Patent ID: 6230594
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
A power-operated screwdriving device configured to be used with a rotary power source and a supply of screws releasably mounted on a collation, said screwdriving device comprising:a housing structure constructed and arranged to be engaged with the rotary power source, said housing providing a depth setting structure access opening;a feeding assembly defining a drive track carried by said housing and providing a workpiece engaging surface;said drive track being configured to receive a lead screw from the supply of screws;a rotatable screw engaging bit member constructed and arranged to be operatively connected to the rotary power source such that the rotary power source rotates said screw engaging bit member during a screwdriving operation wherein said workpiece engaging surface is engaged with a surface of a workpiece and the lead screw is driven into the workpiece;said rotatable screw engaging bit member being movable relative to said drive track and said workpiece engaging surface such that, when said workpiece engaging surface is engaged with the surface of the workpiece, rotation of said bit member and relative movement between said bit member and said drive track drives the lead screw into the workpiece during the screwdriving operation;screw depth setting structure located within said housing and providing a feeding assembly engaging surface that extends helically with respect to an axis of said depth setting structure, said screw depth setting structure being positioned and configured such that said feeding assembly engaging surface engages said feeding assembly to thereby limit the relative movement occurring between said screw engaging bit member and said workpiece engaging surface during said screwdriving operation, said depth setting structure being turnable about said axis thereof so that the amount of said relative movement occurring between said screw engaging bit member and said workpiece engaging surface during said screwdriving operation for each angular position of said depth setting structure is determined by the orientation of said helically extending depth setting structure;said workpiece engaging surface and said rotatable screw engaging bit member being constructed and arranged such that, when said feeding assembly is engaged with the feeding assembly engaging surface, a distance between a screw engaging end portion of said bit member and said workpiece engaging surface determines the depth to which the lead screw will be driven relative to the surface of the workpiece during said screwdriving operation;a manually engageable screw depth adjusting member disposed exteriorly of said housing structure and operatively connected to said screw depth setting structure through said depth setting structure access opening, said screw depth adjusting member being constructed and arranged such that manual operation thereof turns said screw depth setting structure about said axis thereof to orient said helically extending feeding assembly engaging surface for adjustment of the depth to which the lead screw will be driven to the surface of the workpiece during said screwdriving operation.