Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SCREWDRIVER TOOL WITH IMPROVED CORNER FIT FUNCTION
10001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
100021 The present application claims priority to patent application Serial
No.
13/288,982, titled "SCREWDRIVER TOOL WITH IMPROVED CORNER FIT
FUNCTION," filed on November 4, 2011; and claims priority to patent
application Serial No.
13/288,985, titled "SCREWDRIVER TOOL WITH IMPROVED LINEAR TRACKING,"
filed on November 4, 2011.
TECHNICAL FIELD
100011 The technology disclosed herein relates generally to automatic
screw driving
equipment and is particularly directed to an automatic screw driving tool or
an attachment of
the type which has a narrow front-end profile so that it is capable of driving
screws (or other
rotatable fasteners) that are in hard-to-reach positions, such as corners or
angled members.
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BACKGROUND
[0005] Conventional automatic fastener driving tools that work with
strips of collated
fasteners typically have a movable slide body subassembly that can slide into
an open internal
area of a feed tube or feed housing. Unfortunately, the conventional automatic
fastener
driving tools typically have a problem fitting into relatively small areas so
as to be able to
drive a rotatable fastener into one of those small areas. Mainly this is
because the feed tube
housing is rather large in size, and as the slide body subassembly "collapses-
into the feed
tube, the narrower nosepiece becomes insignificant with respect to the size of
the feed tube
itself. In essence, the tool will not be able to fit into a small area,
because the feed tube is
larger, and that limitation will not allow the fastener to be driven while the
tool is attempting
to fit into that small area.
SUMMARY
100061 Accordingly, it is an advantage to provide an automatic
fastener driving tool
or attachment that has an extending mechanism to increase the "lick-out"
characteristic of the
tool so it can fit into smaller areas for driving rotatable fasteners.
100071 It is another advantage to provide an automatic fastener driving
tool or
attachment that includes a timing belt drive within its slide body
subassembly, to increase the
distance that the tool's drive bit can extend past the feed housing while
maintaining a
relatively small cross-sectional area of the slide body subassembly.
[0008] It is yet another advantage to provide an automatic fastener
driving tool or
attachment that includes a gear-driven sprocket within its slide body
subassembly, to increase
the distance that the tool's drive bit can extend while maintaining a
relatively small cross-
sectional area of the slide body subassembly.
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[0009] It is still another advantage to provide an automatic fastener
driving tool or
attachment that has a slide body subassembly that moves along linear guides,
in which the
surfaces of the slide body subassembly are dovetailed to provide a stronger,
more durable
surface along the guide rails to support an extending mechanism within the
slide body
subassembly, thereby having an improved linear tracking capability.
[0010] It is a further advantage to provide an automatic fastener
driving tool or
attachment that has an external depth of drive adjustment mounted at the rear
portion of the
feed tube housing, to allow for an extended surface for the slide body
subassembly to act
against the linear guides of the feed tube.
[0011] Additional advantages and other novel features will be set forth in
part in the
description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in
the art upon
examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the
technology disclosed
herein.
[0012] To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, and in
accordance with one
aspect, slide body subassembly for a rotatable fastener driving tool apparatus
is provided, the
slide body subassembly comprising: (a) a drive gear having a first axis of
rotation, the drive
gear having a first set of engagement extensions along one of its surfaces at
a first position
along the first axis of rotation, the drive gear having a set of ratchet teeth
at a second position
along the first axis of rotation; (b) a sprocket having a second axis of
rotation that is
substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation, and that is spaced-apart
from the drive gear,
the sprocket having a first plurality of spaced-apart protrusions along an
outer curved surface
at a third position along the second axis of rotation, the sprocket having a
second set of
engagement extensions at a fourth position along the second axis of rotation;
(c) a drive belt
that runs between the drive gear and the sprocket, the drive belt having a
second plurality of
spaced-apart protrusions along one of its surfaces, the second plurality of
spaced-apart
protrusions being in mechanical engagement with the first set of engagement
extensions of
the drive gear and being in mechanical engagement with the second set of
engagement
extensions of the sprocket, the drive belt being caused to move if the drive
gear rotates, and
the drive belt then causing the sprocket to rotate; and (d) a displacement
action mechanism
that causes the drive gear to rotate by way of the set of ratchet teeth; and a
feed tube with at
least one sliding surface, which allows the slide body subassembly to move
with respect to
the feed tube, which movement actuates the displacement action mechanism.
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[0013] In accordance with another aspect, a slide body subassembly for
a rotatable
fastener driving tool apparatus, the slide body subassembly comprising: (a) a
drive gear
having a first axis of rotation, the drive gear having a first set of gear
teeth along one of its
surfaces at a first position along the first axis of rotation, the drive gear
having a set of ratchet
teeth at a second position along the first axis of rotation; (b) a sprocket
having a second axis
of rotation that is substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation, and
that is spaced-apart
from the drive gear, the sprocket having a plurality of spaced-apart
protrusions along an outer
curved surface at a third position along the second axis of rotation, the
sprocket having a
second set of gear teeth along one of its surfaces at a fourth position along
the second axis of
rotation; (c) at least one intermediate gear having at least one intermediate
axis of rotation,
the at least one intermediate gear having at least one third set of gear teeth
that are in
mechanical engagement with the first set of gear teeth of the drive gear and
being in
mechanical engagement with the second set of gear teeth of the sprocket, the
at least one
intermediate gear being caused to move if the drive gear rotates, and the at
least one
intermediate gear then causing the sprocket to rotate; (d) a displacement
action mechanism
that causes the drive gear to rotate by way of the set of ratchet teeth; and a
feed tube with at
least one sliding surface, which allows the slide body subassembly to move
with respect to
the feed tube, which movement actuates the displacement action mechanism.
[0014] In accordance with yet another aspect, a drive apparatus for a
rotatable
fastener driving tool is provided, which comprises: an extending mechanism
that is actuated
by relative movement, and that has an output member which creates an indexing
motion; and
an elongated feed tube having a first end and a second, opposite end along a
longitudinal axis,
the feed tube having an open volume therewithin, the first end being open and
sized and
shaped to receive the extending mechanism, the second end having an opening to
receive a
rotatable drive bit that extends through the open volume, the feed tube having
a slidable
surface, the drive bit having a distal end that, along the longitudinal axis,
is located a distance
P from the first end of the feed tube, the feed tube having a maximum outer
width dimension
W and a maximum outer height dimension H; wherein: (a) during operation, the
extending
mechanism is movable with respect to the feed tube, along the slidable surface
of the feed
tube, which is relative movement that actuates the extending mechanism; and
(b) a ratio P/W
is greater than or equal to 0.5.
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[0015] In accordance with still another aspect, a drive apparatus for
a rotatable
fastener driving tool is provided, which comprises: an extending mechanism
that is actuated
by relative movement, and that has an output member which creates an indexing
motion; and
an elongated feed tube having a first end and a second, opposite end along a
longitudinal axis,
the feed tube having an open volume therewithin, the first end being open and
sized and
shaped to receive the extending mechanism, the second end having an opening to
receive a
rotatable drive bit that extends through the open volume, the feed tube having
a slidable
surface, the drive bit having a distal end that, along the longitudinal axis,
is located a distance
P from the first end of the feed tube, the feed tube having a maximum outer
width dimension
W and a maximum outer height dimension H; wherein: (a) during operation, the
extending
mechanism is movable with respect to the feed tube, along the slidable surface
of the feed
tube, which is relative movement that actuates the extending mechanism; and
(b) a ratio P/H
is greater than or equal to 0.5.
[0016] In accordance with a further aspect, a drive apparatus for a
rotatable fastener
driving tool is provided, which comprises: a slide body structure that is
actuated by relative
movement, and that has an output member which creates an indexing motion, the
slide body
structure having a dovetail shaped body member; and an elongated feed tube
having a first
end and a second, opposite end along a longitudinal axis, the feed tube having
an open
volume therewithin, the first end being open and sized and shaped to receive
the slide body
structure, the feed tube having an elongated slidable surface at an interior
location, the
slidable surface having a shape that corresponds to mate against the dovetail
shaped body
member, wherein during operation, the slide body structure is movable with
respect to the
feed tube along the slidable surface of the feed tube, which relative movement
actuates the
slide body structure.
