US2966683A

US2966683A - Driving tool

Info

Publication number: US2966683A
Application number: US489567A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter E Schulz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-02-23
Filing date: 1955-02-21
Publication date: 1961-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 1978-01-03
Also published as: BE535556A; CH339598A; DE1071006B; GB790554A; DE1067377B; FR1123658A

Description

W. E. SCHULZ Jan. 3, 1961 DRIVING TOOL Fied Feb. 21, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 3, 1961 w. E. scHULz 2,966,683

DRIVING TOOL Filed Feb. 21, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. E. SCHULZ Jan. 3, 1961 DRIVING TooL 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 2l, 1955 A @NNN Jan. 3, 1961 Filed Feb. 21, 1955 W. E. SCHULZ DRIVING TOOL` 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Glu;

W. E. SCHULZ Jan. 3, 1961 DRIVING TOOL 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 N .mi

Filed Feb. 21, 1955 W. E. SCHULZ Jan. 3, 1961 DRIVING TOOL 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 21, 1955 um u Jan. 3, 1961 w. E. scHuLz 2,966,683

DRIVING Toor.

Filed Feb. 21, 1955 s sheets-sheet 7 Fig. 2b

W` E. SCHULZ Jan. 3, 1961 DRIVING TOOL 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 m .mi

0/ www Q QQ A i WWI l l l I l I l l l l I I I I i l I I I l l I l @N 2,966,683 Patented Jan. 3, 1961 ice DRIVING rooL Walter E. Schulz, Goethestr. 44, Wulfrath, Rhineland, Germany Filed Feb. 21, 1955, Ser. No. 489,567

Claims priority, application Germany Feb. 23, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl. 1-106) The present invention relates to driving tools and, more particularly, to driving tools for driving studs, nails and the like into solid bodies.

Driving tools serving for driving studs, nails or the like into solid bodies must in conformity with prevailing safety 'regulations be so designed that prior to the firing of the stud, a relative movement between the muzzle of the barrel land the casing will be necessary, and that only in this position, a tiring of ,the stud will be possible. This regulation is intended to prevent the driving tool from being fired in the manner of a gun, Le., without the barrel muzzle being pressed against a fixed abutment. In order to assure the relative movement between the barrel and the casing to the required extent, it is necessary to provide an abutment for the barrel. This abutment, however, has the drawback that the recoil is conveyed to the handle and thereby to the hand of the operator through the intervention of said abutment. With the heretofore known driving tools, in most instances efforts were made to eliminate or to cushion the effect of the recoil upon the handle and thus upon the hand of the operator by providing spring means between the casing and the handle. These spring means, however, must necessarily be harder than the spring against the thrust of which the barrel is pressed because otherwise the spring means of the handle would be compressed before the relative movement between the barrel and casing has been effected to the required extent. Therefore, relatively hard spring means had to be provided so that, nevertheless, the recoil affected the hand of the operator still to a rather great extent. The effect of the recoil upon the operators hand was particularly strongly felt when, due to faulty handling, a particularly strong recoil occurred. Such an increased recoil will occur, for instance, when the stud,

during the loading operation, is moved too far towards muzzle of the barrel. Hand injuries caused by the recoil of the driving tool therefore frequently occurred.

It is an object of -this invention to provide a driving tool which will overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a driving tool which will eliminate `the harmful elfect Vof the Vrecoil Iupon the 'hand of the operator handling the driving tool.

Slt is also an Lobject of `this invention to provide a driving tool Yof 'the type set forth in the preceding paragraphs, in which the abutment which limits the relative movement of the barrel and casing will become -inelective tively soft spring so that also with an excessive recoil no hand injuries will occur.

These and other objects and advantagesof the invention will appear more clearly from the following specication in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section through a driving tool according to the invention in which the abutment for limiting the relative movement between the barrel and the shield becomes ineffective when tiring the driving tool.

