that a rotational movement of said adjusting member with respect to said one structure effects a relative axial movement therebetween;
• mounting structure between another of said upper and lower structures and said adjusting member constructed and arranged to mount said adjusting member on said another structure so as to be freely rotatable about said axis while being restrained against axial movement with respect thereto;
• said mounting structure positioning said adjusting member so as to present an exterior surface in an accessible exterior position on said frame structure;
• said exterior surface having a shape facilitating manual rotational movement of said adjusting member by a manual rolling action thereon and
• a yieldable holding member mounted on said another structure for linear movement toward and away from the exterior surface of said adjusting member while being restrained against axial movement with respect thereto;
• said yieldable holding member being spring biased to continuously engage the exterior surface of said adjusting member;
• said yieldable holding member being constructed and arranged with respect to the exterior surface configuration of said adjusting member to continuously yieldably hold said adjusting member in a selected one of a series of rotational positions against free rotational movement in either direction while allowing manual rotational movements against the spring bias of said yieldable holding member in either direction with generally equal manual effort.