US3491931A

US3491931A - Portable tool for driving staples

Info

Publication number: US3491931A
Application number: US608308A
Authority: US
Inventors: Miguel Grau Sales
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-01-12
Filing date: 1967-01-10
Publication date: 1970-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 1987-01-27
Also published as: SE305839B; DE1628027A1; DE1628027B2; GB1101970A; FR1507755A

Description

Jan. 27, 1970 M. G. SALES 3,491,931

PORTABLE TOOL DRIVING STAPLES Filed Jan. 10. 1967 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 CD I g I 93 1G! I m E E2 1 9 i l I i I; Q 91 \NVENTOR M guel G/au 5611.25

Jan. 27, 1970 Filed Jan. 10, 1967 M. G. SALES PORTABLE TOOL DRIVING STAPLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Hlgu L Gfau Sales United States Patent 3,491,931 PORTABLE TOOL FOR DRIVING STAPLES Miguel Grau Sales, Calle Espronceda 392, Barcelona 16, Spain Filed Jan. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 608,308 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 12, 1966, W 40,702 Int. Cl. B25c 5/00, 7/00 US. Cl. 227-127 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a portable tool for driving into a workpiece staples, nails, bolts and similar fastening means, a series of which are joined together into a strip to be inserted into a magazine assembly.

It is known in the art to provide the rear part of the magazine assembly in the region of the connection of the magazine housing to a rear downwardly extending projection of the stapler housing with a latching lever which is pivotally mounted on the projection and secures a cover plate of the magazine in its closed position. Due to its arrangement in the rear part of the device, however, this latching lever cannot be operated by the hand of the operator which grips the handle piece of the stapler so that in order to place a new strip of staples into the magazine the operator has to use his other hand for actuating the latching lever unlocking the cover plate, for retracting the cover plate, to manually insert the new strip into the magazine, and finally to close the magazine by returning the cover plate into its initial position. During the whole loading process the apparatus needs be held at the handle piece by, for instance, the right hand of the operator. The loading process thus requires a number of manipulations with a relatively large outlay in working time. The troubles and interruptions of work caused by this method are particularly undesirable where staplers are operated by pneumatic air as is the case in many industrial factories, because here these troubles cause a very substantial hindrance of good working efficiency.

It is the object of the invention to provide a new and imimproved portable fastener driving tool the magazine of which can be loaded with a strip of fastener means in an easier and more simple manner than hitherto.

Another object is to provide a portable fastener driving apparatus including a magazine assembly with a cover plate slidably mounted on the magazine for movement by one-handed actuation between a closed position in whi h the apparatus is ready for operation and an open position in which the magazine assembly is uncovered to permit the insertion of a strip of fastener means.

A further object is to provide a fastener driving apparatus in which the method of insertion of a strip of fastener means can be effected in that the operator with the same hand by which he holds the handle piece of the tool may move the slidable cover plate of the magazine to the open position.

In accordance with these and other objects the present invention comprises an intermediate lever which is provided with two lever arms and is mounted at the handle piece of the apparatus adjacent to the latching lever of the slidable magazine cover plate. One arm of the intermediate lever comprises a trigger element which is arranged underneath the handle piece and may be actuated by a finger of the o-perators hand in which the handle piece of the apparatus is held, whereas the other arm of the intermediate lever, which extends in downward direction, abuts in a force-transmittant manner against the actuation arm of the latching lever. When the trigger element is actuated, for instance by the little finger of the operators hand, the latching lever which is adjacent to the intermediate lever is tilted and unlocks the cover plate. If the apparatus is held upright in such a manner that the staple drive track forms the top end of the then vertically extending magazine, the cover plate will be moved into an opened position by its own gravity without any manual help being necessary. The free downward motion of the cover plate causes the loading part of the magazine to be laid free so that a new staple strip may be inserted into the magazine. This may be performed within a very short time, and the operator does not have to leave go of the handle. For increase of the effect of gravity on the opening movement of the cover plate one may fasten the rear wall of the staple ejection channel to the cover plate or combine the rear wall and the cover plate into one sole piece, so that the weight of this wall portion reinforces the downward opening movement. To additionally further this movement it is preferable to arrange in longitudinal direction of the magazine a spring at the rear end of the cover plate which is under tensile stress when the cover plate is closed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed specification of an embodiment thereof which is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a pneumatic air operated portable staple driving tool in its operative position;

FIG. 2 is the side elevation of the apparatus of FIG- URE l in open position of the magazine assembly.