Figs. la, 1b and lc show the driving tool according to the invention in different positions during the actuation thereof.

Fig. 2 illustrates a longitudinal section through a moditied driving tool according to the invention in which the relative displacement between the barrel and shield is independent of a limiting abutment limiting the relative movement between the barrel and the shield.

Figs. 2a and 2b show the driving tool according to Fig. 2 yin diiferent positions of operation.

Fig. 3 illustrates a still further modification of the invention and shows a driving tool somewhat similar to that of Fig. 2 having a guiding pipe which serves as abutment.

General arrangement In order to cause the abutment which normally limits the relative movement of the barrel and the casing to become ineffective when ring the stud, the trigger may, for instance, be so designed that the actuation of the trigger simultaneously releases the tiring pin and causes the abutment which limits said relative movement to become ineffective, for instance, by withdrawing said abutment. According to a particularly simple and reliable embodiment of the invention, the said abutment is made ineffective on withdrawal of the tiring pin which itself serves as abutment for the barrel or the breech block connected to the barrel. To this end, the tiring pin is preferably positively vengageable with the barrel or with the breech block connected to the barrel and to the casing so that when a relative movement between the barrel and the shield is effected, simultaneously the firing pin is held stationary while the spring for the firing pin is compressed. By actuating the trigger, the said positive connection is eliminated, whereupon the firing pin, due tothe thrust on the firing pin, springs or jumps forwardly lwhile simultaneously the barrel is free to move toward the rear. Consequently, the barrel can now move backywardly due to the eifect of the recoil. This backward movement of the barrel may be intercepted by a spring or braking means.

According to another embodiment of this invention, the same effect is obtained by making the barrel axially movable independently of the abutment which limits the relative movement between the barrel and the casing. The barrel, which in a `manner similar to the first embodiment, is preferably xedly connected to the breech block and may, for instance, be screwed into the latter, is, therefore, allowed suflicient distance to displace itself against the thrust of a spring not only tothe extent necessary for the relative movement between the casing and the barrel prior to the ltiring of the 'tool but by an additional distance which is sufficient to intercept the recoil without shock effect upon the handle. The abutment which limits the relative movement of the barrel is arranged on the casing which has vthe handle connected thereto. When the relative movement between the barrel and casing is completed, the said abutment rests in a positive manner against the surface into which the bolt is to be driven. In contrast to the heretofore known driving tools and also in contrast to the first embodiment of the invention, 'in the present instance Ythe relative movement between the barrel and casing is not limited by an abutment, but the abutment limits the distance or stroke by which the casing prior to the ring is pressed forwardly against the surface into which the stud has to be driven. Thus, the barrel is able at the instant of the firing due to the' recoil to spring back in the casing without the necessity of employing hard springs or abutments which would convey the recoil to the handle.

An arrangement according to the present invention has the further advantage that it is of simple construction and comprises relatively few elements. A further simplification of the construction of a driving tool according to the invention may be obtained by providing the breech block with a movable extension which limits the forward movement of the breed block. Furthermore, after the said extension has been pressed inwardly, the breech block, firing pin and firing pin spring, as well as the release member, which latter interlocks the breech block and firing pin in a positive manner, may be removed. Such extension may, for instance, be formed by an extension or tongue of the breech block, which tongue may extend through a slot in the casing in such a manner that when the barrel is in a certain position relative to the casing, said tongue will face the nose of the trigger so that in this position only will it be possible to release the ring pin, whereas in the foremost position of the barrel relative to the casing it is possible by pressing in the same tongue to dismantle the tool.

