US3516574A

US3516574A - Nail selecting and feeding mechanism for nailing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3516574A
Application number: US684450A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert Andre; Adolf Cast
Original assignee: Karl M Reich Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Current assignee: Karl M Reich Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Priority date: 1967-11-20
Filing date: 1967-11-20
Publication date: 1970-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1987-06-23

Description

June 23, 1970 ANDRE El AL NAIL SELECTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l jieaE/ ef A M0955,

A2904; 3437, A? his/e firmeueys June 23, 1970 H. ANDRE ETAL NAIL SELECTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 p E 59 fi m w d EAs 4 w A a r 5 m as a: M 9 B a 020 A L m s) 3 June 23, 1970 H. ANDRE ETAL 3,515,574

NAIL SELECTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 20, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 92 Ja /W4 w w jVi EA/faes Heesefi A M29953 Aaau: 5952f v53 77 /6? firms/11 g United States Patent O 3,516,574 NAIL SELECTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING APPARATUS Herbert Andr, Raidwangen, and Adolf Cast, Oberlenningen, Germany, assignors to Karl M. Reich, Maschinenfabrik, Nurtingen, Nurtingen, Germany, a German company Filed Nov. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 684,450 Int. Cl. 365g 59/00 U.S. Cl. 221278 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates in general to a pneumatically-operated nail selecting and feeding mechanism for a single-stroke pneumatic nailing apparatus or gun and, more particularly, to a mechanism which will automatically deliver a nail to the nailing gun after a preceding nail has been driven.

As background, the invention contemplates a pneumatically-operated nail selecting and feeding mechanism of the type which includes: housing means provided therethrough with a nail feeding passage having an outlet end connectible to the nailing gun by a flexible nail feeding conduit, and having an inlet end; nail supplying means connected to the inlet end of the nail feeding passage and comprising a clip or magazine containing a series of nails in side-by-side relation; reciprocable pneumatically-operated nail selecting means carried by the housing means for selecting nails from the nail supplying means one at a time and for delivering same to the inlet end of the nail feeding passage seriatim; pneumatically-operated nail feeding means for feeding successive nails selected by the nail selecting means to the nailing apparatus through the nail feeding passage and the flexible nail feeding conduit; the nail feeding means including gate means movable relative to the nail feeding passage between an open position, wherein it permits movement of a nail through the nail feeding passage, and a closed position, wherein it blocks the nail feeding passage against both downstream nail movement and the upstream escape of compressed air; the nail feeding means further including nail propelling means operable in the closed position of the gate means for supplying air under pressure to the nail feeding passage downstream from the gate means to propel a nail through the nail feeding passage and the flexible nail feeding conduit to the nailing apparatus; feed valve means in the housing means for actuating the nail feeding means to move the gate means to its closed position and for supplying air under pressure to the nail propelling means;

3,516,574 Patented June 23 1970 "ice As further background, the invention contemplates a nail selecting and feeding mechanism which incorporates various important improvements on the corresponding mechanism disclosed in Pat. No. 2,993,208 granted July 25, 1961, to Gustav Walliser and to one of us, Adolf Cast, jointly.