[0017] In accordance with a yet further aspect, a drive apparatus for a
rotatable
fastener driving tool is provided, which comprises: a slide body subassembly
that is actuated
by relative movement, and that has an output member which creates an indexing
motion; an
elongated feed tube having a first end and a second, opposite end along a
longitudinal axis,
the feed tube having an open volume therewithin, the first end being
substantially open and
sized and shaped to receive the slide body subassembly, the feed tube having
an elongated
slidable surface and, during operation, the slide body subassembly is movable
with respect to
the feed tube, which relative movement actuates the slide body subassembly; an
elongated
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nosepiece that is adjustably affixed to the slide body subassembly, the
nosepiece having a
third end and a fourth, opposite end along an axis of movement that is
substantially parallel to
the longitudinal axis, the third end extending past the first end of the feed
tube so as to
contact a surface of a workpiece, the fourth end extending toward the second
end of the feed
tube and having a first contact surface; and a depth of drive subassembly that
is mounted
proximal to the second end of the feed tube, the depth of drive subassembly
including a
movable member that has a second contact surface, the first contact surface of
the fourth end
of the nosepiece coming into mechanical communication with the second contact
surface at
the end of a fastener driving cycle.
[0018] In accordance with a still further aspect, a drive apparatus for a
rotatable
fastener driving tool is provided, which comprises: a slide body subassembly
that is actuated
by relative movement, and that has an output member which creates an indexing
motion; an
elongated feed tube having a first end and a second, opposite end along a
longitudinal axis,
the feed tube having an open volume therewithin, the first end being
substantially open and
IS sized and shaped to receive the slide body subassembly, the feed tube
having an elongated
slidable surface and, during operation, the slide body subassembly is movable
with respect to
the feed tube, which relative movement actuates the slide body subassembly; an
elongated
nosepiece that is adjustably affixed to the slide body subassembly, the
nosepiece having a
third end and a fourth end at opposite positions along an axis of movement
that is
substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the third end extending past
the first end of the
feed tube so as to contact a surface of a workpiece, the fourth end extending
toward the
second end of the feed tube; and a depth of drive subassembly that is mounted
at an external
location with respect to the feed tube, the depth of drive subassembly having
an adjustable
mechanism that engages with the fourth end of the nosepiece.
[0019] Still other advantages will become apparent to those skilled in this
art from the
following description and drawings wherein there is described and shown a
preferred
embodiment in one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the
technology. As will
be realized, the technology disclosed herein is capable of other different
embodiments, and its
several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all
without departing
from its principles. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be
regarded as
illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of
the
specification illustrate several aspects of the technology disclosed herein,
and together with
the description and claims serve to explain the principles of the technology.
In the drawings:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a full assembly of the
attachment tool
technology disclosed herein as it is mounted to a conventional screwdriver
gun.
[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the assembly
illustrated in FIG. l.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drive gear of the tool of
FIG. 2.
[0024] FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the drive gear of FIG. 3.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sprocket of FIG. 2, showing
the sprocket
from the "gear side."
[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sprocket of FIG. 3, showing
the sprocket
from the "detent side."
[0027] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the sprocket of FIG. 3, showing
its "gear
side."
[0028] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the sprocket of FIG. 3,
showing its "detent
side."
[0029] FIG. 9 is a side view of the detent finger used in the tool of
FIG. 2.
[0030] FIG. 10 is perspective view of the detent finger of FIG. 9.
[0031] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the feed pawl of FIG. 2,
showing its "bottom
side."
[0032] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the feed pawl of FIG. 11,
showing its "top
side."
[0033] FIG. 13 is a top elevational view of the feed pawl of FIG. 12.
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[0034] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the slide body support used in
the tool of FIG.
2.
[0035] FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the slide body support of
FIG. 14.
[0036] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the slide body cover used in
the tool of FIG.
2.
[0037] FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the slide body cover of
FIG. 16.
[0038] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the drive belt subassembly of
the tool of FIG.
2, showing the components from the "belt side."
[0039] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the drive belt subassembly of
FIG. 18,
showing its "detent side."
[0040] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the slide body support
subassembly, used in
the tool of FIG. 2.
[0041] FIG. 21 is a perspective view from the front corner of the tool
of FIG. 2,
showing the nosepiece, slide body subassembly, feed tube housing, and linear
guides.
[0042] FIG. 22 is a top plan view of the front end of the tool of FIG. 2,
showing the
tool in its unactuated position, with the nosepiece extended.
[0043] FIG. 23 is a cross-section view from the front of the tool of
FIG. 22, taken
along the section line 23-23.
[0044] FIG. 24 is a top plan view of the front portion of the tool of
FIG. 2, showing
the tool in its actuated position, with the nosepiece pushed somewhat into the
feed housing.
[0045] FIG. 25 is a cross-section view of the front of the tool of
FIG. 24, taken along
the section line 25-25.
[0046] FIG. 26 shows two views of a prior art automatic screwdriver
tool, shown in
its unactuated state: FIG. 26A, which is a top plan view in cross-section; and
FIG. 26B,
which is a side elevational view taken from the right side of the tool.
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[0047] FIG. 27 shows two views of a prior art automatic screwdriver
tool, shown in
its actuated state: FIG. 27A, which is a top plan view in cross-section; and
FIG. 27B, which is
a side elevational view taken from the right side of the tool.
[0048] FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of the tool of FIG. 2, in
its unactuated state.
[0049] FIG. 29 is a side elevational view of the tool of FIG. 2, in its
actuated state.
[0050] FIG. 30 is a side elevational view of a front portion of the
tool of FIG. 2,
showing details of the slide body subassembly with the slide body support
removed, with the
tool in its unactuated state.
[0051] FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of a front portion of the
tool of FIG. 2,
showing details of the slide body subassembly with the slide body support
removed, with the
tool in a partially actuated state, such that the drive bit is about to engage
the head of the
fastener that is in the drive position.
[0052] FIG. 32 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment tool
of the
technology disclosed herein, showing the extending mechanism as being
completely gear-
driven, rather than belt-driven.
[0053] FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the adjustable depth of drive
subassembly
used in the tool of FIG. 2.
[0054] FIG. 34 is an exploded view of the depth of drive subassembly
of FIG. 33.
[0055] FIG. 35 is side-elevational view of the depth of drive
subassembly of FIG. 33,
with the subassembly on its side.
[0056] FIG. 36 is a cross-section view of the depth of drive
subassembly of FIG. 33,
taken along the section line 36-36 of FIG. 35.
[0057] FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the front portion of the tool
of FIG. 2, with
part of the feed tube housing cut-away, to show the arrangement of the depth
of drive
subassembly of FIG. 34 and the rear portion of the nosepiece.
[0058] FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the technology disclosed
herein as it would be
used in an integral automatic screwdriving tool.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0059] Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred
embodiment, an
example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like
numerals indicate
the same elements throughout the views.
[0060] It is to be understood that the technology disclosed herein is
not limited in its
application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components
set forth in the
following description or illustrated in the drawings. The technology disclosed
herein is
capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways.
Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein
is for the
purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of
"including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass
the items
listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless
limited otherwise,
the terms "connected," "coupled," and "mounted," and variations thereof herein
are used
broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and
mountings. In
addition, the terms "connected" and "coupled" and variations thereof are not
restricted to
physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
10060a] The technology disclosed herein relates generally to automatic
screw driving
equipment and is particularly directed to an automatic screw driving tool or
an attachment of
the type which has a narrow front-end profile so that it is capable of driving
screws (or other
rotatable fasteners) that are in hard-to-reach positions, such as corners or
angled members.
Embodiments are specifically disclosed as having an extending mechanism within
an
elongated slide body subassembly, so that the drive elements extend farther
away froin the
main body structure of the tool/attachment, while still providing a stable and
rugged overall
tool structure to reliably drive screws. One embodiment uses a timing belt
structure; another
embodiment uses a gear train structure.
10060b1 Another feature of the technology disclosed herein is an
external depth of
drive adjustment subassembly that is mounted external to the feed tube
housing, yet has a
simple adjustment that does not lose its setpoint easily. By placing the depth
of drive
mechanism outside of the interior areas of the feed tube, the slide body
subassembly can be
shortened while still maintaining an easily adjustable depth of drive
capability.
[0060c] A further feature of the technology disclosed herein is the use
of a dovetail
shape on certain surfaces of the slide body subassembly, which allows the
slide body
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subassembly to be robustly mounted so that it is capable of operating with
long fasteners
while also having the nosepiece mounted in an extended position for use with
those fasteners.