Structural arrangement Referring now to the drawings in detail and Fig. l thereof in particular, the driving tool shown therein comprises a barrel 1 which is screwed into the breech block 2 by means of a thread 3. The firing pin 5 is designed as a sleeve which in the interior thereof has arranged a firing pin spring 6. A pin 8 inserted into the bottom of the casing 7 serves as guide for the firing pin spring. A release member is movably mounted in a transverse bore 9 of the breech block 2 so as to be movable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the barrel against the thrust of a spring 11. This release member is also provided with a bore extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the ring pin and arranged so that the firing pin can pass through said bore when the release member 10 is pressed inwardly against the thrust of the spring 111. However, when the release member under the action of the spring 11 is pressed against the somewhat narrow front portion of the firing pin, the rear thicker portion cannot pass through said bore of the release member because the shoulder 12 abuts the step 13 of the release member. The casing 7 is provided with a slot 14 through which protrudes an extension 15 of the release member 10. The said eX- tension 15 is adapted to be actuated by a trigger 16 which is tiltable about a bolt 17. When the muzzle of the barrel is placed against the surface into which the stud is to be driven and the casing 7 is pressed forwardly against the thrust of the firing pin spring 6 and of the loading spring 18, the extension 15 occupies the position shown in Fig. 1 in dash lines. In order to load the tool, the barrel is screwed out of the breech block 2, whereupon the stud and the cartridge are introduced into the barrel from the rear. Finally the barrel is again screwed into the breech block 2. In order to facilitate the screwing in and out of the barrel, the barrel is reinforced at 4, and this reinforcement is knurled.

The device according to Fig. 1 is actuated in the following manner. The sleeve 19 is manually withdrawn away from the wall while simultaneously the otherhand which holds the butt 24 presses in opposite direction as is indicated in Fig. la by the

arrows

29 and 30. Fig. la shows the position of the parts now occupied thereby, i.e. after withdrawal of the housing 19 and the shield 20 connected thereto in the direction of the arrow 29 and the exertion of pressure upon the butt 24 in the direction of the arrow 30. The muzzle of the barrel extends beyond the front side of the protective plate 28 and can be properly observed while the tool is readied for ring. However, it should be noted that also in this position the tool is still in its safety position because the parts within the housing 7 have not been displaced relative to each other so that the firing pin still cannot hit the bottom of the cartridge. The spring 20 has been strongly compressed due to the withdrawal of the protective cap in the direction of the arrow 29. After the muzzle of the barrel has been placed upon the proper area 31 (see Fig. 1b) into which the stud is to be driven, pressure is exerted upon the butt 24 in the direction of the arrow 30 whereby the housing 7 is moved forwardly while the sleeve 19 has been released again so that the shield 28 can again rest on the surface 38 and the spring 20 is again somewhat released. While the housing 7 is pressed forwardly, the shoulder 12 of the firing pin rests against the shoulder 13 of the release member 10 whereby the firing pin is prevented from following further the move ment of the housing. The ring pin spring 6 and the spring 18 will be compressed during this operation.

Fig. lb illustrates the end position in which the driving tool is ready for firing. In this position, the bottom of the housing 7 rests against the surface 31 through the intervention of the firing pin, the release member 10, the shoulders 12, 13 thereof, the breech block 2 and the barrel 1 so that the operator will feel a hard resistance when the position shown in Fig. lb has been reached. The sleeve 19 will in its position of Fig. 1b not be in direct contact with the housing 7 so that a slight inclination of the driving tool will be possible. If, however, the tool would be inclined to a greater extent, it would be impossible to obtain the position in which the nose 25 and the extension 15 face each other, so that in this way the device according to the invention will make sure that the tool cannot be red when it inclined with regard to the surface 31. When pulling the trigger 16, the nose 25 presses extension 15 upwardly. As a result thereof, the shoulders 12, 13 will not be contacted any longer and the firing pin springs forward in view of the ring pin spring 6. This ignites the cartridge, and stud 35 is driven into the surface 31. At the same time, due to the recoil, the barrel 1 and the breech block 2 are pressed into the housing 7 toward the left while spring 18 and spring 6 Will be compressed.

