Patent Abstract:
An automated power actuated gun having a fastener feeding track with guides for holding a fastener assembly having a plate and attached stud in a firing position. The power actuated gun is attached to the fastener feeding track so as to permit relative movement there between. A fastener loading control prevents movement of an adjacent fastener assembly held within the fastener feeding track from moving until the barrel of the power actuated gun is clear. The relative movement between the fastener feeding track and the power actuated gun is utilized to activate a control mechanism to perform various functions on the power actuated gun, such as to advance a charge or to push a trigger firing the power actuated gun. The functioning of the power actuated gun is automated, greatly increasing productivity of a worker and eliminating the need of the worker to tediously load by hand and fire individual fastener assemblies.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Application No. 60/046,826 filed Apr. 24, 1997.  
         [0002]     This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.: 09/729,789, filed Dec. 4, 2000, which is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/403,109, filed Oct. 14, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,316, which is the national stage of an International Application No. PCT/US98/08060 having an international filing date of Apr. 15, 1998. U.S. application Ser. No. 09/403,109, filed Oct. 14, 1999, also having been divided, resulting in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/875,488, filed Nov. 19, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,611. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates generally to power actuated fasteners used in construction, and particularly to an automated power actuated fastener tool with track feeding.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Power actuated guns are frequently used in construction. The power actuated guns are used to fasten building materials to a hard surface. Power actuated guns generally use a powder charge or a cartridge to drive a nail or a stud with great force into a hard surface, such as cement. Fasteners are often used that are comprised of a shaped plate with a nail or stud placed there through. Often, an angled plate having a hole therein is used so that a wire or other device can be fastened thereto. An example of a fastener which is used with a power actuated gun is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,923 entitled “Fastener Assembly” issuing to Losada on Apr. 12, 1988, which is herein incorporated by reference. Power actuated fastener guns have been used in combination with the fastener assemblies. The stud or nail of the fastener assembly is placed within the barrel of the power actuated gun and placed adjacent a hard surface. The power actuated gun is then fired driving the stud or nail into the hard surface. Often, the fasteners will be used in ceiling applications with the power actuated gun being placed on a pole, the fastener assembly being inserted within the bore of the power actuated gun and the whole device raised to the ceiling with the pole. When pressure is applied to the pole, the power actuated gun fires, driving the nail or stud into the hard surface. The power actuated gun is then lowered for insertion of another fastener assembly. Often, it is also necessary to cock the gun or to advance the powder charge to render the gun operable for another firing. While this operation is satisfactory for many applications, it also requires a great deal of time to manually load each fastener assembly prior to firing the power actuated gun. Therefore, there is a need to improve and make more productive the use of power actuated guns and fastener assemblies so as to increase their efficiency and make each worker more productive. Increases in productivity are essential in the construction field where ever escalating labor costs make it essential that each worker as productive as possible. Therefore, there is a continuing need to increase the productivity of each worker and to automate the construction process as much as possible. One system that has greatly advanced the power actuated gun art is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/403,109 filed Oct. 14, 1999 and entitled “Fastener Feeding System For Power Actuated Gun” invented by Losada, which is herein incorporated by reference. While this device has dramatically improved the productivity of workers, there is a need for yet further improvement.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In one embodiment of the present invention, a feeding system for use with a power actuated gun comprises a track to hold a plurality of fastener assemblies having guides for positioning a fastener assembly over a surface and to be received by the barrel of a power actuated gun. Once in position and held by the guides, the power actuated gun is moved relative to the feeding system, causing the guide to release the fastener assembly and the fastener assembly to be driven into a surface upon the firing of the power actuated gun.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment of the present invention, a fastener loading control is used to prevent a fastener assembly adjacent the fastener assembly in position for firing from advancing prematurely.  
         [0007]     In another embodiment of the present invention, the relative movement between the power actuated gun and an attachment is used to control various operations of the power actuated gun. In one embodiment, the relative movement is used to advance the charge on a strip, making the power actuated gun ready for another firing. In another embodiment, the relative movement is used to activate a trigger so as to fire the power actuated gun when the fastener assembly is in position.  
