CARTRIDGE WITH TAPE OF BOLTS WITH ELASTIC LEAF TO TILT MEMBER FEEDER AND TO SEPARATE TAPES OF BOLTS
Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cartridge for use in a bolt driving tool, which may be pneumatically or combustion driven. The cartridge is arranged to store plural bolt tapes in a side-to-side relationship with each other. The present invention is characterized by a spring mechanism including an elastic blade that functions not only to tilt a feeder member, but also to be pulled longitudinally between a fringe stored near a side rail of the cartridge, and the next tape stored in the cartridge . Background of the Invention As exemplified in U.S. Patent No. 4,597,517, to Wagdy, it is known to utilize the so-called denier spring mechanism, including an elastic blade for tilting a feeder member of such a cartridge. The elastic sheet is arranged to be unwound as the feeder member retracts, and to retract when the feeder member advances. However, as disclosed in this patent, the cartridge seems to accommodate only one tape of bolts each time. So-called box cartridges for use in bolt driving tools, which may be pneumatically or combustion activated, are exemplified in various prior patents including U.S. Patent No. 3,266,697 to Fiedler, U.S. Patent No. 3,437,249 to U.S. Pat. Baum, U.S. Patent No. 3,504,840 to Wandel et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,784,306 to Baum, and U.S. Patent No. 5,038,993 to Shafer et al. A box cartridge is arranged to store plural bolt tapes in a side-to-side relationship with each other. In the patents identified in the preceding paragraph, complex pneumatic or mechanical mechanisms are disclosed for feeding these individual bolt tapes and successively from the box cartridges to the driving tools. There is a need, which the present invention addresses, for an improved cartridge that uses simpler mechanisms to feed these bolt tapes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Addressing the aforementioned need, the present invention provides a cartridge for use with a bolt driving tool, which may be pneumatically or combustion activated, and which is arranged to receive a bolt belt comprising a plurality of bolts. bolts in series and to drive the bolts individually and successively from the bolt belt. The cartridge is arranged to store a plurality of these bolt straps in a side-by-side relationship with each other. Being elongated, the cartridge has an outlet end, an opposite end, and a side rail on one of the sides of the cartridge. The output end has a bolt outlet, through which the stored tape closest to the side rail of the cartridge is powered. According to this invention, the cartridge uses a spring mechanism, including a spring blade in a novel manner. Broadly, the cartridge comprises a frame, a device for deflecting the stored strips towards the side rail of the cartridge, and a feeder member movable on the frame between an advanced position near the exit end, and a retracted position near the opposite end . The feeder member is adapted to feed the pin defining the outlet end of the stored tape closest to the side rail of the cartridge, when the feeder member is released after moving to the retracted position. The feeder member is adapted to feed the strip having the bolt attached to the outlet when the feeder member moves from the retracted position to the advanced position. Likewise, the cartridge comprises devices, including spring mechanisms with an elastic blade to deflect the feeder member toward the advanced position. The elastic sheet has a guide end secured to the frame, near the outlet end of the cartridge, and a final end secured to the feeder member and movable with the feeder member. The elastic sheet is disposed so as to be unwound as the aligner member moves towards the retracted position, and to rewind as the feeder member moves toward the advanced position. The elastic sheet may advantageously be arranged to unroll and rewind with respect to an axis that is essentially parallel to the pins of the pins of the stored tapes. The spring mechanism may be a negative spring mechanism, which is preferable, or a clock spring mechanism. As a feature of the present invention, the sheet is arranged to be pulled longitudinally between the stored tape closest to the side rail of the cartridge, and the next tape stored in the cartridge when the feeder member moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. Preferably, the elastic sheet is arranged to be pulled longitudinally between the bolt heads of the stored tape and closer to the side rail of the cartridge, and the bolt heads of the next tape stored in the cartridge when the feeder member is moved from the advanced position to the retracted position. Preferably, the feeder member has a wedge portion arranged to move between the pins of some of the pins of the stored tape closest to the side rail of the cartridge, and the pins of some of the pins of the next tape stored in the cartridge , and for guiding the elastic sheet between the separated tapes when the feeder member moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. Preferably, the feeder member has a portion that is attached to the rail arranged to push the side rail of the cartridge when the feeder member moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. Preferably, the feeder member has a bolt confining portion adapted to enclose, between the bolt confining portion and the side rail, the dowels of some of the bolts of the bolt belt closest to the lateral rail. In a contemplated embodiment, wherein the cartridge has an open side opposite the side rail, devices for diverting the stored tapes toward the side rail of the cartridge include an inclining member that is movable between an operative position, wherein the diverter member extends. on the open side and is inclined toward the stored tape closest to the open side, and an inoperative position, wherein the diverter member is removed to allow the bolt tapes to be loaded into the cartridge through the open side, a device for releasably securing the diverting member in the operative position, and a device for tilting the inclining member against the stored tape closest to the open side when the diverting member is secured in the operative position. Preferably, in the above embodiment, the diverter member is pivotally mounted to the frame, to pivot between the operative and inoperative positions. In the following embodiment, the cartridge further comprises a floor member, which is arranged to underlie the stored tapes and is mounted on the frame to be adjustable in any of the plural positions to