Depth of drive adjustment for a fastener driving tool with removable contact member and method of exchanging contact members

A method for exchanging different workpiece engaging portions of a safety trip assembly in a fastener driving tool for driving fasteners into a workpiece, the safety trip assembly including a trigger enabling portion and a selected workpiece engaging portion, the selected workpiece engaging portion slidably mounted to the trigger enabling portion for movement in a longitudinal direction relative to the trigger enabling portion, the safety trip assembly being movable when the selected workpiece engaging portion is releasably coupled to the trigger enabling portion between an extended position and a retracted position whereby the trigger enabling portion enables the trigger mechanism to activate the fastener driving mechanism when manually actuated by a user when the safety trip assembly is in the retracted position and disables the trigger mechanism when the safety trip assembly is not in the retracted position;

• the method comprising:
• manually engaging and moving a manually-operable, movable locking member mounted to the trigger enabling portion against a biasing of a spring from a locking position wherein the locking member lockingly engages a first selected workpiece engaging portion to releasably couple the first selected workpiece engaging portion to the trigger enabling portion to a releasing position wherein the locking member is disengaged from the first selected workpiece engaging portion;
• while the locking member is in the releasing position thereof, moving the first selected workpiece engaging portion relative to the trigger enabling portion until the first selected workpiece engaging portion is removed from the safety trip assembly, and moving a second selected workpiece engaging portion different from the first selected workpiece engaging portion relative to the trigger enabling portion so that the second selected workpiece engaging portion is mounted to the trigger enabling portion;
• manually releasing the locking member to allow the spring to bias the movable locking member from the releasing position back into the locking position to thereby lockingly engage the second selected workpiece engaging portion.

In combination:

• a fastener driving tool adapted to be used with different workpiece engaging portions, the fastener driving tool comprising:
• a housing assembly including a nosepiece assembly defining a longitudinally-extending fastener drive track;
• a fastener driving mechanism carried internally of the housing assembly and constructed and arranged to drive a fastener through the fastener drive track and into a workpiece when the fastener drive mechanism is selectively activated by a user;
• a manually actuatable trigger mechanism constructed and arranged to activate the fastener driving mechanism when manually actuated by a user;
• and
• a safety trip assembly including a trigger enabling portion and a first workpiece engaging portion movably mounted to the trigger enabling portion for movement in a longitudinal direction relative to the trigger enabling portion;
• a manually operable locking mechanism including a manually-operable, movable locking member mounted to the trigger enabling portion for movement between a locking position and a releasing position, the movable locking member in the locking position thereof engaging the first workpiece engaging portion to releasably couple the first workpiece engaging portion to the trigger enabling portion and thereby fix a longitudinal length of the safety trip assembly, the movable locking member in the releasing position thereof being disengaged from the first workpiece engaging portion to enable the first workpiece engaging portion to be moved in the longitudinal direction relative to the trigger enabling portion for adjusting the longitudinal length of the safety trip assembly, said movable locking member in said releasing position thereof enabling the first workpiece engaging portion to be removed from the safety trip assembly, and
• a spring biasing the movable locking member into the locking position, the spring permitting the movable locking member to be manually moved to the releasing position against the biasing force by a user's hand engaging the movable locking member to move the movable locking member from the locking position to the releasing position and to automatically return to the locking position when the movable locking member is disengaged by the user's hand;
• and
• a second workpiece engaging portion being mountable to the trigger enabling portion after said first workpiece engaging portion has been removed, said movable locking member being engageable with the second workpiece engaging portion to releasably couple the second workpiece engaging portion to the trigger enabling portion, the second workpiece engaging portion comprising a positioning mechanism constructed and arranged to position the nosepiece assembly into an opening in a first workpiece such that the fastener is driven through the opening to fasten the first workpiece to a second workpiece.