The thus obtained position is illustrated in Fig. lc. The distance over which the barrel and the breech block move against the thrust of the two springs may be so selected that the recoil energy will be absorbed before the barrel and the breech block have reached the outermost left hand end position which is determined by the blocking of springs 18 and the length of the firing pin. This prevents a hard recoil which could harmfully affect the hand of the operator. The extension or tongue 15 and the trigger 16 of the arrangement of Fig. 1 have a still further function. The opening 17a. through which the bolt 17 extends through the trigger is, as shown, not a circular but an angular longitudinal passage. The spring 26 has the tendency to turn the trigger not only in the direction of the arrow a, but has an additional tension which presses the trigger in the direction of the arrow b toward the left. When the trigger is pulled out in the direction of the arrow c, the bolt 17 enters the second leg or section of the angular longitudinal passage, and the trigger may now be pushed inwardly so that the extension or tongue 15 during this actuation of the trigger is pressed inwardly when it is in that position inwhich the barrel occupies its foremost position. Even when the tool is loaded, no firing can take place in this position because in this position of the barrel, the firing pin cannot reach the tiring cap because it is retained bythe flange 21. However, the breech block may now be pulled outwardly toward the front. After the breech block has'been withdrawn with the release member 10, also the tiring pin 5 with the firing pin spring 6 and the outer firing pin .guide 22 may be removed. Thus, it is possible completely yto dismantle the tool without having to loosen a screw or without having to employ a tool. In order to prevent accidents, the distance between the casing 7 and the sleeve 19 is selected so that the casing can be pressed forwardly a suicient distance only when the sleeve 19occupies its foremost position, or is at least close to said foremost position. A spring ring 27 which is located in a groove of the enlarged portion of the barrel prevents the removal of the sleeve 19 which in its turn is non-detachably connected with the protective hood shield 28.

Referring now to Fig. 2, also with the embodiment shown therein the barrel 1a is screwed into the breech block 2a by means of a thread 3a. For purposes of loading the tool, the barrel is screwed out of the breech block, and the stud and cartridge are introduced from the rear into the barrel, whereupon the barrel is again screwed into the breech block 2a. If the stud is not driven by powder gases but, for instance, by air under pressure, instead of a cartridge a` corresponding device for producing or conveying air under pressure is to be provided as is known, for instance, in connection with air rifles. The protective plate or shield 28a is connected to the sleeve 19a, which latter, by means of a thread 30, is screwed onto the casing 7a. A spring 18a. in the casing 7a similar to the arrangement of Fig. 1 presses the breech block 2a and the barrel la into their foremost positions. These positions are limited by the fact that the inner diameter of the sleeve 19a is somewhat less than the inner diameter of the casing 7a so that the front edge 31 of the breech block 2a rests against the thus formed shoulder. The ring pin Sa may be designed in a manner similar to that described in connection with the discussion of Fig. 1 so that when the sleeve 19a is pressed forwardly, the ring pin spring 6a is loaded. In contrast to the arrangement of Fig. 1, it is, however, not necessary to limit the relative movement between firing pin a and member 23a. When the muzzle of the barrel is placed upon the surface into which the stud is to be driven and when pressure is exerted upon the handle 24a, the casing 7a and sleeve 19a move forwardly against the thrust of the spring 18a until the barrel muzzle and the front surface of the protective plate or shield 28a or flush with each other, or when the said surface is uneven, are at least approximately flush with each other. In this position, the release extension or tongue a faces the nose 25a of the trigger 16a so that the stud can be red. Due to the effect of the recoil, the barrel 1a. and the breech block 2a may swing back against the thrust of the spring 18a without causing the shock to pass onto the casing 7a and the handle 24a. For purposes of `loading the tool, the barrel can be withdrawn from the breech block and pulled out toward the front from the Vprotective plate or shield 28a without the necessity of removing the sleeve 19a. VFor purposes of dismantling the tool, first the sleeve 19a is screwed off from the casing 7a, whereupon the further dismantling is effected in the same manner as described with the embodiment of Fig. l, namely, by pressing the extension or tongue 15a inwardly by means of an appropriate tool or by a correspondingly designed trigger 16a, whereupon the breech block is removed together with the release member 10a. Thereupon also the firing pin 5a with the firing pin spring 6a. and the return spring 18a may be removed.