accommodate pins of different lengths, and where The inclining member is arranged to secure the floor member in any of the positions when secured, by the securing means and to release the floor member when released by the securing device. Preferably, in the following modality, the diverter member is pivotally mounted to the frame to be movable by pivoting between the operative and inoperative positions. These other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pneumatically activated bolt driving tool, and equipped with a cartridge storing several bolt tapes and constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a fragmentary and elevated view of the bolt driving tool and an open side of the cartridge, as shown in Figure 1, except that a feeding member moved from a retracted position to an intermediate position. Figure 3 is a fragmentary and sectional view taken with respect to line 3-3 of Figure 2, in a direction indicated by arrows, and showing a feeder member as the feeder member is retracted to guide an elastic sheet between the stored tape closest to the side rail of the cartridge, and the next tape stored in the cartridge. Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken with respect to a similar line, in a similar direction, but showing the feeder member as the feeder member is advanced to feed the stored tape closest to the side rail. Figure 5 is a fragmentary and perspective view of the other side of the cartridge, in an open condition, without the bolt tapes. Figure 6, on a larger scale, is a fragmentary detail of a cartridge securing mechanism, seen from above.
Figure 7, on a similar scale, is a fragmentary detail of the securing mechanism shown in Figure 5, seen from one end of the cartridge. Figure 8 is a fragmentary and elevated view of the bolt driving tool and the other side of the cartridge, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail of the feeder member interlaced with another element, as shown in FIG. Figure 8, except that the feeder member was advanced to the advanced position in which the feeder member advances when all bolts of the stored tape closest to the lateral rail of the cartridge were driven by the bolt driving tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings, a pneumatically activated bolt driving tool 10 arranged to receive a bolt belt 12 of known type, comprising a plurality of cast bolts 14 and for driving the bolts 14 individually and successively from the bolt tape 12, it is equipped with a cartridge 20 which constitutes a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Each bolt 14 has a head 14a and a tang 14b. The bolts 14 of each bolt belt 12 are joined together by paper belts 16 on opposite sides of their pegs 14b. According to the present invention, the cartridge 20 uses a spring mechanism 30 that will be described later, in a novel way. The bolt tapes 12 are similar to the commercially available bolt tapes of ITW Paslode (a unit of Illinois Tool Works Inc.) of Vernon Hills, Illinois, United States, pursuant to the registered trademark PASLODE. The cartridge 20 is arranged to store a plurality of bolt straps 12 in a side-by-side relationship with each other. Being elongate, the cartridge 20 has an outlet end 22, an opposite end 24, and a side rail 26 on one side of the cartridge 20. The outlet end 22 has a bolt outlet (not shown) by which it is ali the stored tape 12 closest to the side rail 26. The cartridge has an open side 28 opposite the side rail 26. Except as shown and described herein, the bolt driving tool 10 can be essentially similar to the bolt driving tool. and pneumatically activated, which is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,932,480 to Golsch, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, and to pneumatically driven and driven pneumatically driven tools of Paslode ITW, supra, subject to its registered trademark PASLODE . The cartridge 20 may alternatively be used by a combustion-activated bolt driving tool, as exemplified by the commercially available combustion-activated bolt driving tools of Pasóle ITW, supra, under its trademark IMPULSE. Generally, the cartridge 20 comprises a frame 40 that includes a side rail 26, a device 50 that will be described later to divert the stored tapes 12 toward the side rail 26, and a feeder member 60 movable on the side rail 26 of the frame 30, between an advanced position near the outlet end 22 and a retracted position near the opposite end 24. The side rail 26 is fixed to the frame 30, under the side rail 26. The feeder member 60 has an eyebrow that attaches to the finger 62 which allows the feeder member 60 to be moved manually from the advanced position to the retracted position. The feeder member 60 has a portion that is joined to the rail 64, which has two eyebrows 66 on an upper edge of side rail 26 and two eyebrows 68 placed on the lower edge of the side rail 26. The feeder member 60 has a portion that is joins bolts 70, adapted to attach to pin 14b of pin 14 defining the end of stored tape 12 closest to side rail 26, as shown in Figure 4, when the feeding member 60 is released after manually moving to the retracted position. The feeder member has a portion that confines the bolts 72, which is adapted to confine, between the bolt confining portion 70 and the side rail 76, the bolts 14b of some of the bolts 14 of the bolt tape 12 closest to the rail. side 26. Accordingly, the feeder member 60 is adapted to feed the belt 12 with the attached belt 14 towards the outlet of bolts 28, as indicated by an arrow in Figure 5, when the feeder member 60 is moved (by the spring mechanism 100 in a manner that will be described later) from the retracted position to the advanced position. Accordingly, after each bolt 14 of a given belt 12 was driven by the bolt driving belt 10, the same belt 12 is fed by the output of bolts 28 until the next bolt 14 of the same belt 12 is positioned for be driven next. The feeder member 60 has a portion that is attached to the rail 76, which extends rearward from the portion that is attached to the bolts 70, and which is arranged to push between the side rail 26 and the pins 14b of some of the bolts. 14 of the stored tape 12 closest to the side rail 26 when the feeder member 60 moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. The feeder member 60 has a wedge portion 68, which is arranged to push between the pins 14b of some of the bolts 14 of the stored tape 12 closest to the side rail 26, and the pins 14b of some of the pins 14 of the next tape 12 stored in the cartridge 20 when the feeding member 60 moves from the advanced position to the retracted position.