Referring to the drawings the portable staple driving apparatus which embodies the invention is operated by pneumatic air and comprises a conventional body formed as a handle piece 1. The stapler body encloses an air chamber which is connected by an inlet nipple and a suitable flexible air line to a supply pipe of compressed air. The front portion 2 of the stapler body houses a cylinder with a pneumatically actuated piston which is not shown in the drawing and which cooperates with a driver ejecting the staples through a drive track 3, into a workpiece or a base. The admittance of compressed air for operation of the apparatus is in a conventional manner controlled by a valve which is actuated by a trigger element '4 which is pivotally mounted on the stapler body. By a projection part, which is formed as a leg section 5 and extends in rearward and downward direction, the handle piece 1 is connected with the rear portion of a magazine assembly 6 the housing 7 of which is fastened to the front portion 2 of the stapler body and closed by a bottom plate 8. The bottom plate 8 is slidably mounted on the housing 7 for movement between a closed position in which the apparatus is ready for operation and an open position in which the magazine assembly '6 is uncovered to permit the insertion of a strip of staples from below. The bottom plate 8 is secured in its closed position by a nose 10 which engages a ratchet 11 and is mounted on the. rearward end of a latching lever 9 (see FIG. 2). The latching lever 9 is pivotally mounted on the magazine housing 7 by a pivot pin 15. The actuation arm 19 of latching lever 9 on its upper face comprises a slightly convex curvature adjacent to which is the slanting end portion 20 of a lever arm 13 being one of the two arms of an intermediate lever 12 which is pivotally arranged on the leg section 5 by a pivot pin 16. The other arm of intermediate lever 12 is formed as a finger lever 14 which is rectangularly bent and in the fashion of a trigger is situated underneath handle piece 1 within the region of a finger of the operators hand by which the handle piece is held.

At the front end of bottom plate 8 of magazine 3558K].-

bly 6 the rear wall 17 of the staple drive'track 3 is arranged. Between the ratchet 11 and the rear end of the magazine housing 7 a spring 18 is provided in longitudinal direction, which is under stress when bottom plate 8 is in its closed position shown in FIG. 1.

When the staples within the magazine assembly 6 have been used up the apparatus is by the operators right hand held in a vertical position so that the staple drive track 3 is at the top. By the little finger of the right hand of the operator the trigger 14 is turned towards the handle piece 1 which causes the latching lever 9 to turn around its pivot 15 in counterclockwise direction and its nose 10 to disengage the ratchet 11 of bottom plate 8. The latter, because of its gravity moves downwards, and its opening movement is enhanced by the weight of the rear wall 17 of the staple drive track 3, which is then at the top end of the bottom plate 8, and by the diminishment of stress of spring 18. The operator may now with his left hand insert a new strip of staples into the now bare loading chamber of magazine 6, whereupon the bottom plate 8 is with the same hand returned into its closed position, in which after releasing trigger lever 14 the arm 13 of intermediate lever 12 moves with its lower slanting surface 20 over the convex arm 19 of latching lever 9 in such a manner that the latter reaches the position of FIG. 1. The apparatus is then again in condition for operation.

The slidable plate 8 may be provided at the top surface instead of the bottom surface of the magazine assembly, in which case the staples are inserted into the magazine from the top.

The invention is of particular importance for portable apparatuses which are operated by compressed air, it may however be used with like advantage for manually actuated tools such as those actuated by a tensioning spring or similar means.

Having thus described my invention it is to be noted that the invention is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement of parts described with reference to the embodiment shown in'the drawings, and that within the scope of the appended claims it may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described or illustrated.

I claim:

1. A portable fastener driving apparatus comprising, in combination, a handle, a magazine assembly for accommodation of fastener means, which magazine assembly is connected with a rearwards and downwardly extending projection of the handle, a driver carried by said handle adjacent one end of the handle, a driveoperating trigger carried by said handle adjacent said driver, a leg section carried by said handle adjacent the opposite end of the handle, a magazine housing having one end connected to said one end of the handle, a bottom plate slidably mounted on said housing to slide between a closed position and an open position, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said housing and having a curved actuating arm and a nose adapted to engage said bottom plate and hold it in its closed position, another intermediate lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said leg section and having a slanting end portion adapted to engage the curved arm of the first-mentioned lever and an opposite end portion having the shape of a finger lever and located below and close to said handle, and wherein spring means are arranged in longitudinal direction at the rear end of said bottom plate, being under stress in the closed position of said bottom plate and assisting the opening movement of said bottom plate when the levers are actuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,819,466 1/1958 Campbell 227127 2,936,456 5/1960 Ruskin 227127 X 3,041,614 7/1962 DHaem 227127 X 3,056,137 10/1962 Wandel 227l27 3,215,324 11/1965 Dorney 227127 X 2,775,764 I/ 1957 Maynard 227l28 X 3,056,963 10/1962 Clay 227127 X 3,087,162 4/1963 Saurenman 227l27 3,110,898 11/1963 Haubold 227 X WAYNE A. MORSE, IR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.