Thus, with the device according to Fig. 2, the barrel 1a protrudes already in its rest position beyond the protective plate 20a to such an extent that the muzzle of the barrel can be clearly observed when placing the tool .upon the surface into which the stud is to be driven. After the muzzle of the barrel has been placed upon the said surface, pressure is exerted upon the butt 24a whereby the housing 7a is moved forwardly while spring 18a and the tiring pin spring 6a are compressed.

Fig. 2a shows the thus obtained end position. The

tool is now ready for ring and nose 25a "of trigger 16a faces extension 15a of the release member 10a. By firing the tool, the stud 35a is driven into the surface 31a and simultaneously .the barrel 1a and the breech block 2a moved rearwardly by the recoil force. As a result thereof, springs 18a and firing pin spring 6a are compressed. Also again in this instance, as is the case with the embodiment of Fig. l, the recoil energy is completely absorbed by the

springs

18a and 6a so that also in this instance a hard shock against the hand of the operator will be prevented.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 differs from that of Fig. 2 primarily in that not the protective plate or shield 28b itself but a pipe 33 surrounding the barrel serves as abutment. The pipe 33 is provided with a flange 34 which is located between the sleeve 19h and the casing 7b. In this way the pipe 33 is non-displaceably connected with the casing 7b. The tiring of the stud is similar to that described in connection with Fig. 2. When the muzzle of the barrel 1b is placed upon the surface Vinto which the stud is to be driven and when pressure is exerted upon the handle 2412, the casing 7b and sleeve 19h are displaced forwardly until the muzzle of the barrel and the face of the pipe 33 are flush with each other. In this position, the release extension 15b faces the nose 25h of the trigger 1619 so that the stud can be red. During the recoil, the barrel and closure member can return against the thrust of the spring 181; without the shock being directly conveyed to the casing 7b and the handle 2417.

The embodiment of Fig. 3 has the further advantage over the embodiment of Fig. 2 that the relative movement between barrel and casing can be effected to the required extent and the stud can be fired also when the pro-tective plate or shield 28b, due to uneveness of the surface into which the stud has to be tired, Vcan not be fully placed against said surface and the driving ktool has to be slightly inclined. A firing of the stud is not possible with both the embodiments of Figs. 2 and 3 when the tool must assume a greater inclined position. This is intentionally done so in order to avoid accidents.

Instead of employing a tube surrounding the barrel as abutment, it is, of course, also possible to provide a Vrod or the like connected with the casing. In such an instance the front end of such rod or the like would, when firing the tool, rest in a positive manner against the surface into which the stud is to be driven. Also in this instance, the protective shield 28, 28a or 28h may 'be resiliently connected with the respective sleeve 19, 19a, 19b in order to assure that the protective shield will rest against the surface into which the stud is to be driven as completely as possible. The `distance over which the barrel and the closure member may travel after the casing has been pushed forwardly, i.e., after firing the stud, as the result of the recoil and against the thrust of the

spring

18, 18a, 13b is preferably selected of such magnitude that the recoiling energy is completely absorbed by the