         [0008]     In another embodiment, a stop is used to prevent the power actuated gun from firing when a fastener is not in position.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to make laborers or workers more productive and thereby reduce construction costs.  
         [0010]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power actuated fastening system that has a smooth operation and is easy to use.  
         [0011]     It is a further object of the present invention to use the relative movement between a power actuated gun and an attachment to automate various functions.  
         [0012]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a power actuated fastener system that is safe to use.  
         [0013]     It is an advantage of the present invention that it saves time.  
         [0014]     It is a further advantage of the present invention that the relative movement between the power actuated gun and an attachment is used to automate many different functions.  
         [0015]     It is another advantage of the present invention that the power actuated gun cannot be fired unless a fastener assembly is in the proper firing position.  
         [0016]     It is a feature of the present invention that a track holds a plurality of fastener assemblies.  
         [0017]     It is a further feature of the present invention that a fastener loading control prevents the advancement of a fastener assembly within the track until the adjacent fastener assembly is cleared.  
         [0018]     It is another feature of the present invention that a rod and spring provides relative movement between the power actuated gun and an attachment.  
         [0019]     It is yet another feature of the present invention that a stop is used to prevent the firing of the power actuated gun without a fastener assembly being in the proper firing position.  
         [0020]     These and other objects, advantages, and features will become readily apparent in view of the following more detailed description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3A  is a partial cross section of an embodiment of a fastener loading control in a first position.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3B  is a partial cross section of an embodiment of a fastener loading control in a second position.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3C  is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 4A  is a partial cross section of another embodiment of a fastener loading control.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4B  is a partial perspective view of the fastener loading control embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4A .  
         [0028]      FIG. 5A  is a partial cross section of another embodiment of a fastener loading control.  
         [0029]      FIG. 5B  is a partial perspective view of the fastener loading control embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5A .  
         [0030]      FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 6B  is a cross section taken along line  6 B- 6 B in  FIG. 6A .  
         [0032]      FIG. 7A  is a partial cross section of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating the operation of a firing safety device in a first position.  
         [0033]      FIG. 7B  is a cross section of a portion of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the firing safety device illustrated in  FIG. 7A  in a second position.  
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a partial elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating a charge advancing control mechanism.  
         [0035]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of a portion of the present invention illustrating the charge advancing control /mechanism illustrated in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 10A  schematically illustrates an embodiment of the present invention and the charge advancing control mechanism in a first position.  FIG. 10B  schematically illustrates the operation of the embodiment of the present invention and the charge advancing control mechanism in a second position.  
         [0037]      FIG. 10C  schematically illustrates the operation of the embodiment of the present invention and the charge advancing control mechanism in a third position.  
         [0038]      FIG. 11A  more clearly illustrates the operation of the charge advancing control mechanism in another first position.  
         [0039]      FIG. 11B  more clearly illustrates the operation of the charge advancing control mechanism in another second position.  
         [0040]      FIG. 11C  more clearly illustrates the operation of the charge advancing control mechanism in another third position.  
         [0041]      FIG. 11D  more clearly illustrates the operation of the charge advancing control mechanism in another fourth position.  
         [0042]      FIG. 12A  schematically illustrates the operation of a trigger control mechanism in a first non-firing position.  
         [0043]      FIG. 12B  schematically illustrates the operation of the trigger control mechanism in a second firing position.  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  schematically illustrates an embodiment of the present invention having a curved fastener feeding track.  
