Patent Publication Number: US-7721817-B2

Title: Fastener driving device with adjustable shoe

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/681,958, filed May 18, 2005 and entitled “FASTENER DRIVING DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE FEATURES,” the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is generally directed to fastener driving devices. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a fastener driving device that includes an adjustable shoe for flooring applications. 
   DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
   Tongue and groove type flooring is manufactured in different thicknesses. However, most flooring tools have fixed surfaces that define the placement of the fastener in the flooring board. For example, one surface is placed on top of the flooring board, and another surface is position on a front face of the flooring board, just above the tongue of the flooring board to be fastened to the sub-floor. The engine and associated drive track has already been fixed relative to the fixed surfaces of the tool such that the engine will drive the fastener into the board at a predetermined location (e.g. just above the tongue at an angle). This works well if the flooring tool is specifically designed for that thickness of board. However, if a thinner board is to be attached to the sub-floor, either a different tool should be used, or a shim should be attached to the tool, thereby moving the location of the drive track relative to the top surface of the flooring board when the tool is placed on the top surface of the flooring. Similarly, if a thicker board is to be attached to the sub-floor, a different tool should be used, or a shim, if there is one, should be removed from the tool. The use of shims may become cumbersome, because each thickness of flooring board should have its own associated shim. Because shims are physically removed from the tool, they may be misplaced. It is, therefore, desirable to have a single flooring tool that may be more easily adjusted to accommodate different sizes of flooring boards. 
   Conventional flooring tools include a pad that is fastened to the frame of the tool with a plurality of fasteners. The pad includes a plurality of holes through which the fasteners pass through. The holes are designed to allow the heads of the fasteners to be recessed in from the surface of the pad that contacts the flooring board. However, over time, these fasteners may become loose and work their way out of the holes. The user of the tool may not realize this until the heads of the fasteners scratch or mar the flooring board. It is, therefore, desirable to have a flooring tool that is designed so that the flooring boards are protected from such accidental damage. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a fastener driving device that can be used to fasten flooring boards of different thicknesses to a sub-floor. 
   In an embodiment, a fastener driving device for fastening a flooring board to a sub-floor is provided. Each flooring board has a top surface, a tongue, and a front surface connecting the top surface and the tongue. The device includes a housing containing an engine for driving a fastener through the flooring board and into the sub-floor, a magazine for supplying a plurality of fasteners for the engine to drive, a handle for receiving a user&#39;s hand, and a shoe connected to the housing. The shoe is configured to locate the engine relative to the flooring board so that the fastener is driven into the flooring board at an angle. The shoe includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging the top surface of the flooring board, and a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging the front surface of the flooring board. An exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface is adjustable between a minimum exposure and a maximum exposure to accommodate different thicknesses of the flooring boards. 
   In another embodiment, a fastener driving device for fastening flooring boards to a sub-floor is provided. Each flooring board has a top surface, a tongue, and a front surface connecting the top surface and the tongue. The device includes a housing containing an engine for driving a fastener through the flooring board and into the sub-floor, a nosepiece through which fasteners are driven, a magazine for supplying a plurality of fasteners for the engine to drive, a handle for receiving a user&#39;s hand, and a shoe mounted for movement relative to said nosepiece. The shoe is configured to locate the engine relative to the flooring board so that the fastener is driven into the flooring board at an angle. The shoe includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging the top surface of the flooring board, and the nosepiece includes a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging the front surface of the flooring board. The forward workpiece engaging surface extends a distance below the bottom workpiece engaging surface. One of the bottom workpiece engaging surface and the forward workpiece engaging surface is movable with respect to the other to adjust the distance that the forward workpiece engaging surface extends below said bottom workpiece engaging surface. 
   It is also an aspect of the present invention to provide a shoe for a fastener driving device that allows the fastener driving device to be used to fasten flooring boards of different thicknesses to a sub-floor. 
