Elongated-member-driving apparatus – With interlock means
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-03
2004-04-06
Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)
Elongated-member-driving apparatus
With interlock means
C227S010000, C227S130000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715655
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to combustion-powered fastener-driving tools, and more particularly to a new and improved lock-out mechanism which is operatively connected to the trigger mechanism of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool, and which is also adapted for operative engagement with the annular sleeve member of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool, wherein the annular sleeve member of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool is integrally connected to the axially movable work-piece-contacting element of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool so as to be axially movable with the axially movable workpiece-contacting element in order to effectively be disposed at combustion chamber OPEN and CLOSED positions, and wherein further, the new and improved lock-out mechanism is operatively engaged with the annular sleeve member of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool so as to effectively prevent movement of the annular sleeve member of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool from the combustion chamber CLOSED position to the combustion chamber OPEN position when the trigger mechanism of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool is disposed in its actuated state, and yet, the new and improved lock-out mechanism is able to be readily disengaged from the annular sleeve member of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool when the trigger mechanism of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool is released from its actuated state.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Combustion-powered fastener-driving tools are of course well known, and examples of such combustion-powered fastener-driving tools are disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,724 which issued to Shkolnikov et al. on Nov. 14, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,836 which issued to Shkolnikov et al. on Jun. 8, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,646 which issued to Nikolich on Mar. 30, 1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,474 which issued to Nikolich on Nov. 20, 1984. In addition to the multitude of interactive operative components of such combustion-powered fastener driving tools which are obviously provided upon the tools in order to permit such combustion-powered fastener driving tools to operate in accordance with particular modes of operation desired or required by workmen or operators located at various job sites, the combustion-powered fastener-driving tools also usually incorporate a safety feature which effectively comprises a lock-out mechanism by means of which the trigger mechanism of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool cannot be actuated if the workpiece-contacting element of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool has not been previously disposed in contact with the substrate or workpiece into which the fasteners are to be driven, and in a similar manner, the annular sleeve member of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool, which has been previously axially moved to a position at which the combustion chamber is effectively CLOSED so as to permit a combustion cycle to occur, cannot be moved to a position at which the combustion chamber is effectively OPENED as long as the tool trigger mechanism is still disposed in its actuated state. A lock-out mechanism of the foregoing type is disclosed, for example, within the aforenoted patent to Nikolich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,646.
More particularly, as disclosed within
FIG. 1
, which corresponds to
FIG. 1
of the aforenoted patent to Nikolich, it is noted that the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool
10
briefly comprises a housing structure
12
which includes a principal portion
14
and a handle portion
16
. The housing structure
12
also has incorporated therein a nail-feeding mechanism
20
which is adapted to successively feed a plurality of nails N into a nosepiece section
50
of the tool
10
at which a piston-driver blade assembly
40
-
42
can act thereon so as to successively drive the nails N into the underlying substrate or workpiece W. The piston
40
is movably disposed within a piston chamber
32
which is defined within a cylinder body
30
, and a valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
annularly surrounds the cylinder body
30
. A combustion chamber
70
is effectively defined within an upper region of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool
10
by means of the upper portion of the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
, and a fan
72
, powered by means of a motor
74
, is disposed within the combustion chamber
70
. The valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
is axially movable with respect to the cylinder body
30
so as to be alternatively disposed at an upper combustion chamber CLOSED position and a lower combustion chamber OPENED position, and a workpiece contacting element
82
is movably mounted upon the nosepiece section
50
. The workpiece contacting element
82
is operatively connected to the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
through means of a linkage
80
and a valve member-sleeve assembly actuating element
84
, and accordingly, when the workpiece contacting element
82
is pressed into engagement with the workpiece W, the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
is moved from its aforenoted lower combustion chamber OPENED position to its upper combustion chamber CLOSED position.
In order to fire the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool
10
, the same is provided with a trigger mechanism
120
which is normally biased to a lower or outward deactuated position, as viewed in
FIG. 1
, by means of a coil spring
122
. A lock-out mechanism in the form of a pawl
130
has a first radially outer end portion
136
thereof pivotally mounted within the trigger mechanism
120
, while a second radially inner end portion
131
thereof is adapted to be disposed within an aperture
140
of the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
when the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
has been moved to its upper combustion chamber CLOSED position, as a result of the engagement of the workpiece contacting element
82
with the workpiece W, and when the trigger mechanism
120
has also been moved to its upper or inward actuated position. Leg portions
134
of the pawl
130
are adapted to be disposed within grooved portions
132
formed within opposite halves of the housing
12
which form the handle portion
16
so as to permit the pawl
130
to freely undergo slidable and pivotal movements. A wear plate
142
is fixedly mounted upon an external side wall portion of the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
, and accordingly, as long as the trigger mechanism
120
is maintained in its upper or inward actuated position, the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
will effectively be maintained in a LOCKED combustion-enabling position. When, however, the valve member-sleeve assembly
60
-
62
is disposed at its lowered combustion chamber OPENED position, as when the workpiece contacting element
82
has not been or is no longer properly engaged with the workpiece W, the inner end portion
131
of the pawl
130
will engage the wear plate
142
whereby the trigger mechanism
120
cannot in fact be moved from its lower or outward deactuated state to its upper or inward actuated state, thereby effectively preventing the undesirable firing of the combustion-powered fastener-driving tool
10
.
While the aforenoted lock-out mechanism has performed quite satisfactorily, recent developments in connection with the design and interrelated arrangement of the various structural components of combustion-powered fastener-driving tools has resulted in the fabrication of high-energy tools which create or generate an enhanced level of force or power for driving the fasteners into the underlying substrate or workpiece. Under such operative conditions, the provision of a lock-out mechanism, of the type disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Nikolich, sometimes becomes somewhat difficult to manipulate or maintain at its combustion-chamber CLOSED position, during the firing or discharge of a fastener from the fastener-driving tool, in view of the fact that a substantially large portion of the operating
Shkolnikov Yury
Taylor Walter J.
Breh Donald J.
Croll Mark W.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Smith Scott A.
Soltis Lisa M.
LandOfFree
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