US1703458A

US1703458A - Nail-driving apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1703458A
Application number: US158274A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alonzo W Ruff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-12-31
Filing date: 1926-12-31
Publication date: 1929-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1946-02-26

Description

Feb, 26, 1929. 1,703,458

A. w. RUFF NAIL DRIVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 51, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 .1 I s N A q I} 51 M if R t i v i '1 N LJ Feb. 26, 1929.

A. W. RUFF NAIL DRIVING APPARATUS Fi led Dec. 51, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet Mil Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,458

A. w. RUFF NAIL DRIVING APPARATUS A. W. RUFF NAIL DRIVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet Fab 2& 1929.. 1,703,458

A. W. RUFF NAIL DRIVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 S l. I

hvmvm ma mal /6 Br Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

AIDNZO W. RUFF, F YORK, PmSYLVANIA.

NAIL-DRIVING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 31, 1926. Serial No. 158,274.

This invention relates to nail driving apparatus. More especially it relates to apparatus employing a power operated ham- 7 mer as the driver, and power operated mech- .5 anism for feeding nails as desired into position to be struck by such driver.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a portable nail driver which can be easily handled by a workman,

which is small enough to be used in restricted spaces, which can be readily adapted for different sizes of nails ranging from the small tack to the large structural spike, and which operates on the principle of power application whereby a number of relatively light blows, varying in quantity to meet the instant conditions, are employed to efi'ect the driving of the nail. It is a further object to provide feeding mechanism, controlled by the operator, for supplying a single nail as needed to the driving tool and to provide interlocking mechanism which prevents the feeding of another nail until the previously fed nail has been driven from the tool. It

is a feature that a nail fed to the driver cannot escape inadvertently therefrom or he accidentally driven out'of the tool by an unintentional operation of the hammer. Other features reside in the provision of means for aligning the the nail initially with the driving axis of the hammer and maintaining such alignment during the driving; in the provision of means for feeding the nails head first to the driving tool, if desired, and

other means for then bringing the nail point first to the work; and in the provision of means for gathering nails from a mass and delivering them to the feeding mechanism.

The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings is merely illustrative of the principles involved and it is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings: v

Figure 1 is an elevation of apparatus en bodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan of the driving tool;

Figure 3 is an elevation, for the most part in medial section on line 3-3 of Figure 2 with details of the pneumatic hammer omitted and with the central portion of the lower part of the handle in section as on line 3 a of Figure 9;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the nose end of the tool;

Figure 5 is an elevation in section on line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 5* is an elevation in section on line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an elevation in section on line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the handle end of the tool;

Figure 8 is an elevation like Figure 3, but showing the parts in position at the end of a driving operation;

Figure 9 is an elevation in section through the handle on line 9--9 of Figure 3;

F lgure 10 is. a perspective ot the nail jaws;

Figure 11 is an elevation of the nail release mechanism Figure 12 is an elevation partly in medial section of the same on line 12--12 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is an elevation, like Figure 12, with the position of the parts shown when a nail is being fed to the driving tool;

Figures 14, 15 and 16 are diagrammatic representations of the nail selecting cylinders in different positions of operation;

Figure 17 is a section of the nail guide on line 1717 of Figure 12;

Figure 18 is an elevation, in section of the air motor for driving the loader arm;

Figure 19 is an elevation in medial section, of a driving nose adapted to handle nails fed head first to it;

Figure 20 is an elevation, in section on line 2020 of Figure 19;

Figure 21 is an elevation, in medial sectlon, of the lower portion of nail release mechanism adapted for feeding a nail head first to the driving tool; and

Figure 22 is a plan of the nail loading and nail release mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a. power operated driving tool 10 adapted to be placed by the operator against the work to be nailed, as for example the metal ceiling 12, and nail release mechanism 14 which may be conveniently mounted upon a truck 16 when the apparatus as a whole is to be used in different locations. In the application of the invention herein illustrated and particularly described the driv lng tool comprises a pneumatic hammer but it is within the scope of the invention to employ other power means, for example, an

of the nail N to be driven.

