Patent ID: 6267284
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: B25C

Abstract:
A power actuated tool for driving a fastener such as a pin or nail into a substrate, said tool comprising:a body;a fastener guide mounted at a forward end of the body, a driving piston actuable on firing of the tool to drive a fastener within the fastener guide into the substrate, said fastener guide being displaceable axially inwardly relative to the body when the forward end of the tool is pressed against a substrate whereby to permit firing of the tool;a magazine carried by the tool for containing a plurality of fasteners mounted seriatim on segments of a carrier strip, said magazine including an advancing system for advancing a leading end of the carrier strip and the fastener carried thereby into the fastener guide; anda releasable locking system for impeding firing of the tool, said locking system being releasable in response to the presence of a fastener and associated segment of the carrier strip within the fastener guide whereby to permit firing of the tool only when a fastener is present within the fastener guide, wherein the locking system comprises a pivotal latching lever pivotally mounted to the body and interposed between the body and the fastener guide, wherein the latching lever extends forwardly to engage with the fastener guide in a latching condition of the latching lever, wherein the latching lever is spring biased into the latching condition in which the lever interacts between the body and fastener guide to prevent inwards axial displacement of the fastener guide relative to the body, a portion of said latching lever projecting inwardly into the fastener guide, said portion being displaced by the presence of a fastener in said fastener guide so as to cause the latching lever to pivot to an unlatching condition to thereby allow inwards axial displacement of the fastener guide relative to the body to permit firing of the tool, such inwards axial displacement of the fastener guide causing further pivotal movement of the latching lever to move said portion of the lever into a position in which contact of said position by a head of the fastener and driving piston of the tool is prevented when the tool is fired, and wherein said lever has at a forward end portion a cam portion engageable with the fastener guide in the unlatching condition such that inwards axial displacement of the fastener guide engages the cam portion to pivot the latching lever clear of the interior of the fastener guide.