100611 Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a hand-held
fastener driving tool
combination, generally designated by the reference numeral 5. In this
embodiment, there is
an attachment assembly 10 (the "attachment," or sometimes referred to as the
"tool" or the
"attachment tool"), a separate screw gun 6, and an adapter 8. This type of
separate screw
gun 6 is available from many different manufacturers, including Senco
Products, Inc. and
DeWalt. The screw gun 6 has an output bit (not visible in this view) that can
drive the head
of a screw or other type of rotatable fastener.
[0062] The attachment 10 mates to the front end of the screw gun 6 by use
of a
separate adapter 8. Once the attachment 10 has been mounted to the screw gun
6, a collated
strip of screws can be used with the screw gun 6, via this attachment 10.
Attachment
assembly 10 includes a housing portion 20, a front end portion 30, a feed rail
portion 40, and
a screw feed portion 50. Fastener driving tool 10 is designed for use with a
flexible strip of
collated screws, and the flexible collated screw strip subassembly is
generally designated by
the reference numeral 60.
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[0063] The housing portion 20 of the tool includes a front "feed
housing" outer shell
structure 22, and bottom gripping surface 24. Housing portion 20 is also
sometimes referred
to herein as an "elongated housing." Toward the front of housing portion 20 is
an elongated
"feed tube" 26, which houses certain movable portions of the tool 10, as
discussed below. In
the illustrated embodiment, the feed tube 26 is fixedly attached to the
housing portion 20, and
is also sometimes referred to herein as a "first member." It will be
understood that feed tube
26 can be of any desirable cross-sectional shape while performing its
functions (e.g.,
rectangular, square), and that it is substantially square in cross-section in
the illustrated
embodiments. The feed tube 26 has a longitudinal axis that runs between a
substantially open
front end and a substantially open rear end, which are at opposite ends of the
feed tube; a
drive bit 66 fits through the rear end of the feed tube, and is substantially
parallel to the
longitudinal axis. The feed tube 26 is mainly hollow, that is, it has an
interior volume that is
mostly empty space, to allow the slide body subassembly to move in and out of
the front end
of the feed tube.
[0064] The collated strip 60 subassembly slides through a feed rail 42 that
is mounted
onto pedestals 46 and 48 that are mounted to the upper surface of the housing
22. On the
lower surface of the housing 22 is a grip area 24, for placement of the user's
hand.
Attachment 10 includes an innovative external depth of drive adjustment
subassembly 80 (see
FIG. 2), and typically will have a depth of drive indicator (not shown). The
housing 22 thus
exhibits a "mating end" near the adapter 8, which receives the front end of
the screw gun 6.
[0065] The front end portion 30 includes a moveable nosepiece 32,
which is attached
to a slide body subassembly 34. Both the nosepiece 32 and slide body
subassembly 34 are
moveable in a longitudinal direction of the tool 10, and when the nosepiece 32
is pressed
against a solid object, the fastener driving tool 10 will be actuated to
physically drive one of
the screws into the solid object, also referred to herein as the "workpiece."
Nosepiece 32 has
a front surface 36, which preferably has a rough texture such as sandpaper, so
that it will not
easily slide while pressed against the surface of the workpiece when the tool
is to be utilized.
[0066] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the nosepiece 32 is
detachable from
the slide body subassembly 34 so that the nosepiece can be re-positioned for
different lengths
of fasteners, and then re-attached. The nosepiece 32 has a plurality of screw
length
positioning holes 38 (see FIG. 2), which are used to attach nosepiece 32 to
the slide body
subassembly 34 at different relative positions to one another. The nosepiece
is thus
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adjustably affixed (i.e., mounted) to the slide body subassembly. Slide body
subassembly 34
is also sometimes referred to herein as a "second member," or an "elongated
slide body."
The nosepiece 32 also has a rear inclined edge 119, which works against
another inclined
surface 95 that is part of a depth of drive subassembly 80, which is described
in greater detail
below, in conjunction with the description of FIGS. 33-36. Nosepiece 32 is
elongated, and
has two opposite ends: a front end at 36 and a rear end at the inclined edge
119. As the tool
is actuated (during a fastener driving event), nosepiece 32 has an axis of
movement that is
substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the feed tube 26.
[0067] The slide body subassembly 34 is movably "attached" to the feed
tube 26,
such that slide body subassembly 34 essentially slides along predetermined
surfaces proximal
to feed tube 26. In addition, an angled slot 28 is formed in feed tube 26 to
provide a
camming action surface (essentially a slotted opening having a curved portion
and a straight
portion) for a cam roller (or "cam follower") 70 (see FIG. 2) to traverse as
the slide body
subassembly 34 moves, relative to the feed tube 26. This action is used to
cause the "next"
fastener of the collated strip (see below) to index to a "firing position" (or
"drive position"),
by way of an indexing action of the slide body subassembly 34 (which indexing
action is
internal to the slide body subassembly).
[0068] The guide rail portion 40 includes a straight guide member 42,
and an angled
"front portion" guide member 44, that each can receive a flexible collated
strip of fasteners,
in this case the collated screw subassembly 60. The collated screw subassembly
60 mainly
consists of a plastic strip 62 that has several openings to receive individual
screws 64. The
overall collated screw subassembly is flexible to a certain degree, as can be
seen in FIGS. 30
and 31 by the curved orientation of the plastic strip 62 as it is fed through
the slide body
subassembly 34.
[0069] Some of the mechanical mechanisms described above for the portable
fastener
driving tool 10 have been available in the past from Senco Products, Inc. and
Senco Brands,
Inc., including such tools as the Senco Model Nos. DS162-14V and DS200-14V.
These
earlier tools utilized a fixed feed tube, a movable slide body, and nosepiece
structure, without
the "extended nose" feature of the technology disclosed herein. Some of the
components
used in the technology disclosed herein have been disclosed in commonly-
assigned patents or
patent applications, including a United States Patent No. 5,988,026, titled
SCREW FEED
AND DRIVER FOR A SCREW DRIVING TOOL; a United States Patent No. 7,032,482,
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titled TENSIONING DEVICE APPARATUS FOR A BOTTOM FEED SCREW DRIVING
TOOL FOR USE WITH COLLATED SCREWS; and a United States Patent No. 7,082,857,
titled SLIDING RAIL CONTAINMENT DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE COLLATED SCREWS
USED WITH A TOP FEED SCREW DRIVING TOOL. These patent properties have been
assigned to Senco Brands, Inc..
[0070] The main purpose of tool 10 is to drive rotatable fasteners
(e.g., screws or
bolts) that are provided in the form of the flexible collated strip
subassembly 60. The
individual screws 64 are held in place by a flexible plastic strip 62, and as
the screws traverse
through the guide members 42 and 44, they are ultimately directed toward the
front end
portion of the tool 30 until each of the screws 64 reaches the "drive"
position at 68. When
viewing the tool 10 at its front-most portion, the left-most screw 64 has been
indexed to the
drive position at 68 (see FIG. 31, for example), and thus is now essentially
co-linear with the
main drive components of the tool 10. As the collated screw subassembly 60 is
moved
through the screw feed portion 50, the plastic strip 62 will eventually make
contact with a
sprocket 130 (see FIG. 2) that acts as a rotary indexer, and which is located
inside the slide
body subassembly 34. The sprocket moves each of the portions of the plastic
strip 62 into a
proper rotary position so that their attached screws 64 eventually end up in
the front-most
drive position 68. The sprocket is sometimes referred to herein as the "output
member" of
the slide body subassembly, which creates an indexing motion.
100711 When the nosepiece 32 is actuated by being pressed against a
workpiece, then
a drive bit 66 will push the screw at 68 into the workpiece, and the drive bit
66 will also then
be turned in a rotary motion to twist the screw at 68 in the normal manner for
driving a screw
64 into a solid object. Once the screw at 68 has been successfully driven into
the solid object,
then the tool 10 is withdrawn from the surface of the solid object, and of
course the screw 64
remains behind and has now broken free from the plastic strip 62 (see FIG. 21:
the "lead
screw- at 68 will break free from the plastic strip 62). In one mode of the
technology
disclosed herein, the tool 10 will now be free to allow the sprocket to
perform its rotary
indexing function and to bring forth the next screw 64 into the front-most
drive position at
68. This type of screw-feed actuation can be referred to as "indexed on
return," since the
"lead screw" is moved into the "firing position" at 68 as the nosepiece 32 is
released (or
"returned") from the surface of the workpiece.