electrically operated hammer for delivering the blows that are to be transmitted by the driving tool to the nail being driven. A compressed air storage tank 18 and hand pump 20 therefor are mounted on the truck to stpply air for operating the tool 10, the release mechanism 14 and a motor 22 which moves a nail loader arm 24 through a supply of nails in hopper 26. Nails picked up by this arm slide into a nail guide 122 connecting the hopper with nail release mechanism 14. The latter as here shown is also operated by air and under control of the workman may be operated to select a single nail from the guide and feed it to the driving tool. In cases where the tool is to be used in a limited locality the hopper and nail release mechanism may be permanently mounted on some fixed support, the. air taken from a pipe line and the nail loader arm driven by an electric motor 28. The

operative connections between such a motor and the loader arm are suggested by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the driving tool 10 (see Figs. 2 to 10) there is attached to one end of a pneumatic hammer 30 a driving nose 32 which is slidable with respect to the barrel 30 of the hammer in an axial direction. At the other end is a handle 34 by which the tool itself is supported and the apparatus as a whole controlled, there being in the handle means which enable the operator with one hand to drive a nail from the nose into the work and then to reload the tool with another nail supplied. by the release mechanism 14.

The driving nose has a body piece 36 which has three cylindrical sections 36, 36 and 36 of different external diameters through all of which extends axially a uniform bore 38 slightly larger than the head The rearmost or largest cylindrical section 36 is externally threaded to receive an aligning sleeve 40 which extends rearward and nicely fits around both a distance collar 42 secured to the end of the hammer barrel 30 and the barrel itself. The rear end of the nose body has a recessed bore 38 in which seats a coiled spring 44 that also bottoms on the reduced end 30 of the hammer barrel. This spring tends to keep the nose of the tool extended with the rear flanged end 40 ot' the aligning sleeve pressing against the distance collar 42, but upon the nose being placed against the work the force of the spring is overcome by the operator pushing on the handle and the hammer barrel slides forward within the sleeve until the distance collar brings up against the inner end of the nose body 36.

The intermediate, or second largest cylindrical portion 36 of the nose body is also threaded to receive a guide sleeve 46 which extends forward around the forward or smallest portion 36 of the body, terminating flush with the forward end of the latter. This sleeve has two diametrically opposed longitudinal slots 46 into which project a pair of nail centering jaws 48, (shown most clearly in Fig. 10). Another sleeve 50 is slidable on the forward portion 36 of the nose. body. The inner or rear end of this latter sleeve is machined on opposite sides to form transverse V-shaped grooves 52 which serve as rocker bearings for similarly shaped, inwardly projecting knife edges 54 on the jaws. Forward of the bearings this movable sleeve has slots 50 on opposite sides in register with the slots in the sleeve 46, and similarly located on the forward, or smallest portion 36 of the nose body, are two milled grooves 36, whose flat bottoms serve as the forward bearings for the jaws. The latter are held against the V-shaped bearings at the rear by a coiled spring 56 which is wrapped around the sleeve 50 and rests in a suitable slot 48 in the outer surface of each jaw. Another coiled spring 58 similarly arranged tends to hold the forward ends of the jaw against the bottoms of the grooves in the nose body portion 36.

The jaws beyond the nose body come together on an axial plane, being complementarily bored to form a hollow conical recess 48 whose axis is in alignment with the axis of the central bore 38 of the nose.

WVhen the tool is not held against the work a spring 60, coiled about the forward portion of the nose body between a shoulder 36. formed by the intermediate portion, and the slidable sleeve 50, forces the said sleeve and jaws forward until a beveled surface 48 on each jaw brings up against the ends of the slots 46 in the sleeve 46. When thus 0- sitioned the jaws prevent the escape o a nail fed into the central bore (as will more particularly hereinafter appear) because they cannot spread being held against separation by the slccve 46 engaging the beveled surfaces 48.

Assuming a nail to be in the central bore 38 ready to be driven, the operator places the fiat end of the sleeve 50 against the work at the place where the nail is to be driven and presses forward on the handle. Spring 60, being relatively weaker than the main nose spring 44,. yields first allowing the nose body and sleeve 46 to move toward the work. As soon as the slot end (46) has passed beyond the beveled surface 48, the jaws can then pivot about their knife edge bearings 52 and be spread against the circularly wrapped coiled spring 58 by the nail as it is forced outward between the jaws. The latter however retain a yielding grip on the nail shank and thus center it and start it straight into the work and keep it in proper alignment during its penetration.

As the tool is ushed further forward the end of the nose ody section 36 comes into contact with a rearwardly projecting ring on the sleeve 50, there y halting the movement of the nose body. spring 44 now yields and the hammer barrel 30 with its spacing collar 42 slides into the aligning sleeve 40 until a blow transmitting bar 62 brings up against the nail head. The operator thereupon exerts pressure on the end piece 64 of a plunger valve 64 that projects on the rear side of the handle 34 in position to be engaged by the operators palm. This valve 64 when held rearward by its spring 66 closes the main air passage 68 leading from supply tube 70 through the handle to the pneumatichammer but when pushed forward its reduced portion 64 registers with the passage 68 and allows air to flow into the hammer motor.