   In an embodiment, a shoe for coupling with a fastener driving device is provided. The shoe is configured to locate an engine of the fastener driving device relative to a flooring board so that a fastener is driven into the flooring board at an angle. The flooring board includes a top surface, a tongue, and a front surface that connects the top surface and the tongue. The shoe includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging the top surface of the flooring board, and a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging the front surface of the flooring board. An exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface is adjustable between a minimum exposure and a maximum exposure to accommodate different thicknesses of the flooring boards. 
   In another embodiment, a shoe for coupling with a fastener driving device is provided. The shoe is configured to locate an engine of the fastener driving device relative to a flooring board so that a fastener is driven into the flooring board at an angle. The flooring board includes a top surface, a tongue, and a front surface that connects the top surface and the tongue. The shoe includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging the top surface of the flooring board, and a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging the front surface of the flooring board. The forward workpiece engaging surface extends a distance below the bottom workpiece engaging surface. One of the bottom workpiece engaging surface and the forward workpiece engaging surface is movable with respect to the other to adjust the distance that the forward workpiece engaging surface extends below the bottom workpiece engaging surface. 
   In an embodiment, an adjustment mechanism includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging a top surface of a flooring board, and a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging a front surface of the flooring board. One of the bottom workpiece engaging surface and the forward workpiece engaging surface is movable with respect to the other to adjust a distance that the forward workpiece engaging surface extends below the bottom workpiece engaging surface. 
   It is also an aspect of the present invention to provide a method for adjusting a fastener driving device for driving fasteners into flooring boards of different thicknesses. 
   In an embodiment a method for adjusting a fastener driving device for driving fasteners into flooring boards of different thicknesses is provided. The fastener driving device includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging a top surface of a flooring board and a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging a front surface of the flooring board. The method includes moving one of the bottom workpiece engaging surface and the forward workpiece engaging surface with respect to the other to adjust a distance that the forward workpiece engaging surface extends below the bottom workpiece engaging surface, and subsequently preventing the bottom workpiece engaging surface from moving relative to the forward workpiece engaging surface. 
   It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a fastener driving device that can be used to fasten flooring boards to a sub-floor without the risk of damaging the flooring boards over time. 
   In an embodiment, a fastener driving device for fastening flooring boards to a sub-floor is provided. Each flooring board has a top surface, a tongue, and a front surface connecting the top surface and the tongue. The device includes a housing containing an engine for driving a fastener through the flooring board and into the sub-floor, a nosepiece through which fasteners are driven, a magazine for supplying a plurality of fasteners for the engine to drive, and a shoe mounted to the housing. The shoe includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface that is configured to engage the top surface of the flooring board and locate the engine relative to the flooring board so that the fastener is driven into the flooring board at an angle. The shoe is mounted to the housing without the use of a fastener passing through the bottom workpiece engaging surface. 
   Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Features of the invention are shown in the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements. The drawings form part of this original disclosure, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of a fastener driving device of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shoe of a fastener driving device of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the shoe of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the shoe of  FIG. 2  as it rests on a flooring board, with a movable portion of the shoe in a first position; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the shoe taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3  as the shoe rests on a flooring board, with the movable portion of the shoe in a second position; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the shoe of  FIG. 2  as it rests on a flooring board, with the movable portion of the shoe in a third position; 
       FIG. 7  is top view of an indexing plate of a lock of the shoe of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the indexing plate of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the indexing plate of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the indexing plate taken along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 11  is side view of an engaging member of the lock of the shoe of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a rear view of the engaging member of  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the engaging member taken along line  13 - 13  in  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the shoe of  FIG. 2 , attached to the fastener driving device, with the movable portion in the third position; 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the shoe of  FIG. 14 , with the movable portion in the first position; 
       FIG. 16  is a side view of another embodiment of a fastener driving device of the present invention with a shoe in a first position; 
       FIG. 17  is a side view of the fastener driving device of the present invention with the shoe in a second position; 
       FIG. 18  is a closer view of Detail ‘A’ in  FIG. 16 ; 
       FIG. 19  is a closer view of Detail ‘B’ in  FIG. 17 ; and 
       FIG. 20  is a rear perspective view of the shoe of  FIG. 19 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A fastener driving device  10  for fastening a flooring board  2  to a sub-floor  4  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The device  10  includes a housing  11 , a shoe  12  connected to the housing  11 , an engine  14  contained within the housing  11 , a nose connected to the housing  11  through which fasteners are driven, a magazine  16  that is connected to the nose, and a handle  18  that is connected to the shoe  12  at one end thereof. The device  10  may also be referred to as a tool, a nailer, a flooring tool, or a flooring nailer. The shoe  12  will be discussed in further detail below, but is generally configured to rest on a top surface  6  of at least one flooring board  2  so that a fastener  1  may be driven through the flooring board  2  by the engine  14  at an angle α, and into a sub-floor  4 , as shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
   The engine  14  may be of any type of engine  14  that is used in flooring nailers. For example, the engine  14  may be of a manually actuated type that converts energy provided by the user into energy that drives the fastener. Such engines  14  are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,046, which is incorporated herein by reference. The engine  14  may also be of a pneumatic type that uses compressed gas, such as air, to power the engine  14  to drive the fastener upon actuation of an actuator  15 , such as the actuator shown in  FIG. 1 . An example of a pneumatic engine for a flooring tool is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,273, which is incorporated herein by reference. Because the specific internal design of the engine  14  is not related to the features of the present invention, the internal design of the engine  14  is not discussed further. 