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[0072] The tool 10 can also be configured in an alternative screw-feed
actuation
mode, in which the lead screw is moved into the firing position at 68 as the
nosepiece 32 is
pressed against the surface of a workpiece; this type of screw-feed actuation
can be referred
to as "indexed on advance." If tool 10 is configured for indexed on advance,
then the lead
screw would not yet be in the position at 68 at the moment the nosepiece 32 is
"relaxed" or
"free," in its non-firing state. Instead, the lead screw is not indexed into
the firing position at
68 until the nosepiece 32 is "pushed in" (or "advanced") toward the main body
portion of the
tool 10 (e.g., toward the adaptor 8), which is discussed below in greater
detail. Note that the
indexed on advance configuration is a preferred mode of operation for tool 10.
It will be
understood that both the indexed on advance and indexed on return screw-feed
actuation
modes of operation can work with the technology disclosed herein.
[0073] Referring now to FIG. 2, many of the components of the tool 10
are illustrated
in an exploded view, which allows most of the internal components of the slide
body
subassembly 34 to be viewed. A slide body cover 104 is mated to a slide body
support 102,
and these two rather large structures will contain the mechanical components
that make the
slide body subassembly operate. Assembled into the slide body cover is a
detent pin 108,
which travels through a detent housing 106, through a detent spring 110, into
an opening of
the cover 104. Detent pin 108 mates into an opening of a slide body
subassembly plate 120.
[0074] There is a nosepiece adjustment subassembly that fits through
one of the
openings 38 in the nosepiece 32, and also is operatively connected to the
slide body cover
104. This nosepiece adjustment subassembly is made up of a plunger 114, a cap
112, and a
spring 116. A pair of fasteners 122 and 124 are used to hold the plate 120 in
place with
respect to the slide body cover 104. There is a stop member 118 that prevents
the nosepiece
32 from extending past a certain point.
[0075] FIG. 2 also illustrates an "extending mechanism" that is positioned
between
the plate 120 and the slide body support 102. There are several major
components in this
extending mechanism, including a sprocket 130, a drive gear 140, a timing belt
150, and a
feed pawl 160. There also is a detent finger 162, a torsion spring 164, and a
locating pin 166,
which operate with the drive feed pawl 160. The operations of these mechanisms
will be
described in greater detail, below.
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[0076] The sprocket 130 is mounted between locating bushing holes on
the slide body
support and cover (102 and 104). The drive gear 140 is mounted to a bushing
surface (or
bearing surface) on the feed pawl 160, and is held in place between that and
the slide body
support 102, and a pilot hole in the plate 120. The drive feed pawl 160 is
allowed to pivot
within a slot of the plate 120 and the combination of a cam follower 70 and a
cam screw 72,
that fit within another slot in slide body support 102, holds the feed pawl in
its proper
orientation. The plate 120 is held in place with respect to the slide body
support 102 by the
fasteners 122, 124. and 126.
[0077] As noted above, the slide body subassembly 34 is movable within
the "feed
tube" 26 and "feed housing" 22. There are two linear guides 170 and 172 that
are mounted
within the feed housing 22, and the slide body subassembly 34 has specific
surfaces that slide
against the linear guides. This will be described in greater detail below.
Linear guides 170
and 172 are preferably made of a very low friction material, such as TEFLON.
[0078] The drive bit 66 also fits through a main portion of the feed
housing 22,
through a spring post 194. The spring post 194 is attached to the feed housing
22 by two
fasteners 190 and 192. A large coil spring 67 fits around the circular bearing
surface of
spring post 194, and presses against a rear surface of the slide body
subassembly 34, thereby
biasing the slide body subassembly toward the front of the tool (i.e., toward
the nosepiece
portion of the tool).
[0079] FIG. 2 also shows more details about the feed guide rail portion 40.
The linear
guide rail 42 is attached to brackets 46 and 48. Those brackets are positioned
on a mounting
rail 180, and that rail is affixed to the top portion of the feed housing 22
by fasteners 182,
184, and 186.
[0080] Refening now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the drive gear 140 is
illustrated in some
detail. The larger diameter portion of drive gear 140 includes a relatively
circular profile,
with multiple extensions at 142 and multiple depressions 144 that are spaced-
apart
therebetween. The depressions 144 are sized and shaped to receive "bumps" 152
on the
timing belt 150, and thus this drive gear also acts as a timing gear.
[0081] The smaller diameter portion of drive gear 140 is also mainly
circular in
profile, but with multiple extensions 146. Each of these extensions has an
uppermost edge
148, which is used for a function that will be explained below in greater
detail. In general,
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the feed pawl has an attached detent finger that mates with these extensions
146 and 148, and
acts as a ratchet.
[0082] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 7, the sprocket 130 is
illustrated, showing its
timing belt side. The larger diameter portion of sprocket 130 includes several
protrusions
136 that extend outward from an otherwise relatively circular diameter outer
profile. These
extensions 136 engage the openings in collated strip of fasteners, and acts as
a primary
mechanism for driving the strip of fasteners through the front end of the
tool.
[0083] The smaller diameter portion of this side of the sprocket has a
relatively
circular profile with multiple extensions at 132 and multiple depressions at
134, which are
spaced-apart there between. The depressions 134 are sized and shaped to engage
the bumps
in the timing belt 150.
[0084] Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 8, the sprocket 130 is
illustrated, showing its
feed pawl side. The sprocket teeth 136 are again depicted, and the other major
feature on the
site of the sprocket are a series of spaced-apart depressions 138. These
depressions are sized
and shaped to engage the distal end of the detent pin 108. This action tends
to hold the
sprocket and collated strip grouping in their proper locations as the drive
bit 66 pushes
(drives) the fastener (typically a screw) from the collated strip as that
fastener is driven into a
workpiece.
[0085] Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the detent finger 162 is
illustrated. This pin
has a circular portion with a circular opening that can rotate about the
locating pin 166.
Detent pin 162 also has an extension with a distal end 163. This distal end
provides a contact
surface and mechanically interfaces with an opening of the feed pawl 160.
Detent pin 162
also contains a mechanical stop at 161 which holds the torsion spring 164 in
place. These
features will be illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 20. These components
are used as a
"displacement action mechanism," in that they are used to convert linear
motion into
rotational motion.
[0086] Referring now to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, the feed pawl 160 is
illustrated in
greater detail. Feed pawl 160 has a large circular area with a large arcuate
depression at 159.
It also has an extension arm 157 that has a cylindrical opening at its distal
end, and that
opening allows it to pivot about the cam screw 72. There is a "feed post" 158
near the distal
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end of the extension arm 157. The other end of the torsion spring 164 will
rest against that
post (see FIG. 20).
[0087] Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, the slide body support 102 is
illustrated.
There are circular openings and circular bearing-type surfaces for locating
the sprocket and
the drive gear elements, and also a near-oval structure that provides a
pathway for the time
belt. In addition, there is a cam follower clearance slot 101 that the cam
follower 70 travels
within, which also positions the feed pawl element.
[0088] Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, the slide body cover 104 is
illustrated,
which includes various openings for elements such as fasteners and the detent
spring 110. In
addition, there are locating structures for the nosepiece adjustment
subassembly, which
includes the plunger 115, cap 112, and spring 116. This nosepiece adjustment
subassembly is
used for different screw lengths, which can be accommodated by a single tool
10.
[0089] Referring now to FIGS. 18 and 19, the belt drive subassembly is
illustrated,
showing the main components of the drive gear 140, sprocket 130, and timing
belt 150. The
feed pawl 160 is also illustrated, along with its associated detent finger
162. The cam
follower 70 is illustrated on FIG. 18, as fitting into an opening at the
distal end of the
extension of the feed pawl 160.
[0090] It will be understood that the timing belt 150 has multiple
raised "bumps" (or
protrusions) 152, and that these bumps fit into the depressions 144 of the
drive gear 140, and
also into the depressions 134 of sprocket 130. However, only a few of these
multiple
"bumps" 152 are illustrated on FIGS. 18 and 19, for the sake of clarity. But
it will be
understood that the raised, spaced-apart bumps 152 are actually in place along
the entire inner
surface of the timing belt 150. The other views of the technology disclosed
herein that show
the timing belt 150 do not show any of these bumps 152 except at the locations
where they
actually engage depressions of the sprocket and the timing gear, again for the
sake of clarity.