OBJECTS OF INVENTION An important object of the invention is to provide a reciprocable pneumatically-operated nail selecting means, for selecting one nail at a time from a magazine holding a series of such nails in side-by-side relation, which comprises selector and stop elements spaced apart in the direction of and alternately positioned toblock the series of nails, the selector and stop elements being successively engageable by each nail in the series as the nail selecting means is reciprocated, and the spacing between the selector and stop elements being adjustable to accommodate different nail sizes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an actuating means for the feed valve means which includes a feed lever having cam means engageable with the feed valve means during movement of the nail selecting means in one direction, and having means for pivoting itself into an inoperative position during movement of the nail selecting means in the opposite direction. Related objects are to provide a feed valve means including a valve stem, cam means on the feed lever including an inclined surface of the feed lever engageable with an end of the valve stem during movement of the nail selecting means in one direction, and an edge on the feed lever engageable with one side of the valve stem to pivot the feed lever into its inoperative position during movement of the nail selecting means in the opposite direction. This provides a very simple and positive means for actuating the feed valve means once during each complete cycle of operation of the nail selecting means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feed valve means which includes a tubular feed valve, and to provide an actuating means for unseating the tubular feed valve during movement of the nail selecting means in one direction.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide throttle valve means for adjusting the flow of air into the nail feeding passage from the nail feeding means. Related objects are to provide the gate means with an air supply passage for supplying air under pressure to the nail feeding passage downstream from the gate means in the closed position thereof, to provide the air supply passage with an axial portion extending axially of the gate means, and to provide the throttle valve means with a throttle valve extending axially into the axial portion of the air supply passage and axially movable relative thereto to adjust the flow of air into the nail feeding passage.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the inlet of the nail feeding passage with a pivoted door which is adapted to be releasably latched in a closed position, and which is adapted to be opened to permit easy removal of any nail or nails which may become jammed in the inlet end of the nail feeding passage.

Yet another object is to provide a nail selecting and feeding mechanism which is provided with means for mounting the nail clipor magazine directly thereon so that a supply of nails is available right at the selecting and feeding mechanism.

3 and actuating means connected to the nail selecting means for operating the feed valve means.

A final object is to provide suspension means connected to the nail selecting and feeding mechanism for mounting same on the operators belt. With this construction, the nail selecting and feeding mechanism, and the magazine connected thereto, are supported by the operators belt, leaving both hands free to manipulate and operate the nailing apparatus or gun itself.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the nailing art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a beltmounted, pneumatically-operated, nail selecting and feeding mechanism of the invention, complete with a nail magazine, connected to a pneumatically-operated nailing apparatus or gun of the single-stroke type;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, front elevational view, partially invertical section, of the nail selecting and feeding mechanism of the invention;

FIGS. 3, 4 and are fragmentary sectional views respectively taken along the arrowed lines 3-3, 44 and 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the irregular arrowed line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional views taken as indicated by the arrowed lines 7-7 and 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 9a and 9b are fragmentary sectional views taken along the arrowed line 99 of FIG. 3 and showing different operating positions for various parts, FIGS. 9a and 912 also duplicating a portion of the extreme upper end of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 1010 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 1111 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11, but showing various parts in different operating positions.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION General description Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the numeral designates generally a pneumatic nail selecting and feeding mechanism of the invention, hereinafter referred to simply as a nail feeder for convenience, which supplies nails one at a time to a nailing apparatus or gun 22 through a flexible nail feeding conduit 24 interconnecting them. A nail clip or magazine 26 is mounted directly on the feeder 20 and holds a series of nails in sideby-side relation. These nails are taken from the clip 26 one at a time by the feeder 20 and are delivered thereby to the gun 22 seriatim through the conduit 24, all as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The nail feeder 20 is provided with suspension means 28 for mounting it, and the clip 26 carried thereby, on a belt 30 worn by the operator of the nailing gun 22. With this construction, which represents an important feature of the invention, complete freedom of movement for the operator is achieved while leaving both of his hands free to operate the nailing gun 22. At the same time, the nail feeder 20 and its supply clip 26 are right at the operators side, and thus fully accessible for any attention that may be required, or for replacing the nail clip 26 with another one when the supply of nails therein is exhausted.

The nail feeder 20 is supplied with air under pressure through a flexible air supply line 32 and the gun 22 is supplied with compressed air through another flexible air 4 supply line 34. As will be described hereinafter, the air supply line 34 for the gun 22 is connected to the air supply line 32 for the feeder 20 by a passage through the housing or housing means of the feeder. An air return line 36 interconnects the gun 22 and the feeder 20 and serves to provide an air pressure signal indicating completion of one nail driving operation and demanding another nail from the feeder.

