Abstract:
A hand tool including a hammer tacker and a cutting implement that allows a worker to tack and cut materials using a single tool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a hand tool. More specifically the invention relates to a single hand tool incorporating both a hammer tacker and a cutting implement. The tool allows a worker to tack and cut materials using a single tool.  
         [0002]     Hammer type tackers are well known in the prior art (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,660), and are generally comprised of a tack (staple) delivery head and staple magazine attached to a handle. They are operated with a hammering action which is much less tiring than the squeezing action required by lever-operated staplers. This type of tool is often used in the construction industry, such as for tacking roofing paper to roofs.  
         [0003]     Roofing paper must be trimmed to size after it is tacked. Conventional utility knives are often used for cutting the paper, which is inconvenient because the roofer must constantly switch between the hammer tacker and the knife. When repeated many times a day, day after day, the switching becomes annoying and productivity is reduced. Moreover, there is always the risk of dropping one of the tools while switching and having it roll off of the roof.  
         [0004]     The present invention addresses this need by providing a hammer tacker and cutter in one easy to use hand tool. Other tools have been developed that combine a hammer tacker and a cutter. For example see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,852,840, 5,911,761, and 6,823,592. However the present tool offers advantages over these previously developed tools.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,840 teaches a hammer tacker having a cutting blade extending from the tacking assembly. The cutting blade is not retractable and thus presents a danger, both while the tacker portion is being used, and when the tool is not in use.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,761 teaches a tool that essentially replaces the handle of a hammer tacker with a utility knife. To reload staples into the tool, the staple holder is rotated away from the actuator. This cutter mechanism will not work with a hammer tacker in which the staples are loaded from the rear of the handle.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,592 also teaches a hammer tacker having a cutter extending from the tacking assembly. The cutter is retractable when not in use, however, the user has to take his or her hand off the handle to adjust the cutter blade.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the hammer tacker of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view thereof.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the hammer tacker of the present invention showing the cutter blade retracted and the staple reloading mechanism extended.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the cutter blade housing of the hammer tacker of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the blade in the blade slide.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a view of the inside surfaces of the blade housing plates. 
     
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The invention is a hand tool including a hammer tacker for fastening a material to a roof, for example, and a cutter for cutting that material before or after it is fastened. The hammer tacker portion of the hand tool is similar to prior art tackers in that it includes an actuator that melds at its rear end into a handle and a staple holder pivotally attached to the actuator. In use, the tool is grasped by the handle and swung like a hammer. The inertia of the swing depresses the actuator relative to the staple holder driving home the uncrimped staple. The hammer tacker includes a rubber hand grip that covers the hollow metal handle of the stapler so that it can be securely grasped while being swung by one hand. Staples are loaded into the staple holder by extracting a cartridge at the distal end of the tool, from the distal end of the handle.  
         [0015]     The cutter portion of the hand tool is located on the handle portion of the tool, and the blade is retractable for safety. The cutter portion and blade thereof does not interfere with the functioning of the tacker portion, including loading the staples. To use the cutter, the user simply flips the tool, holding it by the handle but in the opposite direction, uses his or her thumb on the thumb piece actuator to extend the blade, cuts the material, and then uses his or her thumb on the actuator to retract the blade.  
         [0016]     While described specifically for use by a roofer, the tool is useful to any person who works with sheets of material that must be stapled to an underlying structure then trimmed to the shape of the structure and/or cut free from a roll of sheet material.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     The improved hammer tacker with cutter hand tool  10  comprises a tacker portion  12 , a handle  14 , and a cutter portion  16 . The tacker portion  12  can be one of several types known in the art. In the embodiment shown in the figures and described herein, the tacker portion  12  comprises an elongated upper channel member  18 , with an elongated lower channel member  20  inside to the upper channel member  18  and pivotally mounted to the elongated upper channel member  18  at a rearward end thereof.  
         [0018]     Hitting the elongated lower channel member  20  against a surface will drive the lower channel member  20  into the upper channel member  18  and effect dispensing of the staple from the dispensing means through the dispensing means tip  25 .  
         [0019]     The handle  14  is distal to the pivot point  22  and is covered by a rubber hand grip  24 .  
         [0020]     The elongated lower channel member  20  includes a dispensing means (not completely shown) mounted within the elongated lower channel member  20 . Staples are loaded into the tool  10  through the rear of the handle in the same way as staples are loaded into prior art staplers. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,296 to Sheng, for example. Inside the handle and running up the elongated lower channel means  20  is a staple guideway (not shown). A pusher  26  cooperates with the guideway, and is inserted into the guideway so as to push the staples therein to the exit of the guideway. The pusher  26  is provided with a rod  28  enclosed by a spring  30 , an inverted U-shaped block on one end (not shown), and a locking plate  32  on the other end. The locking plate includes a tab  34  which fits into a slot  36  on the end of the handle  14 .  
         [0021]     The cutter portion  16  is incorporated into the rubber hand grip  24 . It includes blade  38  which extends and retracts from the blade housing  40  in response to movement of the actuator  42  within slot  44 . By moving the actuator  42  forwardly and backwardly in the slot  44 , the blade  38  is extended or retracted from the tool  10 . Desirably the cutter portion is on the underside of the tool, as shown in the Figures, but it can be on any side.  
         [0022]     The blade mechanism of the cutter portion can be any of several known in the art, where the blade moves in response to movement of an actuator. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,879,847 and 4,089,112.  
         [0023]     Blade housing  40  is removable from the rubber hand grip  24  so that the blade  38  can be replaced. Rubber hand grip has an indentation (not shown) into which blade housing fits.  FIG. 4  illustrates the blade housing removed from the tool. Blade housing  40  includes two plates  46  and  48  (see  FIG. 6 ) which snap together. The housing plates  46 ,  48  define a guide slot there between (not shown) and each housing plate  46 ,  48  includes guide grooves  50 ,  52  and  54 ,  56 , respectively  
         [0024]     The blade  38  is carried by blade slide  58 , which is displaceably guided in the guide slot (not shown). Blade slide  58  has overturned side edges  60 ,  62  to hold the blade  38  securely. These side edges  60 ,  62  are guided in the guide grooves  50 ,  54  and  52 ,  56 , respectively. Actuator  42  is attached to the blade slide  58  and extends upward through slot  44  in housing plate  48 . The cutter desirably includes a locking mechanism that prevents the blade from extending unless pressure is placed on the actuator  42 .  
         [0025]     Any of various types of blades can be used in the cutter, such as the standard utility blade shown in the Figures, or a hook blade.  
         [0026]     To use the hand tool, the operator grasps the tool by the handle and swings the hammer tacker portion to apply the fastener to the material to be fastened. He or she then flips the tool, holding it by the handle but in the opposite direction, and uses his or her thumb on the thumb piece actuator to extend the blade and cut the material, and then uses his or her thumb on the actuator to retract the blade.  
         [0027]     Modifications and variations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the forgoing detailed description. All modifications and variations are intended to be encompassed by the following claims. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.