US3506115A - Nail holding disk for use in nailing machine - Google Patents

Description

NAIL HOLDING DISK FOR usE 1N NAILING MACHINE Filed April s. 19e? G. P. HEILMAN Aprilv 14, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Urllll H UIIIIIIQIIMIIIIIIH url W H. IIH H NNUU H/#HIIHHOV w n /A/ VE N TOR 650 RGE P. HE/L MAN' April 14, 1970 G. P. HEILMAN 3,506,115

NAIL HOLDING DISK vFOR USE IN NAILING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/V 7' z GEORGE P. IL

HTTORANEKS United States Patent Oiice 3,506,115 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 U.s. ci. 20g-s6 7 claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A nailing disk and feed mechanism for pneumatic nailing guns. The nailing disk is provided in the form of a plate with a helical or spiral string of nails inserted through the plate and weakened portions surrounding the nail head in order that the nail and surrounding material may be punched out from the nailing disk in the nailing operation. The feed mechanism supports the nailing disk and feeds the helical string of nails in sequence to a driving tube with means for advancing the nailing disk through a spring housing and ratchet arrangement to provide for automatic feeding and advancement of the next nail after the driving operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past nailing guns have been provided which have generally used nailing strips of various lengths in which the strips of nails are arranged in a straight line and fed into the nailing gun. The nailing guns may be of one type or another, hydraulically or pneumatically operated, and operate in the usual fashion by forcefully driving a driver against the nail head to drive the nail into a work piece in various types of carpentry operations. Previously known nailing devices have been subject to the objection and inconvenience of requiring new strips of nails, which are limited in size, due to their straight line positioning and reinsertion of the nailing strips as one strip is used up, has been required, or, in the alternative, the straight line strip may be coiled or fed out from an apparatus that is either complicated or bulky in size. It is a feature of this invention that the nailing disk of a flat plate-like nature in which the nails are arranged in the form of a helix in the plane of the disk has been provided to save space and provide efliciency and simplicity and ease in operation in the nailing mechanism employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a nailing plate in which the nails are in a helical string perpendicular to the plane of the disk. This arrangement of the nailing disk provides for space economy and ease in handling a unit of varying number of nails, which can be anywhere up to one hundred and even many more in number on a single nailing disk. The helical coil of nails is arranged much as in the fashion of a coiled string with each nail being separated from the adjacent nail in the string by a weakened border portion in the supporting disk around it. In this fashion the nail can be punched out from the disk around the area of the weakened portion, and the surrounding portion of the disk, as in the nature of a collar or the like, is separated from the disk when the nail is driven.

The nailing disk is provided with a feed mechanism, which is designed for connection with any available type of nailing gun. The gun portion forms no part of this invention and it will be understood that various conventional pneumatic or hydraulic nailing guns may be employed. Even spring loaded guns may be utilized. The disk feeding mechanism provides means for supporting the nailing disk underneath a spring housing and support device. The spring housing is provided with a ratchet and pawl arrangement whereby the housing may be wound up. when the nailing disk is connected to the feed mechanism. This provides for automatic feeding of the nailing disk and rotation of the disk as each succeeding nail is driven to advance the next nail into a driving position in a nail or drive tube device. In this manner the next nail to be driven is advanced underneath and in registry with the usual reciprocable nailing hammer in the driving tube. The next nailing portion of the disk abuts against an inner stop surface of the driving tube and is held in biased relation against it until the driving operation is performed. After the driving operation is performed, and the reciprocable hammer is withdrawn above the nailing disk, the spring loaded feed advancing mechanism causes the nailing disk to rotate and advance the next nail to be driven into the nailing tube Where it abuts against the stop surface to present the next nail in registery with the reciprocable nailing hammer.

In the operation, the center of the nailing disk, which is supported upon a shaft, moves toward the nailing tube by provision of a slotted guide arrangement in the support device. This guide arrangement provides for advancing the nailing disk in the proper feeding relation.

The above features are objects of this invention and further objects will appear in the detailed description which follows and will be otherwise apparent to those skilled in the art.

