The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 24, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1988
Robert L Wolfberg, Buffalo Grove, I;
Rudolph A Golsch, Arlington Heights, I;
Frank C Howard, Mount Prospect, I;
Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
Improvements in a fastener-feeding mechanism for a pneumatically powered, combustion-powered, or other rapidly acting, fastener-driving tool comprising a housing structure, a driver, and a magazine, as well as such a mechanism. The housing structure includes a nosepiece defining a drive track. The drive is mounted for repeatable movement along the drive track. The magazine is adapted to store a strip of collated fasteners, e.g., collated nails, such that a leading portion of the strip extends from the magazine. As a component for feeding fasteners individually and sequentially into the drive track from the leading portion of the strip, a pawl has a groove or grooves adapted to receive one such fastener. A fixed structure confines one of two sides of the leading portion of the strip so as to guide such portion. When in an operative position, a hinged structure confines the other side of such portion so as to guide such portion. The hinged structure includes a holding member adapted when in an operative position to hold one such fastener in the groove or groves and movable to inoperative positions so as to expose the groove or grooves. The hinged structure also includes a hinged cover adapted when in an operative position to secure the holding member in its operative position, as the only way for doing so, and adapted to move so as to allow the holding member to be so moved and so as to expose fastener-guiding surfaces of the fixed structure.