[0091] Referring now to FIG. 20, the belt drive subassembly is again
illustrated, this
time as it would be assembled into the slide body support 102. As in FIGS. 18
and 19, the
sprocket 130 and the timing gear 140 are illustrated as engaging bumps of the
timing belt
150. The interior edge 148 of the drive gear 140 can be seen as engaging the
detent finger
162 at its distal end, while the extension 157 of the of the feed pawl can be
seen as having its
associated cam follower resting inside the curved slot 101.
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[0092] In addition to the other elements illustrated in FIG. 20, the
torsion spring 164
is illustrated, and its two extending arms can be seen on FIG. 20. The torsion
spring is
centered about a locating pin 166, which holds the detent finger 162 in place
in an opening of
the feed pawl 160.
[0093] When the nosepiece of the tool is pushed against a workpiece
surface, this
causes a cam arm (or extension) of the feed pawl 160 to rotate about a
predetermined radial
position for the cam profile until it reaches the dwell slot in the housing
(which is the
elongated horizontal portion of the slot 28 in the housing 22). The detent
finger 162, while
engaged into the ratchet teeth of the drive sprocket, causes the drive gear to
rotate. This
movement causes the timing belt to move, and therefore, the drive sprocket 130
is also
rotated simultaneously. This causes the collated strip of screws 60 to move
into position so
that a fastener can be driven into the workpiece. As noted above, this design
acts as a
"displacement action mechanism" by converting linear motion (or displacement)
into
rotational motion.
[0094] Once the "lead screw" has been indexed into the drive position 68
during a
drive sequence, the slide body subassembly will begin to "compress" (because
of the action
of pushing the nosepiece against the workpiece surface) to the full drive
distance of a given
fastener, and this provides a given amount of cornerfit clearance. This term
"cornerfit
clearance" is defined as the distance from the front of the nosepiece to the
front of the
outermost housing portion when the tool is completely compressed (i.e., the
slide body has
been completely pushed into the feed tube). This distance (the cornerfit
clearance) is needed
for driving a framing square into standard commercial channels while clearing
the edges, or
for driving a screw into the corrugated roof decking. During the return stage
of movement,
after a fastener has been driven, the drive gear 140 and driven sprocket 130
stay in position
while the ratchet finger 162 rotates about the ratchet teeth and back into
position.
[0095] It should be noted that the overall design of the illustrated
tool allows for an
"advance on return" mode of operation, in which the screw or fastener is
indexed to the drive
position during the return portion of the operating cycle, instead of during
the advance
portion of that cycle. In this return mode (or "advance on return" mode), as
the operator
releases the mechanism, the fastener moves into place (at the drive position).
The push
stroke will reset the mechanism for the next feed stroke.
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[0096] The operation of this type of screw-driving slide body
subassembly is smooth
and effortless when driving a fastener, because there are no momentary
hesitations in the
drive elements themselves.
[0097] Referring now to FIG. 21, the attachment tool 10 is illustrated
in a perspective
view that is mainly from the front, which is the end of the tool that makes
contact with the
workpiece. As can be seen in this view, the "lead fastener" 68 is visible, as
if it were about to
be emplaced into the workpiece. The orientation of the nosepiece 32 with
respect to the right
side of the housing 22 can be seen, and this also illustrates the linear
guides 170 and 172,
which will be discussed below in greater detail.
[0098] Referring now to FIG. 22, a top plan view of the attachment tool 10
is
illustrated, in which the tool is in its non-actuated condition. The "lead"
fastener 68 is
illustrated, along with some of the other fasteners 64 that are still
connected to the collated
strip. (In reality, the "lead" fastener 68 will no longer be attached to the
collated strip if this
tool was an "index on advance" tool.)
[0099] FIG. 22 shows a section line 23-23, and FIG. 23 is a cross-section
view of
the tool 10 taken along the section line. Referring now to FIG. 23, the feed
tube 26 outer
framework can be seen, as a largely square-shaped structure. Within the square
frame 26 are
the slidable workings of the slide body subassembly 34. In the middle of the
slide body
subassembly is the drive bit at 66. Above the slide body subassembly is the
collated screw
strip 62, with a portion of one of the fasteners 64 still attached. These
would be arriving at
the drive position by sliding along the guide rails 42 and 44.
[00100] Certain details can be easily discerned in FIG. 23. The feed
tube 26 is easily
seen, as having a square profile and shape. Within that feed tube are the
linear guides 171
and 172. These guides make contact with the nosepiece 32 and angled portions
of the
nosepiece designated at the reference numerals 174 and 176. This is referred
to herein as a
"dove-tail" shape, and provides fairly rigid support for the nosepiece 32 as
it slides forward
and backwards along the bearing surfaces of the linear guides 170 and 172. It
can be seen
that the angled nosepiece portions 174 and 176 slide along similarly angled
surfaces of the
linear guides 170 and 172. This is an important feature of the technology
disclosed herein,
because it provides strong support for the movable nosepiece and movable slide
body
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subassembly 34, especially along the "right-hand side" (which is to the left
in this view)
where the nosepiece is positioned toward the front of the tool attachment 10.
[00101] Referring now to FIG. 24, the front portion of the attachment
tool 10 is
illustrated in a top plan view, and this time it has been actuated so that the
slide body
subassembly 34 has been pushed into the feed housing 22. The "lead fastener"
68 has been
torn away from the collated strip 62, and the screws (or fasteners) 64 that
are visible on FIG.
24 have not yet reached the drive position, and they are still attached to the
screw strip 62.
[00102] A section line 25-25 is depicted on FIG. 24. and FIG. 25 is a
cross-section
view taken along that line. In FIG. 25, the attachment 10 is illustrated, and
shows the
components of slide body subassembly 34 essentially surrounded by the feed
tube 26. Just to
the outside of the feed tube, along the "right-hand side" of the tool, is the
nosepiece 32 (to the
left in this view). There are two linear guides 170 and 172 that make a low-
friction contact
with two extensions 174 and 176 of the nosepiece 32. This is the same
orientation that was
illustrated in FIG. 23. The linear guides 170 and 172 act essentially as
linear bearings for the
movement of the nosepiece 32 proximal to and just inside the right-hand
interior surface of
the feed tube 26. As noted above, this provides a firm structure for the
combination of the
nosepiece 32 and the slide body subassembly 34, as they move inside the feed
tube 26.
[00103] The dovetail shape of the nosepiece 32 is evident, in which the
outer corners
along the right-hand side are broader, or spaced-apart at a greater distance,
than the distal
ends of the extensions 174 and 176. The nosepiece 32 is tracked (guided)
within the feed
tube 26, primarily on one side. There are additional features 177 and 178 on
the slide body
support to balance the load. Most conventional automatic feed screw systems
use the slide
body subassembly as the sole means of support within the feed housing. Sizing
of the inside
housing dimensions becomes critical with those previous designs.
[00104] The dovetailed slide body cover at 179 allows the nosepiece 32 to
slide and
track smoothly along the slide body cover when making screw length
adjustments, by
adjusting the nosepiece position holes 38. As noted above, this dovetailed
feature is also the
primary support for the slide body subassembly 34. Similar to the nosepiece
32, there are
portions (at 179) that have outer corners that are broader (i.e., spaced-apart
at a greater
distance) than their more interior outer surfaces. When fastened together, the
combination of
the slide body cover at 179 and the nosepiece portions 174 and 176 create a
single body
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structure during normal operation of the tool 10, for driving a fastener into
a workpiece; the
nosepiece portions 174 and 176 are sometimes referred to herein as a "dovetail
shaped body
member."
[00105] The upper and lower linear guides (or bearings) 170 and 172 are
made of a
material having a low coefficient of friction, such as TEFLON. They support
the nosepiece,
inside the feed housing 22. The tapers on these linear guides "lock in" the
nosepiece 32, and
bias it to one side. As can be seen on FIG. 25, the angled shape (the taper)
of linear guides
170 and 172 correspond to the angled shape of the dovetail outer surface of
the nosepiece 32,
specifically at their outer sliding surfaces at the portions 174 and 176. In
this manner the
dovetailed surfaces of the slide body subassembly provide a stronger, more
durable surface
along the guide rails and support the extending mechanism within the slide
body
subassembly, thereby having an improved linear tracking capability.