The hammer at once begins a series of sharp short blows on the bar 62 which projects forward from the hammer barrel into i the central bore of the driving nose. The blow receiving end 62 of this bar is a cylindrical block nicely fitting within a bushing 72 secured in the end of the barrel. This bushing at its forward end is somewhat enlarged, and adjacent its extremity is provided with an internal annular groove 7 which retains a spring-washer 74 that engages a beveled face 62 on the enlarged portion of the transmitting bar and limits its forward movement. Asillustrated this bar has about an eighth of an inch stroke. The forward end of the bar may be slightly cupped as at 62 to fit a half-round or oval headed nail, or may be left flat as desired.

The rapidly recurring light blows on the nail quickly drive it into the work, the handle and hammer barrel following along toward the work. It is to be noted that the distance between the opposed ends of the spacing collar 42 and the nose body 86 is the same as the distance between the end of the bar 62 and the forward end of the nose when the latter is retracted. This equality of distances effects a stoppage of the forward movement of the handle and hammer when .the nail has been completely driven into the work.- Sin'mltaneously with the arresting of this forward movement, the valve mechanism of the hammer operates to stop the latter from delivering any further blows, even though the plunger valve 64 is still pressed inward in open position by the operators hand. 7 1

As the. handle approaches the nose body, a rod 76, slidable longitudinally along a hole in the top of the handle and over the clamping nut 78 which joins the handle to the hammer, is engaged by the aligning sleeve 40 and pushed backward against the force of v a hair-pin spring 80 which is pocketed in the top of the handle and covered by a plate 82.

The main.

There is at the rear upper edge of the handle in a transverse vertical slot 34 a trigger 84 pivoted at 86 and extending crosswise with its thumb piece 84" exposed. The operator during the driving keeps his thumb pressed downward on this thumb-piece although he .is unable to move it because the upper edge 84 of the trigger (see Fig. 9) on the opposite side of its pivot, rests against the rod 76. As the latter is pushed backward, however, by the aligning sleeve'40, a slot 76 on its side comes into register with the transverse slot of the handle, thus allowing the trigger to be rotated by the thumb pressure upon it. This occurs, of course, at the end of the driving action, simultaneously with the extrusion ofthe nail and the stoppage of the hammer as heretofore explained. The rocking of the trigger lifts a second plunger valve 88, housed in the handle, against the resistance of spring 90. The body of this plunger has a passage 88 with ports 88" and 88 which register, when the plunger is thus lifted, with a branch 68 leading from the main air passage and another branch 92 leading into another bore 92 in the handle.

The air is therefore transferred from the main passage into this bore 92 and thence along a flexible tube 94 to the nail release mechanism 14 for effecting the delivery of another nail to the driving nose. The movement of the operators thumbs in rocking the trigger, together with the stoppage of the hammer itself, informs him that the driving operation is over and he thereupon removes the tool from the work. The main spring 44 and the jaw spring act together to reset all the parts in their extended position, except the trigger release rod 76 which is held retracted against the hair pin spring 80 until the operator hears or feels the click caused by the entrance into the nose of the tool of the new nail to be driven. Upon getting this signal he releases his thumb, the

coiled spring 90 moves the plunger valve 88 downward to closed position and rocks the trigger free from theslot in rod 76 allowing the' latter to be pushed forward by the hair pin spring 80. The tool is now reloaded and ready for the next driving operation.

lVhen the operator rocks the trigger and allows air under pressure to enter the tube 94 it flows to the horizontal arm 96 of the nail release mechanism, and acts upon a piston valve 98 therein. The 'latter extends across the vertical arm 100 and through the end of the horizontal arm, being held by spring 99 against an adjustable seat 102 formed by the tube coupling nut 102, which is threaded into the arm. The air pressure on the piston forces it along its cylinder until its end has uncovered a by-pass104 leading to the passage 106 in the vertical arm. Assuming a nail to have been dropped point first into this vertical passage 106 so that its head is below the by-pass 104 when the latter is uncovered, the air ressure on the nail head will force it along t e delivery tube 108 connecting the lower end of the vertical arm with the nail entrance to the driving tool. The aligning sleeve and the nose body 36 have an inclined hole 38" bored through them into the central bore 38. Into this hole a nipple 110 is threaded and to the latter the delivery tube 108 is connected by the usual hose couplings. The nail is driven through this tube and nipple into the central bore- 38 and past ball detents 112 to the closed jaws which arrest its travel.

I The detents 112 prevent its dislodgment from nose but yields readily to permit the blow transmitting bar 62 to be pushed for ward. As heretofore explained when the operator hears or feels the characteristic signal which tells him the nail has. reached the nose he releases the trigger 84 thus permitting the vertical plunger valve 88 to close the air connection between the main passage- 68 and the air passage 92 leading from the handle to the nail release mechanism. In so shifting a beveled portion 88 on the plunger opens the latter passage 92 for escape of the air through vent holes 34 in the handle. Accordingly the plunger valve 98 of the nail release mechanism is returned to its seat by the now unbalanced force of its spring 99.

The stem 98 of the plunger projects through a loose fitting nut 97 at the end of the horizontal arm 96 and is adjustably engaged by a cross arm or extension piece 114 whose upper end connects with two links 116. These latter are also pivotally joined to suitable lugs 118 on two cylinders 120 mounted tangentially to each other at the top of the vertical arm 100. Each of these cylinders has a small half-round groove 120 in its outside surface which forms with the opposing groove of the other cylinder a hole somewhat larger than the shank of the nail but smaller than its head. \Vhcn the plunger valve 98 is seated the positions of the cylinders are as shown in Fig. 16 with the opposing grooves opening toward the end of an inclined nail guide 122 down which a supply of nails has slid under the influence of gravity. lVith the grooves 120- thus open, the lowest nail on the slide enters the hole of the grooves with its head resting on the top edges thereof. As the plunger valve 98 is moved by the air pressure from the driving tool, its extension piece 114 and links 116 rotate the cylinders through about one third of a rotation and brings the grooves into the position shown in Fig. 14. In this rotative movement the single nail which has entered the hole of the groove is carried forward over the passage 106 in the vertical arm and as the grooves separate, opening outward, the nail slips off the cylinders and by guide plate 124 is directed into the said vertical passage 106 coming to rest finally on the plunger 98 (see Fig. 13). As soon as the latter returns to its seat, however, its transverse hole 98 registers with the vertical nail passage 106 and the nail thereupon drops through the plunger and into the delivery tube 108 below the by-pass 104. This nail is ready to be fed to the driving nose upon the next operation of the trigger as already described. In the meantime, the cylinders 120 have again been turned to bring the grooves once more in position to receive the next nail. Only one nail. can be carried by the cylinders at a time, because the end opening of the nail guide 122 is closed by the cylinder walls as the grooves swingaway from the guides.

One of the cylinders is supported by a bracket 126 attached rigidly to the frame of the nail release mechanism and the other cylinder is mounted on a second bracket 126 which is yieldably supported on the first by a clamping bolt 128 and interposed spring 130 holding them together. Accordingly the cylinders can handle nails ofvarying thickness since the spring 130 can yield and permit the cylinders to separate. Alignment of the cylinder grooves is maintained by guides 131 fastened on the bracket 126 and engaging ways on the sides of the movable bracket 126 The nail guide 122 comprises two strips 122' fastened together on opposite sides of a distance piece 122" at their bottoms (see Fig. 17). It is attached rigidly to the fixed cylinder bracket 126 at its lower end, and to the nail hopper 26 at its upper end. The hopper has converging side walls 26 which cause the nails to slip toward the central portion of the bottom. A slot 26" is provided in this portion for the movement therethrough of the nail loader arm 24. This is similar to the center board of a boat. being pivotally mounted at the junction of the hopper with the guide. Along one edge of the arm is a slot 24 engaged by a roller 134 on the side of a large gear 136. The latter as shown in Figure 1 is oscillated by a rack 138 on the side of a cylinder 140 rnovable along a fixed piston 142 (see Fig. 18). The cylinder also carries an arm 140 that engages a valve. rod 144 at each end of its up and down strokes and automatically shift-s the plunger valve 146 to admit air from the supply tanklS to the piston passage 142" against the cylinder head. At the end of the upper stroke the valve is shifted to cut oil the supply and open the piston passage to atmosphere through vent 148, allowing the weight of the loader arm to cause reverse rotation of the gear and a return of the cylinder to its lower position, where again the valve is shifted. Thus the loader arm is moved upward and downward through the mass of nails in the hop er. Its top edge is slotted at 24" and nails ihlling oint down in this slot are carried upward y the arm until the inclination of the latter is such that the nails slide from the arm into the slot of the nail guide, and thence to near the cylinders 120.