   The magazine  16  may include a spring biased pusher that is configured to supply a plurality of fasteners to the nose so that the engine  14  may drive the fasteners, one by one, into the flooring board  2 . The fasteners may be staples, cleats, wire nails, or any other type of fastener that may be used to secure the flooring board  2  to the sub-floor  4 . 
   The handle  18  includes a grip  20  at an end that is opposite the end that is connected to the shoe  12 . The grip  20  is configured to be grasped by a user&#39;s hand. The grip  20  may be of any shape, but is preferably shaped so that it is relatively easy for a person to firmly grasp and hold the device  10 . The grip  20  may be molded from plastic or rubber and may be attached to the handle  18  with fasteners, such as screws. Alternatively, the grip  20  may be press fit or even insert molded onto a portion of the handle. It is also contemplated that the grip  20  may be an integral part of the handle  18 . The illustrated embodiments should not be considered to be limiting in any way. 
     FIGS. 2-15  illustrate an embodiment of a shoe  60  that may be included in the device  10  discussed above. The shoe  60  may be the same as the shoe  12  shown in  FIG. 1 , or it may be of a different design. As shown in  FIGS. 2-6 ,  14 , and  15 , the shoe  60  includes an adjustment mechanism that includes a fixed portion  62  and a movable portion  64 . As illustrated, the movable portion  64  includes a wedge shaped body  66 , as will be discussed in greater detail below, that includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface  68 . The bottom workpiece engaging surface  68  is configured to rest on the top surface  6  of the flooring board  2  when the device  10  is being used. The movable portion  64  may be molded from a plastic material, such a nylon, so that it does not damage the top surface  6  of the flooring boards  2  when the device  10  is used. Of course, any material may be used, so long as it does not damage the top surface  6  of the flooring board  2 . 
   The fixed portion  62  includes a forward workpiece engaging surface  70  that is configured to engage a front surface  8  of the flooring board  2 . The forward workpiece engaging surface  70  is preferably substantially perpendicular to the bottom workpiece engaging surface  68 . As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , the front surface  8  of the flooring board  2  is the surface that connects a tongue  9  of the flooring board  2  with the top surface  6 . The size of the front surface  8 , i.e., the vertical distance between the tongue  9  and the top surface  6 , varies with the size of the flooring board  2 . For example, the front surface  8  will be smaller on a ½ inch (nominal thickness) flooring board as compared to the front surface  8  on a 33/32 inch (nominal thickness) flooring board. 
   Thus, to accommodate different sizes of flooring boards  2  with the same device  10 , and to properly locate fasteners  1  being driven from the engine  14  into the flooring boards  2  of different sizes at the proper angle α, the movable portion  64  of the shoe  60  is movable so that exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface  70  may be adjusted between a minimum exposure and a maximum exposure. The exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface  70  is generally defined as the height of the exposed forward workpiece engaging surface  70  that is below the bottom workpiece engaging surface  68 , and is available to engage the front surface  8  of the flooring board  2 . It is understood the “below” the bottom workpiece engaging surface  68  does not necessarily mean directly below, but generally means that the forward workpiece engaging surface  70  is below a plane that includes the bottom workpiece engaging surface  68 , as shown in the figures. 
