US 8,074,855 B2Granted

Bypass type follower assembly having a latch mechanism on the follower claw

AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.

InventorMichael P. Johnson

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Abstract

A follower mechanism of the bypass type comprises a follower body which is normally spring-biased in the forward direction so as to, in turn, normally bias a strip supply of nail-type fasteners in the forward direction toward a discharge path along which the leading one of the nail-type fasteners will he driven and discharged out from the fastener-driving tool. A follower claw is normally spring-biased, around the pivotal axis of a pivot pin mounted upon the follower body, to a position at which the follower claw can engage the trailing one of the nail-type fasteners so as to bias the supply strip of nail-type fasteners in the forward direction. A latch-hook is integrally provided upon the follower claw for engaging an undercut region of the fastener-driving tool magazine end cap in order to retain the entire follower mechanism at a rearwardly retracted position within the magazine assembly of the fastener-driving machine.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fastener-driving tool, comprising:

a fastener magazine within which a supply of fasteners are adapted to be disposed;
an end cap provided upon a rearward section of said fastener magazine;
a notched portion defined upon said end cap of said fastener magazine;
a wall member disposed within said notched portion of said end cap of said fastener magazine;
and
a follower mechanism, of the bypass type, adapted to be disposed within said fastener magazine of said fastener-driving tool for biasing the supply of fasteners toward a forward position at which leading ones of the supply of fasteners can be serially discharged from said fastener-driving tool,
said follower mechanism comprising a follower body adapted to be movably disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool within which the supply of fasteners, to be serially discharged from the fastener-driving tool, are to be disposed;
a follower claw for engaging at least the trailing fastener of the supply of fasteners disposed within said fastener magazine of said fastener-driving tool so as to bias the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool toward the forward position at which leading ones of the supply of fasteners can be serially discharged from the fastener-driving tool;
said follower claw being pivotally mounted upon said follower body between a first position at which said follower claw normally engages the at least trailing fastener of the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener driving tool, and a second position at which said follower claw can bypass the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener driving tool;
and a latch hook mounted upon said follower claw for engaging said wall member disposed within said notched portion of said end cap of said fastener magazine so as to retain said follower mechanism at a latched position defined within said rearward section of said fastener magazine.

7 more elements

A fastener-driving tool, comprising:

a fastener magazine within which a supply of fasteners are adapted to be disposed;
and
a follower mechanism, of the bypass type, adapted to be disposed within said fastener magazine of said fastener-driving tool for biasing the supply of fasteners toward a forward position at which leading ones of the supply of fasteners can be serially discharged from said fastener-driving tool,
said follower mechanism comprising a follower body adapted to be movably disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool within which a supply of fasteners, to be serially discharged from the fastener-driving tool, are to be disposed;
and a follower claw for engaging at least the trailing fastener of the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool so as to bias the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool toward the forward position at which leading ones of the supply of fasteners can be serially discharged from said fastener-driving tool, wherein said follower claw comprises a plurality of fingers for engaging at least the trailing fastener of the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool.

2 more elements

A fastener-driving tool, comprising:

a fastener magazine within which a supply of fasteners are adapted to be disposed;
and
a follower mechanism, of the bypass type, adapted to be disposed within said fastener magazine of said fastener-driving tool for biasing the supply of fasteners toward a forward position at which leading ones of the supply of fasteners can be serially discharged from said fastener-driving tool,
said follower mechanism comprising a follower body adapted to be movably disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool within which a supply of fasteners, to be serially discharged from the fastener-driving tool, are to be disposed;
a follower claw for engaging at least the trailing fastener of the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool so as to bias the supply of fasteners disposed within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool toward the forward position at which leading ones of the supply of fasteners can be serially discharged from said fastener-driving tool, and a latch hook for retaining said follower mechanism at a rearward position within said magazine of said fastener-driving tool,
said follower claw being pivotally mounted upon said follower body by a pivot pin having opposite end portions thereof fixedly mounted within said follower body;
a clevis member integrally formed upon said follower claw and having opposite end portions thereof pivotally mounted upon said pivot pin;
and a cross-piece member extending transversely through said follower body, wherein said follower claw is integrally mounted upon a first end portion of said cross-piece member, said latch hook is integrally mounted upon a second end portion of said cross-piece member, and said clevis member is integrally mounted upon an intermediate portion of said cross-piece member.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.