[00106] Referring now to FIG. 26, a prior art automatic screwdriver,
generally
designated by the reference numeral 200, as two views: FIG. 26A, which is a
top, plan view
in cross-section, and FIG. 26B, which is a side elevational view. This is a
representation of
an existing prior art sold by Senco Brands, Inc., which is the model number
DS200-AC. This
is an integral tool, which includes all of the motorized and trigger
components, as well as the
final drive components, including the collated strip indexing components.
[00107] The "front end" of the tool 200 is on the right side of the
view in FIG. 26.
This includes a feed tube 222, a movable slide body subassembly 234, and the
movable
nosepiece 232. A screw strip subassembly 260 is visible in FIG. 26B, which has
a plurality
of individual screws 264.
[00108] As best seen in the section view FIG. 26A, there is a drive bit
266 that extends
from the motorized gearbox portion of the tool toward the front end of the
tool, so that it will
engage with one of the screws 264 when the tool is actuated.
[00109] There are certain dimensions of importance that are depicted on
FIG. 26. In
the side view FIG. 26B, the dimension "H 1" represents the height of the outer
dimension of
the feed tube 222. In the section view FIG. 26A, the dimension "Wl" represents
the width of
the outer portion of the feed tube 222. A dimension -P 1 " represents the
distance from the
further-most end (the "distal" end) of the drive bit 266 to the further-most
end (or "distal"
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end) of the feed tube 222. This P1 dimension is also referred to as the "lick-
out"
characteristic of the tool.
[00110] The lick-out characteristic of a power tool is important, and
in general, it is
better to have a longer lick-out dimension than a shorter one. This is because
a longer lick-
out dimension will allow a tool to reach into smaller, tighter places to drive
a fastener than a
tool that has a shorter lick-out dimension. Since the automated screwdriver
tools using
collated strips of fasteners tend to be designed with a front-end portion that
"collapses" into a
feed tube, it usually is the outer dimensions of the feed tube that becomes
the controlling
factor as to whether a given tool can reach into a small working area, or not.
Therefore, the
l() longer the lick-out dimension compared to the overall size of the feed
tube, the more "small"
areas the tool can be used with. This can be expressed as a ratio: either P/H
(the lick-out
divided by the feed tube height) or P/W (the lick-out divided by the feed tube
width) for a
square or rectangular feed tube.
[00111] This characteristic described in the previous paragraph is
better illustrated in
FIG. 27. FIG. 27A illustrates a top, plan view in cross-section of the same
prior art tool,
model DS200-AC, after the tool has been "collapsed" because its nosepiece has
been pushed
against the surface of a workpiece, which means the tool was used to drive a
fastener into that
workpiece. FIG. 27B is a right side elevational view of the same tool, under
the same
conditions. As can be seen, the slide body subassembly 234 has been pushed
quite far into
the feed tube 222, and the nosepiece 232 has been pushed back almost all the
way to the outer
edge of the feed tube 222. This "outer edge" of the feed tube 222 is also
referred to herein as
its "distal end." In this condition, the drive bit 266 is the component of the
tool that is
furthermost to the front end of the tool.
[00112] In this "collapsed" condition of the tool 200 depicted in FIG.
27, the lick-out
dimension PI is easily seen as the distance between the distal end of the
drive bit 266 and the
distal end of the feed tube 222. This dimension does not change for a
particular tool as the
tool is operated. It merely looks different, because the slide body and
nosepiece have been
pushed into the inner open spaces of the feed tube 222.
[00113] The actual dimensions for a Senco model DS200-AC are as
follows:
[00114] Dimension P1 = 11.89 mm
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[00115] Dimension HI = 38.1 mm
[00116] Dimension W1 = 38.1 mm
[00117] While it might seem a simple task to merely extend the lick-out
dimension
(i.e., dimension PI of FIGS. 26 and 27), this cannot be merely extended
without considering
how it will affect the operation of the tool. If the slide body and nosepiece
are merely
pushed farther forward without increased support from the feed tube, then the
operation of
the tool will become unstable, and the fasteners (typically, screws), will
start having misfires,
and the reliability of the tool will be compromised. On the other hand, if the
feed tube is also
enlarged to make for a more robust and stronger design, then that defeats the
purpose of
extending the lick-out dimension, because the larger feed tube itself will
prevent the tool
from being used in small areas. Therefore, the ratio of the lick-out dimension
over the length
(or width) of the feed tube is an important quantity. In the Senco model DS200-
AC, this
ratio is as follows:
[00118] P1/H1 = 11.89 mm/38.1 mm = 0.312
[00119] P1/W1 = 11.89 mm/38.1 mm = 0.312
[00120] The greater this ratio P/H, or P/W, then typically the better
the capability of
such an automatic screwdriver tool for operation into small areas, such as for
driving a
rotatable fastener (e.g., a screw) into the interior corner of a structure, or
for driving a framing
screw into standard commercial channels while clearing the edges of the
channel, or for
driving a screw into deep corrugated roof decking.
[00121] Referring now to FIG. 28, a left-side elevational view of the
technology
disclosed herein is illustrated, showing the front end portions in greater
detail. This includes
the nosepiece 32, the movable slide body subassembly 34, and the feed tube 26,
with its
camming surface or slot 28. Also visible are the guide rail 42 and its forward
extension 44,
and the collated strip of screws 60, in which the strip itself is at 62, and
the screws at 64.
Finally, the depth of drive subassembly 80 is visible, having an inclined
surface 95. This
tool is shown in the unactuated position, in which the nosepiece and the slide
body
subassembly are fully extended, away from the feed tube 26.
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[00122] Referring now to FIG. 29, the same tool is seen in the same
type of view,
except now the tool has been collapsed by which the nosepiece has been pushed
in (to the
right) due to an operation for driving a fastener. In this view, it can be
seen that the movable
nosepiece 32 and movable slide body subassembly have been pushed into the feed
tube 26 as
far as is possible, and therefore, most of the slide body subassembly is not
visible, except for
the fact that this view is in partial cut-away. Note that the angled rear edge
119 of the
nosepiece 32 has contacted surface 95 of the depth of drive subassembly 80.
[00123] Referring now to FIG. 30, the tool's front end 10 is again
depicted in an
elevational view, but this time the cover of the slide body subassembly has
been removed.
In essence, this is the same view as FIG. 28, without the slide body cover.
[00124] The sprocket 130 and the drive gear 140, along with the timing
belt 150 are
now visible, along with the drive bit 66. A portion of the sprocket 130 has
been cut away, so
that the distal end of the drive bit can be seen. A dimension "P2" is
illustrated, which is the
"lick-out" dimension of this tool 10; it is the distance between the forward-
most distal end of
the drive bit 66 and the forward-most distal end of the feed tube 26. Also
visible on FIG. 30
is the height dimension "H2", which is the height of the outer surfaces of the
feed tube 26.
The width dimension of this feed tube was illustrated on FIG. 23, by the
dimension "W2".
[00125] FIG. 31 shows the same structure, but in the condition in which
both the
nosepiece 32 and the slide body subassembly 34 have been partially pushed into
the feed tube
26. The distance the nosepiece has been pushed into the feed tube is
sufficient to move the
outer or distal end of the drive bit 66 much closer to the head of the lead
screw 68, as seen in
the cut-away area in the sprocket region. The camming roller 70 has been
displaced by an
amount sufficient to index the sprocket 130, so that the "next" fastener 64
will be indexed to
that drive location 68.
[00126] The lick-out dimension P2 is again visible on FIG. 31, and extends
from the
distal end of the feed tube 26 to the distal end of the drive bit 66. In the
tool 10, exemplary
dimensions that are illustrated on FIGS. 30 and 31 (and also FIG. 23) are as
follows:
[00127] P2 = 45.88 mm
[00128] H2 = 38.1 mm
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[00129] W2 = 38.1 mm
[00130] Using the above figures, the ratio of the lick-out dimension
compared to the
height (or width) dimension is as follows:
[00131] P2/H2 = 45.88 mm/38.1 mm= 1.204
[00132] P2/W2 = 45.88 mm/38.1 mm = 1.204
[00133] As can be seen, this ratio value (1.204) is much higher than
the ratio of the
prior art tool discussed above, which was the ratio P1/Hi (and P1/WI). This
allows the tool
to fit into smaller areas for driving rotatable fasteners, such as screws or
bolts.
