US3664565A - Automatic feed mechanism for nailing guns - Google Patents

Abstract

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 MCHANISM 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.

Description

May23, 1972 RH L 3,664,565

AUTOMATIC FEED MECHANISM FOR NAILINGJEUNS Original Filegi April 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l MIVENTOR: 6E0 R65 P. HL-IL MAN,

May 23, 1972 I Q L N AUTOMATIC FEED MECHANISM FOR NAILING GUNS Original Filed April 3, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 46 36 o v q O HIVEA/TO 6E'OR6E p. HEILM QTToRNfY United States Patent Ofice Patented May 23, 1972 3,664,565 AUTOMATIC FEED MECHANISM FOR NAILING GUNS George P. Heilman, New York, N.Y., assignor to General Wire Overseas Corporation, St. Louis, Mo. Original application Apr. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 627,952, now Patent No. 3,506,115, dated Apr. 14, 1970. Divided and this application Apr. 13, 1970, Ser. No. 48,704

Int. Cl. B25c 1/00 US. Cl. 227-437 15 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.

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a division of my copending application, Ser. No. 627,952, filed Apr. 3, 1967 now US. Pat. 3,506,115 granted Apr. 14, 1970.

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 fiat 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 bepunched 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 nailing 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 registry 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:

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

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation taken from the bottom of FIG. 1;

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

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2;

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

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

FllICzi. 8 is an enlarged view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the nailing disk and feed mechanism taken similarly to FIG. 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;

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

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken similarly to FIG. 11 but showing the nails inserted in the disk;

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

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the spring;

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

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

FIG. 17 is a view in section taken on the line 17--17 of FIG. 15;

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

FIG. 19 is a view taken from the rear of the nail driving tube;

FIG. 20 is a view in section taken on the line 2020 of FIG. 18;

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

FIG. 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 generally identified by the reference numeral 30 in FIG. 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 actuating mechanism. 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 FIG. 4.

The nailing disk 30 is shown in fuller detail in FIGS. 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 FIG. 12. The grooves 46, which run helically on the top surface of the disk, define one boundary of the separate nailing area 44, while the series of generally radial groves 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 FIG. 12. These openings aid the insertion of the nails, although 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 FIGS. 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 nailing disk. The shaft 60 further passes through the adjustable bracket, and by means of a washer 64 and a handle 66, is connected to the bracket in 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 FIGS. 4 and 21, and is provided with an inwardly extending flange 72. This inwardly extending flange bears upon the support plate 74, which is supported to the adjustment bracket by means of bolts 76 as shown in FIGS. and 6. A ratchet plate 78, provided with a slotted opening 80 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 are pivoted through pins 86,

connecting to the flange 72 of the spring housing. The pawls rest on top of the flange and mate with the teeth of the ratchet plate 78. Pawl biasing springs 87 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 urge the pawls into engagement with the ratchet plate. A spring coil 88 is connected at one end to the shaft 60, as best shown in FIG. 8, and at an opposite end to the vertical wall of the spring housing through an opening 90 in the wall as best shown in FIG. 4.

The nail driving tube 36 is best shown in FIGS. 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 nail driving tube. A slot 93 is provided to receive 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 FIG. 10 abuts against this wall surface and cannot be advanced further. In this fashion the nail unit 98, likewise shown in FIG. 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 upon 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 shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 1517. 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 FIG. 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 Pats. 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 FIG. 1. The abutment of the nailing disk end 96 with the guide sleeve prevents the support shaft from turning. The lateral edge of the nailing disk is supported upon the rest 102 of the guide support 34, as shown in FIG. 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.

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 ham mer 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 FIG. 4, the nailing disk will be automatically moved by 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 FIG. 1 to the position generally shown in FIG. 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 modifications 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 with 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. In a nail feeding mechanism for, nailing guns, the improvement characterized by means for supporting a nail disk having nails aligned in the form of a helix, a nail driving guide sleeve having means receiving an outer portion of the disk with a nail in registry with a nail driving element in said guide sleeve, and means for advancing said nail disk after each nail driving operation in a compound movement to move the center of the disk closer to the guide sleeve and partially rotate said disk.

2. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 1 in which the means for advancing the nail disk is provided with means for rotating the disk about an axis parallel to the nail driving guide sleeve and advance the nail disk into registry with the nail driving guide sleeve after each driving operation.

3. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 1 in which the means for advancing the nail disk is provided with means for moving the nail disk from a position to one side of the nail driving guide sleeve toward said guide sleeve as nails are driven from said disk.

4. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 1 in which the means for advancing the nail disk is provided with means for rotating it about an axis parallel to the nail driving guide sleeve and means for moving the nail disk from a position to one side of the nail driving guide sleeve toward said guide sleeve as nails are driven from said disk.

5. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 4 in which the support means comprises a housing rotatably supported from a bracket connected to the nail driving guide sleeve, a support shaft passing through slot means in the housing and bracket, said support shaft supporting the nail disk.

6. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 4 in which the support means comprises a housing rotatably supported from a bracket connected to the nail driving guide sleeve, a support shaft passing through slot means in the housing and bracket, said support shaft supporting the nail disk and said means for rotating and moving the nail disk including spring means biasing the support shaft toward rotatable movement in the slot means toward the nail driving guide sleeve.

7. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 6 in which the spring means is a helical spring attached at one end to the support shaft and at an opposite end to the housing.

8. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 7 in which ratchet and pawl means are provided for cooperative relation between the housing and the bracket for winding said spring means.

9. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 5 in which the support shaft has an enlarged irregular head adapted to mate with an irregular opening in the center of said nail disk and reinforced means on one side of said disk adapted to bear against the head.

10. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 9 in which the support shaft has a reduced size above said head receiving the nail disk, said nail disk having an irregular opening cooperating with the irregular head and supportable thereon upon rotation with respect to said shaft.

11. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 1 in which the nail driving guide sleeve has an opening receiving the disk and stop means are provided preventing further movement of said disk.

12. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 1 in which the nail driving guide sleeve has an opening receiving the disk and stop means are provided preventing further movement of said disk, and said guide sleeve is further provided with a rest means supporting the under portion of said disk.

13. A nail feeding mechanism for nailing guns, said mechanism including means for supporting a nail disk having nails aligned in the form of a helix, a nail driving guide sleeve having means receiving an outer portion of the disk with a nail in registry with a nail driving element in said guide sleeve, and means for advancing said nail disk after each nail driving operation, said disk supporting said nails perpendicularly from said disk 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 with a supporting area of the disk.

14. The nail feeding mechanism of claim 13 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.

15. The nail driving disk of claim 14 in which the support means for the nail disk is provided with means for rotating it about an axis parallel to the nail driving guide sleeve and advance the nail disk into registry with the nail driving guide sleeve after each driving operation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,604 12/1888 Patten 227137 X 3,374,934 3/1968 Dickson 227136 X FOREIGN PATENTS 131,605 8/1949 Sweden.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, IR., Primary Examiner

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