Abstract:
An improvement in the form of an attachment for staple guns including alignment pins aligned with a staple delivery position and located sufficiently close to the staple delivery position to enable staple delivery within a mounting aperture in a frame of a vinyl window or other vinyl construction finishing product. The alignment pins may be secured to the attachment or formed integrally with the attachment or be part of a separate clip securable to the attachment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of fastener installers, more particularly, to an improvement for staple guns for installing vinyl millwork such as windows and doors. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pneumatic staple gun useful in the practice of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a prior art depth stop assembly for the staple gun of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the footprint of the prior art assembly of FIG. 2 shown in connection with a portion of a vinyl window frame, illustrating shortcomings of the prior art. 
     FIG. 4 is a first embodiment of the present invention in the form of an attachment for the staple gun of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a footprint of the attachment of FIG. 4, illustrating the operation of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a second embodiment of the present invention, shown with a staple in a staple delivery position adjacent the attachment of this embodiment. 
     FIG. 7 is a view of the prior art attachment of FIG. 2, except with parts removed. 
     FIG. 8 is a third embodiment of the present invention utilizing the attachment of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a fourth embodiment of the present invention utilizing the attachment of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the Figures, and most particularly, to FIG. 1, a prior art pneumatic stapler  10 , available from the Spotnails Division of Peace Industries, Ltd. may be seen. Stapler  10  is also referred to as a striker tool. Stapler  10  has a main body  12 , and a trigger  14  for delivering staples upon demand via a staple delivery mechanism  16  to a staple delivery position  18  located at the end of the mechanism  16 . Staples  20  are carried by a magazine  22 . It is to be understood that, although shown in connection with a specific pneumatic stapler, the present invention is suitable for use with other powered staplers, such as electric or pneumatic staplers manufactured by others. 
     Referring now also to FIG. 2, a prior art adjustable depth stop assembly  24  may be seen. Assembly  24  has a generally U-shaped anvil member  26  welded to a support arm  28  and a threaded rod subassembly  30  having a flat  32  for attachment to stapler  10 . Subassembly  30  may be adjusted using a thumbwheel  34  to set the depth to which a staple will be driven by stapler  10 . The assembly  24  also carries a pair of threaded rods  36  each of which may be adjusted and locked to the anvil by a nut  38  and washer  40 , it being understood that anvil  26  has a pair of threaded through holes  42  to receive rods  36 . 
     Referring now also to FIG. 3, the limitations of the prior art depth stop assembly  24  are illustrated. FIG. 3 shows the footprint of the prior art anvil assembly with one threaded rod  36  engaged in an oval shaped aperture  44  in a nailing flange  46  of a vinyl millwork item such as a vinyl window or door (not shown). As may clearly be seen in FIG. 3, even when the rod  36  is located at one end  48  of the aperture  44 , a staple  50  is delivered into and through the body of the flange  46 , and not able to be delivered through the aperture  44 . This is undesirable in that the staple  50  restrains movement of the flange  46  when the staple perforates the body of the flange  46 . The desirable result of locating one prong of the staple within the aperture  44  is not able to be achieved by the prior art assembly  24 . It is most desirable to secure the nailing flange to the substrate to which it is attached by straddling the web  52  formed between the aperture  44  and the edge  45  of the flange  46  with the staple  50  so that the vinyl millwork item can “move” slightly as a result of the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the vinyl material of the flange and the substrate to which it is attached. The threaded rods  36  are undesirable for installing vinyl millwork items because the threaded distal ends of the rods are prone to catch on the edge of the aperture  44  as the tool is inserted and withdrawn from the aperture  44 , resulting in a nuisance and possible damage to the vinyl millwork item. It is to be understood that as used herein, “vinyl millwork item” includes windows, doors, siding or shutters or parts therefor made of vinyl or a similar polymer or other material having a substantial difference in its coefficient of thermal expansion with respect to the substrate to which it is attached. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, various aspects of the present invention may be seen. An improved alignment attachment  54  has a pair of alignment pins  56  secured to the attachment  54  and spaced apart a distance sufficient to straddle web  52 . However, the attachment  54  differs from assembly  24  in that the pins  56  are proximate the staple delivery position, being spaced from the staple delivery position by a distance less than the longitudinal dimension of the aperture  44  so that the staple will be received in the aperture  44  when one pin is located at the end  48  of the aperture  44 . Also, alignment pins  56  differ from the rods  36  in that the protruding portion of each pin  56  is smooth and tapered, preferably ending in a point. The taper may be a pyramidal shape  60  (as shown in FIG. 4) or a conical shape  62  (as shown in FIG. 6) or it may be another shape  64  (as shown, for example, in FIG.  8 ). In all embodiments, the pins  56  are located proximate the staple delivery position  18  to deliver a staple  50  having one prong  66  in the aperture  44  and one prong  68  of the staple  50  located exteriorly of the flange  46  when one pin  56  is positioned at the end  48  of the aperture  44 . In the practice of the present invention, the alignment pins  56  are to be spaced from the staple delivery position  18  by a distance  70  that is less than a long dimension  72  of the aperture  44  in flange  46 . 
     Pins  56  may be secured to foot  74  by any convention means including threading the pin into a threaded hole and then staking pin against further rotation, by press-fitting a smooth surfaced pin into a smooth bored hole in an interference fit or by forming the pin as an integral part out of the same material as that of foot, by forging, die casting or machining, as desired. 
     In FIG. 6, a staple is shown in space at the staple delivery position  18  adjacent the foot  74  of attachment  54  to illustrate the proximate relationship of the pins  56  to the prongs  66 ,  68  of staple  50 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention wherein a step  76  is formed in foot  74 , and a separate clip  78  carrying alignment pins or points  80  is attached to foot  74  using machine screws  82  and washers  84 . It is to be understood that the holes  42  in foot  74  are threaded to receive screws  82 , and the holes  86  in clip  78  are large enough to provide clearance for screws  82 . When clip  78  is secured to foot  74 , step  76  provides that the clip  78  is recessed up into the foot  74  by a distance equal to the thickness of the lower flange  88  of clip  78 . In this embodiment, the alignment pins  80  are formed integrally with the clip  78 . 
     Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, pins  90  may be permanently inserted in a clip  92 , and as a separate alternative, the foot  74  need not have step  76  formed therein for those applications where the additional thickness of clip  90  below foot  74  is not a hindrance. 
     This invention is not to be taken as limited to all of the details thereof as modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.