         [0045]      FIG. 14  schematically illustrates in an exploded view another means for moving the gun relative to an attachment or track. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0046]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention. A power actuated gun or tool  10  is illustrated. The power actuated gun  10  may be based on any commercially available power actuated gun. Generally, there are several different types of operation of power actuated guns. For example, some power actuated guns may have to be cocked, some may fire when pressure is applied to the rear of the gun, some may require the pulling of a trigger to fire the gun, and some may require the charge to be manually advanced. The present invention may be adapted to any of a variety of these commercially available power actuated guns. Additionally, many power actuated guns may be modified in accordance with the teachings of the present invention in order to improve the power actuated gun. A fastener feeding track  12  is attached to the body of the power actuated gun  10  so as to be positioned over a barrel  11 . The fastener feeding track  12  contains a plurality of fastener assemblies comprising a fastener plate  14  with a nail or a stud  16 A frictionally fastened to the fastener plate  14  though an aperture formed therein. A fastener assembly placed within a channel in the fastener feeding track  12  is advanced forward into a position over the barrel  11 . A rear guide  18  is made of a spring metal that holds a portion of a positioned fastener plate  14 A. A side guard  20  also made from spring steel contacts a side of the positioned fastener plate  14 A, holding it into position over barrel  11 . Guides  18  and  20  only illustrate one means for holding the fastener assembly in position. A fastener loading control  22  is positioned adjacent the fastener assembly plate  14 A in position over the barrel  11  and is used to control the loading of the next adjacent fastener assembly plate  14  into position once the gun  10  is fired. The fastener assembly loading control  22  prevents an adjacent fastener assembly plate  14  from prematurely advancing into position before the barrel  11  of the power actuated gun is in position to receive another fastener assembly. Lever  24  having a coiled spring attached, not shown, biases the plurality of fastener assembly plates  14  down the track  12 , forcing the fastener assemblies into position sequentially over the barrel  11 . The track  12  comprises a channel piece  26  with an angled piece  28 . An opening  30  is formed within the angled piece  28 . A radius slide  32  is attached to the channel piece  26  and aids in the sliding of the plates  14  along the track  12 . A support plate  34  has a spacer plate  36  attached thereto. Formed on the spacer plate  36  and the support plate  34  are feet  38 . Contact  21 , forming a part of the fastener loading control  22 , may also act as a support or foot so as to provide three points of contact when the track  12  is placed adjacent a surface. A short rod  40 A has a spring  42  surrounding it. Short rod  40 A is slidably held within a collar  44 . Short rod  40 A has an end fixed to the support plate  34 . A long rod  40 B is attached to another portion of the track  12  and similarly has a spring  42 . One end of the long rod  40 B is slidably attached to collar  44 . The distal end of the long rod  40 B is attached to a control mechanism  41 . The positioning of the track  12  and the tension within the spring  42  may be adjusted by axially sliding collar  44  on the body of the power actuated gun  10 . The position of the collar  44  may be locked into place by set screw  46 . A fixed handle  48  contains therein a charge strip  50 . Charge strip  50  contains a plurality of powder charges that are used to drive the fastener assembly. A charge advance lever  52  is pivoted by pivot  49  and is used to advance the charge strip  50 . From  FIG. 1 , the general operation of this embodiment of the present invention should be appreciated. A plurality of fastener assemblies, including plate  14 , are inserted through opening  30  and slid down the channel piece  26  while lever  24  is drawn rearward or away from the barrel  11  of the power actuated gun  10 . After a plurality of fastener assemblies have been inserted through opening  30  and slid down the track  12 , lever  24  may be released causing an end plate, not illustrated, to contact the last fastener assembly, forcing it against adjacent fastener assemblies until a fastener assembly is placed in a firing position adjacent the support plate  34 . The guides  18  and  20  retain the fastener assembly in the firing position. After placing the track  12  adjacent a surface through which the fastener assembly is to be driven, the power actuated gun is forced upward or towards the track  12  so as to cause the stud  16 A to enter the barrel  11 . The plate  14 A, it is pushed through the guides  18  and  20  so as to cause the fastener assembly to be securely forced against the surface into which it is to be driven. The application, in this particular power actuated gun, of additional force causes the gun to automatically fire. Upon release of pressure from the rear of the power actuated gun  10 , the springs  42  cause the barrel  11  to move away from the track assembly  12 . However, the fastener loading control  22  prevents a fastener assembly from advancing within the channel piece  26  until after the barrel  11  is withdrawn a sufficient distance and the contact  21  and feet  38  are removed a predetermined distance from the surface. The control mechanism  41  then causes the lever  52  to be depressed, advancing the charge strip  50 . The gun is now ready for another firing with another fastener assembly secured positioned in a firing position.  