For the purpose of illustration of this invention there is shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof. It is to be understood that this example is for the purpose of illustration only and that the invention is not limited thereto.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the nailing disk feed mechanism of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation taken from the bottom of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the nailing disk and feed mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged View taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged View taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the nailing disk and feed mechanism taken similarly to FIGURE 1 but on a reduced scale showing the relation of the nailing disk and the feed mechanism at a later stage in operation as some of the nails have been used reducing the size of the nailing disk;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of the nailing disk before the nails are inserted;

FIGURE 11 is an enlar-ged view in section taken on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE l2 is a sectional view taken similarly to FIG- URE 11 but showing the nails inserted in the disk;

FIGURE 13 is a view in side elevation of the pawl biasing spring;

FIGURE 14 is a top plan view of the spring;

FIGURE 15 is a view in elevation taken from the rear of the guide and disk support tube;

FIGURE 16 is a view taken from the right side of the guide and support tube;

FIGURE 17 is a view in section taken on the line 17-17 of FIGURE l5;

FIGURE 18 is a view in elevation taken from the right side of the nail driving tube;

FIGURE 19 is a View taken from the rear of the nail driving tube;

FIGURE 2G is a view in section taken on the line 20-20 of FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 21 is a bottom plan view of the spring housing; and

FIGURE 22 is a bottom plan view of the spring housing plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, the nailing disk of this invention is generaliy identified by the reference numeral 3= in FIGURE 1 and the feed mechanism is identified by the reference numeral 32. The feed mechanism is connected to a guide sleeve 34, which it will be understood may be connected in any fashion to a conventional nailing gun. The guide sleeve in turn is provided with a drive tube guide 36. A conventional driving arm, which is in the form of the usual reciprocable hammer element 38 is shown at the top of the driving tube in FIGURE 4.

The nailing disk is shown in fuller detail in FIG- URES 10, 11 and 12. As there shown, it is of generally planiform construction having an irregular keyway slotted opening 40 at the center with two depending stud elements 42 to provide for guide relationship, and a reinforced means to prevent damage to the disk. The nailing disk, which may be made of cardboard, plastic, light metal, or other conventional material of construction, is fabricated or cast to provide separate raised areas 44, which each receive an individual nail as shown in FIGURE l2. The grooves 46, which run helicaliy on the top surface of the disk, deine one boundary of the separate nailing area 44, While the series of generally radial grooves 48 define the other sides of the raised nailing areas. Each of the raised nailing areas 44 is provided with an opening 50 to receive a nail 52, as shown in FIGURE 12. These openings aid the insertion of the nails, aithough it will be understood that the nails may be simply punched through the centers of each of the nail receiving areas.

The automatic feed mechanism 32 is best shown in FIGURES 4 through 9. An adjustment bracket 56 is welded to the guide sleeve 34 and from it the other elements are supported. The bracket 56 is provided with a slotted opening 58, which receives a disk support shaft 60. The shaft 60 has an irregular enlarged head 62 which receives the mating slotted opening 40 of the nailingl disk. The shaft 60 further passes through the adjustable bracket, and by means of a washer 64 and a handle 66, s connected to the bracket sliding relation. The handle 66 is threaded on to a threaded end portion of the shaft 60 to provide for the connection aforedescribed.

A spring housing mechanism, generally indicated by the reference numeral 70, is supported from the adjustable bracket 56. The spring housing 70 is of generally sleeve-like configuration as shown in FIGURES 4 and 21, and is provided with an inwardly extending ange 72. This inwardly extending ange bears upon the support piate 74, which is supported to the adjustment bracket by means of bolts 76 as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. A ratchet plate 78, provided with a slotted opening 8G in registry with the slotted opening 82 in the support plate, is positioned on top of the support plate and connected thereto by bolts 83.

The windup relation is provided for the spring housing 70 through pawls 84, which rare pivoted through pins 86, connecting to the flange 72 of the spring housing. The pawls rest on top of the ange and mate with the teeth of the ratchet plate 78. A pawl biasing spring 87 shown in FIGURES 13 and 14 urges the pawls into engagement with the ratchet plate. A spring coil 88. is connected at one end to the shaft 6G, as best shown in FIGURE 8, and at an opposite end to the vertical Wall of the spring hous- 4 ing through an opening 90 in the wall as best shown in FIGURE 4.

The nail driving tube 36 is best shown in FIGURES 18, 19 and 20. As there shown, it is of generally tubular construction of a rectangular cross section. It has a cut out portion 92, which receives the end portion of the next nail unit to be advanced into registry in the nait driving tube. A slot 93 is provided tcreceive the shank of the nail. A wall surface 94 acts as a stop surface in the nail driving tube so that the end surface 96 of the nailing disk shown in FIGURE i0 abuts against this wall surface and cannot be advanced further. In this fashion the nail unit 98, likewise shown in FIGURE 10, is presented in registry underneath the reciprocable hammer in the nail driving tube. The nail driving tube which acts as a nose-piece and is positionable upen the work surface, may be adjusted relative to the guide sleeve by means of a friction fit or other adjustment means to accommodate different sizes of nails.