For conciseness, this specification will be restricted to a detailed description of the nail feeder 20 and to a general description of its relationships to the gun 22, the clip 26 and the belt 30. These peripheral elements form no part of the present invention and can have any suitable construction. The nailing gun 22, for example, may be similar to that disclosed in detail in the aforementioned Pat. No. 2,993,208. The clip or magazine 26 may also be of any construction suitable to supply a series of nails to the feeder 20 in side-by-side relation. Preferably, the clip 26 is adapted to be loaded with nails available in bulk by a suitable loading apparatus, since bulk nails are much cheaper than nails especially processed for the purpose. Additionally, the description of the nail feeder 20 will be limited primarily to differences between it and the nail feeder of the aforementioned Pat. No. 2,993,208 since it is basically quite similar thereto. Consequently, if further descriptions are desired, attention is directed to said patent, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference the same as if it were fully set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring initially to FIG. 6 of the drawings, the nail feeder 20 includes a housing or housing means provided therethrough with a nail feeding passage designated generally by the numeral 40. The nail feeding passage 40 is generally vertical in the normal operating position of the nail feeder 20, and has a lower, outlet end connected to the nailing gun 22 by the flexible nail feeding conduit 24. To connect the flexible conduit 24 to the feeder 20, the conduit is provided with a flared end clamped between a fitting 42 and a tubular nut 44 threaded thereinto. The fitting 42 is telescoped into a depending skirt 46 on the feeder 20 in alignment with the passage 40, and is releasably retained in such skirt by a pivoted latch 48, FIGS. 6 and 10, insertable into a chordal slot 50 in the skirt beneath an annular shoulder on the fitting. With this construction, the nail feeding conduit 24 can be connected to and disconnected from the nail feeder 20 easily.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the upper, inlet end 52 of the nail feeding passage 40 is somewhat funnel shaped and is provided with an open side 54 to admit seriatim nails the heads of which rest on two spaced, parallel rails 56, best shown in FIG. 3. In the normal operating position of the nail feeder 20, the rails 56 are inclined downwardly toward the open side 54 of the inlet end 52 of the nail feeding passage 40, whereby the nails migrate toward the inlet end of the nail feeding passage by gravity as successive nails are taken from the rails in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The nail clip 26 may be connected to the nail feeder 20, in register with the nail-supporting rails 56, in any suitable manner, it being noted that the nail clip is inclined downwardly toward the nail-supporting rails 56 so that, as successive nails are fed to the nailing gun 22, the heads of additional nails move downwardly from the clip 26 onto the rails 56 one at a time.

The inlet end 52 of the nail feeding passage 40 is provided on one side thereof with a door 58' mounted on a hinge 60 and normally held closed by a spring latch 62 engageable with a handle 64 thereon. With this construction, if a nail or nails jam in the inlet end 52 of the nail feeding passage 40 for any reason, they may readily be removed simply by depressing the spring latch 62 and opening the door 58, which is an important feature of the invention. The jam eliminated, it is merely necessary to close the door 58, whereupon it is autonatically held in its closed position by the spring latch 62.

Successive nails supported by the rails 56 are dropped into the inlet end 52 of the nail feeding passage 40 seriatim by a pneumatically-operated reciprocable nail selecting means 66. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the nail se lecting means 66 is carried by a hollow piston 68 reciprocable in and projecting from a bore 70 in the housing of the nail feeder 20. The piston 68 is held in the bore 70 by a pin 72 spanning the bore and extending through a longitudinal slot 74 in the piston. The piston 68 is biased toward the inner end of the bore 70 by a compression spring 76 within and seated against the inner end of bore 69 of the piston, and also seated against a spring seat 78 abutting the pin 72.

The air return line 36 is connected to a fitting 80 threaded into a port 82 communicating with the inner end of the bore 70. Thus, whenever the nailing gun 22 has completed a preceding nail-driving operation, usually as the result of a single stroke of the gun, air under pressure is momentarily delivered to the inner end of the bore 70 to move the piston 68 outwardly of its bore, the piston being returned by the compression spring 76. This pneumatically-induced reciprocatory stroke of the piston 68 results in actuation of the nail selecting means 66 to take a nail from the rails 56 and drop it into the nail feeding passage 40.