         [0047]      FIG. 2  more clearly illustrates the track  12  and the fastener loading control  22 . The plurality of fastener assemblies have a plurality of shaped plates  14  that abut one another. Additionally, wires  17  are shown attached to plates  14 . A particularly prevalent application of power actuated guns is to hang wire assemblies from ceilings, such that objects may be attached to the wires  17  and suspended or supported, for example a suspended ceiling. Guides  18  and  20  hold plate  14 A of the fastener assembly into position over barrel  11 . Plate  14 B of adjacent fastener assembly is held in position by fastener loading control  22 . The fastener loading control  22  comprises a contact  21  which is positioned adjacent a surface, forcing it toward the angled plate  28  and fastener plate  14 B. Spring  23  normally biases the contact  21  away from the top surface of the angled plate  28 . A screw  25  holds one end of the spring  23  onto a surface of the angled plate  28  while the distal end of the spring  23  has contact  21  attached thereto. Accordingly, the adjacent fastener assembly having plate  14 B is prevented from advancing until spring  23  biases contact  21  upward to release the plate  14 B. This assures that the plate  14 B is not advanced until after the barrel  11  is retracted or biased away from the channel  26  by springs  42 . Only after barrel  11  is sufficiently clear is the plate  14 B released to advance into a firing position.  
         [0048]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  more clearly illustrate the operation of the fastener loading control  22 . As the track  12  is placed adjacent a hard surface  54  and the distance d, between the foot  38  and the hard surface  54  is reduced, the contact  21  also contacts the hard surface  54  causing extension  27  downward towards stud  16 B. As the extension  27  moves downward, the point of stud  16 B enters space  29  within the extension  27 . Accordingly, when distance d 1  between the surface  54  and the foot  38  is reduced and the foot  38  contacts the surface  54 , the distance d 2  between barrel  11  and the surface  54  is then reduced and the barrel  11  advances. Accordingly, as is illustrated in  FIG. 3B , as the track  12  moves in the direction of arrow  1  and the foot  38  contacts the surface  54 , the outer barrel  11 A contacts plate  14 A, stripping the plate  14 A from the guide  20 . The extension  27  engulfs the point of shaft  16 B, securely holding t adjacent plate  14 B in position. After the fastener assembly and plate  14 A are firmly against surface  54 , the inner plunger  11 B is forced downward in the direction of arrow  3  by an explosive charge so as to drive the stud  16 A within the hard surface  54 . After firing, the inner plunger  11 B and the outer barrel  11 A are withdrawn away from the surface  54 . Once the barrel  11  is withdrawn a sufficient distance and the power actuated gun is continued to be withdrawn from the surface  54  such that a gap forms between the surface  54  and foot  38 , the contact  21  will then be biased upward or away by spring  23 , causing release of the adjacent stud  16 B. Once the stud  16 B is released, the adjacent fastening assembly and the plate  14 B is advanced to the firing position over barrel  11 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 3C  is a plan view illustrating the surface of the track  12  and the holding of plate  14 A. Plate  14 A of the fastener assembly can clearly be seen in a position held by guides  18  and  20  and an adjacent fastener assembly having plate  14 B. The fastener loading control  22  can also more clearly be seen. Each plate  14  advances the adjacent plate  14  down the track  12  as respective fastener assemblies are driven into a surface with the power actuated gun.  
         [0050]      FIGS. 4A  and B illustrate another embodiment of a fastener loading control. In this embodiment, when a surface  54  contacts contact  121  forcing an extension  127  downward, the extension  127  is forced between plate  14 A and adjacent plate  14 B. Accordingly, plate  14 B is prevented from moving toward the firing position until after the biasing force in spring  123  forces the contact  121  away from the fastener assemblies as the track is removed from the surface  54 .  
         [0051]      FIGS. 5A  and B illustrate another embodiment of a fastener loading control. In this embodiment, surface  54  forces a block extension  227  adjacent portions of plate  14 B as track  212  is placed in position adjacent surface  54 . Friction then retains the plate  14 B in position, preventing it from advancing forward as the fastener assembly and plate  14 A are driven into surface  54 . Upon removal of the track  212  from the surface  54 , the biasing force in spring  223  forces the block extension  227  away from the track  212  and thereby releases the fastener assembly having plate  14 B. The plate  14 B is then free to advance into the firing position. Clearly, other equivalent fastener loading control devices are possible. For example, each fastener plate may have hole therein through which an extension can be inserted preventing unintentional movement of the fastener plate.  