spring

18, 18a, 1gb.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present nvention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a power operable driving tool having a casing provided with a longitudinal opening and comprising a barrel having a breech end and a muzzle which latter mus-t be pressed into engagement with the wall into which a stud is to be driven in order to allow tiring of said tool, the combination of: a firing pin movably mounted in said casing in axial direction thereof, iirst spring means arranged in said casing and continuously urging said tiring pin into firing position, a sliding member connected to the breech end of said barrel and slidably mounted in said casing, said sliding member being provided with a passage arranged in alignment with said tiring pin for allowing the latter to pass therethrough to bring about a ring action, control means movable on said sliding member in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of said tiring pin, said control means being provided with a slot and being movable from an effective position in which said slot is out of alignment with said ring pin thereby preventing said tiring pin from advancing into said passage into an inelective position in which said slot is in alignment with said pin thereby allowing the same to pass therethrough into said passage, said control member having an extension extending through said longitudinal opening, second spring means, in said sliding member and continuously urging said control member into its elfective position, a sleeve member surrounding said barrel and having a shield at its outer end, said sleeve member being xedly connected to said casing and being movable together with the latter in either axial direction, third spring means interposed between said sliding member and said casing and continuously urging said barrel into protruding position with regard to said shield, said casing being operable positively to press said shield into engagement with the wall into which the stud has to be driven and tlush with said muzzle, and manually operable means on said casing operable in said last mentioned position of said shield to actuate said extension for moving said control means into its ineffective position,

2. In a power operable driving tool having a casing provided with a longitudinal opening and comprising a barrel having a breech end and a muzzle which latter must be pressed into engagement with the wall into which a stud is to be driven in order to allow firing of said tool, the combination of: a firing pin movably mounted in said casing in axial direction thereof, rst spring means arranged in said casing and continuously urging said ring pin into tiring position, a sliding member arranged at the breech end of said barrel and slidably mounted in said casing, said sliding member being provided with a passage arranged in alignment with said tiring pin for allowing the latter to pass therethrough to bring about a firing action, control means movable on said sliding member in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of said ring pin, said control means being provided with a slot and being movable from an effective position in which said slot is out of alignment with said tiring pin thereby preventing said tiring pin from advancing into said passage into an ineifective position in which said slot is in alignment with said pin thereby allowing the same to pass therethrough into said passage, said control means having an extension extending through said longitudinal opening, second spring means housed in said casing and continuously urging said control means into its effective position, an abutment member xedly connected to said casing and extending along said barrel, the front end of said abutment member normally being in retracted position relative to said muzzle, third spring means interposed between said sliding member and said casing and continuously urging said abutment member into said retracted position, said casing being movable relative to said barrel'for positively pressing the front end of said abutment member into engagement with the wall into which the stud has to be driven and ilush with said muzzle end, and manually operable means operable in said last mentioned position of said abutment member where the latter is in engagement with said wall to act upon saidextension and to move said control means into its ineiective position.

3. In a power operable driving tool: a barrel adapted to receive a stud to be tired, a breech block connected to said barrel, a casing having a longitudinal slot and housing said breech block, said breech block being displaceably mounted in said casing, rst spring means arranged between said breech block and said casing and continuously urging said breech block to move in a forward direction, ring pin means arranged between said breech block and said housing, second spring means continuously urging said firing pin means forwardly into a certain position representing its ring position, releasing means displaceable in said breech block in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of said barrel and normally engaging said ring pin to prevent the same from moving to its tiring position, said releasing means comprising an extension extending through said longitudinal slot of said casing, a front end wall closing the front end of said slot and being engageable with said extension to limit the forward movement of said breech block, a handle connected to said casing, and trigger means tiltably supported by said handle and comprising a nose, said nose being movable selectively by said trigger means from a rst position representing its inactive position to a second position representing its firing position for engagement with said extension and for moving said releasing means out of its contact with said firing pin, means to thereby permit said second spring means to move said tiring pin means into its tiring position, said extension selectively being manually movable out of its engagement with said nose into said casing and out of said slot for dismantling said driving tool.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,518,395 Sopris Aug. 8, 1950 2,533,851 Temple Dec. 12, 1950 2,576,473 Meyers Nov. 27, 1951 2,660,726 Weingart Dec. 1, 1953 2,775,762 Hilti Ian. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 515,669 Belgium Dec. 15, 1952 521,711 Belgium Aug. 14, 1953 708,692 -Great Britain May 5, 1954