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US 6,772,931 B2Granted
Magazine assembly for fastening tool
AssigneeBlack & Decker Inc.
InventorsKeven E. Miller, John C. Funicello, Todd A. Hagan, Thomas E. Miller, Andrzej R. Wojcicki, Glen V. Steinbrunner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magazine assembly for a fastening tool. The magazine assembly includes a feed mechanism having a fastener follower that includes a cam device. The feed mechanism also includes a cam follower which is employed to engage the cam device so that fasteners may be loaded into the magazine assembly. The cam follower alternately engages and disengages the cam device in response to movement of the fastener follower relative to the cam device. A method for operating a fastening tool is also provided.
Claims42
A magazine assembly for a fastening tool, the magazine assembly comprising:
- a magazine housing defining a follower housing portion with an upper end and a lower end;
- a follower structure at least partially disposed in the follower housing portion;
- a spring associated with the magazine housing and the follower structure, the spring biasing the follower structure upwardly toward the upper end of the follower housing portion;
- a catch having a first catch portion, which is associated with the follower structure, and a second catch portion, which is associated with the magazine housing, the catch being selectively operable in an engaged condition that maintains the follower structure in a predetermined position relative to the magazine housing,
- wherein the catch is situated in the engaged condition in response to manually releasing the follower structure following an initial downwardly directed contact event to thereby permit the spring to bias the follower structure upwardly in the follower housing portion;
- and
- wherein the catch is changed from the engaged condition to an unengaged condition in response to a subsequent downwardly directed contact event.
4 more elements
A fastening tool assembly comprising:
- a fastening tool;
- and
- a magazine assembly associated with the fastening tool, the magazine assembly being configured to hold and progressively dispense a plurality of fasteners, the magazine assembly including a magazine housing, a follower structure, a spring and a catch, the magazine housing having a follower housing portion with an upper end and a lower end, the follower structure including a follower body and an actuating lever, the follower body being at least partially disposed in the follower housing portion, the actuating lever extending from the magazine housing and being configured to receive a manual input from a finger of a user, the manual input being configured to translate the follower body downwardly in the follower housing portion, the spring being associated with the magazine housing and the follower structure and configured to bias the follower structure upwardly toward the upper end of the follower housing portion, the catch including a first catch portion that is coupled to the follower body and a second catch portion that is associated with the magazine housing, the catch being operable in an unlatched condition, which does not inhibit upward translating movement of the follower structure relative to the magazine housing, and a latched condition in which the first and second catch portions engage one another to inhibit the follower body from moving upwardly in the follower housing portion;
- wherein the user need only press the actuating lever downward to cause the follower structure to translate downward relative to the magazine housing beyond a predetermined point and thereafter release the actuating lever to change the catch from the latched condition to the unlatched condition.
1 more element
A fastening tool assembly comprising:
- a fastening tool;
- and
- a magazine assembly associated with the fastening tool, the magazine assembly being configured to hold and progressively dispense a plurality of fasteners, the magazine assembly including a magazine housing, a guide tab, a first catch portion, a second catch portion and a spring, the magazine housing being configured to hold the fasteners and having a follower housing portion with an upper end and a lower end, the guide tab being at least partially housed in the magazine housing and being configured to guide the fasteners while they are being progressively dispensed from the magazine housing, the first catch portion being coupled to one of the magazine housing and the follower structure, the second catch portion being coupled to the other one of the magazine housing and the follower structure, the spring biasing at least one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion away from the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion;
- wherein the first catch portion and the second catch portion cooperate with one another to permit the guide tab to be latched in a loading position whereby the fasteners may be loaded into the magazine housing, the first catch portion and the second catch portion being configured such that engagement of the first catch portion and the second catch portion is effected through relative translation of one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion toward the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion followed by relative translation of the one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion away from the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion;
- and
- wherein the first catch portion and the second catch portion being further configured such that disengagement of the first catch portion and the second catch portion from one another is effected solely through translation of the one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion toward the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion followed by relative translation of the one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion away from the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion.
3 more elements
A fastening tool assembly comprising:
- a fastening tool;
- and
- a magazine assembly associated with the fastening tool, the magazine assembly being configured to hold a plurality of fasteners and progressively dispense the fasteners, the magazine assembly including a magazine housing, a guide tab movably disposed in the magazine housing and a catch for selectively securing the guide tab relative to the magazine housing in a loading position that permits one or more fasteners to be loaded into the magazine housing, wherein the catch is solely responsive to translation of the guide tab within the magazine housing to latch the guide tab into the loading position and unlatch the guide tab from the loading position.
A method for operating a fastening tool assembly having a fastening tool and a magazine assembly, the magazine assembly including a magazine housing, a guide tab, a spring and a catch, the guide tab being at least partially disposed in the magazine housing, the spring being operable for biasing the guide tab upwardly in the magazine housing, the catch being operable in an engaged condition for holding the guide tab in a position that permits a plurality of fasteners to be loaded into the magazine housing, the catch being further operable in a disengaged condition that does not inhibit upward movement of the guide tab in the magazine housing, the method comprising:
- pushing the guide tab to a predetermined point at a lower end of the magazine housing;
- releasing the guide tab so that the spring lifts the guide tab upwardly from the predetermined point to engage the catch;
- loading the plurality of fasteners into the magazine housing;
- pushing the guide tab toward the lower end of the magazine housing to disengage the catch;
- and
- releasing the guide tab to permit the spring to raise the guide tab toward the upper end of the magazine housing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.