   For example, the flooring board  2  shown in  FIG. 4  may have a nominal thickness of about ¾ inch, while the flooring board  2  shown in  FIG. 6  may have a nominal thickness of about ½ inch, and the flooring board  2  shown in  FIG. 5  may have a thickness in between ½ inch and ¾ inch. However, even though the size of the front surface  8  of these three different sized flooring boards  2  varies, as indicated by A, B, and C in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6 , respectively, the location of the fastener  1  relative to the tongue  9  does not vary due to the adjustability of the shoe  60 , and change in the exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface. A, B, and C also corresponds with the exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface  70 , as it is described above. For example, A may be about 0.45 inch, or greater, C may be about 0.20 inch, and B may be between about 0.20 inch and 0.45 inch. The illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting in any way. For example, A may be about 0.60 inch, or even greater, and C may be about 0.10 inch, or even smaller, depending on the thickness of the board. 
   In another embodiment (not shown), the forward workpiece engaging surface is carried by a moveable portion of the shoe, and the bottom workpiece engaging surface is located on a fixed portion of the shoe. Any structural arrangement is contemplated, as long as the exposure of the forward workpiece engaging surface is adjustable between the minimum exposure and the maximum exposure. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the shoe  60  also includes a lock  72  that locks the movable portion  64  into a pre-selected position, such as one of the positions shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . The lock  72  includes an indexing plate  74  that may be attached to the fixed portion  62  of the shoe with a plurality of fasteners  76 . As shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  8 , and  10 , the plate  74  includes a plurality of teeth  78  that provide the indexed positions. Details of the indexing plate  74  are shown in  FIGS. 7-10 . 
   The lock  72  further includes a protrusion  80  that extends from a top side of the wedge shaped body  66 , as shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . The protrusion  80  is configured to receive an engaging member  82  that may be received by a user&#39;s thumb or finger to press the engaging member  82  inward and into the protrusion  80  against a bias of a biasing member, such as a spring. Details of the engaging member  82  are shown in  FIGS. 11-13 . As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 13 , the engaging member  82  includes a plurality of teeth  84  that are constructed and arranged to engage with the plurality of teeth  78  on the indexing plate  74  when the engaging member  82  is biased by the biasing member. This way, the movable portion  64  may be fixedly secured to the fixed portion  62  when the fastener driving device  10  is in use. 
   To adjust the height of the surface  70  of the fixed portion  62  for thicker or thinner flooring boards  2 , the user simply pushes the engaging member  82  against the bias of the biasing member until the teeth  84  of the engaging member  82  disengage from the teeth  78  on the indexing plate  74 , thereby allowing the wedge shaped body  66  to be moved along a plane PL, shown in  FIG. 6 . The indexing plate  74  and/or the fixed portion  62  may also include a gauge that indicates to the user what setting should be used for a flooring board  2  of a particular thickness. When the wedge shaped body  66  is located at the desired location, the user simply releases the engaging member  82  until the teeth  84  on the engaging member  82  re-engage with the teeth  78  on the indexing plate  74 , thereby fixedly securing the movable portion  64  once again. The illustrated embodiment of the lock  72  is not intended to be limiting in any way. 
