Fastener driving device

Details Fastener driving device Fastener driving device

2000-02-16

2002-11-19

Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)

Elongated-member-driving apparatus

With means to support member and/or work relative to driver

Impact-type driver

C227S148000, C227S156000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06481613

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to carpentry, building, and construction, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for driving multi-pronged fasteners into two or more boards.
BACKGROUND
My U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,684,324 and 5,927,923 describe two-and three-pronged fasteners that can be used to join adjacent deck boards to each other and/or to a joist below them while not being visible from the surface. My U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/271,962, filed Mar. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,054 describes a three-prong fastener that is particularly useful in securing two deck boards to each other and to an underlying joist when the deck boards are oriented diagonally relative to the joists. This fastener is shown in
FIG. 1
hereto, and is shown securing adjacent deck boards to each other in
FIGS. 2 and 3
.
FIG. 1
shows three-pronged fastener
500
with forward-facing prongs
514
and
516
and rearward-facing prong
515
.
FIG. 2
shows several such fasteners joining deck boards
508
,
510
to each other and to joists
509
,
511
,
513
, where deck boards
510
are oriented diagonally to joists
509
,
511
,
513
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, forward facing prongs
514
,
516
are first driven into deck board
508
and joist
513
, respectively, and deck board
510
is then hammered against rearward-facing prong
515
to drive the latter into deck board
510
.
Staple driving devices are used in carpentry, as well as building and construction work. In such uses, both points of a staple are typically driven into the same board or boards. My U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/137,012, filed Aug. 20, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,865 describes a staple driving device that can be used to quickly, easily, and securely drive a two-pointed staple fastener into a deck board and a joist below it, such that the staple is not visible from above the deck. This device is shown in
FIGS. 4-6
hereto. The staple driving device has alignment structure
10
, driver
12
, staples
14
, magazine
16
, alignment plate
18
, handle
20
, and hammer
22
.
Alignment structure
10
has first board abutment surface
24
and second board abutment surface
26
which abut respectively first board surface
28
of first board
30
and second board surface
32
of second board
34
. First board
30
is above second board
34
. First board
30
and second board
34
are oriented to each other so as to form included angle
36
, at junction
38
(indicated in
FIG. 4
) of less than 180°, e.g., approximately 90°, in
FIGS. 4-6
. Alignment structure
10
defines staple delivery channel
44
. When abutment surfaces
24
,
26
abut board surfaces
28
,
32
, staple delivery channel
44
is near junction
38
. As seen in
FIG. 5
, the device is positioned to drive first point
40
of staple
14
into first board surface
28
and second point
42
of staple
14
into second board surface
32
. Magazine
16
is fitted partially within alignment structure
10
. Magazine
16
defines staple supply channel
48
which joins staple delivery channel
44
, so that staples
14
which are retained within staple supply channel
48
may pass into staple delivery channel
44
. Driver
12
has striking portion
50
with broadened striking head
52
, stock
54
, and driving portion
56
. Driver
12
is slidably fitted within alignment structure
10
. Driving portion
56
is sized to be capable of sliding within staple delivery channel
44
. Alignment plate
18
is fastened to alignment structure
10
so that it can abut third board surface
64
of first board
30
. The device has handle
20
, having grips
66
fastened to alignment structure
10
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the device has two internal springs
68
disposed within driving channel
62
so that, when driver
12
is driven forward, by a hammer blow delivered to striking head
52
, for example, internal springs
68
are compressed between stock
54
of driver
12
and compression surface
70
that bounds driving channel
62
within alignment structure
10
.
SUMMARY
The invention, in general, features a device for driving a first prong of a multi-pronged fastener into an adjacent board and bending a second fastener prong, so that it has a desired orientation with respect to the board. The device includes an alignment structure, a first driver, and a second driver. The alignment structure has a first abutment surface for abutting one of the boards. The alignment structure defines a fastener delivery channel that ends near the junction of the boards. The first and second drivers are movably connected to the alignment structure. The first driver is positioned so as to be able to contact the fastener and to drive the first prong into one of the boards. The second driver is positioned so as to be able to contact the second prong and bend it angularly with respect to the first prong.
In operation, the abutment surface of the alignment structure is brought into contact with one of the boards. The first driver is activated, so that it impacts a fastener situated in the fastener delivery channel and drives the first prong into one of the boards. The second driver is also activated so that it impacts the second prong and bends it angularly with respect to the first prong.
Preferred embodiments are adapted to drive a three-pronged fastener, so as to join a first deck board to a joist beneath it, where the first deck board and joist are oriented at right angles to each other, and to bend a rearward-facing prong, so that it projects from the first deck board at approximately a 90° angle, so that the rearward-facing prong is positioned to be driven into a second deck board. Alternately, the device may be adapted to drive fasteners and bend prongs at any desired angle.
Preferred embodiments include a third driver for bending the third prong, which extends from the board, in an alternate direction. Embodiments with a third driver may include a mechanism for detecting the orientation of the upper board and selectively engaging either the second or third driver for bending the third prong in either of two directions. Mechanical catches, levers, linkages, wedges, rollers, springs, pivots, as well as electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, hydraulic, or pneumatic devices may be used to selectively engage either the second or third driver. The second and third drivers may be activated, so as to impact and bend the third prong, by the motion of elements connected to the first driver. In other embodiments, the second or third driver may be connected to the first driver, so that all drivers are activated simultaneously.
Preferred embodiments further include an alignment plate, attached to the alignment structure. The alignment plate may be spaced relative to the fasteners to align the prongs for driving them into boards, when the alignment plate abuts one of the boards. Preferred embodiments further also include a magazine containing a plurality of multi-pronged fasteners to be driven successively into boards, a handle for grasping the device, or springs to return the drivers and other components to their initial positions after the fasteners are driven and/or bent.
The force required to activate the drivers may be supplied manually, or by a pneumatic, hydraulic, elastic, electrical, electromagnetic, electrostatic, magnetic, combustion, or explosive device. For example, the force may be provided by a hammer blow, gunpowder, a spring, an electric motor, an internal combustion engine, or a compressed air device. The force required to activate the drivers may be supplied from an offset orientation, for example, with cams, rollers, or linkages.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. The device may be used to drive different points of a multi-pronged fastener into one or more boards and to bend another prong in a desired direction. The device may facilitate connecting boards in a way that conceals the fasteners. The device may reduce workers' time in building, construction, or carpentry work. The device may be adapted to hold a plurality of fast

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