The dancer spring mechanism 30 has an elastic blade 80, which is arranged to be unwound as the feeder member 60 moves toward the retracted position, and to rewind (re-form a reel) as the feeder member 60 moves toward the advanced position. As has been shown, the arranged sheet is advantageously arranged to be unwound and rewind about an axis that is essentially parallel to the pins 14b of the pins 14 of the stored tapes 12. The elastic sheet 80 has a guide end 82, which is coiled and that is secured to the frame 40, near the outlet 22 of the cartridge 20, by a winding 84. The elastic sheet 80 has a final end 86, which is secured to the columnar portion 88 of the feeder member 60, the wedge portions 68. which extend from the columnar portions 88. The end end 86 is wrapped around the column portion 88, near the wedge portion 78 of the feeder member 60, and is welded to itself. The wedge portion 78 of the feeder member is arranged to guide the elastic sheet between the spaced tapes 12 when the feeder member 60 moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. Accordingly, as a feature of the present invention, the elastic sheet 80 is arranged to be pulled between the pins 14b of the pins 14 of the stored tape 12 closest to the side rail 26, and the pins 14b of the pins 14 of the next one. tape 12 stored in the cartridge 20, as shown in Figure 3, when the feeding member 60 moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. The elastic blade 80 of the bolt confining portion 72, which moves relative to the elastic blade 80, separates the bolt belt 14 which is fed from the other belts 14 stored in the cartridge 20, as shown in Figure 5, when the feeder member 60 is advanced. The device 50 will then be described for tilting the stored tapes 12 towards the side rail 26. The inclining device 50 includes an inclining member 100, which is made of welded wires and which are mounted on the frame 30, by means of a pivot assembly 102 near the exit end 22 of the cartridge 20, and two pivot assemblies 104 near the opposite end 24 of the cartridge, to move by the pivot between an operative position and an inoperative position. The pivot assemblies 102, 104 are aligned with each other to define a pivot axis for the inclining member 100 and to receive the respective wire ends 106, 108 of the inclining member 100. In the operative position, where the inclining member 100 appears in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the inclining member 100 extends towards the cartridge 20, through the open side 28, and which is opposite the side rail 26. In the operative position, where the inclining member 100 appears in Figure 5, the tipping member 100 is removed from the cartridge 200 to allow the bolt tapes 12 to be loaded to the cartridge 20 through the open side 28. Likewise, the tipping devices 50 include devices 110 to secure the tipping member 100 detachably in the operative position. As shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 or other views, the securing device 110 comprises a lever 112 which is mounted to the frame 40 for movement by the pivot on a curved tongue 114 within the frame 40 between a secured position and a range. of released positions. In Figure 6, the lever 112 appears in the safe position, in solid lines, and in released position, in dotted lines. Also, the securing device 110 comprises a post 116 with a head 118 and passing through an opening 120 in the curved tongue 114, and through an opening 122 in the lever 112, a coiled spring 124 which is moved around the post 116 and being compressed between head 118 and lever 112, and a pin 126 passing through a hole (not shown) in post 116, beyond the opening 12 in the lever 112, to secure the lever 112, the post 116, and the spring 124 operatively to the frame 40, near the tongue 114. The lever 112 has a curved end 130, by means of which the lever 112 can be manually activated to move the lever 112 from the secured position to the released position by means of the pivot, and a curved end 113. Also, the securing device 110 comprises a latch 134, which is mounted to the frame 40 for pivoting movement to pivot 104, between a secured position and a variety of released positions. In Figure 5, insurance 134 appears in the released position. In Figures 6 and 7, the insurance 134 appears in the secured position. The latch 134 has a distal end 136, vee shaped to receive the curved end 132 of the lever 112, as shown in Figure 6 and other views, when the lever 112 resides in the secured position and the latch 134 resides in the secured position. the position assured. Also, the inclining end 50 includes a device 140 for tilting the inclining member 100 in the cartridge 20, against the stored strip 12 closest to the open end 106, when the tilting member 100 is secured in the operative position. The device 140 comprises a torsion spring 142, having a limb 144 connected to the end of the wire 108 of the inclining member 100 by a bolt 146 close to the pivot 104, to rotate together with the inclining member 100, with respect to the pivot 104, when the tilting member 100 is moved by the pivot, and having a limb 148 