     FIGS. 16-20  illustrate another embodiment of a fastener driving device  210  according to the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the device  210  includes a housing, or frame,  211 , a shoe  212  connected to the housing  211 , an engine  214  contained within the housing  211 , a nosepiece  215  connected to the housing  211  through which fasteners are driven, a magazine  216  that is connected to the housing  211 , and a handle  218  that is connected to the housing  211  at one end thereof. Like the device  10  described above, the device  210  may also be referred to as a tool, a nailer, a flooring tool, or a flooring nailer. The shoe  212  will be discussed in further detail below, but, like the shoes  12 ,  60  described above, is generally configured to rest on a top surface  6  of at least one flooring board  2  so that a fastener may be driven through the flooring board  2  by the engine  214  at an angle α, and into a sub-floor  4 , as shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
   The engine  214  may be of any type of engine  214  that is used in flooring nailers. For example, like the engine  14  described above, the engine  214  may be of a manually actuated type that converts energy provided by the user into energy that drives the fastener. The engine  214  may also be of a pneumatic type that uses compressed gas, such as air, to power the engine  214  to drive the fastener upon actuation of an actuator  215 , such as the actuator shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . Because the specific internal design of the engine  214  is not related to the features of the present invention, the internal design of the engine  214  is not discussed further. 
   The nosepiece  215  defines a drive track therein. The fasteners are driven out of the drive track by a driver that is associated with the engine  214 . As shown, the nosepiece  215  is attached to the housing  211  with at least one fastener  217 . It is also contemplated that the nosepiece  215  may be integrally formed with the housing  211 . The illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting in any way. 
   The magazine  216  may include a spring biased pusher that is configured to supply a plurality of fasteners to the nosepiece  215  so that the engine  214  may drive the fasteners, one by one, into the flooring board  2 . As discussed above, the fasteners may be staples, cleats, wire nails, or any other type of fastener that may be used to secure the flooring board  2  to the sub-floor  4 . 
   The handle  218  includes a grip  220  at an end that is opposite the end that is received by the housing  211 . The grip  220  is configured to be grasped by a user&#39;s hand. The grip  220  may be of any shape, but is preferably shaped so that it is relatively easy for a person to firmly grasp and hold the device  210 . The grip  220  may be molded from plastic or rubber and may be attached to the handle  218  with fasteners, such as screws. Alternatively, the grip  220  may be press fit or even insert molded onto a portion of the handle. It is also contemplated that the grip  220  may be an integral part of the handle  218 . The illustrated embodiments should not be considered to be limiting in any way. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , the shoe  212  is configured to be moveable relative to the housing  211  so as to provide an adjustment mechanism for the device  210 , as will be discussed in further detail below. The shoe  212  includes a wedge shaped body  266 , as will be discussed in greater detail below, that includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface  268 . The bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  is configured to rest on the top surface  6  of the flooring board  2  when the device  210  is being used. The wedge shaped body  266  may be molded from a plastic material, such a nylon, so that it does not damage the top surface  6  of the flooring boards  2  when the device  210  is used. Of course, any material may be used, so long as it does not damage the top surface  6  of the flooring board  2 . 
   The nosepiece  215  includes a forward workpiece engaging surface  270  that is configured to engage a front surface  8  of the flooring board  2 . As shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , the front surface  8  of the flooring board  2  is the surface that connects a tongue  9  of the flooring board  2  with the top surface  6 . As discussed above, the size of the front surface  8 , i.e., the vertical distance between the tongue  9  and the top surface  6 , varies with the size of the flooring board  2 . 
   Thus, to accommodate different sizes of flooring boards  2  with the same device  210 , and to properly locate fasteners into the flooring boards  2  of different sizes at the proper angle, the shoe  212 , more specifically the wedge shaped body  266 , is movable so that a distance that the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  extends below the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  of the shoe  212  may be adjusted between a minimum distance and a maximum distance. It is understood the “below” the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  does not necessarily mean directly below, but generally means that the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  is below a plane that includes the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268 , as shown in the figures. In an embodiment, the flooring board  2  shown in  FIG. 18  may have a nominal thickness of about ½ inch, while the flooring board  2  shown in  FIG. 19  may have a nominal thickness of about 25/32 inch. However, even though the size of the front surface  8  of these different sized flooring boards  2  varies, the location of the fastener relative to the tongue  9  does not vary due to the adjustability of the shoe  212 . 
   For example, when a thinner flooring board  2   a  is being fastened to the sub-floor  4 , as shown in  FIG. 18 , the distance E that the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  of the nosepiece  215  extends below the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  of the shoe  212  may be about 0.10 inch. When a thicker flooring board  2   b  is being fastened to the sub-floor  4 , as shown in  FIG. 19 , the distance F that the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  of the nosepiece  215  extends below the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  of the shoe  212  may be about 0.25 inch. These values should be considered to represent examples of the distance between the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  and the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268 , and are not intended to be limiting in any way. For example, it is contemplated that the distance F may be about 0.60 inch or even greater, depending on the thickness of the board. 