         [0052]      FIGS. 6A  and B illustrate another guiding mechanism used in holding plate  14 A of a fastener assembly in a firing position over barrel  11 . In this embodiment, a support plate  134  houses a cam driven side guide  120 . Support plate  134  is attached to a spacer plate  136 , which has a foot  138  thereon. A rear guide  118  holds the angled portion of plate  14 A.  FIG. 6B  is a partial cross section taken along line  6 B- 6 B in  FIG. 6A .  FIG. 6B  more clearly illustrates the operation of the cam driven side guide  120 . A spring  156  forces a guide slide  158  towards plate  14 A. Stop  162  prevents the guide slide  158  from being forced out of the support plate  134 . Accordingly, when plate  14 A is in a firing position, it is retained between the guide  120  and an adjacent plate  14 B. As the barrel  11  is moved adjacent the plate  14 A in the direction of the arrow on barrel  11 , nail or stud  16 A enters the barrel  11  and a corner of barrel  11  contacts cam surface  160  on the guide slide  158 . The guide slide  158  is forced in the direction of the arrow on the guide slide  158  against the bias force of spring  156 . The guide  120  is then caused to release the plate  14 A while the stud  16 A is securely retained within the barrel  11 . The plate  14 A of the fastener assembly is then free to be moved against the surface  54  and driven therein.  
         [0053]      FIGS. 7A  and B illustrate a safety stop designed to prevent the power actuated gun from firing should a fastener assembly not be placed in a firing position. Many power actuated guns have a safety feature such that if a portion of the barrel, for example an inner portion  13 , does not contact a sufficiently hard surface, a safety mechanism within the power actuated gun will cause the gun not to fire. Generally, this prevents the gun from firing unless the barrel is placed against a solid surface. However, in most applications, the barrel can be placed against a solid surface without a fastener assembly placed therein and the power actuated gun will still be able to fire. This may result in a dangerous firing of the gun, damage to the plunger of the gun, and at the least a waste of a charge. The embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 7A  and B provide a safety feature associated with a track so as to prevent the firing of a power actuated gun should a fastener assembly not be in a firing position. In  FIG. 7A , a track is illustrated with a foot  238  placed adjacent a hard surface, not illustrated, and the outer barrel  11 A being advanced with an inner safety barrel  13  forced against the plate  14 A. The outer barrel  11 A is allowed to continue to advance, placing sufficient force on the inner safety barrel  13 A to cause the power actuated gun to fire. The fastener plate  14 A pushes a detection leg  259  of a stop slide  258  compressing spring  256 . The stop leg  261  is therefore clear of the outer barrel  11 A.  FIG. 7B  illustrates operation of the safety feature when a fastener assembly is not positioned in the firing position. When a fastener assembly is not positioned in the firing position, the absence of a plate  14 A, illustrated in  FIG. 7A , causes the detection leg  259  to move forward or towards the barrel  11 A due to the bias of spring  256 . The stop leg  261  therefore is moved into position so as to strike the outer barrel  11 A as it is advanced in the direction of the barrel on  11 A. The stop leg  261  prevents any further advancement of the outer barrel  11 A. Accordingly, the inner safety barrel  13  does not contact a hard surface preventing the power actuated gun from firing. Therefore, should the fastener assembly supply run out of the track or should a fastener assembly not be in a firing position for any reason, the safety device illustrated in  FIGS. 7A  and B will prevent the power actuated gun from firing. Other equivalent safety devices may be used to prevent the unintentional firing of the power actuated gun. For example a stop may be place at other locations. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the present invention is inherently safer than prior individually hand loaded power actuated guns. By providing automated feeding the risk of injury to an operator during loading of the barrel directly is substantially reduced or eliminated. Should the power actuated gun misfire during loading, serious injury could result.  