connected to latch 134 by a bolt 150 to rotate together with latch 134 relative to pivot 104, when latch 134 is moved by the pivot. The torsion spring 142 is arranged to secure the inclining member 100 in the operative position and to tilt the inclining member 100 inside the cartridge 20 against the stored tape 12 closest to the open side 106, when the distal end 136 of the latch 134 the curved end 132 of the lever 112 receives. The torsion spring 142 is arranged to release the inclining member 100, and to allow the inclining member 100 to be freely removed from the interior of the cartridge 20 when the lever 112 is activated to release the latch 134. In addition, when the lever 112 is activated to release the latch 134, the latch 134 tends to jump from the secured position to the released position due to the energy stored in the torsion spring 142. As shown in Fig. 2 and other views, the cartridge 20 comprises a floor member 160, which is arranged to underlie the stored tapes 12. The floor member 160 is mounted to the frame It can be placed adjustably in any of the various positions to accommodate bolt dowels of different lengths. The floor member is mounted to the frame 40 by two similar posts 162 which extend by two similar guides 164 fixed to the frame 40, to be adjustable over the limited range of post adjustments. The limited range of post adjustments is defined by the guides coacting with the raised plugs formed or provided on the posts 162, and with the annular rings 168 formed or provided on the posts 162. The posts 162 are rotatable in the guides 164, over a limited range of pole rotations, which extend downwardly and underneath the cartridge 20 to define two similar clamps 170 mounted on the floor member 160 as two similar handles 162 that allow relative movement between the floor member 160 and the legs 160. posts 162, as posts 162 rotate in guides 164. In addition, frame 40 is provided with two slotted brackets 180, each with slots 182 in different positions. Each slot 182 is arranged to receive the floor member 160 when the posts 162 and the floor member 160 are adjusted to a suitable position within the limited range of post adjustment and when the posts 162 rotate toward an extreme position within the limited range of rotating poles to cause a relative movement between the floor member 160 and the posts 162. The posts 162 can rotate to intermediate positions within the limited range of pole rotation, to remove the floor member 160 from the slotted clamps 180, in which the posts 162 and the floor member 160 can then be adjusted to a different position within the limited range of post adjustment. Accordingly, the inclining member 100 is arranged to rest against the floor member 160, to secure the floor member 160 in the slot 182 in any of the various positions defined by the slotted brackets 180, when the tilting member 100 is secured By means of the securing device 110. Accordingly, the inclining member 100 is arranged to release the floor member 160, to allow the posts 162 and the floor member 160 to be then adjusted to a different position within the limited range of post adjustment. , when the tilting member 100 is released by the securing device 110. As shown in Figure 2 and other views, the bolt driving tool 10 is provided with a tool activating mechanism 200 of a known type. The tool activating mechanism 200 is arranged in a known manner to deactivate the bolt driving tool 10 unless an element that comes into contact with the workpiece 202, which is remote from the bolt driving tool 10, to a position deactivated, by springs 204, is firmly pressed against a workpiece W to move the element coming into contact with the workpiece 202 towards the bolt driving tool 10, to an activated position. The details of the activating mechanism of the tool 200 is outside the scope of the present invention. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the feeder member 60 has a protrusion 210, which is arranged to stop the element coming into contact with the workpiece 202, in order to prevent the element coming into contact with the workpiece 202. the workpiece 202 moves from the activated position when the feeder member was moved to the advanced position, because all the bolts 14 of a given tape 14 have already been driven. An arm 212 is mounted on the element that comes into contact with the workpiece 202 to move together with the element that comes into contact with the workpiece 202. The arm 212 has a cavity 214, which is arranged to receive the protrusion 210 when the feeder member moves to the advanced position. Accordingly, the bolt driving tool 10 can not be operated again until the feeding member 60 moves from the advanced position to the retracted position. Here, the directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "up", and "down" are used as a reference to the bolt driving tool 10 and the cartridge 20 in a common orientation, as shown , and should not limit the present invention to any particular orientation. Various modifications can be made in the preferred embodiment described above, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.