The nail selecting means 66 is mounted on the projecting portion of the piston 68 and includes selector and stop

elements

90 and 92 spaced apart in the direction of and alternately positioned to block the series of nails carried by the rails 56, the selector and stop elements being successively engageable by each nail in the series as the nail selecting means is reciprocated. More particularly, the selector element 90 engages the end nail in and blocks the series of nails when the piston 68 is in its inner, retracted position, this condition being shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 9b of the drawings. On the other hand, when the piston 68 is in its outer, extended position, the selector element 90* is withdrawn from engagement with the end nail of the series and the stop element 92 is moved into blocking position relative to the series of nails, this condition being shown in FIG. 9a of the drawlIlgS.

Thus, as the nail selecting means 66 is reciprooated it acts as an escapement mechanism to drop one nail at a time into the inlet end 52 of the nail feeding passage 40. More particularly, as the piston 68 is moved into its extended position, the selector element 90 disengages the series of nails to permit the end nail in the series to move downwardly against the stop element 92, as shown in FIG. 9a. When the piston 68 is subsequently returned to its retracted position, the selector element 90 engages and blocks the next nail in the series, while the stop element 92 moves out of engagement with the end nail in the series to permit it to drop into the nail feeding passage 40, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9b.

The stop element 92 is rigidly mounted on the projecting outer end of the piston 68 while the selector element 90 is mounted thereon for movement toward and away from the stop element 92 in the direction of the series of nails supported by the rails 56. The purpose of varying the spacing between the selector and stop

elements

90 and 92 in this fashion is to accommodate nails of different sizes, it being apparent that nails having smaller-diameter heads will be spaced closer together than nails having larger-diameter heads, and thus will require a closer spacing of the selector and stop

elements

90 and 92.

Considering the manner in which the position of the selector element 90 is adjusted relative to the stop element 92, the selector element is provided with an arm 94 which spans the open end of the bore 69 and which is provided with guide slots 96, FIGS. 3 and 4, receiving prongs 98 on the piston at the outer end of the bore 69. The guide slots 96 are oriented in the desired direction of movement of the selector element relative to the stop element 92. Rotatable within the outer end of the bore 69 is a plunger-like member carrying eccentrically thereof an enlarged shank 192 of a bolt 104. The eccentric bolt shank 102 extends through a slot 106, FIG. 4, formed in the arm 94 of the selector element 90 and extending perpendicularly of the guide slots 96. Fastened onto the outer end of the bolt 104 is a suitable knob 108. As will be apparent, by rotating the knob 108, the eccentric shank 102 of the bolt 104 is caused to move the selector element 90 toward and away from the stop element 92 as required to achieve the spacing necessary for a particular nail size. Friction maintains the desired spacing of the selector and stop

elements

90 and 92.

The nail feeder 20 includes pneumatically-operated nail feeding means for feeding successive nails selected by the nail selecting means 66 to the nailing gun 22 through the flexible nail feeding conduit 24. As best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the nail feeding means 110 includes a cylindrical gate or gate means 112 reciprocable in a bore 114 between an open position, shown in solid lines, wherein it permits movement of a nail downwardly through the nail feeding passage 40 under the influence of gravity, and a closed position, shown in broken lines, wherein it engages a seat 116 to block the nail feeding passage against both downstream nail movement and the upstream escape of compressed air.

The gate 112 is provided at the end thereof remote from the 'nail feeding passage 40 with an annular piston 118 to which air pressure is applied, in a manner to be described, to close the gate, the annular piston being reciprocable in a counterbore 119 in the feeder housing. A compression coil spring 120, seated at one end against the annular piston 118 and at its other end against the housing of the nail feeder 20 at the inner end of the counterbore 119, biases the gate 112 toward its open position. Rotation of the gate 112 about its axis is prevented by a key 122 thereon reciprocable in a keyway 124 in the feeder housing.

