Patent ID: 8820198
Filing Date: 2014-09-02
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for driving with a power driver a screwstrip comprising threaded screws which are joined together in a strip comprising: a housing; an elongate drive shaft for operative connection to a power driver for rotation thereby and defining a longitudinal axis; a bit at a forward end of the drive shaft for engagement with a head of a screw, a slide body coupled to the housing for displacement parallel to the axis of the drive shaft between an extended position and a retracted position; the slide body having: (a) a guide channel for said screwstrip extending through said slide body generally transverse to the axis; (b) a screw feed activation mechanism coupled between the slide body and the housing whereby displacement of the slide body relative the housing between the extended position and the retracted position advances successive screws through the guide channel to an initial screw position axially in alignment with said drive shaft for engagement in driving of each screw by the bit carried at the forward end of the drive shaft forwardly into a workpiece, and (c) a forwardly directed touch down foot to engage the workpiece; wherein with the slide body in the extended position relative the housing the screw in the initial screw position extends forwardly to a tip of the screw, wherein from the extended position with the screw in the initial screw position with moving of the housing forwardly toward the workpiece the touch down foot engages the workpiece, whereupon with forward movement of the housing toward the workpiece engagement of the touch down foot with the workpiece causes the housing to move relative the slide body towards the retracted position such that the bit in engagement with the head of the screw drives the screw into the workpiece, wherein the slide body includes a pair of shank guide members, each shank guide member engaging a shank of the screw spaced forwardly from the head of the screw toward the tip to locate the shank axially in alignment with said drive shaft and the shaft of the screw is engaged by each of the shank guide members rearward of the touch down foot, each of the shank guide members is mounted to the slide body for relative movement between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position, the shank guide members positioned to entrap therebetween the shank of the screw to locate the shank axially in alignment with said drive shaft, and in the open position, the shank guide members defining an access passageway through which the shank is advanced by the screw feed activation mechanism to a position with the shank between the shank guide members axially in alignment with said drive shaft, wherein on moving the housing forwardly toward the workpiece after the screw is driven sufficiently forwardly into the workpiece the shank guide members are moved to the open position to permit the screw and driver shaft to pass forwardly therepast, the slide body carries a spreader mechanism to maintain the shank guide members in the open position after the screw has been driven past the shank guide members until the screw feed activation mechanism advances a next screw in the strip adjacent the screw being driven to the initial position, the spreader mechanism includes a spreader member movable between an unblocking position and a blocking position, in the blocking position the spreader mechanism having a leg received between the shank guide members maintaining the shank guide members in the open position against movement to the closed position.