Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Signode Corporation

Paslode Gmbh

Lawrence S Shelton

William L Gabriel

Donald E Bergstrom

Algis P Suopys

Geronimo E Lat

Henry A Sygnator

Isaac H Heskel

Henry W Schniedermeier

Michael J Christensen

Paul J Storiz

Joseph J Righter, Jr

Eldrige J Presnell

Elizabeth J Eckmann

Richard W Mrozik, Jr

Michael Starozhitsky

Anthony M Versino

John Binder

Arthur C Wachowski

Daniel P Birr

Dieter G Boigk

Daniel V Chin

Kenneth R Levey

Frederick A Kish

Jeffrey L Trzaskus

Michael Starozhitzky

David Heminger

Rudolf A Golsch

An ease of drive coating for a fastener is formulated from a resin having at least two different friction reducing components, such as silicone and graphite. A fastener and fastener strip include a resin formulation with at last two different friction reducing components.

Fastener tip coating

A method for making a collated fastener assembly includes arranging a plurality of fasteners in a row parallel to one another, in a plane, and spaced from one another, preheating the fasteners, applying a molten polymer material onto the fasteners and conveying the fasteners with the polymer into a mold cavity. The fasteners are maintained in the plane. The polymer is molded onto the fasteners and between adjacent fasteners to form a molding having a collar encircling a shank of each fastener and a connecting portion between adjacent fasteners. The molding maintains the space between the fasteners. A cooling stream is introduced onto the fasteners and the molding as the fasteners and the molding exit from the mold cavity.

Method for making debris-free nail collation

Fastener tip coating chemistry

A fastener assembly is configured for use in an associated fastener driving tool for driving a fastener from the assembly into an associated substrate. The assembly includes a row of fasteners, each having a shank, arranged substantially parallel to each other. A collation system is formed from a plastic material that is molded onto and adhered to the fasteners. The plastic material is molded to define a collar portion substantially encircling the fastener shank and a connecting portion extending between and connecting adjacent collar potions. The plastic material is formulated from an adhesive polymer. When the fastener is driven from the driving tool, the collar portion remains adhered to the fastener such that the collar portion penetrates the substrate with the fastener.

Debris-free plastic collating strip for nails

A fastener assembly for use in an associated fastener driving tool for driving a fastener from the assembly, in sequential order, into an associated substrate, includes a row of fasteners arranged substantially parallel to each other, each fastener having a shank and defining an axis and a collation system formed from a plastic material that is molded onto and adhered to the fasteners. The plastic material defines a collar portion at least substantially encircling the fastener shank and a connecting portion extending between and connecting adjacent collar portions. When the fastener is driven from the driving tool, the collar portion remains adhered to the fastener such that the collar portion penetrates the substrate with the fastener, and the connecting portion includes a preferentially weakened region to influence separation of the connecting portion from the collar at a desired location.

An apparatus for forming a plastic molded collated fastener assembly includes a conveyor for carrying a plurality of fasteners in a horizontal plane defining an upper surface and a lower surface, a preheater for preheating the plurality of nails and a plastic collation molding station. The molding station includes injection nozzles for applying molten plastic to the upper surface of the fasteners and to the lower surface of the fasteners. The station further includes forming wheels including a holding section to, in cooperation with the conveyor, secure the fasteners. The wheels include a forming section to mold the molten plastic to the fasteners to form a collation having a collar encircling the fasteners' shanks and a connecting portion extending between the collars. The apparatus includes at least one cooling spray nozzle to spray a cooling vapor onto the fasteners and collations and at least one cooling spray nozzle to spray a cooling vapor onto the forming wheels. An air chiller further cools the collations.

Apparatus for making debris-free nail collation

A method for making a collated fastener assembly includes the steps of arranging a plurality of fasteners each having a head and a tip, in a row parallel to one another, the fasteners being arranged in a plane. The plurality of fasteners are preheated to elevate the temperature of the fasteners and a molten polymer material is applied onto the preheated plurality of fasteners. The fasteners, maintained in the plane, are conveyed with the molten polymer thereon between a pair of forming wheels. The molten polymer material is molded onto the preheated fasteners and between adjacent fasteners to form a plastic molding having a collar encircling a shank of each fastener and a connecting portion between adjacent fasteners. A cooling vapor is sprayed onto the fasteners and the plastic molding as the fasteners and the plastic molding exit from between the molding wheels. A gaseous cooling stream is forced over the fasteners and the plastic molding to cool the strip to form the fastener assembly.