[00134] It will be understood that the feed tube that is illustrated
and described herein
10 need not be square; rectangular feed tubes are also common in these
types of tools. However,
the internal workings of the slide body subassembly must still fit within such
feed tubes, no
matter their exact shape or size, and a robust slide body subassembly will
always require
some minimum front profile, having a maximum height or width dimension, which
would
also be true for a circular or elliptical feed tube. In any feed tube shape,
there will always be
a discernable width or height dimension (or a diameter dimension) that becomes
the limiting
factor in allowing the fastener driving tool to fit within a given small area
and have the
capability of driving a rotatable fastener. Those discernable width or height
dimensions will
be equivalent to the "W" and "H" dimensions discussed herein.
[00135] It would be an improvement to provide a design that provides a
ratio of P/W
and/or P/H that is at least 0.5; a more preferred design would provide a ratio
of P/W and/or
P/H that is at least 0.75; a yet more preferred design would provide a ratio
of P/W and/or P/H
that is at least 1.0; and a still more preferred design would provide a ratio
of P/W and/or P/H
that is at least 1.2.
[00136] Referring now to FIG. 32, an alternative embodiment of a
fastener driving tool
is illustrated, generally designated by the reference numeral 300. In this
view, there is a
fixed feed tube 326, and a movable slide body subassembly 334. (The nosepiece
is not
shown, for purposes of clarity.) There is a sprocket 330 to index the collated
strip of screws
(not seen in this view), and a drive-gear equivalent, which is the feed pawl
360 in this
embodiment. The driving feed pawl 360 has an associated drive gear with
external teeth (not
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visible in this view) that causes another rotatable gear 340 to rotate, which
in turn causes yet
another rotatable gear 342 to be rotated, and which in turn, causes yet
another rotatable gear
344 to be rotated. The teeth of the gear 344 will engage the teeth of the
sprocket 330, on the
opposite side of the sprocket from what is visible in FIG. 32.
[00137] The feed pawl 360 has a large opening that is actuated by the
detent finger
326, so that this subassembly acts as a ratchet. It will be seen that, as the
feed pawl 360
rotates, so do the gears 340, 342, and 344, which then causes the sprocket 330
to rotate, and
thereby to index the collated strip of screws. This
can be built as a sturdy "extending
mechanism", and the multiple drive gears can be made as large as necessary, so
long as they
fit within the confines of the interior spaces of the slide body subassembly
334.
[00138] On
FIG. 32, the lick-out dimension is designated as "P3" which is the distance
from the distal end of the drive bit 366 to the front (or distal) end of the
feed tube 326. Once
again, this is a rather long dimension, as compared to the length and width of
the feed tube
itself. This will provide improved characteristics for fitting within small
areas for driving
rotatable fasteners, such as screws or bolts.
[00139]
Referring now to FIGS. 33-36, a depth of drive subassembly is illustrated,
generally designated by the reference numeral 80. This subassembly includes
several
components, such as a adjusting screw bushing 81, a housing 82, an adjustable
stop block 83
which is threaded, a threaded adjusting screw 84 having a large knob, a
retaining clip 85, a
locking latch pin 86, a compression spring 87, and a latch pin retainer 88.
The latch pin 86
has a protruding tab 93, the adjusting knob/screw 84 has recesses 94 on the
bottom surface of
the knob, and there is an angled (or inclined) surface 95 on the stop block
83. FIG. 33 shows
the assembled depth of drive subassembly, while FIG. 34 is an exploded view.
FIG. 35
shows the assembled components, and FIG. 36 is a cross-section view along the
section line
__ 36 36 on FIG. 35.
[00140] In
order to make adjustments to the depth of drive unit 80, the user should
depress and hold down the latch pin tab 93. While holding the latch pin down,
the user
should rotate the adjustment screw 84. A clockwise rotation is for a higher
(or "up") setting,
which will cause the fastener to penetrate shallower, and a counterclockwise
is for a lower (or
"down") setting, which will cause the fastener to penetrate deeper. Rotating
the adjustment
screw 84 causes the adjustable stop block 83 to travel up or down. This up and
down travel is
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in a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the feed tube,
which is substantially
perpendicular to that longitudinal axis.
[00141] As can be seen on FIG. 36, there is an area at 90 of threaded
engagement
between the adjustable stop block 83 and the larger thumb wheel/screw 84. When
the
thumbwheel 84 is turned, its threaded engagement with the stop block 83 will
cause that stop
block to be displaced, either up or down. This movement affects the depth to
which the
fastener will be driven by the tool 10. This stop block action is described
below in greater
detail, in reference to FIG. 37.
[00142] Further actions of the depth of drive unit 80 allow the desired
fastener setting
lo to be checked by releasing the tab 93 on the latch pin 86. The unit can
then be adjusted
again, if needed. The locking latch pin 86 is biased upward by a compression
spring 87. The
top portion of latch pin 86 will lock into one of the slots 94, located on the
bottom surface of
the head of the adjustment screw 84, and prevents further adjustments. The
locking latch pin
retainer 88 prevents accidental movement of the adjustable stop block 83.
[00143] As noted above, and as can be seen on FIGS. 33 and 34, the
adjustable stop
block 83 includes an inclined surface 95. As the position of the stop block 83
is moved up or
down by action of the adjusting knob 84, the positioning of the tapered face
95 (i.e., the
inclined surface) will determine how deep or how high the screw head will be
placed into a
given substrate of the workpiece. There are matching taper angles on the rear
of the
nosepiece 32 (at 119) and on the stop block 83 (at the inclined or tapered
surface 95). The
operation of these surfaces causes the depth of drive setting to be effective.
[00144] Referring now to FIG. 37, some of the major components of the
tool 10 are
visible, including the nosepiece 32, the sliding block subassembly 34, the
feed tube 26, and
the depth of drive subassembly 80. The guiding surfaces (i.e., longitudinal
protrusions) 177
and 178 of the slide body subassembly and feed tube are visible, as is the end
of one of the
linear guides 170.
[00145] FIG. 37 illustrates the orientation of the inclined surface 95
of the adjustable
stop block 83 with respect to the angled rear edge 119 of the nosepiece 32. In
this view, the
stop block 83 is depicted at about its midpoint position, with respect to its
top-most position
and its bottom-most position, as it travels along the threaded thumbscrew 84
(see FIG. 36).
During a "fastener driving event" (or "fastener driving cycle"), the nosepiece
32 is pushed
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rearward, which is to the right in FIG. 37, and the rear edge 119 of nosepiece
32 will
eventually come into contact with the inclined surface 95 of the stop block
83. When that
occurs, the clutch of the motorized driving tool (not shown) will be
disengaged, and the drive
bit 66 (not shown in this view) will stop turning. Therefore, the position of
the stop block 83
becomes the controlling factor as to when the tool stops trying to drive a
rotatable fastener
(such as a screw), and in effect, acts as a mechanical "depth of drive"
controller.
[00146] The above action is illustrated on FIGS. 28 and 29. In FIG. 28,
the nosepiece
32 is extended, as it has not been actuated. Its rear angled edge 119 is seen
to the left (on this
view) of the inclined surface 95 of the stop block 83. In FIG. 29, the
nosepiece 32 has been
1() actuated all the way to its right-most movement (on this view), and its
rear angled edge 119
has made contact with the inclined surface 95 of the stop block 83. Note that
in these two
views, the stop block 83 has been placed near its bottom-most travel position.
[00147] The midpoint position of the stop block 83 that is illustrated
on FIG. 37 will
cause the rotatable fastener to be driven to a "midpoint depth" of the tool's
overall capability.
The following example discusses what occurs when the stop block is moved to
other
positions, from this midpoint location. If the moveable stop block 83 is
adjusted all the way
to its top-most position, then rear edge 119 will come into contact with
inclined surface 95
sooner during the rearward travel of the nosepiece 32 (because the angled edge
119 extends
farther to the rear (to the right on FIG. 37) at a higher position along the
vertical surface of
the nosepiece 32, and the clutch of the motorized tool will be disengaged
sooner in its drive
cycle. Therefore, the drive bit 66 will not be as far forward when its
rotation stops, and thus
the rotatable fastener will not be driven as far into the workpiece.