As previously indicated, the housing of the nail feeder 20 is provided therethrough with a passage interconnecting the

air supply lines

32 and 34, this passage being designated by the numeral 126 in FIGS. 6 and 11. A feed valve means 128, operated by the nail selecting means 66 through an actuating means 130 to be described hereinafter, is adapted to permit the flow of compressed air from the passage 126 into a bore 132 connected to the counterbore 119 by a port 134. Thus, upon opening of the feed valve means 128 by the actuating means 130 during each operating cycle of the nail selecting means 66, compressed air acts on the annular piston 118 to close the gate 112 momentarily.

Additionally, the feed valve means 128 admits compressed air to an air supply passage 136 through the gate 112. The air supply passage 136 has an axial portion 138 one end of which is encircled by the annular piston 118. The other end of the axial portion 138 communicates with a lateral portion 140 which registers with the downstream portion of the nail feeding passage 40 when the gate 112 is closed.

Consequently, opening of the feed valve means 128 not only results in the application of air pressure to the annular piston 118 to close the gate 112, but also results in the delivery of compressed air, through the air supply passage 136, to the nail feeding passage 40 downstream from the gate 112. Thus, there is provided a nail propelling means, operable in the closed position of the gate 112, for supplying air under pressure to the nail feeding passage 40, downstream from the gate, to propel a nail through the nail feeding passage, and the flexible nail feeding conduit 24, to the nailing gun 22.

A throttle valve means 142 controls the flow of compressed air into the nail feeding passage 40 when the gate 112 is closed. As best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the throttle valve means 142 comprises a throttle valve 144, preferably a needle valve, threaded through a closure 146 for the counterbore 119, and extending axially into the axial portion 138 of the air supply passage 136. The throttle valve 144 is provided externally With a knob 148 by means of which it may be rotated to vary its axial extension into the axial portion 138 of the air supply passage 136 when the gate 112 is in its closed position. As will be apparent, this regulates the rate of compressed air flow into the nail feeding passage 40, and thus regulates the speed of nail propulsion to the nailing gun 22. Further, the structure disclosed achieves this in a simple and straightforward manner.

Turning now to a more detailed consideration of the feed valve means 128, and its actuating means 130, the former, best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, comprises a tubular feed valve, or, more accurately, a cup-shaped feed valve, 150 reciprocable in the bore 132 and having its closed end biased against a seat 152 by a compression coil spring 154. The closed end of the feed valve 150 is provided with circumferentially spaced ports 156 through which compressed air may flow from the passage 126 upon unseating of the feed valve. Such compressed air, as previously explained, then closes the gate 112 and propels a nail through the nail feeding conduit 24 to the nailing gun 22.

The closed, ported end of the feed valve 150 is generally conical and its apex engages a valve actuating stem or pin 158 reciprocable in a bore 160 in the housing of the nail feeder 20. The actuating means 130 for the feed valve means :128 is engageable with the valve stem 158 and depresses it, as viewed in FIG. 6, once during each operating cycle of the nail selecting means 66, thereby unseating the feed valve 150.

Considering the actuating means 130 in more detail, it comprises, as best shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 8, a feed lever 162 extending generally in the direction of movement of the nail selecting piston 68. One end of the feed lever 162 is pivotally connected to the projecting portion of the piston 68 by a pivot pin 164, the latter being encircled by a rattrap spring 166 which biases the feed lever toward the valve stem 158.

As best shown in FIG. 8, the feed lever 162 is provided in one edge thereof with a notch 168 which receives the valve stem 158 when the nail selecting piston 68 is in its retracted position. Upon movement of the nail selecting piston 68 to its extended position, the edge of the notch 168 engages the side of the valve stem 158 to pivot the feed lever 162 to one side in opposition to the action of the rattrap spring 166. Thus, as the nail selecting piston 68 is moved to its extended position, the feed lever 162 simply pivots to one side and does not cause the valve stem 158 to unseat the tubular feed valve 150. However, during return movement of the nail selecting piston 68 to its retracted position, an inclined surface 170 of the feed lever 162 acts as a cam means to depress the valve stem v158 momentarily, until the valve stem can re-enter the notch 168.

