Abstract:
A positioning device for a hand-held setting tool ( 10 ) includes a holder ( 21 ), a support ( 22 ) for the setting tool ( 10 ) arranged at an end of the holder and fixedly connected with an elongate support element ( 23 ) extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (A) defined by the holder and having, at its end remote from the support, a base part, and a switching device for actuating the actuation switch ( 13 ) of the setting tool ( 10 ) and including an operating element for actuating the actuation switch ( 13 ), and an actuation element ( 24 ) arranged radially outwardly of the support element ( 23 ) and displaceable axially thereto and connectable with the operating element, with the base part extending beyond the end of the actuation element ( 24 ) remote from the support ( 22 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a positioning device for a hand-held setting tool having an actuation switch for actuating the setting tool, with the positioning device including a holder defining a longitudinal axis, a support for the setting tool arranged at an end of the holder, and operating means for actuating the actuation switch of the setting tool and which is actuated by the holder.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Positioning devices of the type described above are used, e.g., at overhead works with hand-held setting tools in case of high ceilings when working is possible only using working platforms or ladders. Setting tools, which can be used with such devices, can be driven with solid, gaseous, or liquid fuels or with compressed air or electricity.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,599 discloses a positioning and actuation device for a combustion-operated setting tool and including a support for the setting tool, which is arranged at an end of an elongated holder in form of a rod or a bar. The rod or bar is axially displaceable relative to the support for actuating the actuation switch of the setting tool, which is received in the support, via coupling means. For actuating the setting tool, the tool should be placed with its muzzle piece against a ceiling and then be displaced in the direction of the ceiling with the holder or rod by the user.  
         [0006]     The drawback of this positioning device consists in that the setting tool, which is arranged in the support, can also be actuated when the positioning and actuating device is supported with the rod or bar on a bottom (floor), and the user manually presses the rod against the muzzle piece of the setting tool.  
         [0007]     An object of the present invention is a positioning device with actuating switching means in which the drawback of a known positioning and actuating device is eliminated.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     This and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing a positioning device for a hand-held setting tool having an actuation switch for actuating the setting tool of the type discussed above and in which the holder has an elongate support element extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and connected, directly or indirectly, with the support.  
         [0009]     The actuating switching means for actuating the actuation switch of setting tool includes operating means for actuating the actuation switch, and an actuation element arranged radially outwardly of the support element and displaceable axially thereto and connectable with the operating means. The support element has, at its end remote from the support, a base part extending beyond an axial end for the actuation element remote from the support.  
         [0010]     With the positioning device according to the present invention, an inadvertent actuation of the setting tool, which is arranged in the support, is reliably prevented when the positioning device is supported with the base part on the bottom, and the device is manually pressed against the muzzle piece of the setting tool. This is because the actuation element remains unactuated.  
         [0011]     Advantageously, the base part is formed as a pot-shaped part that receives and overlaps the remote axial end of the actuation element. Thereby, penetration of dirt in the space between the base part and the actuation element is prevented, and inadvertent actuation of the actuation element, upon pressing of the positioning device with the base part against the bottom, is prevented, independent from its nature.  
         [0012]     According to a technically advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the operating means has a first switching member axially displaceable in the holder and connectable with the actuation element. As a result, the connection point is not accessible from outside and is protected.  
         [0013]     It is advantageous when the holder has a connection element fixedly secured to the support element, and a counter-connection element connectable with the connection element, and the first switching member is displaceable in the connection member, and the operating means further has a second switching member associated with the counter-connection element and cooperating with the first switching member. The foregoing features permit to form the positioning device of two or more connectable parts or modules and which enables to transmit the actuation movement of the actuation element to the support and to the setting tool supported therein.  
         [0014]     If the counter-connection element is connected with the support, the second switching member can cooperate with a switching link and a driver provided on the support for actuating the actuation switch of the setting tool and connectable with the switching link. Thereby in a technically simple way, the positioning device can be formed of two parts or modules.  
         [0015]     A robust and cost-effectively manufactured positioning device is obtained when the support element is formed as a bar, and the actuation element has formed an actuation sleeve arranged coaxially with the bar-shaped support element.  
         [0016]     The novel features of the present invention, which are considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional advantages and objects thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The drawings show:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1 a  side view of a first part of a positioning device according to the present invention and including an actuation switching means and a support in which a hand-held setting tool is arranged, with the setting tool in a non-press-on position;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2 a  longitudinal cross-sectional view of a second part of the positioning device according to the present invention with the actuation switching means in a non-actuated position; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 3 a  longitudinal cross-sectional view of a second part of the positioning device according to the present invention with the actuation switching means in an actuated position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]      FIGS. 1-3  show a positioning device  20  according to the present invention for a hand-held setting tool  10  and having actuation switching means. The inventive positioning device  20  can be formed, e.g., as a modular unit. In an assembled position, the positioning device  20  is formed of a first part of a rod-like holder  21  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and a second part of the holder  21  shown in  FIG. 1  and having, respectively, a coupling element  28  ( FIGS. 2, 3 ) and a counter-coupling element  29  ( FIG. 1 ) connected with each other, as shown with dash lines in  FIG. 3 . The longitudinal extension of the rod-like holder  21  defines a longitudinal axis A of the positioning device  20 .  