   The device  210  also includes a lock  272  that locks the shoe  212  into a pre-selected position, such as one of the positions shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . The lock  272  may be substantially the same as the embodiment of the lock  72  described above. For example, as shown in  FIG. 20 , the lock  272  includes an indexing plate  274  that may be attached to the housing  211  with a plurality of fasteners  276 . The plate  274  may be substantially the same as the plate  74 , the details of which are shown in  FIGS. 7-10 , and described above. 
   The lock  272  further includes a protrusion  280  that extends from a top side of the wedge shaped body  266 , as shown in  FIG. 18-20 . The protrusion  280  is configured to receive an engaging member  282  that may be received by a user&#39;s thumb or finger to press the engaging member  282  inward and into the protrusion  280  against a bias of a biasing member, such as a spring. The engaging member  282  may be substantially the same as the engaging member  82 , the details of which are in  FIGS. 11-13 . The engaging member  282  includes a plurality of teeth that are constructed and arranged to engage with a plurality of teeth on the indexing plate  274  when the engaging member  282  is biased by the biasing member. 
   To adjust the distance between the forward workpiece engaging surface  272  located on the nosepiece  215  and the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  on the shoe  212 , for thicker or thinner flooring boards  2 , the user simply pushes the engaging member  282  against the bias of the biasing member until the teeth of the engaging member  282  disengage from the teeth on the indexing plate  274 , thereby allowing the wedge shaped body  266  to be moved along a plane PL, shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . When the wedge shaped body  266  is located at the desired location, the user simply releases the engaging member  282  until the teeth on the engaging member  282  re-engage with the teeth on the indexing plate  274 , thereby fixedly securing the shoe  212  once again. The illustrated embodiment of the lock  272  is not intended to be limiting in any way. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , the shoe  212  may include a plurality of indicia  230  that are spaced apart so in a gauge-like arrangement, and a single indicator  232  may be provided on the housing  211  so that the user may have an easy way to set the position of the shoe  212  from job to job. The indicia  230  are preferably spaced apart at the same distance, or a multiple thereof, as the distance between the plurality of teeth on the indexing plate  274 . This allows the user to have tactile and/or visual feedback when adjusting the position of the shoe  212  relative to the housing  211 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , an angle β is defined by the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  of the shoe  212  and the plane PL along which the shoe  212  translates when it is moved between positions. Preferably, the angle β is less than 45°. More preferably, the angle β is between about 10° and about 30°. Most preferably, the angle β is about 15°. By providing an acute angle that is less than 45°, the movement of the shoe  212  along the plane PL by a single unit will translate into the change of the distance between the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  and the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  by a value that is less than the single unit. The smaller the angle β, the smaller the change in the distance between the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  and the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  when the shoe  212  is moved along the plane PL. This allows for more precise movement of the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  relative to the forward workpiece engaging surface  270  without having to have such precise movement of the shoe  212  along the plane PL. 
   It has been found that by connecting the shoe  212  to the housing  211  from a location that is above and away from the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268 , there is essentially no risk of damaging the flooring over time. This is because embodiments of the present invention allow the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  of the shoe  212  to be connected to the housing  211  via the lock  272 , without the use of fasteners that pass through the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268 . The bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  is preferably substantially continuous. Although the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  may not be completely continuous (e.g., indentations and/or small holes may be present as a result of the manufacturing procees), no fasteners pass through the surface  268 . As such, there is no risk of such fasteners extending past the bottom workpiece engaging surface  268  over time and potentially damaging the flooring. 
   All of the various features and mechanisms described with respect to the specific embodiments may be interchanged with the various embodiments described, or may be used with other variations or embodiments. 
   The foregoing illustrated embodiments have been provided solely for illustrating the structural and functional principles of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present invention is intended to encompass all modifications, alterations, substitutions, and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the following claims.