Summarizing the operation of the nail feeder 20, the feed valve means 128 is actuated momentarily during the return stroke of the nail selecting means 66, as described in the preceding paragraph. Such momentary actuation of the feed valve means 128 results in the delivery of compressed air to the nail feeding means 110, after a nail released by the nail selecting means 66 has fallen through the nail feeding passage 40 to a point below the gate 112. The compressed air delivery to the nail feeding means 110 results first in closure of the gate 112, and then in delivery of an air blast to the nail feeding passage 40, downstream from the gate 112, to propel the nail through the conduit 24 to the nailing gun 22. After such nail has been driven, the nailing gun demands another nail by delivering air under pressure to the nail selecting means 66, whereupon the foregoing cycle is repeated.

Turning to a consideration of the suspension means 28 for mounting the nail feeder 20 on the belt 30, the

latter has hooked thereover and suitably secured thereto a clip 172 which carries a hip pad 174. Suitably secured to the clip 172 is a clamp jaw 176 having another clamp jaw 178 pivotally connected thereto at 180. Two vertically spaced

pins

182 and 184 carried by the inner clamp jaw 17 6 extend outwardly through openings in the outer clamp jaw 178. A wing nut 186 threaded on the upper pin 182 secures the two

jaws

176 and 178 together.

The nail feeder 20 is suitably secured to a support 190 which terminates in a plate 192 insertable between the two

clamp jaws

176 and 178, the plate 192 having a slot 194 therein which is adapted to receive the two

pins

182 and 184 therein, as shown in FIG. 11. Alternatively, the pin 182 may be disposed in the slot 194, with the pin 184 engaging an edge of the plate 192, as shown in FIG. 12. In either case, the plate 192 is clamped between the

jaws

176 and 178 to secure the nail feeder 20 to the belt 30.

The slot 194 in the supporting plate 192 is parallel to the nail feeding passage 40. Consequently, when the supporting plate 192 is in the position shown in FIG. 11 and when the operator is standing so that the belt 30 is horizontal, the nail feeding passage 40 is in the desired vertical position. The FIG. 12 position is used whenever the operators torso will be inclined forwardly so that the belt 30 will be inclined downwardly and forwardly (downwardly and to the right as viewed in FIG. 12). Under such conditions, the slot 194 in the supporting plate 192 will be generally vertical, thereby orienting the nail feeding passage 40 generally vertically.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims appearing in the next section of this specification.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a nail selecting mechanism for a nailing apparatus, the combination of:

(a) housing means provided therethrough with a nail feeding passage having an outlet end connectible to the nailing apparatus and having an inlet end;

(b) nail supplying means connected to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage for holding a series of nails in side-by-side relation;

(c) reciprocable nail selecting means carried by said housing means for selecting nails from said nail supplying means and delivering same to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage seriatim;

(d) said nail selecting means including selector and stop elements spaced apart in the direction of and alternately positioned to block said series of nails, and successively engageable by each nail in said series, as said nail selecting means is reciprocated; and

(e) adjusting means for varying the spacing between said selector and stop elements in the direction of said series of nails, said adjusting means comprising eccentric means engaging said selector element for moving same toward and away from said stop element.

2. A nail selecting and feeding mechanism for a nailing apparatus, including a nail selecting mechanism as defined in claim 1, and further including:

(a) nail feeding means in said housing means and including gate means movable relative to said nail feeding passage between an open position, wherein it permits movement of a nail through said nail feeding passage, and a closed position;

(b) said nail feeding means further including nail propelling means operable in said closed position of said gate means for supplying air under pressure to said nail feeding passage downstream from said gate means to propel a nail through said nail feeding passage to said outlet end thereof and thence to the nailing apparatus when connected to said outlet end of said nail feeding passage;

(c) first pneumatic means in said housing means for reciprocating said nail selecting means;

(d) second pneumatic means in said housing means for operating said nail feeding means to move said gate means to said closed position;

(e) feed valve means in said housing means for actuating said second pneumatic means and for supplying air under pressure to said nail propelling means; and

(f) actuating means connected to said nail selecting means for operating said feed valve means.