A nail having a plurality of grooves configured to reduce the amount of material needed to create the nail and increase the holding power of the nail, while only minimally affecting the bending yield strength of the nail and other important properties. The nail includes a relatively high number of grooves having a relatively shallow depth to retain a cross-sectional geometry of the shank that permits the formation of a full round head of sufficiently large diameter such that pull through resistance of the nail is not significantly affected. Various embodiments of such a nail are disclosed. In a first embodiment, the grooves are semi-circular and are disposed evenly and symmetrically about the circumference of the shank. In a second embodiment, a protrusion is formed at one tangent point (corner) of each of the plurality of grooves. In a third embodiment, a protrusion is formed at each tangent point of each of the plurality of grooves. In other embodiments the grooves may be unevenly and asymmetrically disposed about the circumference of the shank, the grooves may comprise non-semi-circular geometries and the grooves may comprise deformations.

Grooved fastener

A nail has a head, a penetrating tip and a shank extending from the head to the penetrating tip. The shank has a circumference and a longitudinal axis. A plurality of rows of deformations formed as teeth are formed in the shank extending outwardly of the shank. The rows are formed in a spiral pattern along the length of the shank from about the head to about the penetrating tip. The rows of teeth are formed parallel to one another and formed at an angle of at least 50 degrees relative to a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the nail.

Deformed shank fastener

Method of making debris-free plastic collating strip for nails

A fastener is formed from carbon steel wire so as to have an elongate shank defining an axis, an enlarged head formed at one end of the shank, and a generally pointed tip formed at the other end of the shank. The shank has a ringed portion formed with annular grooves defining annular rings and with helical grooves intersecting the annular grooves and defining helical ribs. The fastener is heat-treated, zinc-plated, and chromate-coated. Substantially all of the shank or of the fastener, as a whole, is further coated with a polymeric material to resist corrosion, to improve ease of driving the fastener, and to increase holding power of the fastener when driven through a wood, plywood, or plasterboard workpiece and then through a steel framing member. Substantially all of the shank or of the fastener, as a whole, may be thus coated with the polymeric material. The polymeric material softens and flows upon penetration and rehardens.

Fastener with polymer-coated shank

A building assembly comprises a wooden board, a metal framing member, and a fastener having an elongate shank, an enlarged head, and a generally pointed end and fastening the board to the framing member. The shank has a ringed portion with annular grooves defining annular rings having a uniform, outer diameter, helical grooves intersecting the annular grooves, a cylindrical land having a smaller diameter and dividing the ringed portion into an axially longer subportion nearer to the tip and an axially shorter subportion nearer the head, a cylindrical land between the tip and the ringed portion, and a cylindrical land between the head and the ringed portion. The fastener is driven through the board and through the framing member wall so that the head bears against the board, so that the tip and the shank form, from the wall of the framing member, a generally annular lip projecting toward the tip and so that the lip is disposed around the cylindrical land dividing the ringed portion. The wall of the framing member has sufficient resiliency for the lip when disposed around the cylindrical land to have an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the annular ring nearest to the cylindrical land among the annular rings of the subportion nearer to the tip. Each helical groove taken in cross-section is either symmetrical or asymmetrical with respect to a plane comprising the axis defined by the shank and intersecting said helical groove where such helical groove is deepest.

Fastener and building assembly comprising workpiece, substrate, and

A method and apparatus for forming a head, having a controlled predetermined shape on an end of an elongate member, such as a wire, which is formed into a fastener, where an end portion of the wire is secured in a predetermined position and axially compressed so as to expand a predetermined amount of wire material radially outwardly and thereby form the head on the wire, and where material flow is directed during axial compression so as to provide the controlled predetermined shape of the head.

Method of forming a head on a fastener

A process for coating a metal fastener with a coating composition that has a particular affinity for plaster materials is disclosed. The composition comprises a mixture of a copolymer of an aromatic monomer, preferably styrene, and a monomer with .alpha., .beta. unsaturation with carboxyl groups, preferably maleic anhydride, and a thermoplastic resin disposed within an organic solvent. The resin is preferably polyvinyl acetate, and the solvent can be an aromatic solvent, a ketone, a chlorohydrocarbon, or a mixture there of. The coating composition is disposed within a reservoir, and the fastener is dipped into the composition within the reservoir. The coated fastener is then subsequently dried at approximately ambient temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Morton Grove, IL, United States of America

Lawrence S Shelton