Patent Publication Number: US-6910611-B2

Title: Apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a nailer, and more particularly to an apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of a nailer for providing well-matched drive channels for vary sized nails. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTS 
   The width of drive channel of a conventional nailer is normally fixed, although the channel assembly is applicable to different sized band of nails with an assistance of a pushing device, however, the smaller nails are difficult to be fixed rigidly. With reference to  FIG. 1 , a conventional channel assembly  10  is interiorly defined with a track  11  for passage of nails  12 . The track  11  is able to accommodate different sized nails  12  by cooperating with a pushing device, however, due to the width of the track  11  is unadjustable, inevitably, the width of the track should be large enough to receive the largest nails  12 . In this case, when smaller nail  12  is loaded in the relative large sized track  11 , the base body of the small nail  12  is likely to sway during the nail-positioning and pushing course, meanwhile, other problems are possibly caused in operation (such as unstable operation of nails pushing, broken and jam of nails, and the noises arisen in the nailing operation). 
   The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional drive channel assembly of a nailer. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of a nailer so as to provide a best-matched drive channel for different sized nails. At a side of a track of the channel assembly is slidably provided a push plate which is adjustable to position different sized nails, and the width of the track can be increased when a plural blocks of the push plate engage a plurality of recesses in the channel assembly, vice versa, the width of the track can be reduced when the plural blocks of the push plate abut against the internal surface of the channel assembly. 
   The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which shows, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a conventional channel assembly of a nailer; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of an apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer in accordance with the present invention, which being adjusted in a position for accommodating small nails; 
       FIG. 4  is another cross sectional view of the apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer in accordance with the present invention, which being adjusted in a position for accommodating big nails; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken from another of the apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer in accordance with the present invention, which being adjusted in a position for accommodating small nails; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view taken from another of the apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of nailer in accordance with the present invention, which being adjusted in a position for accommodating big nails. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring first to  FIGS. 2–7 , an apparatus for adjusting width of drive channel of a power nailer in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a channel assembly  20 , a push plate  30 , an adjusting bolt  40 , a washer  50  and a spring  60 , and then is assembled on a power nailer  70 . 
   The channel assembly  20  is fixed on the power nailer  70  and interiorly defined with a track  21  for accommodation of a band of nails  71 . On the surface of the channel assembly  20  is provided a long-strip slot  22  which corresponds to the track  21 , in the channel assembly  20  are defined a plurality of square-shaped open recesses  23 . Above the long-strip slot  22  thereof is defined a groove  24  which is provided at both sides with a first hole  241  and a second hole  242 . The first hole  241  and the second hole  242  are connected by a necking groove  243 . 
   The push plate  30  is slidably disposed in the long-strip slot  22  of the channel assembly  20 , at a side of the push plate  30  is formed a push surface  31  facing toward the track  21  for pushing the band of nails  71 . At another side of the push plate  30  is further provided a plurality of square blocks  32  square-shaped open recesses  23  of the channel assembly  20  with a plurality of square blocks  32  which can be received in the corresponding square-shaped open recesses  23  respectively. Still on the push plate  30  where corresponding to the groove  24  of the long-strip slot  22  is further provided with a locking seat  33  having a threaded hole  331  located corresponding to the groove  24 . 
   The adjusting bolt  40  comprises a rod portion  41  and a push head  42 , at the front end of the rod portion  41  is provided with plural threads  411 . The diameter of the rod portion  41  is designed in response to that of the necking groove  243  of the groove  24  of the channel assembly  20 . The rod portion  41  is screwed in the threaded hole  331  of the locking seat  33  of the push plate  30  by virtue of the threads  411  after passing through the groove  24 . Moreover, on the rod portion  41  adjacent to the threads  411  a flange  412  is defined having an external diameter corresponding to the first and second hole  241  and  242  of the groove  24 . A peripheral chamfer  413  is defined at the periphery of the flange  412 . 
   The washer  50  is mounted to the rod portion  41  of the adjusting bolt  40  and located between the push head  42  of the adjusting bolt  40  and the external surface of the channel assembly  20 . The washer  50  is provided at the center thereof with a through hole  51  for passage of the rod portion  41  and at periphery of the through hole  51  thereof a peripheral chamfer  52  is formed which corresponds to the flange  412  of the rod portion  41 . 
   The spring  60  is mounted to the rod portion  41  of the adjusting bolt  40  and biased between the push head  42  of the adjusting bolt  40  and the washer  50 . 
   Referring specially to  FIG. 3 , when a band of small nails  71  are applied, the track  21  of the channel assembly  20  serves for receiving the nails  71 . The push plate  30  in the long-strip slot  22  will take advantage of the plural blocks  32  to abut against the internal surface of the long-strip slot  22 . At this moment, the flange  412  on the rod portion  41  of the adjusting bolt  40  will be positioned in the first hole  241  of the groove  24 . Furthermore, the spring  60  will cooperate with the adjusting bolt  40  to enable the push surface  31  of the push plate  30  to position the band of small nails  71  and adjust the width of the track  21  to a moderate extent. 
   Referring further to  FIG. 4 , when a band of bigger nails  71  are being used, the user can take the band of small nails  71  out first, then push the push head  42  of the adjusting bolt  40  such that the rod portion  41  of the adjusting bolt  40  will push the push plate  30  to the original position of the small nails, as a result, the blocks  32  of the push plate  30  don&#39;t abut against the internal surface of the long-strip slot  22  any more and the flange  42  of the rod portion  41  is disengaged from the first hole  241  of the groove  24 . At this moment, the minor diameter of the rod portion  41  is exactly the same as that the groove  24 , thereby the user may slightly push the adjusting bolt  40  upward so as to make the rod portion  41  enter the necking groove  243  of the groove  24 , and the push plate  30  will move synchronously along with the adjusting bolt  40  (the blocks  32  of the push plate  30  will gradually approach the corresponding recesses  23  of the channel assembly  20 ). 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , by the time the user pushes the rod portion  41  into the second hole  242  of the groove  24 , the blocks  32  of the push plate  30  are aligned to the recesses  23  of the channel assembly  20 . After the user released his fingers from the adjusting bolt  40 , the spring  60  will push the push head  42  of the adjusting bolt  40  outward, and with the cooperation of the peripheral chamfer  413  on the flange  412  of the adjusting bolt  40  and the peripheral chamfer  52  around the through hole  51  of the washer  50 , the flange  412  of the adjusting bolt  40  is allowed to enter the second hole  242  of the groove  24 . At the same time, the blocks  32  on the push plate  30  are received in the corresponding recesses  23  of the channel assembly  20  respectively. Since the surface of each block  32  is higher than that of the locking seat  33 , the push plate  30  in the long-strip slot  22  will be closer to the internal surface of the long strip slot  22  than previous, while the spring  60  will readjust itself to position the adjusting bolt  40 , and accordingly the push surface  31  of the push plate  30  leaves more spaces to the track  21 . Thereby the track  21  will be larger than before whereby to receive and position band of larger-sized nails  71 . 
   While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.