         [0054]      FIGS. 8 through 11  illustrate the operation of a control mechanism  41  that takes advantage of the relative movement between a track  12  and the power actuated gun  10 . Sliding rods  40 A and  40 B and springs  42  permit relative movement between an attachment to the power actuated gun  10  and the power actuated gun  10 . Long rod  40 B may be attached to a control mechanism  41 . Generally, the control mechanism  41  may be used to operate any feature of a power actuated gun. However, in this embodiment, the control mechanism  41  operates a charge advancing lever  52  used to advance a charge strip  50 . The charge advancing lever  52  has a tab  51  thereon which contacts the charge strip  50 . The lever  52  is pivoted at one end by pivot  49 . A cam  57  forms a part of the control mechanism  41  and activates or depresses lever  52 .  
         [0055]      FIG. 9  is a partial cross section taken along line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 9  more clearly illustrates the operation of the control mechanism  41 . A spring  53  is attached to charge advance lever  52 , biasing the charge advance lever  52  away from the body of the power actuated gun  10 . The cam  57  fits in an opening within a fork of the lever  52 . A stop  59  prevents the cam  57  from pivoting on pivot  55 .  
         [0056]     FIGS.  10 A-C schematically illustrate the general operation of the control mechanism  41  and its use advancing a charge strip  50  readying the power actuated gun  10  for a subsequent firing. In  FIG. 10A , the power actuated gun  10  is moved forward, causing a fastener assembly in the firing position to be forced against the surface  54 . Springs  42  are compressed and the power actuated gun may be fired. This embodiment of the power actuated gun  10  is fired when continuous pressure is applied to the rear of the power actuated gun  10  and the barrel of the power actuated gun  10  is adjacent a hard surface. This embodiment of the power actuated gun  10  is often used on the end of a pole when applying fastener assemblies to a ceiling. However, this embodiment of the power actuated gun requires the charge strip  50  to be advanced to provide sequential firing of the power actuated gun  10 . The control mechanism  41  uses the relative motion between the power actuated gun  10  and a track  12  to automate the advancing of the charge strip  50 . This makes it unnecessary to bring the power actuated gun  10  down from the end of a pole when the power actuated gun  10  is used in applying multiple fastener assemblies to a ceiling.  FIG. 10B  illustrates the operation of the control mechanism  41  after a fastener assembly is driven into surface  54 . The springs  42  providing a relative movement between the power actuated gun  10  and a track  12 . The bias of the springs  42  move the power actuated gun  10  and handle  52  away from the track  12 . The cam  57  is forced upward by the stop  59 , resulting in the handle  52  being compressed against the body of the power actuated gun  10  as illustrated in the direction of the arrow adjacent the lever  52 . The charge strip  50  is thereby advanced as illustrated by the arrow adjacent strip  50 .  FIG. 10C  illustrates operation of the control mechanism  41  when a new fastener assembly is placed in a firing position and the power actuated gun  10  is moved closer to the track  12  compressing springs  42 . As the power actuated gun  10  and the attached lever  52  are moved closer to the track  12 , the cam  57  is caused to pivot counterclockwise on pivot  55  away from stop  59 . The cam  57  slides along the surface of lever  52 . Accordingly, lever  52  is not compressed towards the body of the power actuated gun  10 . Therefore, the charge strip  50  is not advanced while the barrel of the power actuated gun  10  pushes another fastener assembly away from the track and against the surface  54 .  
         [0057]     FIGS.  11 A-D more clearly illustrate the operation of the control mechanism  41 .  FIG. 11A  illustrates the control mechanism  41  in a resting position. The cam  57  extends through an opening in the lever  52 . Advancing tab  51  is in position adjacent the charge strip  50 . Spring  53  biases the lever  52  away from the body of the power actuated gun  10 .  FIG. 11B  illustrates the operation of the control mechanism  41  as the power actuated gun  10  is moved to the left or in the direction of the arrow on the body of the power actuated gun  10 . As the handle  52  is moved with the power actuated gun  10  in the direction of the arrow on the body of power actuated gun  10 , the control mechanism  41  attached to the long rod  40 B remains stationary. As a result of the contact between the lever  52  and the cam  57 ,. the cam  57  is pivoted counterclockwise on pivot  55  away from stop  59 .  FIG. 11C  illustrates the full advancement of the power actuated gun  10  and the attached lever  52  with the cam  57  having sufficient clearance with the angled lever  52  so as not to depress the lever  52  or compress spring  53 . During the movement illustrated by FIGS.  11 A-C, the lever  52  has not moved resulting in no advancement of the charge strip  50 .  FIG. 11D  illustrates operation of the control mechanism  41  as the power actuated gun  10  is moved in the direction of the arrow illustrated on the body of the power actuated gun  10 . As the attached lever  52  is moved in the direction of the arrow on the body of the power actuated gun  10 , cam  57  is forced clockwise against stop  59 . This causes the lever  52  to pivot toward the body of the power actuated gun  10  and compressing spring  53 . The advancing tab  51  is caused to move with the lever  52  resulting in the charge strip  50  to advance in the direction of the arrow adjacent charge strip  50 . Accordingly, in this embodiment of the present invention, the relative motion between an attachment to a power actuated gun, for example a track, and the power actuated gun, results in the ability to control or activate different features on the power actuated gun. Other equivalent features of the power actuated gun may be controlled with the motion created by the power actuated gun.  