It the apparatus is not to be used as a portable equipment, the loader and guide may be mounted on a fixed support,.and the arm be driven by an electric motor, as suggested in dot-ted outline in Fig. 1. Likewise the air supply may be taken from a pipe instead of directly from a local storage tank.

Although the apparatus as heretofore described is adapted for handling nails of various lengths and sizes, it has been found advantageous in driving very small nails, as for example upholstery or gimp tacks, to convey the tacks from the release mechanism to the driving nose head first. This involves a modification in these two operative elements.

In the nail release mechanism (see Fig. 21) the bottom vertical arm 100 is closed by a plug 150 whose inner end is beveled so that a tack T falling down the passage 106 will come to rest in a tilted position, with its head just within the entrance of a horizontal exit passage 152 from the ver tical arm." The by-pass 104: is continued down through the arm 106 so that its opening into the passage 106 is opposite the lower side of the exit passage 152. Consequently when the plunger valve 98 is shifted, as heretofore described to admit air to the by pass, this air will strike the underside of the tack head and push it head first into the delivery tube 108 connected to the ofi'set arm containing the exit passage 152.

To properly handle the tack at the driving nose provision must be had for getting the tack point first toward the work. cordinglya modified nose piece 360 is substituted in the aligning sleeve 40 which has a smaller central bore 380 along its axis and a larger transverse hole 154 across it near its forward end. Into this latter hole is nicely fitted rotatable cylinder 156 having a bore 156 across it of the same size as the bore 380. 'As seen in Fig. 19 this bore of the cylinder is vertical and in alignment with the passage through the nipple 159 to which the delivery tube 108 is connected. A tack cominghead first through this tube enters the cylinder bore 156 and is retained therein by the ball detents 160 which open under the momentum of the tack to let its head pass, but restrain it from falling back into the nipple. Vith a tack thus held, the operator places the nose sleeve 162 against the work and pushes forward on the handle 34. The sleeve 162 of course does not move but the nose piece 360 slides forward within it, compressing the coiled spring 16 1. Along each side of the nose piece are two slots 360" preferably as Wide as the diameter of the cylinder, and in each slot is a block 166 attached to the sleeve 162. Each block has a vertical slot 165 on its face toward the cylinder into which a crank pin 168 in the end of the cylinder projects. As the nose piece and cylinder move forward, the pins 168 hearing against the sides of the vertical slots 165 cause the cylinder to rotate 90 to bring its bore 156 into alignment with the bore 880 through the nose piece. When this is done, the rear end of the nose sleeve will have seated against the end of sleeve 40 and further movement of the nose piece is prevented. The hammer and handle can continue to slide forward under the yielding of spring 44, thereby forcing the blow transmitting bar 168 against the head of the tack and pushing the latter forward between the jaws 170. The latter are separately pivoted in inclined slots 360" at the front of the nose piece and can be spread against the force of coiled spring 172 to let the tack pass into the work, while keeping a suflicient grip upon the tack to properly start it. When the tack has been driven, the hammer stops, the operator presses down the trigger 84 toefi'ect delivery of a new tack in the nose. Upon removal of the tool from the work the spring 164 forces the sleeve forward until a slot 162 on the bottom side brings up against the nipple 159 and a similar slot 162 in the upper side engages a screw stud 174. During the forward travel of the sleeve, the cylinder is again rotated 90 bringing its bore opposite the passage through the nipple.

Where apparatus is to be used for handling only one size of nail, the parts can be designed for this particular size, for examplc, a much smaller and lighter tool can be made for gimp tacks than would be desirable for heavy finishing nails. On the other hand, a single tool can be used. for a considerable range of sizes of nails it being only necessary to change the supply of nails or to have several hoppers to which the release mechanism and guide can be selectively attached to handle the size of nail desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, a loading device; mechanism connected therewith and adapted to release a nail therefrom; a driving tool having a handle connected with a supply of compressed air and with said release mechanism a nose piece movable on said tool with respect to said handle and having a separate connection with said release mechanism; and control means on said handle for effecting connection between said air supply and 'nose of a nail previously said release mechanism whereby air is transmitted to the latter to release a nail from the loading device and feed it through said separate connection to the nose piece; the said control means being in turn controlled by the relative positions of said nose and handle to prevent feeding of a nail from said release mechanism until said nose pieceis freed of a nail previously fed.

2. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, nail feeding mechanism; a driving tool having connection therewith and with a source of power for operating said tool and said mechanism; control means associated with said tool controlling the ap lication of power to said mechanism for ceding a nail therefrom to said tool; and means restraining operation of said control means until a nail previously fed to said tool has been removed therefrom.

3. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, nail feeding mechanism; a driving tool having a conduit therein connected with a source of power for driving said tool; a second conduit in said tool having connection with said feeding mechanism; control means in said tool adapted to connect said conduits for transmitting power to said mechanism to effect feeding of a nail to said tool; and a locking device restraining said control means from effecting said connection until a nail pre viously fed to said tool has been removed therefrom. a

4. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination a driving tool having a power operated hammer adapted to strike recurring blows upon a nail being driven thereby; a nose on said hammer adapted to be moved with respect thereto; a handle attached to said hammer having means controlling the operation of the hammer; means for feeding a nail to said nose; control means associated with said handle for effecting actuationvof said feeding means; and restraining means on said handle preventing the operation of the last said control means; the said restraining means being released upon a predetermined relative movement between said nose and said hammer corresponding with the ejection from said fed thereto.

5. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, a driving tool adapted to receive a nail and drive it into the work to be nailed having a member relatively movable with respect to the tool; means for feeding a nail to said tool comprising a supply of nails and mechanism for releasing a nail from said supply; control means associated with said tool and arranged'to be actuated by the operator for effecting operation of the release mechanism; means restraining the operation of said control means; the said restraining means being released upon relative movement of said member a predetermined distance.

6. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, a power operated driving tool having parts relatively movable; means for supplying nails thereto comprising, a hopper; a nail guide arranged to recelve nails from the hopper; releasing mechanism adapted to release a single nail from said guide; a conduit connecting said release mechanism with the tool for conducting the said single nail thence; there being control means associated with the driving tool controlling the operation of said releasing mechanism and comprising a restraining element adapted to be freed to permit actuation of the control means when the relatively movable parts of said tool are moved to a predetermined relation with one an-- other. I

7. Apparatus for driving nails com rising, in combination, a power-operated riving tool; means for feeding a nail thereto including a conduit leading to the driving tool; release mechanism connected with said conduit having a plunger valve controlling a nail passage to said conduit; control means associated with the driving tool for effecting movement of'said. valve to admit a pressure force to said conduit for forcing the. nail therealong to the driving tool; and means for returning said valve upon release of the pressure force to permit another nail to pass from the release mechanism into the conduit.

8. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, a power-operated driving tool; means for feeding a nail thereto including a conduit leading to the driving tool; release mechanism connected with said conduit'havingmeans for selecting a single nail from a supply and delivering it to a nail passage in said release mechanism leading to said conduit a second passage in said release mechanism connecting said nail passage with a source of pressure force; a valve controlling both said passages and having operative connection with said selecting means and control means associated with the driving tool for admitting force to said second passage whereby the valve is moved to admit the force to the nail passage and conduit to feed the nail to the driving tool, and to effect operation of the selecting means; there being power storage means for returning the valve to its initial position upon the control mechanism shutting off the pressure force acting upon the valve.

9. Apparatus for driving nails comprising, in combination, a pneumatic driving tool adapted to strike recurring blows upon nail feeding mechanism having one conneca ing, in combination, nail fe tion with said tool for transmission of air therefrom and having another connection for delivery of a nail thereto; valve means in said 'tool for admitting air from the supply to the air transmitting connection; a valve in the release mechanism normally separating the last mentioned connection and the nail delivery connectionbut adapted to be moved by said air to join said connections whereb the .nail is fed to the tool'; and means or feeding the nail into said delivery connection prior to the movement of said valve.

10. Apparatusfor drivin nails comprising mechanism; a driving tool having connection therewith and with a source of power for operating said tool and said mechanism, and comprising a movable nose piece; control means associated with said tool controlling the application of power to said mechanism for feeding a nail therefrom to said tool; and means restraining operation of said control means until said nose piece has moved a predetermined distance.

11. Apparatus for drivin nails comprising, in combination, nail feeding mechanism;

a driving tool having a handle connected with a source of power for operating said tool and said mechanism; a movable. nose piece on said tool having connection with said feeding mechanism; control means associated with said handle for controlling the application of said power to said mechanism for feeding a nail therefrom to said nose piece; and restraining means operatively connected with said nose piece and actuated by movement thereof, normally restraining operation of the control means until said nose piece has moved a predetermined distance.

In testimony this 30th day Pennsylvania.

whereof I afiix my signature of December, 1926, at York,

ALONZO W. RUFF.