Method and apparatus for fastening together structural components

Apparatus for use in connecting structural members together by means of fasteners, said apparatus comprising:

• a pneumatically powered rotary impact driver having a housing and an output spindle extending from said housing, said driver being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized fluid for powering the driver and being activatable, when connected to said source of pressurized fluid, to rotatively drive said spindle and also to repetitively impact said spindle when said spindle encounters a predetermined level of resistance to rotation;
• a torque and impact transmitting unit comprising an elongate barrel having first and second ends and an axial bore, means at said first end of said barrel for securing said barrel to said driver, and a drive shaft attached to and coaxial with said spindle so as to form an extension of said spindle, said drive shaft being disposed within said axial bore and having an outer end remote from said spindle;
• a positioning plate, said positioning plate having a top end surface and a bottom end surface, and a fastener drive bore extending between and through said top and bottom surfaces, said fastener drive bore being coaxial with said axial bore;
• telescoping means coupling said positioning plate to said barrel so that said barrel and said drive shaft can be moved toward and away from said top end surface of said positioning plate;
• pneumatic means for urging said telescoping means to move in a direction to move said barrel and said drive shaft away from said top end surface of said positioning plate when said driver is coupled to a source of pressurized fluid;
• connection means for coaxially attaching to said outer end of said drive shaft a tool bit that is adapted to make a locking engagement with the head of a fastener positioned in said fastener drive bore;
• and
• means for deactivating said pneumatic means whereby to allow said telescoping means to move in a direction to move said barrel and said drive shaft toward said positioning plate, whereby when said bottom end surface of said positioning plate is positioned on a first structural member that is to be attached to a second underlying structural member, said torque and impact transmitting unit can be moved toward said member to bring a tool bit attached to said drive shaft into engagement with the head of a fastener positioned in said fastener drive bore, so that operation of said driver will cause said fastener to be driven through said first structural member into said second structural member under the rotational and impact forces transmitted by said drive shaft and said tool bit.

Apparatus for use in connecting structural members to one another by means of fasteners, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotary impact driver having a housing and an output spindle extending from said housing, said driver being operable on command to rotate said spindle and to repetitively impact said spindle when said spindle encounters a predetermined level of resistance to rotation;
• a torque and impact transmitting unit coupled to said driver, said unit comprising an elongate barrel having first and second ends and an axial bore, an attachment means at said first end of said barrel for securing said barrel to said driver, and a drive shaft attached to and coaxial with said spindle so as to form an extension of said spindle, said drive shaft being disposed within said axial bore and having an outer end remote from said spindle;
• a positioning plate, said positioning plate having a top end surface and a bottom end surface, a fastener drive bore extending between and through said top and bottom surfaces, said fastener drive bore being coaxial with said drive shaft;
• telescoping means coupling said positioning plate to said barrel so that said barrel and said drive shaft can be moved toward and away from said top end surface of said positioning plate;
• and
• means for coaxially attaching to said outer end of said drive shaft a tool bit that is adapted to make a locking engagement with the head of a fastener positioned in said fastener drive bore,
• whereby when said bottom end surface of said positioning plate is positioned on a member that is to be attached to an underlying substrate, said torque and impact transmitting unit can be moved toward said member to bring a tool bit attached to said drive shaft into engagement with the head of a fastener positioned in said fastener drive bore, so that operation of said driver will cause said fastener to be driven through said member into said substrate under the rotational and impact forces transmitted by said drive shaft and said tool bit.