Abstract:
A coil nailing device for finishing materials is invented that comprises a standby part for temporarily retaining and loading the nails into a muzzle. A door is installed adjacent to the standby part to check the nail supply. A door latch consists of a hook, coil spring and latch hinge shaft. The door and door latch are operated in the lateral direction, perpendicular to the axis of the main body. The muzzle consists of an adapter, lever arm and a pair of arc-shaped sliding grooves formed on both lateral surfaces. The adapter is attachable to the nose of the main body. A clearance setting device is designed to allow the use of various sizes of nails by setting the depth of the magazine depending on the loaded nail size. An interval setting device is convenient to nail a series of shingle panels by setting the panel interval while the coil nailing device is sliding along the edge of the panels.

Description:
This is a Continuation of Ser. No. 11/255,294, filed Oct. 20, 2005, now abandoned. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a coil nailing device, and more particularly, to the coil nailing device having a door latch that releases in the same direction as the door opening and closing direction so that the door is released by one touch of the door latch with a finger, an attachable adapter for easily attaching or removing the nose to/from the main body, a clearance setting means for loading various sizes of nails by setting the depth of the magazine depending on the loaded nail size, and an interval setting means for conveniently nailing a series of shingle panels by setting the panel interval for sliding along the edge of the shingle panels. 
   2. Description of the Related Prior Art 
   As is well-known, a tacker, used in constructing buildings and in interior construction, is a pneumatic device, such as a nailer, a stapler, or a pinner that is used in joining wood to wood, wood to plastic, wood to steel, and wood to concrete, and is used in various constructions such as interior and exterior decoration of buildings, installation of aluminum sashes, or the like. 
   General working principles of the tackers are almost identical to each other, but structures of the nailer, the stapler, and the pinner are slightly different from each other. 
   A general coil nailer  2 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a body  4  in which a piston and a cylinder are installed, a handle  6  installed to the lower side of the body  4  and grasped by a hand and having a supply passage for supplying air to the piston, a magazine  10 , installed to the front lower side of the body  4 , in which nails, staples, or pins are contained, and a standby part  12  for receiving the nails, staples, or the pins loaded in the magazine  10  and for positioning the nails, the staples, or the pins for firing through a muzzle  14  positioned at the front side of the body  4 . 
   Moreover, the coil nailer  2  further includes a door  16  installed at the lower side of the front standby part  12  of the body  4  that can be opened to visually check the nails, the staples, or the pins supplied from the magazine  10 , a door latch  20  for keeping the door  16  closed, and a hinge shaft  18  coupled with a lateral side of the front muzzle  14  of the body  4  by a shaft to open the door  16 . 
   As such, according to the conventional coil nailer, since a plurality of nails (not shown) is welded in the magazine  10  by a coil and is supplied to the muzzle  14 , a worker must open the door  16  using the door latch  20 , in order to check the state of the nails loaded therein. 
   However, in the conventional coil nailer, since the door latch  20  of the nailer has a structure wherein the door  16  is opened when the worker grasps the handle with the right hand, holds the door latch  20  with a right thumb and a right forefinger, and lifts the door latch  20  up while pushing the door latch  20  toward the muzzle  14 , the direction of opening the door  16  is different from the direction of releasing the door  16  using the door latch  20 . 
   In other words, since the door  16  opens only when the worker of the conventional coil nailer pushes the door latch  20  to the front side to release the door latch  20 , and lifts the door latch  20  up, two different actions must be simultaneously carried out to open the door  16 . In addition, since the releasing direction of the door latch  20  is aligned with the direction of the muzzle  14 , recoil may cause the door latch  20  to be released. 
   Moreover, since the internal structure of the magazine  10  of the conventional coil nailer  2  can only accommodate nails having a predetermined length, in order to use other nails having a different length, the worker must use another coil nailer  2  to accommodate the other nails. In the case of loading and using smaller nails than those for which the magazine  10  was designed, the nails lifted from the inside of the magazine  10  to the front standby part  12  cannot be smoothly guided. 
   Additionally, the conventional coil nailer  2  is used in finish work such as shingling. Shingling is the process of attaching partially laminated waterproof sheets on a sloped outer surface of a roof at predetermined intervals. 
   Until today, shingling has been carried out in the following manner. First, the worker holds a measuring device such as a scale with one hand and measures the interval between a lower waterproof sheet and an upper waterproof sheet to which a part of the upper side of the lower waterproof sheet is attached so as to precisely attach any one sheet in the horizontal direction. 
   However, in shingling carried out in the above-mentioned way, since the typical worker holds the coil nailer  2  with one hand and holds the measuring device with the other hand, nailing is carried out using only one hand. Thus, the conventional coil nailer is difficult to use and the worker may fail to hold the coil nailer  2  with one hand and may drop the coil nailer  2 . Particularly, when dropping the coil nailer  2  during roofing work using a conventional coil nailer  2 , there is a high risk of injury to other workers. 
   Meanwhile, the conventional coil nailer  2  includes a contact arm installed in the longitudinal direction of the body  4  and a contactor contacting an actual striking spot installed in the front side thereof, wherein the contact arm and the contactor are coupled by bolts and welding. 
   However, since the contactor employed in the conventional coil nailer  2  contacts the striking spot so frequently that the front side thereof is easily worn, the bolts must be released and the welded spots must be separated during the replacement of the contactor after use for a predetermined period of time. Thus, replacement of the contactor is complicated. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Therefore, the coil nailing device of the present invention includes improvements to solve the above problems. 
   An objective of the present invention is to provide a coil nailing device in which the door latch releases in the same direction as the opening and closing direction of the door, so that the door is released by merely pushing the door latch. The releasing direction of the door latch is perpendicular to the recoiling direction of the coil nailing device to prevent accidental opening of the door due to the recoil force. 
   It is another objective of the present invention to provide a coil nailing device in which an adapter is easily engaged with or disengaged from the nose of the main body by lifting the lever arm. 
   It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a coil nailing device in which a clearance setting means sets the container depth of the cylindrical magazine for loading various sizes of nails or staples, so that various sized nails or staples can be properly loaded into the container of the cylindrical magazine and can be properly guided and supplied to the muzzle. For nailing a series of shingle panels, an interval setting means sets a panel width or interval between neighboring shingle panels so that the coil nailing device can be easily maneuvered for nailing or stapling on the correct spots of the shingle panels while sliding along the edge of the shingle panels. 
   In accordance with the present invention, the aforementioned objects can be accomplished by the provision of a coil nailing device for construction finishing materials consisting of a main body enclosing a set of pneumatic mechanisms for striking nails, a nose located in front of the main body for ejecting the nails, a handle grip, a trigger and a cylindrical magazine for supplying the nails or staples, the coil nailing device further comprising: a standby part for temporarily retaining and loading the nails or staples that are supplied from the cylindrical magazine, a door installed adjacent to the standby part for checking the status of the nails or staples, the door hinged by a door shaft, a door latch consisting of a hook, a coil spring and a latch hinge shaft, the door latch hinged by the latch hinge shaft and installed at the opposite end of the door from the door shaft for locking the door, a muzzle consisting of an adapter, a lever arm and a pair of arc-shaped sliding grooves formed on both lateral surfaces of the adapter, the adapter for easily attaching or removing the nose to/from the main body, a clearance setting means for loading various sizes of nails or staples by setting the container depth of the cylindrical magazine ( 110 ), so that various sized nails or staples can be properly loaded into the container of the cylindrical magazine ( 110 ) for properly guiding and supplying to the muzzle ( 114 ), and an interval setting device for nailing the series of shingle panels by setting a panel width or interval between neighboring shingle panels, so that the coil nailing device can be easily maneuvered for nailing or stapling on the correct spots of the shingle panels while sliding along the side edge of the shingle panels. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a conventional coil nailer. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a coil nailer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed partial perspective view illustrating a door latch of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective rear-side view illustrating the rear side of the door of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a view illustrating the coupling structure of a connector of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating the coupling structure of the connector of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating operation of the connector of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a magazine of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a partially enlarged perspective view illustrating a magazine post of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view illustrating a coil supporting plate of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 11  is a partially cut away perspective view illustrating a magazine of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a shingle-interval adjusting device of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 13   a  and  13   b  are views illustrating the use of the shingle-interval adjusting device of the coil nailer according to the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereinafter, a coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a detailed partial perspective view illustrating a door latch of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  is a perspective rear-side view illustrating the rear side of the door of the coil nailer according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   As shown in the above respective drawings, the coil nailing device  100  of the present invention has a structure comprising a door latch that releases in a direction that is aligned with the opening and closing direction of the door so that the door is released by unlatching of the door latch perpendicular to the recoiling direction of the coil nailing device. Therefore, the door is prevented from accidental opening due to recoil. 
   Accordingly, the coil nailing device  100  of the present invention is structured such that a door  132  is opened and closed in the lateral direction, and a door latch  134  installed on the top corner of the door  132  operates in the same direction as the door  132 . 
   Further, the door latch ( 134 ) comprises a coil spring ( 140 ) mounted on the latch hinge shaft ( 138 ) for exerting a resilient force on the door latch ( 134 ), so that the door ( 132 ) is prevented from accidental opening due to the repulsive force of a firing. 
   When the door latch  134  is pushed laterally, a hook  142  formed on the inside of the door latch  134  is released from a locking bar. 
   Thus, when the worker grasps the handle  106  of the nailing device  100  with the right hand and pushes the door latch  134  provided on the left front side of a body  104  laterally with a finger, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the hook  142  formed on the inside of the door latch  134  is released from the locking bar to open the door  132 . 
   To close the door, the worker grasps the handle  106  of the coil nailing device  100  with the right hand and closes the door  132  until the hook  142  of the door latch  134  is engaged to the locking bar. 
   At this moment, when the worker presses the door  132  or the door latch  134  toward the body  104  with his finger, the hook  142  formed on the inside of the door latch  134  is locked by the locking bar. 
   The door latch  134  is mounted by the hinge shaft  138  at the corner of the door  132 , and both ends of a restoring spring  140  are respectively connected to the latch hinge shaft  138  and the door latch  134 . 
   Moreover, the tip  142   a  of the hook  142  is tapered, so that the hook  142  snaps onto the locking bar to engage it. 
   Meanwhile, the door latch  134  must be disengaged from the locking bar to open the door  132 . The door latch has a structure intended to prevent the accidental opening of the door  132  due to the repulsive forces when the coil nailing gun  100  is fired. 
   When the coil nailing device  100  fires nails positioned in the muzzle, the repulsive reaction is oriented along the longitudinal direction of the main body  104 , and the bouncing forces are propagated to the direction of the muzzle  114 . 
   However, the operation direction of the door latch  134  is lateral, which is perpendicular to the recoiling direction of the main body, so that the door latch  134  is not easily released due to recoil. 
   The door latch structure of the present invention is designed to prevent the accidental opening of the door, which occurs frequently due to the impacting forces. 
     FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a muzzle and adapter structure of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating the muzzle and adapter structure of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating operation of the lever arm of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   The muzzle  114  of the present invention will now be described with reference to the above mentioned drawings. The muzzle ( 114 ) consists of an adapter ( 200 ), a lever arm ( 212 ) and a pair of arc-shaped grooves ( 210 ) oppositely formed on both lateral surfaces of the adapter ( 200 ), wherein the adapter ( 200 ) allows to be easily attached to or removed from the nose ( 202 ) of the main body ( 104 ). 
   The adapter of the present invention can be attached to the nose  202 , and a lever arm  212  is installed adjacent to the adapter  200 , which is positioned upright in the longitudinal direction for attaching to the nose  202 , which is the coupling position. 
   As seen in  FIG. 7 , the adapter  200  forms a cubic-shaped block with an inner cavity  206  for inserting the nose  202 , a foot plate  208  for contacting a work piece and a pair of arced grooves  210  disposed oppositely on its outer lateral surfaces. The lever arm  212  has a flat bar-shaped handle integrally attached perpendicular to a pair of arced sliders  204  with a quarter circular sectors at the bottom end portion of the handle for rotationally sliding along with the arced grooves  210 . 
   Thus, according to the present invention, the lever arm  212  and the adapter  200  are easily engaged to or disengaged from the nose, or from one another. The structure of the adapter  200  and lever arm  212  are designed to easily and firmly attach to or separate from the nose  202  of the main body  104  by pulling the lever arm  212  up or down and to remain firmly installed against the repulsive reactions during a firing. 
   The proximal end of the lever arm  212  is integrally connected to the arced sliders  204  to slide along the sliding grooves  210 . 
   Thus, according to the present invention, when the lever arm  212  is lifted up to the coupling position, the lever arm  212  and the adapter  200  are engaged to the nose of the main body. It is possible to easily replace the adapter  200  when the adapter  200  is worn out. 
     FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the magazine of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to the above drawing, the magazine  110  of the present invention has a clearance setting device to properly guide the nails by moving a guiding device in the magazine according to the size of the loaded nails. It also has an interval setting device installed under the bottom of the magazine  110  to set the panel intervals between shingles, so that the coil nailing device can precisely nail on the correct spots on the panels and can be easily maneuvering with both hands because a separate measuring device is not needed. 
   The clearance adjusting device comprises a disk plate ( 306 ) for controlling the clearance or depth of the cylindrical magazine ( 110 ), a sleeve ( 304 ) integrally mounted to the center of the disk plate ( 306 ), a central post ( 302 ) having a cylindrical shape integrally formed at an inner center of the cylindrical magazine ( 110 ), wherein the central post ( 302 ) includes first, second and third stepped grooves on its outer circumference for setting the clearance or depth depending on the length of loaded nails or staples. 
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , the depth adjustor for the magazine  110  of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now described. 
   The magazine  110  of the coil nailing device  100  of the present invention has a cylindrical drum shape, so that the coil of nails is wound to form concentric circles including a winding shaft of the coil as a central post  302  installed at the inner center of the magazine  110 . 
   The central post  302  has a plurality of stepped grooves in the outer circumference and a sleeve  304  is integrally installed on the disk plate ( 306 ). 
   The sleeve  304  has a tubular shape for inserting the central post  302  and supporting the disk plate  306 . The disk plate  306  is integrally mounted to the sleeve  304 . 
   In the tubular sleeve  304 , a spring  308  is installed for exerting a resilient force toward the bottom surface of the magazine  110 . On the upper side of the sleeve  304 , a washer  310  is installed so that the resilient force of the spring  308  is transmitted to a fixed bolt  312 . 
   A long bolt  312  is inserted through the tubular sleeve  304  for suspending the disk plate  306  on the central post ( 302 ). The central post  302  includes three different stepped grooves to support the sleeve  304 . A cap  314  is provided for closing the top of the sleeve  304 . 
   According to the present invention, when the sleeve  304  is fixed to the central post  302 , the sleeve  304  is lifted from the bottom of the magazine  110  by a predetermined height for setting the depth of the container or height of the magazine according to the length of the loaded nails. Thus, a plurality of coiled nails is loaded on the inner bottom of the magazine  110 . The height of the sleeve  304  is manually adjusted according to the length of the nails. 
     FIG. 9  is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the central post of the magazine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view illustrating the coil supporting plate of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 11  is a partially cut away perspective view illustrating the magazine of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   As shown in the drawings, the central post  302  is a device for fixing the bottom of the magazine  110  and adjusting the height of the sleeve  304 . The central post  302  has a tubular shape for the bolt  312  to pass through. A plurality of guide grooves  316   a  and  316   b  are formed on the outer circumference along the longitudinal direction, while a first stepped groove  318 , a second stepped groove  320 , and a third stepped groove  322  having flat stepped surfaces are formed on the guide grooves  316   a  and  316   b  with different heights. 
   The first stepped groove  318  is located at the highest position along the guide grooves  316   a  and  316   b , the third stepped groove  322  is located at the lowest position along the guide grooves  316   a  and  316   b , and the second stepped groove  320  is located between the first stepped groove  318  and the third stepped groove  322 . 
   The sleeve ( 304 ) further comprises a spring ( 308 ) for exerting a resilient force on the disk plate ( 306 ), a fastener bolt ( 312 ) for fastening the disk plate ( 306 ) onto the bottom of the cylindrical magazine ( 110 ), a seal ( 310 ) and a cap ( 314 ) for securing the disk plate ( 306 ), and a pair of knots ( 326 ) at the proximal end of its inner surface to be seated on either one of the first, second or third stepped grooves of the central post ( 302 ). 
   Thus, according to the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 11 , when a set of coiled nails is loaded on the upper side of the disk plate  306  and the sleeve  304  is lifted, the resilient force pushes the sleeve  304  toward the bottom of the magazine  110  due to the elastic force of the spring  308  in the sleeve  304 . 
   The worker overcomes the force and rotates the sleeve  304  to a proper position in the horizontal direction, then a pair of knots  326  is seated on either the first, second, or third stepped grooves  318 ,  320 , or  322 . 
   At this point, the external force applied to the sleeve  304  by the worker is released, as soon as the knots  326  of the sleeve  304  are placed on the stepped groove  320 . 
     FIGS. 12 ,  13   a , and  13   b  are an exploded perspective view illustrating the shingle-interval setting device of the coil nailing device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and views illustrating the use of the shingle setting device of the coil nailing device according to the present invention. 
   Referring to the drawings, the shingle interval setting device, which is mounted underneath the coil nailing device  100 , is used for setting the intervals between shingles. 
   The interval setting device comprises a base ( 332 ) including an integrally formed pair of guiding rails ( 330 ) having rack gears ( 334 ) and recessed lateral surfaces ( 336 ) for mounting at the bottom of the cylindrical magazine ( 110 ) and a sliding block ( 350 ) for engaging to the guide rails ( 330 ). 
   Moreover, a sliding block  350  is engaged with the guide rails  330  to be moved along the longitudinal direction by the worker in order to set the proper position. The sliding block  350  includes a sliding frame  352  for assembling the required parts and a slider  354  formed in the lower side of the sliding frame  352  which is mounted to slide in the recessed lateral surfaces ( 336 ). 
   The sliding block ( 350 ) comprises a pair of sliders ( 354 ) located underneath the sliding block ( 350 ) for mounting and sliding on the pair of guide rails ( 330 ), a pair of right and left pushing taps ( 362 ,  370 ) forming a cylindrical pocket ( 368 ) for inserting a spring ( 360 ) and an integrally formed extended leg ( 366 ) with pawls ( 364 ) below the pocket ( 368 ) for latching or unlatching to the rack gear teeth ( 334 ), a pair of right and left compartments ( 356 ,  358 ) for installing the right and left pushing taps ( 362 ,  370 ), respectively, and a controlling plate ( 380 ) for enveloping the sliding block ( 350 ) to fixedly install the right and left pushing taps ( 362 ,  370 ) into the right and the left compartments ( 356 ,  358 ), respectively. 
   The controlling plate ( 380 ) comprises a cutout ( 382 ) formed with a rectangular shape at the center of the controlling plate ( 380 ) for snapping into a rectangular detent ( 372 ) formed rectangular shape in the center the sliding block ( 350 ), and a pair of mounting feet ( 384 ) formed at the rear of the controlling plate ( 380 ) for snapping into the rear of the sliding block ( 350 ). 
   Thus, the right pushing taps  362  and the spring  360  are assembled to the sliding frame  352  and the controlling plate  380  covers the upper side of the sliding frame  352 . 
   When the right pushing tap  362  is pushed in the opposite direction, the spring  360  is compressed and the pawls  364  formed in the foot of the right pushing taps  362  are disengaged from the rack gear teeth  334  of the guide rails  330 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 13   b , when the sliding frame  352  is moved to the proper distance corresponding to the panel width of the shingle material, then the external force is released. As soon as the external force is released, the right pushing tap  362  returns back to the opposite direction due to the restoring force of the spring  360  so that the pawls  364  are engaged to the rack gear teeth  334  of the guide rails  330 . 
   Then, the intervals are set between the muzzle  114  and the controlling plate  380  for nailing the waterproof sheets to attach to the roof at regular intervals. 
   Since the intervals between the muzzle  114  and the controlling plate  380  are controlled by moving the sliding block  350 , the muzzle  114  is able to be positioned at the proper spots to nail. Thus, a measuring tape is not necessary to measure the nailing spot of the waterproof sheets while holding the heavy coil nailing device  100  with both hands. 
   Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 
   As described above, according to the coil nailer for construction finish materials of the present invention, since the door latch releases in the same direction as the opening direction of the door, the door latch is released when the door is opened so that the door can be conveniently opened. Since the operating direction of the door latch is perpendicular to the direction of recoil, the door cannot be opened due to the recoil. 
   Moreover, since the plate for supporting the nails in the magazine according to the length of the nails in the magazine is lowered or lifted according to the length of the nails, the nails can be effectively guided regardless of their length. In addition, the shingle interval setting device allows the interval between a lower waterproof sheet and an upper waterproof sheet to be easily controlled when attaching shingles and waterproof sheets. Since a measuring device capable of adjusting the shingle position is installed in the lower side of the magazine, a scale does not need to be used, so that use of the coil nailer can be simplified and a worker can freely fasten using both hands. 
   Additionally, according to the present invention, the contactor for preventing the contacting portion of the muzzle on the front side of the coil nailer from being worn can be securely and easily coupled without bolting or welding, and the coupling and the separation are very convenient so that the replacement of the contactor is easy.