         [0058]     FIGS.  12 A-B illustrate another type of control mechanism that may be utilized as a result of the relative movement between a track and a power actuated gun. In some power actuated guns, an external trigger must be activated before the gun will fire. In power actuated gun applications utilizing a pole to elevate the power actuated gun to a ceiling, a wire is sometimes used connected to a trigger to fire the gun from a ground location. However, this is often inconvenient and requires the operator to pull a wire mechanism to fire the gun. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS.  12 A-B provides a trigger control mechanism that automates the firing of a power actuated gun  310 . The power actuated gun  310  has a trigger  364  which must be activated or depressed in order to fire. This embodiment of the power actuated gun  310  may also have a charge advance mechanism  341 , similar to that previously illustrated in greater detail. A control rod  368  is attached to a track  312  containing a plurality of fastener assemblies having plates  14 . A plunger or activator  370  is attached to the trigger control rod  368 . The plunger or activator  370  may be spring loaded to the trigger control rod  368 . However, the spring must be sufficiently strong or provide a force greater than that necessary to activate the trigger  364 . This assures that any slight variances in distance or travel will not result in a gap between the plunger or activator  370  and the trigger  364 , resulting in the power actuated gun  310  not to fire.  FIG. 12A  illustrates the position of the power actuated gun  310  prior to advancing the power actuated gun  310  towards the track  312  and against the surface  54 .  FIG. 12B  illustrates the positioning of the power actuated gun  310  moved upward adjacent the surface  54  so as to compress springs  342 . Accordingly, a fastener assembly is stripped from the track  312  and caused to abut surface  54 . The trigger is then activated by the plunger  370  causing the power actuated gun  310  to fire. Accordingly, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.  12 A-B can fully automate the firing of a power actuated gun  310  of the type having a trigger  364 . Therefore, in combination with the track  312  and control mechanisms  341  and  366 , the power actuated gun  310  may be repeatedly fired without having to lower and adjust or feed the power actuated gun  10 . Therefore, when the power actuated gun  310  is placed on a pole and used in a ceiling application, the power actuated gun  310  does not have to be lowered for insertion of a new fastener assembly, advancement of the charge, and a separate lever or cable pulled once in position to fire. The present invention therefore greatly facilitates the rapid firing of multiple rounds or charges to very rapidly sequentially drive fastener assemblies.  
         [0059]      FIG. 13  illustrates another embodiment of a power actuated gun  410  having a control mechanism  441  and a curved track  412 . The curved track  412  operates substantially similarly to the previously described linear tracks in holding plates  14  of a fastener assembly. However, the curved track  412  makes the power actuated gun  410  more compact and permitting the invention to fit in tighter places than if the track was not curved.  
         [0060]      FIG. 14  illustrates another embodiment of a power actuated gun  510  showing a different means for moving a track  512  relative to the power actuated gun  510 . A single concentric spring  542  may be placed over the barrel of the power actuated gun  510  and within a single cylinder attached to a track  512 .  
         [0061]     Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the present invention may encompass a variety of different embodiments, only several of which have been illustrated in detail. It will be clear that the principles of the present invention can be applied to many different structures without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention provides the automation of a power actuated gun that saves considerable time. Fastener assemblies can rapidly be positioned and driven with the worker or operator taking virtually no time between firing to reload a fastener assembly or advance the charge.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1