The guide sleeve 34 is best sho-wn in FIGURES 4, 5 and 15-17. As there shown, it is of generally rectangular cross section to receive the nail driving tube 36. The guide sleeve has a cut out portion generally indicated by the reference numeral 100, which receives the end of the nailing disk as shown in FIGURE 4. A struck out lip portion 102 extends to one side of the guide sleeve and serves as a rest for the nailing disk to provide for proper alignment in the feeding relationship.

OPERATION The nailing disk of this invention is very simply adapted for use with the automatic feed mechanism. it will be understood that the automatic feed mechanism can be connected to any conventional type of nailing gun using a reciprocable rod-like driving arm or hammer which operates within the usual nailing gun bore. Examples of such conventional nailing guns that can be employed are shown in Haley Patents Nos. 2,867,086 and 3,150,488.

The automatic feed mechanism is first prepared for operation by inserting the nailing disk upon the shaft 60 by threading the keyed slot 40 into and upon the parallel side head 62 of the shaft 60. The spring housing is then wound by turning it in a clockwise direction as 'viewed in FIGURE 1. The abutment of the nailing disk end 9:5 with the guide sleeve prevents the support shaft from turning. The lateral edge of the nailing disk is supported upon the rest 162 of the guide support 34, as shown in FIGURE 4, and the edge 96 of the nailing disk is biased against the stop surface 94 of the nail driving tube.

In this position the nailing disk is then ready for use and a nailing unit 98 of the disk is ready to be separated upon the operation of the nailing gun. When the nailing gun operates, the reciprocable hammer 38 shown in FIG- l URE 4 will tear off the unit 98 with the centered nail 52 by severing the nail supporting material around the weakened or grooved area. In the nail driving operation, the hammer 38 serves as a stop surface to prevent the nailing disk from feeding a fresh nail to the nail driving tube. When, however, it is fully retracted to the position shown in FIGURE 4, the nailing disk Will be automatically moved the biasing force of the spring to move the next nailing area with the centered nail into the nail driving tube and in abutment against the stop surface 94 of the tube.

The operation previously described is repeated in the nail driving operation as successive nails are driven. After each nail driving operation, a new nail unit is presented to the nail driving tube. As the disk is used up it advances with the center of the nailing disk and the shaft 60, which supports the disk, from the position shown in FGURE 1 to the position generally shown in FIG- URE 9. Thus, the shaft moves in the slotted areas provided in the adjustment bracket ratchet plate and support plate in order to effect a guided relation.

When the last nail has been used up, the nailing disk is disengaged and a new disk is inserted through the operation as previously described.

It will be understood that various changes and modications may be made within this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus it will be understood that for purpose of example the invention has been described vwith respect to the use of nails but it will be appreciated that staples, studs, spikes and other fasteners are included within the scope of this invention. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A nail driving disk for use in nailing guns, said disk comprising a plate-like member supporting a plurality of nails perpendicularly therefrom and aligned in the form of a helix, each of said nails being supported by a shearable boundary in order that the nails may be punched out in sequence within a supporting area of the disk.

2. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the shearable boundary is defined by generally concentric inner and outer paths bounded by generally radial end paths.

3. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nail at the outer end of the helix is surrounded by a supporting area of the disk having a lcurved outer edge and a generally radial end edge.

4. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nails are arranged in a helix of a plurality of revolutions.

5. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nails are arranged in a helix of a plurality of revolutions, the

shearable boundary is defined by generally concentric inner and outer paths bounded by generally radial end paths.

6. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nails are arranged in a helix of a plurality of revolutions, the shearable boundary is defined by generally concentric inner and outer paths bounded by generally radial end paths, the nails in each adjacent revolution having a common generally concentric shearable path serving as an outer boundary for the innermost revolution and an inner boundary for the outermost revolution.

7. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in lwhich the disk has an irregular opening adapted to cooperate with a support shaft having a mating head and projecting means on said disk adapted to bear against said head in a disk feeding operation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,190 12/1885 Dickson 85-17 1,405,357 1/ 1922 Tilfany 206-66 1,556,240 10/ 1925 Morrissey 206-1 3,165,968 l/l965 Anstett -17 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 227-137

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