Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Michael P Johnson

Ricardo Segura

Greg Holderfield

Joey Nakayama

Nathan Thomas Mina

Bryan Ray Schieler

Patrick J Curtis

Edward Robert Brandt

Richard E Pope

Genaro O Cortez, Jr

Attachments for a fastening tool are configured to position the fastening tool raceway for driving a fastener from the tool into a workpiece at a desired location. The attachments include work contact elements including a pair of surfaces for contact with two surfaces of the workpiece to properly position the tool raceway.

Fastener driving tool and workpiece positioning attachments

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.

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

A pneumatically operable fastener-driving tool and seal mechanism assembly, and a method of operating the same, comprises the use of a single, annular seal member, having a substantially V-shaped cross-sectional configuration, disposed within an annularly recessed portion of the fastener-driving tool piston in such a manner that the open region of the V-shaped annular seal member is disposed toward the relatively high-pressure upstream end portion of the fastener-driving tool cylinder, while, conversely, the closed region of the V-shaped annular seal member is disposed toward the relatively low-pressure downstream end portion of the pneumatic tool cylinder Accordingly, the relatively high-pressure air acts upon the radially outwardly flared lip portion of the annular seal member during a power stroke, while relatively low-pressure air acts upon the radially outwardly flared lip portion of the annular seal member during a return stroke, whereby only a single V-shaped annular seal member is required to achieve proper sealing performance characteristics throughout an operative cycle of the fastener-driving tool.

Pneumatically operable fastener-driving tool and seal mechanism assembly, and a method of operating the same

A new and improved mounting system, for fixedly mounting an exhaust gas deflector component upon the upper cap member of a pneumatically-powered fastener-driving tool, comprises a fastener disposed internally within the upper cap member of the pneumatically-powered fastener-driving tool and not extending externally through the exhaust gas deflector component. In this manner, not only does the exhaust gas deflector component of the pneumatically-powered fastener-driving tool exhibit an aesthetically pleasing external appearance, but in addition, the absence of any externally visible fastener structure, extending through the exhaust gas deflector component, permits various indicia, such as, for example, the company logo, to effectively be incorporated upon the external surface portion of the exhaust gas deflector component.

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Round Lake, IL, United States of America

Michael P Johnson