         [0022]     A setting tool  10 , which is shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a one- or multi-part housing  11  in which a setting mechanism for driving fastening elements in a constructional component is arranged. For actuation of the setting tool  10 , an actuation switch  13  is provided on the handle  12  of the setting tool  10 . The setting tool  10  further includes a muzzle part  14  arranged in front of the housing  11  and displaceable relative to the housing. When the setting tool  10  is pressed with the muzzle part  14  against a constructional component (not shown in the drawings), the setting tool  10  assumes a setting-ready position in which the setting tool  10  can be actuated with the actuation switch  13 . The actuation switching means of the positioning device  20  includes an actuation element  24  and operating means that connects the actuation element  24  with the actuation switch  13  of the setting tool  10 . Thus, the actuation element  24  functions as a remote actuation switch.  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the hand-held power tool  10  is arranged on a support  22  of the positioning device  20  and is releasably secured with holding elements  38 ,  39 . The setting tool  10  can be taken off the support  22  by releasing screw means  40  of the second holding element  39 .  
         [0024]      FIGS. 2-3  show a first part of the holder  21  and which forms part of the positioning device  20 . The first part, which is shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , includes the actuation element  24  that is formed as an elongate actuation sleeve displaceable along a support element  23  formed as a hollow bar. The actuation element  24  is displaceable relative to the support element  23  parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the positioning device  20 . At an end  25  of the support element  23  remote from the support  22  for the setting tool  10 , there is provided a base part  26  that extends beyond an axial end  27  of the actuation element  24  remote from the support  22 .  
         [0025]     The support element  23  is fixedly connected with a connection element  28  having, at its end remote from the support element  23 , a receptacle  30  for the counter-connecting element  29 . At an end of the connecting element  28  adjacent to the base part  26 , a support point  41  for a spring  42  is formed. At its other end, the spring  42  is supported against the actuation element  24  via an intermediate element  43  that is formed as an inner sleeve. The spring  42  biases the actuation element  24  in a direction of its initial position shown in  FIG. 2 . The intermediate element  43  is fixedly connected with the actuation element  24 .  
         [0026]     The actuation element  24  cooperates with a first switching member  34  of the operating means and which is formed as a pin displaceable in a guide  44  formed as a blind bore in the connection element  28 . In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the actuation element  24  is connected with a sleeve-shaped end piece  45  that at least partially surrounds a region  46  of the connection element  28  adjacent to the support element  23 . The end piece  45  is connected with the first switching member  34  by a connecting element  47  which is formed as a pin and extends transverse to the longitudinal axis A of the positioning device  20 . The connecting element  47  extends through slot-shaped openings  48  provided in the region  46  of the connection element  28 . The slot-shaped openings  48  enable displacement of the connecting element  27  relative to the connection element  28  in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis A.  
         [0027]     The second part of the holder  21 , together with the support  22  arranged thereon, which forms part of the positioning device  20 , is shown in  FIG. 1 . At its end remote from the support  22 , the second part of the holder  21  carries the circular counter-connection element  29  that, as discussed previously, is inserted in the receptacle  30  in the connection element  28  (see  FIG. 3 ). Thereby, the connection elements  28 ,  29  form a releasable connection, and the positioning device  20  can be easily assembled and disassembled.  
         [0028]     The operating means includes a second switching member  35  that cooperates with a first switching member  34  when the connection element  28  and the counter-connection element  29  are connected with each other. The second switching member  35  is formed as a rod-shaped part displaceable in an inner bore of the second part of the holder  21 . In the transitional region from the holder  21  to the support  22 , the second switching member  35  is displaceably connected by a switching link  36  with the support  22  for displacement relative to the support  22  at least in one direction. The switching link  36  also forms part of the operating means. At the free end of the switching link  36 , there is provided a driver  37  that cooperates with the actuation switch  13  of the setting tool  10  which is supported in the support  22 . A spring  49  biases the switching link  36 , together with the driver  37  in a non-actuated position shown in  FIG. 1  and in which the driver  37  does not apply pressure to the actuation switch  13  of the setting tool  10 .  
         [0029]     In the initial position of the positioning device  20  shown in  FIG. 2 , the spring  42  biases the actuation element  24  as far as possible in the pot-shaped base part  26 . The first switching member  34  is likewise displaced in the guide  44  in the connection element  28  as far as possible (see  FIG. 1 ). When the base part  26  is supported against a stationary object G, shown in  FIG. 2  with dash lines, an actuation of the setting tool  10  in the support  22  of the positioning device  20  by mere application of pressure to the muzzle part  14  of the setting tool  10  is not possible, as the actuation element cannot be actuated. The press-on force is transmitted, in this case, via the base part  26  and the support element  23  directly to the connection element  28 .  
         [0030]     In  FIG. 3 , the setting tool  10  is pressed with its muzzle part against a ceiling or a workpiece, not shown in the drawings, and the actuation element  24  is displaced against the biasing force of the spring  42  in the direction of the connection element  28  manually by the user. The end piece  45  is displaced, together with the actuation element  24 , and the movement of the end piece  45  is transmitted to the connecting element  47  and thereby to the first switching member  34  that actuates the second switching member  35 . The second switching member  35  displaces the switching link  36  and the driver  37  that actuates the actuation switch  13  of the setting tool  10 , initiating a setting process.  
         [0031]     Though the present invention was shown and described with references to the preferred embodiments, such are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not to be construed as a limitation thereof and various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, not intended that the present invention be limited to the disclosed embodiments or details thereof, and the present invention includes all variations and/or alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.