[00148] Alternatively, if the moveable stop block 83 is adjusted all
the way to its
bottom-most position, then rear edge 119 will come into contact with inclined
surface 95 later
during the rearward travel of the nosepiece 32 (because the angled edge 119
extends less far
to the rear (to the right on FIG. 37) at a lower position along the vertical
surface of the
nosepiece 32, and the clutch of the motorized tool will be disengaged later in
its drive cycle.
Therefore, the drive bit 66 will be farther forward when its rotation stops,
and thus the
rotatable fastener will be driven deeper into the workpiece.
[00149] Note that, in conventional automatic feed screwdriver systems, the
depth of
drive adjustable thumb screw typically is located directly inline with the
back of the
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nosepiece, i.e., within the feed housing. Therefore, the overall length of the
nosepiece must
be shortened to accommodate the added mechanisms. And when using the longest
screw
length, with the nosepiece set at the longest length, if the feed system is in
its home
(unactuated) position (i.e., when the nosepiece is fully extended), then more
than half (almost
three-quarters) of the bearing support between the housing and the back end
portion of
nosepiece is lost. In addition, virtually all the depth of drive range is
lost. The lack of
support bearing surface sometimes will cause alignment and stability problems;
this is due to
premature wear of the linear slide bearings.
[00150] The current embodiment takes advantage of this fact by mounting
the depth of
drive adjusting mechanism assembly on the outside of the housing, thereby
maximizing the
available bearing ratio in front and rear. The depth of drive subassembly 80
is mounted
external to the feed tube housing 22 which allows for an improved bearing
ratio between the
nosepiece 32 and the feed tube housing. This also allows for a greater
insertion distance of
the nosepiece into the feed tube housing 22. There is a small opening in the
side of the feed
tube to allow a portion of the adjustable stop block 83 to extend
therethrough; this is the
inclined surface 95 portion, which makes contact with the rear edge 119 of the
nosepiece
along the inner surface of the feed tube. In essence, by moving the depth of
drive
subassembly 80 outside the feed tube, portions of the slide body and nosepiece
subassemblies
are able to travel back past the depth of drive components, thus mitigating a
length increase
on the overall feed system, while providing more bearing surface between the
nosepiece and
frame while at the extended (at rest) position.
[00151] The technology disclosed herein may be used both on attachments
for
screwdrivers, and with integral automatic fastener driving tools. An example
of an
attachment embodiment is illustrated on FIG. 1. An example of an integral tool
is illustrated
on FIG. 38.
[00152] Referring now to FIG. 38, an integral automatic fastener
driving tool is
generally designated by the reference numeral 400. A handle portion 410
includes a set of
bottom gripping surfaces 412 that can be used by a person's hand to readily
grip the handle
and not easily slide along the bottom surface of the housing portion 420.
Handle portion 410
also includes a trigger 414, which is used to actuate an electrical switch to
operate the internal
drive mechanisms of the hand-held portable tool 400. In the illustrated
embodiment, a power
cord 416 is attached at the bottom area of handle portion 410, which provides
electrical
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power to the internal drive mechanism of the tool 400. Note that some fastener-
driving tools
have a battery subassembly to provide the electrical power, which of course
can be used with
the technology disclosed herein.
[00153] Handle portion 410 also includes a guide member (or rail) 442
that can receive
a flexible collated strip of screws, in this case the collated screw
subassembly 60. The
collated screw subassembly 60 mainly consists of a plastic strip 62 that has
several openings
to receive individual screws 64. The overall collated screw subassembly is
flexible to a
certain degree, as can be seen in FIG. 30 by the curved orientation of the
plastic strip 62. The
strip 62 (not shown on FIG. 37) is fed through a guide portion, which includes
the guide rail
442 and possibly an optional second guide member as a tensioning device (not
shown), then
up toward the nosepiece 32 and the slide body subassembly 34. The optional
second guide
member can be added for longer screwdriver tools, if desired; such a design is
disclosed in
U.S. Patent No. 7,032,482, titled: TENSIONING DEVICE APPARATUS FOR A BOTTOM
FEED SCREW DRIVING TOOL FOR USE WITH COLLATED SCREWS.
[00154] It will be understood that the words "screw" and "fastener" are
essentially
interchangeable, as used herein. The technology disclosed herein is designed
to drive
rotatable fasteners, which typically are actual screws. However, other types
of fasteners,
such as bolts, could be used with the tools/attachments of this technical
field. A "collated
strip of fasteners," as discussed herein, could carry screws or bolts, or some
other type of
rotatable device; a "collated strip of screws" has essentially the same
features and meaning as
a "collated strip of fasteners."
[00155] Some of the mechanical mechanisms described above for the
portable fastener
driving tool 400 have been available in the past from Senco Products, Inc. or
Senco Brands,
Inc., including such tools as the Senco Model Nos. DS162-14V and DS200-14V.
These
earlier tools utilized a fixed feed tube, a movable slide body 34, and
nosepiece 32 structure,
without the "extended nose" feature of the technology disclosed herein. Some
of the
components used in the technology disclosed herein have been disclosed in
commonly-
assigned patents or patent applications, including a United States Patent No.
5,988,026, titled
SCREW FEED AND DRIVER FOR A SCREW DRIVING TOOL; a United States Patent
No. 7,032,482, titled TENSIONING DEVICE APPARATUS FOR A BOTTOM FEED
SCREW DRIVING TOOL FOR USE WITH COLLATED SCREWS; and a United States
Patent No. 7,082,857, titled SLIDING RAIL CONTAINMENT DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE
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COLLATED SCREWS USED WITH A TOP FEED SCREW DRIVING TOOL. These
patent properties have been assigned to Senco Brands, Inc..
[00156] As used herein, the term "proximal" can have a meaning of
closely positioning
one physical object with a second physical object, such that the two objects
are perhaps
adjacent to one another, although it is not necessarily required that there be
no third object
positioned therebetween. In the technology disclosed herein, there may be
instances in which
a "male locating structure" is to be positioned "proximal" to a "female
locating structure." In
general, this could mean that the two male and female structures are to be
physically abutting
one another, or this could mean that they are "mated" to one another by way of
a particular
ic) size and shape that essentially keeps one structure oriented in a
predetermined direction and
at an X-Y (e.g., horizontal and vertical) position with respect to one
another, regardless as to
whether the two male and female structures actually touch one another along a
continuous
surface. Or, two structures of any size and shape (whether male, female, or
otherwise in
shape) may be located somewhat near one another, regardless if they physically
abut one
another or not; such a relationship could still be termed "proximal."
Moreover, the term
"proximal" can also have a meaning that relates strictly to a single object,
in which the single
object may have two ends, and the "distal end" is the end that is positioned
somewhat farther
away from a subject point (or area) of reference, and the "proximal end" is
the other end,
which would be positioned somewhat closer to that same subject point (or area)
of reference.
[00157] It will be understood that the various components that are
described and/or
illustrated herein can be fabricated in various ways, including in multiple
parts or as a unitary
part for each of these components, without departing from the principles of
the technology
disclosed herein. For example, a component that is included as a recited
element of a claim
hereinbelow may be fabricated as a unitary part; or that component may be
fabricated as a
combined structure of several individual parts that are assembled together.
But that "multi-
part component- will still fall within the scope of the claimed, recited
element for
infringement purposes of claim interpretation, even if it appears that the
claimed, recited
element is described and illustrated herein only as a unitary structure.
[00158] The citation of any document is not to be construed as an
admission that it is
prior art with respect to the technology disclosed herein.
31
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,
1001591 The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment has been
presented for
purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive
or to limit the
technology disclosed herein to the precise form disclosed, and the technology
disclosed herein
may be further modified within the scope of this disclosure. Any examples
described or
illustrated herein are intended as non-limiting examples, and many
modifications or
variations of the examples, or of the preferred embodiment(s), are possible in
light of the
above teachings, without departing from the scope of the technology disclosed
herein. The
embodiment(s) was chosen and described in order to illustrate the principles
of the technology
disclosed herein and its practical application to thereby enable one of
ordinary skill in the art
to to utilize the technology disclosed herein in various embodiments and
with various
modifications as are suited to particular uses contemplated. This application
is therefore
intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the technology
disclosed herein using
its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such
departures from the
present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to
which this
technology disclosed herein pertains and which fall within the limits of the
appended claims.
32
