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US 6,648,202 B2Granted
Pneumatic fastening tool
AssigneeBlack & Decker Inc.
InventorsKeven E. Miller, John C. Funicello, Todd A. Hagan, Thomas E. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic fastening tool assembly that employs an engine having a sliding sleeve arrangement to control the supply of air to and exhaust from the pneumatic engine. The sliding sleeve arrangement eliminates the need for a conventional main valve and thereby reduces the overall weight and length of the pneumatic fastening tool relative to those tools that employ a conventional engine configuration.
Claims19
A pneumatic fastening tool comprising:
- a housing assembly defining a housing cavity, an exhaust aperture and a rod aperture;
- a sleeve having a sleeve body and a flange formed about a perimeter of the sleeve body, the sleeve body defining a hollow cavity and including a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a supply port formed proximate the second end, the sleeve being movably disposed in the housing cavity such that the flange is interposed between a sleeve extend chamber and a sleeve return chamber and the supply port is positioned forwardly of the exhaust aperture;
- a piston assembly having a piston and a rod, the piston being slidingly disposed in the sleeve and located forwardly of the supply port, the piston segregating the hollow cavity into a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion, the rod being coupled to the piston such that translation of the piston within the hollow cavity causes likewise translation of the rod, the rod extending into the rod aperture;
- a valve assembly coupled to the housing assembly and operable in a first condition and a second condition, the first condition providing a first flow path that is adapted to supply in fluid connection a source of compressed air to the sleeve return chamber to thereby bias the sleeve in a direction opposite the rod aperture and into a returned position, the second condition providing a second flow path that is adapted to supply in fluid connection the source of compressed air to the sleeve extend chamber and vent the sleeve return chamber to the atmosphere to thereby bias the sleeve toward the rod aperture and into an extended position;
- a first seal coupled to at least one of the housing assembly and the sleeve, the first seal sealing an interface between the housing assembly and the sleeve when the sleeve is in the returned position to inhibit a flow of compressed air from the sleeve extend chamber through the supply port to the second cavity portion while the second cavity portion is in fluid connection with the exhaust aperture;
- and
- a second seal coupled to at least one of the housing assembly and the sleeve, the second seal sealing an interface between the housing assembly and the sleeve when the sleeve is in the extended position to inhibit a flow of air from both the second cavity portion and the sleeve extend chamber to the exhaust aperture.
4 more elements
A pneumatic fasting tool comprising:
- a housing assembly defining a housing cavity, an exhaust aperture and a rod aperture;
- a sleeve having a sleeve body and a flange formed about a perimeter of the sleeve body, the sleeve body defining a hollow cavity and including a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a supply port formed proximate the second end, the sleeve being movably disposed in the housing cavity such that the flange is adjacent a sleeve chamber;
- a piston assembly having a piston and a rod, the piston being slidingly disposed in the hollow cavity of the sleeve body forwardly of the exhaust aperture and segregating the hollow cavity into a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion, the rod being coupled to the piston such that translation of the piston within the hollow cavity causes likewise translation of the rod, the rod extending into the rod aperture;
- and
- a valve assembly coupled to the housing assembly and operable in a first condition and a second condition, the first condition providing a first flow path that is adapted to supply in fluid connection a source of compressed air to the sleeve chamber to thereby bias the sleeve in a first direction along a longitudinal axis of the hollow cavity and into one of an extended position and a returned position, the second condition providing a second flow path that is adapted to vent the sleeve chamber to the atmosphere and bias the sleeve in a second direction opposite the first direction and into the other one of the extended position and the returned position;
- wherein positioning of the sleeve in the extended position provides a piston feed flow path and blocks a flow of air to through the exhaust aperture, the piston feed flow path being configured to route a supply of compressed air through the sleeve and into the second cavity portion to force the piston toward the rod aperture;
- and
- wherein positioning of the sleeve in the returned position blocks the piston feed flow path and permits air to flow from the second cavity portion through the exhaust aperture and to the atmosphere.
5 more elements
A pneumatic fastening tool comprising:
- a cap assembly having an exhaust manifold, which defines an exhaust aperture, and an annular wall;
- a housing defining a rod aperture, the housing cooperating with the cap assembly to define a housing cavity;
- a guide assembly having a guide with a body portion and a plurality of legs, the body portion including a sleeve bore formed therethrough, the sleeve bore including a first portion that is defined by a first diameter, and a second portion that is defined by a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, the guide being disposed within the housing cavity such that the body portion is abutted against the housing and the legs are abutted against the annular wall of the cap assembly;
- a sleeve having a sleeve body and a flange formed about a perimeter of the sleeve body, the sleeve body defining a hollow cavity and including a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a supply port formed proximate the second end and forwardly of the exhaust aperture, the flange being disposed in the first portion of the sleeve bore and the body portion being disposed in the second portion of the sleeve bore such that the guide supports the sleeve for movement in the housing cavity, the flange being positioned between a sleeve extend chamber and a sleeve return chamber;
- a piston assembly having a piston and a rod, the piston being slidingly disposed in the hollow cavity of the sleeve body forwardly of the supply port and segregating the hollow cavity into a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion, the rod being coupled to the piston such that translation of the piston within the hollow cavity causes likewise translation of the rod, the rod extending into the rod aperture;
- and
- a valve assembly coupled to the housing and operable in a first condition and a second condition, the first condition providing a first flow path that is adapted to supply in fluid connection a source of compressed air through an air gallery formed in the guide to the sleeve return chamber to thereby bias the sleeve in a direction opposite the rod aperture and into a returned position, the second condition which vents the sleeve return chamber to the atmosphere and provides a second flow path that is adapted to supply in fluid connection the source of compressed air to the sleeve extend chamber to thereby bias the sleeve toward the rod aperture and into an extended position;
- wherein positioning of the sleeve in the extended position provides a piston feed flow path and blocks a flow of air through the exhaust aperture, the piston feed flow path being configured to route a supply of compressed air through the sleeve and into the second cavity portion to force the piston toward the rod aperture;
- and
- wherein positioning of the sleeve in the returned position blocks the piston feed flow path and permits air to flow from the second cavity portion through the exhaust aperture and to the atmosphere.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.