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US 6,966,476 B2Granted
Integrated check pawl, last nail-retaining, and dry fire lock-out mechanism for fastener-driving tool
AssigneeStanley Fastening Systems, L.P.
InventorsDavid B Jalbert, Charles W Hewitt, Zheng Fang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastener-driving tool includes an integrated function member that performs at least two of the following three functions: a check pawl function, a last fastener-retaining function, and a dry fire lock-out function. In the disclosed embodiment, the integrated function member is provided as a lever-type structure that constitutes part of the access door assembly by means of which access is gained to the fastener drive track along which fasteners (e.g., roofing nails) are fed to the driving portion of the tool. Also disclosed is an improved method of retaining the last nail in the drive track by a lateral head gripping action and a tool for performing the method.
Claims54
A fastener-driving tool for driving fasteners into a workpiece, said fastener-driving tool comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a nose portion attached to said main body portion, said nose portion having a fastener drive track therein that is configured to receive a fastener to be driven into the workpiece;
- a fastener-driving member that drives the fastener that is to be driven out of said drive track and into the workpiece;
- and
- an actuator that is actuated to cause said fastener-driving member to drive the fasteners into the workpiece;
- wherein said fastener-driving tool further comprises an integrated function member having a last-fastener-retaining portion and a dry fire lock-out portion, said integrated function member being configured and operatively disposed relative to said drive track and said actuator such that 1) when a last fastener remains to be driven into the workpiece, said last-fastener-retaining portion holds the last fastener within said drive track to prevent the last fastener from falling out of said drive track without being driven into the workpiece and 2) such that when no fasteners remain within said fastener-driving tool, said dry fire lock-out portion prevents operation of said actuator, thereby preventing fastener-driving movement of said fastener-driving member.
3 more elements
A fastener-driving tool for driving fasteners into a workpiece, said fastener-driving tool comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a magazine assembly including a magazine portion configured to receive therein a supply of fasteners to be driven into the workpiece;
- a nose portion extending from said main body portion, said nose portion having a fastener drive track therein that is configured to receive a header fastener to be driven into the workpiece;
- a fastener-driving member cooperable with said drive track so as to drive the fastener that is to be driven out of said drive track and into the workpiece, said nose portion further having a fastener feed track that is located between said drive track and said magazine portion, said fastener feed track being configured to receive a succession of fasteners from said magazine portion and to guide the succession of fasteners toward and into said drive track;
- an actuator that is actuated to cause said fastener-driving member to drive the headed fasteners into the workpiece;
- and
- fastener feed mechanism that advances the succession of fasteners along said fastener feed track to feed successive leading fasteners into said drive track;
- and
- wherein said feed mechanism further comprises an integrated function member having a check pawl portion and a last-fastener-retaining portion, said integrated function member being configured and operatively disposed relative to said fastener feed track and said fastener drive track such that 1) during operation of said fastener-driving tool in which two or more fasteners remain in the supply to be driven, said check pawl portion of said integrated function member engages the succession of fasteners within said fastener feed track to limit the succession of fasteners from moving away from said drive track as said feed mechanism retracts while operating to advance the succession of fasteners toward said drive track;
- and 2) such that when a last fastener remains to be driven into the workpiece, said last-fastener-retaining portion holds the last fastener within said drive track to prevent the last fastener from falling out of said drive track without being driven into the workpiece.
7 more elements
A fastener-driving tool for driving fasteners into a workpiece, said fastener-driving tool comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a magazine assembly including a magazine portion configured to receive therein a supply of fasteners to be driven into the workpiece;
- a nose portion extending from said main body portion, said nose portion having a fastener drive track therein that is configured to receive a fastener to be driven into the workpiece;
- a fastener-driving member cooperable with said drive track so as to drive the fastener that is to be driven out of said drive track and into the workpiece, said drive track having a workpiece-contacting end, said nose portion further having a fastener feed track that is located between said drive track and said magazine portion of said fastener-driving tool, said fastener feed track being configured to receive a succession of fasteners from said magazine portion and to guide the succession of fasteners toward and into said drive track;
- an actuator that is actuated to cause said fastener-driving member to drive the fasteners into the workpiece;
- and
- fastener feed mechanism that advances the succession of fasteners along said fastener feed track to feed the fasteners into said drive track,
- said feed mechanism including an integrated function member having a check pawl portion and a dry fire lock-out portion, said integrated function member being configured and operatively disposed relative to said fastener feed track and said actuator such that 1) during operation of said fastener-driving tool in which approximately two or more fasteners remain in the supply to be driven, said check pawl portion of said integrated function member engages the succession of fasteners within said fastener feed track to limit the succession of fasteners from moving away from said drive track as said feed mechanism retracts while operating to advance the succession of fasteners toward said drive track;
- and 2) such that when no fasteners remain within said fastener-drive track, said dry fire lock-out portion prevents operation of said actuator, thereby preventing fastener-driving movement of said fastener-driving member.
6 more elements
A fastener-driving tool for driving fasteners into a workpiece, said fastener-driving tool comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a magazine assembly having a magazine portion configured to receive therein a supply of fasteners to be driven into the workpiece;
- a nose portion attached to said main body portion, said nose portion having a fastener drive hack therein that is configured to receive a headed fastener to be driven into the workpiece;
- a fastener-driving member cooperable with said drive track so as to drive the fastener that is to be driven out of said drive track and into the workpiece, said nose portion further having a fastener feed track that is located between said drive track and said magazine portion of said fastener-driving tool, said fastener feed track being configured to receive a succession of fasteners from said magazine portion and to guide the succession of fasteners toward end into said drive track;
- an actuator that is actuated to cause said fastener-driving member to drive the headed fasteners into the workpiece;
- and
- fastener feed mechanism that advances the succession of fasteners along said fastener feed track to feed the leading fastener of the succession of fasteners into said drive track;
- wherein said feed mechanism comprises an integrated function member having a check pawl portion, a last-fastener-retaining portion, and a dry fire lock-out portion, said integrated function member being configured and operatively disposed relative to said fastener feed track and said drive track such that 1) during operation of said fastener driving tool in which approximately two or more fasteners remain in the supply to be driven, said check pawl portion of said integrated function member engages the succession of fasteners within said fastener feed track to limit the succession of fasteners from moving away from said drive track as said feed mechanism retracts while operating to advance the succession of fasteners toward said drive track;
- 2) such that when a last fastener remains to be driven into the workpiece, said last-fastener-retaining portion holds the last fastener within said drive track to prevent the last fastener from falling out of said drive track without being driven into the workpiece;
- and 3) such that when no fasteners remain within said fastener drive track, said dry fire lock-out portion prevents operation of said actuator, thereby preventing fastener-driving movement of said fastener-driving member.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.