Elongated-member-driving apparatus – With means to position 'mating-member' in alignment with driver – Strip-type 'mating-member'
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-09
2002-11-12
Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)
Elongated-member-driving apparatus
With means to position 'mating-member' in alignment with driver
Strip-type 'mating-member'
C227S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478209
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a fastener applying device particularly for use in the construction industry, and more specifically to an improved device capable of feeding a cap into a position for penetration by a staple to improve the capability of using staples in use situations previously not considered satisfactory, such as for securing roofing underlayments, and to a fastener applying device having an improved track and feed mechanism for feeding caps to a position for engagement with a fastener such as a staple.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fastener applying or driving devices known as automatic nailers or staplers are extensively used in the construction industry, although their use for attaching roofing materials to a roof substrate has been severely limited due to the thinness, strength and flexibility characteristics associated with most roofing materials. While automatic staplers and nailers have been used to secure roofing shingles inasmuch as the fastener (i.e. the nail or staple) is ultimately covered by a superimposed shingle, nevertheless these automatic fastening devices have not found wide acceptance or utilization for securing roof underlayments such as tar paper or foam insulating board to the roof substrate due to the thin and/or flexible characteristics of these materials. While automated staplers have in some geographic areas been utilized to secure the tar paper to the roof substrate, this securement provides only a weak attachment, and as such it is imperative that the roofing shingles be immediately applied over the underlayment so as to prevent undesired damage thereto. More conventionally, such underlayments have been secured to the substrate using nails having plastic caps mounted under the head, which nail and cap provides a significantly enlarged gripping area between the cap and substrate so as to permit more secure attachment of the underlayment to the roof substrate. These cap-type nails, however, have traditionally required that they be manually applied, and such is still a very common practice.
Further, when automatic staplers are used for securing either roofing shingles or underlayments to the roofing substrate, the staplers used in the roofing industry traditionally utilize a large staple having about a one inch crown (i.e. width) since such large staple is believed necessary in order to attempt to provide a reasonable securement of the staple over the shingle or underlayment. Staplers using small-size staples are thus not practical for use in roofing applications.
Further, the securement of roofing shingles to the substrate by use of staples is, in most areas within the United States, no longer acceptable since staples have not proven to provide the requisite holding force. Further, staples are also normally not acceptable for securing the underlayment, such as roof felt or vapor wrap (i.e., Tyvap), since the very small holding power of staples readily permits the underlayment to tear through the staple, and hence staples can normally be used only in those situations where the underlayment will be immediately covered by another exterior layer such as roofing shingles.
Other prior attempts to secure underlayment to roofing substrate has, many years ago, involved the use of thin round metal disks (typically called “tin tabs”), which tin tabs were typically between about 1⅝ and 2 inch diameter and were manually applied. Initially these tin tabs were individually secured by a plurality of staples, but securing the tin tabs by staples was not commercially acceptable, and most building codes where tin tabs are acceptable now require that the tin tabs be secured using nails. Further, tin tabs continue to be utilized only in a very small number of geographic areas, specifically a few counties in Florida.
In an effort to provide for increased efficiency of securing the underlayment to the roof substrate, the Assignee hereof has developed a fastener applying device which incorporates therein a nailer capable of individually supplying nails from a magazine and individually driving-the nails into the roof so as to permit more efficient and less strenuous securement of the underlayment to the roof substrate. This improved device in addition mounts a basket containing a plurality of plastic caps which are flexibly joined together in side-by-side relationship so as to define a continuous elongate strip which is formed into a spirally-wound reel. The strip of caps withdrawn from the reel is intermittently advanced so as to sequentially supply a cap into the driving zone for penetration by a nail during each driving cycle of the device. Standard nails as disposed within the nail magazine can thus be utilized and the individual nails penetrate respective caps during the nailing operation so as to permit more automated and efficient securement of the underlayments to the roof substrate while at the same time resulting in a cap-type nail being used as the fastener. The improved fastening device described above is illustrated in International Publication WO 99/39878, owned by the Assignee hereof, and the disclosure of this latter publication is incorporated herein by reference. The improved device of this latter publication is also manufactured and sold under license.
While the device capable of feeding and integrating caps and nails, as described above, represents a highly desirable advancement in the construction industry, particularly for securing underlayments to roof substrates, nevertheless there is an ongoing desire to improve the construction and operational simplicity of the device, and to reduce costs associated therewith. For example, the aforementioned device utilizes a loop-like foot structure which closely surrounds and effectively confines the leading cap when in the fastener driving position, and this foot structure is slidably supported on the tool head for significant vertical movement and interconnected with the safety device which must be depressed prior to activation of the device by the manual trigger. This foot arrangement increases the overall complexity of this structure, and of the cap dispensing, and is also a relatively costly structure to manufacture and assemble. The cap feeding arrangement of this device also utilizes a feeding mechanism which engages the caps spaced away from the fastener driving position and, while this device for the most part operates in a satisfactory manner, nevertheless there is concern that this positional relationship may increase the tendency for the advanced caps to buckle or move out of proper position.
Another recognition of the desire to provide an automatic nailer capable of also feeding caps for use in conjunction with the nails is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,362. However, to the best of Applicant's knowledge, the arrangement illustrated by this latter patent has not been successfully built and operated, either experimentally or commercially.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved fastener-applying device which is capable of feeding both staples and caps so as to permit individual staples to be driven through respective individual caps so as to permit staples to be used for securement in situations previously not considered feasible, such as for securing thin and/or flexible underlayments to a roofing substrate.
It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved fastener applying device, as aforesaid, which incorporates improved structural and operational simplicity with respect to the track arrangement which feeds caps to the fastener driving region, particularly with respect to the driving and guiding and hold-down structures for the caps, to facilitate the moving of a leading cap into the driving region and the subsequent driving of a fastener therethrough for attachment to a structure such as a roof substrate.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved fastener applying device, as aforesaid, wherein the device enables the use of significantly smaller staples than conventionally previous
Bruins Roger C.
Vanden Berg Roger A.
Chukwurah Nathaniel
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
National Nail Corporation
Smith Scott A.
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