3. In a nail selecting and feeding mechanism for a nailing apparatus, the combination of:

(b) nail supplying means connected to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage;

() reciprocable nail selecting means carried by said housing means for selecting nails from said nail supplying means and delivering same to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage seriatim;

(d) nail feeding means in said housing means and including gate means movable relative to said nail feeding passage between an open position, wherein it permits movement of a nail through said nail feeding passage, and a closed position;

(e) said nail feeding means further including nail propelling means operable in said closed position of said gate means for supplying air under pressure to said nail feeding passage downstream from said gate means to propel a nail through said nail feeding passage to said outlet end thereof and thence to the nailing apparatus when connected to said outlet end of said nail feeding passage;

(f) first pneumatic means in said housing means for operating said nail selecting means;

(g) second pneumatic means in said housing means for operating said nail feeding means to move said gate means to said closed position;

(h) feed valve means in said housing means for actuating said second pneumatic means and for supplying air under pressure to said nail propelling means;

(i) actuating means connected to said nail selecting means for operating said feed valve means during movement of said nail selecting means in one direction;

(1 said actuating means including a feed lever having cam means engageable with said feed valve means during movement of said nail selecting means in said one direction; and

(k) said feed lever being pivotally connected to said nail selecting means for pivotal movement into an inoperative position during movement of said nail selecting means in the opposite direction.

4. A nail selecting and feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

(a) said feed valve means includes a valve stem;

(b) said cam means on said feed lever includes an inclined surface of said feed lever engageable with an end of said valve stem; and

(c) said feed lever is provided with an edge engageable with one side of said valve stem to pivot said feed lever into its inoperative position during movement of said nail selecting means in said opposite direction.

'5. In a nail selecting and feeding mechanism for a nailing apparatus, the combination of:

b) nail supplying means connected to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage;

(c) nail selecting means carried by said housing means for selecting nails from said nail supplying means and delivering same to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage seriatim;

(h) feed valve means in said housing means for actuating said second pnuematic means and for supplying air under pressure to said nail propelling means;

'(i) said feed valve means including a generally conical feed valve seat and including a cup-shaped feed valve having a ported, generally conical end engageable with said valve seat; and

'(j) actuating means connected to said nail selecting means and engageable with said generally conical end of said feed valve for unseating said feed valve.

6. In a nail selecting and feeding mechanism for a nailing apparatus, the combination of:

-(a) housing means provided therethrough with a nail feeding passage having an outlet end connectible to the nailing apparatus and having an inlet end;

(-b) nail supplying means connected to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage;

(0) nail selecting means carried by said housing means for selecting nails from said nail supplying means and delivering same to said inlet end of said nail feeding passage seriatim;

(b) feed valve means in said housing means for actuating said second pneumatic means and for supplying air under pressure to said nail propelling means;

(i) actuating means connected to said nail selecting means for operating said feed valve means;

(j) throttle valve means for adjusting the flow of air into said nail feeding passage;

(k) said gate means being provided with an air supply passage therethrough for supplying air under pressure to said nail feeding passage downstream from said gate means in said closed position of said gate means;

(1) said air supply passage having an axial portion extending axially of said gate means; and

1 1 (m) said throttle means comprising a throttle valve extending axially into said axial portion of said air supply passage and axially movable relative thereto to adjust the fioW of air into said nail feeding passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12 2,928,095 3/1960 'SoWer 227-116 3,215,324 11/1965 Dorney 227-423 3,273,777 9/1966 Iuilfs et a1 227-123 3,275,191 9/1966 MacDonald 221278 X 3,305,155 2/1967 Willis 227-112 X 3,339,799 9/1967 Spisak 221278 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PKTENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,516,574 July 25, 1970 Herbert Andre et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 66, insert "and actuating means connected to the nail selecting means for operating the feed valve means". Column 3, lines I and 2, cancel "and actuating means connected to the nail selecting means for operating the feed valve means"; line 26, "invertical" should read in vertical Column 6, line 4, "'192" should read 102 Column 11, line 1, after "throttle" insert valve Signed and sealed this 19th day of January 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents