Abstract:
A fastener collation includes a collation of alignment caps fitted over the pointed ends of respective fasteners for maintaining the fasteners in a parallel-spaced configuration for positioning the nosepiece of a pneumatically powered fastener-driving tool for driving a fastener, such as a nail, through an aperture in a workpiece, such as a metal channel, into an underlying workpiece, such as a wood beam. The alignment caps each include a convex tip which enables tactile placement of the nosepiece of the tool when the tip is dragged on the surface of the workpiece with the purpose of positioning the tip into the aperture.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    None. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    I. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates generally to a collation of fasteners suitable for feeding into the driving end of a powered fastener-driving tool which includes a collation of alignment caps for aligning the tips of the fasteners such that fasteners can be precisely driven by the tool through apertures in a workpiece being fastened to another workpiece. In particular, the alignment cap collation comprises a series of alignment caps, arranged in a stair-step configuration and joined together by frangible connecting bridges. The caps having bores in one end into which the pointed tips of a like number of parallel-spaced fasteners such as nails are inserted, and a convex pointed surface on the other end adapted to seat in the workpiece apertures. After the alignment cap in which the next fastener to be driven is inserted has been aligned over the workpiece aperture, the fastener driving tool is actuated to drive the fastener through the aperture. At the same time, the alignment cap breaks away from the remaining alignment caps of the cap collation to allow the next to be driven fastener to move into position in the tool. 
         [0004]    II. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Commonly, a pneumatically-powered or combustion-powered fastener driving tool is used by a tradesperson for driving a fastener, such as a nail, through an aperture in a first workpiece, such as a metal channel, into a second workpiece, such as a wooden beam, which underlies the first workpiece. Typically, fastener driving tools incorporate a nosepiece, which functions to guide the driven fastener into the aperture of the underlying workpiece. Because the tool itself tends to obscure the aperture from the tradesperson, it can be difficult to align the nosepiece so that the fastener is precisely driven through the aperture. This alignment issue is particularly problematic during the installation of clips, straps and other metal workpieces using nails and a power driven tool because such metal workpieces require precise nail placement with respect to the apertures in the workpieces. 
         [0006]    Using the nail tip itself as the locating device has the potential advantage of enabling the tradesperson to visually confirm that the nail tip is aligned with the aperture. However, as metal connectors are typically similar in color to nails, it can be difficult in poorly lit work environments to visually confirm alignment, resulting in improper alignment of the nail and/or compromise of the nail collation. Moreover, once the tip of the nail has been seated in the aperture, the tradesperson may move the nail circularly and fore and aft prior to actuation of the nail driving tool. This action can result in the nail falling out of the tool, mis-aligning with the aperture, or jamming in the tool. 
         [0007]    The use of an alignment probe in a powered fastener-driving tool is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,607 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,167, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0008]    These additional probe mechanisms add to the complexity and cost of manufacture of the fastener-driving tools. Furthermore, the greater complexity increases the possibility of part failure and malfunction of the fastener-driving tool. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, it is a general object of the present disclosure to provide an improved fastener collation for feeding fasteners to a powered fastener driving tool. 
         [0010]    It is a more specific object of the present disclosure to provide a fastener collation which includes a collation of alignment cps which position the fasteners in the collation and align the fastener being driven relative to an underlying workpiece aperture. 
         [0011]    It is another specific object of this disclosure to provide a collation of alignment caps for a fastener collation which retains the fasteners in the collation and enables the fasteners of the collation to be precisely aligned with and driven through an underlying aperture in a workpiece. 
         [0012]    It is another specific object of this disclosure to provide an alignment cap which fits over the pointed end of the fastener to align the fastener with an underlying aperture. 
         [0013]    These and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0014]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a fastener collation for a powered fastener-driving tool. The fastener collation includes a collation of alignment caps arranged in a stair-step configuration and including a bore on one end dimensioned to receive a pointed shank end of a fastener, and a convex pointed surface on the other end dimensioned to seat in an underlying aperture. Adjacent alignment caps preferably have a frangible interconnection adapted to hold the caps in the stair-step configuration while allowing the caps to separate when penetrated by the shank of a driven nail. 
         [0015]    There is also provided an alignment cap collation for use in a fastener collation for use with a powered fastener-driving tool. The alignment cap collation includes a plurality of individual alignment caps arranged in a stair-step configuration which each include a bore on one end dimensioned to receive the pointed shank end of an associated fastener and a convex pointed end for indexing the cap in an aperture on the other end, and which are interconnected by a series of frangible bridge sections. 
         [0016]    There is further provided a system for aligning the tip of a fastener positioned on the driving end of a powered fastener-driving tool to enable the fastener to be precisely driven by the tool through an aperture in a workpiece to be fastened to another workpiece. The tool receives a collation of fasteners wherein the fasteners are arranged in a stair-case fashion and are held in parallel-spaced alignment by a collation of alignment caps. The cap collation includes a plurality of individual caps each provided with a bore on one end dimensioned to receive the pointed shank of an associated fastener and a convex point on the other end for engaging an underlying aperture, and which are interconnected by a frangible connection. 
         [0017]    There is further provided an alignment cap having a bore on one end dimensioned to receive the pointed end of a fastener, such as a nail, and a convex point on the other end for aligning the fastener with an underlying aperture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The present disclosure will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views and in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective top plan view of a pneumatically powered fastener-driving tool having a conventional art alignment probe for aligning the fastener prior to driving the fastener. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the tool of  FIG. 1  showing the alignment probe. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the tool of  FIG. 1  following actuation of the tool and subsequent driving of a fastener into a workpiece. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a conventional art fastener collation for use with a power driven fastener-driving tool. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a fastener collation incorporating an alignment cap collation in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional side view of a pneumatically powered fastener-driving tool for use with the fastener collation of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is an exploded cross-sectional view of the fastener workpiece engaging area of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of the fastener collation of  FIG. 5  together with a fastener workpiece engaging area. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one alignment cap of the alignment cap collation shown in  FIG. 5  positioned within the workpiece area of  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    One or more embodiments of the subject disclosure will now be described with the aid of the drawings. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a pneumatically powered fastener-driving tool  10  for driving fasteners, such as nails, as fed from a magazine  12  of the tool, comprises a conventional art mechanism  14  for positioning a nosepiece  16  of the tool  10  so that a nail can be precisely driven by the tool  10 , through a circular opening  18  of a workpiece  20 , into a substrate  22  adjacent to the workpiece  20 . As shown, the workpiece  20  is a metal bracket, and the substrate  22  is a wooden beam. 
         [0029]    The conventional art mechanism  14  is more specifically shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In particular, the mechanism  14  comprises an alignment probe  30 , which is connected to the nosepiece  16  and which is adapted to extend into an aperture  18  of workpiece  20 , for aligning the nosepiece  16  relative to the aperture  18  so that the fastener (exemplified by wire nails  32  having pointed shanks  34  and enlarged heads  36 ) can be precisely driven through the aperture  18 . As shown, alignment probe  30  has a tapered end  38 , which extends into the aperture  18 . 
         [0030]    The tool  10  is similar to known pneumatically powered fastener-driving tools. Thus, the tool  10  has an actuator  40  mounted operatively to the nosepiece  16  and linked operatively to a lever  42 , which is mounted pivotally to a trigger  44 . The alignment probe  30  is connected to the actuator  40  so as to be conjointly movable with the actuator  40  so as to be pivotally movable, and is adapted to be pressed firmly against the workpiece  20  to move the actuator upwardly so as to lift the lever  42 . Upon actuation of the trigger  44 , a nail  32  is driven by the ram  46  and its shank  48  is driven along the groove  50 , defined by the alignment probe  30  facing laterally, until its head  36  engages the rounded surface  52  of the alignment probe  30 , whereupon the nail  32  moves the probe  30  laterally and from the opening  18  as the tool  10  recoils. 
         [0031]    The conventional art fasteners typically used by such tools  10  are nails such as shown in  FIG. 4 . In particular,  FIG. 4  shows a collation  60  of nails  32  in parallel-spaced alignment wherein each nail includes a pointed shank  34  and an enlarged head  36 . The collation  60  is maintained with front  62  and back  64  paper adhesive tape strips. These collation strips are loaded into the tool  10  and fed from the magazine  12 . 
         [0032]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a fastener collation  70  constructed in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a collation of nails arranged in an adjacent stairstep configuration, wherein each nail  32  includes an enlarged head  36  on one end and a pointed shank  34  on the other end. For purposes of this description, the collation is described in a staggered configuration, however, it will be understood that the collation can be aligned at various angles, and preferably between zero and 40 degrees. In any event, an alignment cap  72  associated with each nail includes a bore on one end dimensioned to sheath the pointed shank of the nail and includes a convex pointed tip portion  114  on its other end. The collation  70  is maintained with a single paper adhesive tape strip  74  as well as the alignment caps, which are joined by bridge portions to form a collation of alignment caps. It will be appreciated that both front and rear paper adhesive strips can be used. In any event, the plurality of nails, the collation of alignment caps, and the adhesive tape comprise the fastener collation to be used with the tool. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , a pneumatically powered fastener-driving tool  100  for driving fasteners, as fed from a magazine  112  of the tool uses the convex tip  114  (see  FIG. 5 ) of the cap  72  for positioning a nosepiece  116  of the tool  100  so that a nail can be precisely driven by the tool  100 , through an aperture  118  of a workpiece  120  into a substrate  122  adjacent to the workpiece  120 . As shown, workpiece  120  may be a metal bracket, and the substrate  122  may be a wooden beam. 
         [0034]    Turning now to  FIG. 7 , the convex tip  114  permits the tactile placement of the nosepiece  116  when the tip is intentionally dragged on the surface of the workpiece  120  with the purpose of locating the tip  114  into the aperture  118 . More specifically, such intentional dragging will be interrupted when the convex tip comes in contact with the aperture in the metal connector or strap. As will be described more fully below, alignment cap  72  and frangible cap connector portions  76  are made from frangible materials such as, for example, polypropylene, which permits, upon actuation, the pointed nail shank to readily penetrate the cap tip  114  and further permits the alignment cap  72  of the driven nail to separate from its adjacent cap. 
         [0035]    As shown, a collation of alignment caps  72  connected via frangible bridge sections  76  form a strip-like assembly to complement the strip of nails. The collation of alignment caps  72  can be made from known techniques, including, for example, injection molding. The collation can be molded independently from the nails and then presented and assembled to the nails. Alternatively, the caps can be formed simultaneously over the shanks of the nails in a strip with the upper collation media (paper or plastic collation). Ideally, a single plastic material could be used to form the upper collation media and the cap at the same time. 
         [0036]    The collation of alignment caps  72  is designed to be sufficiently strong to maintain the integrity of the collation and at the same time sufficiently frangible so as to permit penetration and separation of the individual caps. Additionally, the collation is preferably a molded colored polypropylene, such as, for example a so-called Paslode® Orange, which aids in visual contrast when placing the tip in the aperturte. When the convex tip is registered with the aperture, the cap collation (due to the tip connectors  76 ) permits circular, fore and aft, left to right adjustment prior to nail penetration. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the interaction of an alignment cap and the fastener workpiece engaging area. This interaction is shown without the tool  100  so as to better focus on the specifics of the cap. In particular, a cross section of the fastener collation  70  is shown prior to the tool driving the fastener through the aperture in the workpiece. The fastener (nail) includes an enlarged head  36 , a pointed shank  34  and an alignment cap  72 . The cap must be larger than the aperture  118  in the metal hardware. When the nail  32  is driven, the alignment locator cap  72  for that particular nail  32  breaks away along line  124  of adjacent alignment bridge section  76  thereby enabling the nail to enter the aperture  118  of the workpiece  120  and into substrate  122 . 
         [0038]    The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom. Accordingly, while one or more particular embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the disclosure if its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.