Abstract:
A concrete nailer has a cutout defined by a magazine. The cutout is disposed proximate the drive track of the concrete nailer and provides the concrete nailer with sufficient reach to perpendicularly nail a complete range of U-shaped channels or track available to the job site against concrete, even though the magazine accommodates both long and short nails. The concrete nailer has the added ability to nail thick boards like 2×4&#39;s to concrete.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to fastener tools, and more particularly to concrete nailers. 
       Description of the Related Art 
       [0002]    Concrete nailers are quite different from conventional nailers designed simply for nailing wood and metal together. As may be imagined, driving a nail into concrete requires much higher energy and produces greater impacts than driving nails into metal or wood. Driving a nail into concrete requires that the systems of a concrete nailer be made much more robustly, and that those systems be especially configured to deal with the particular challenges presented to a concrete nailer on a job site, which are not encountered by conventional nailers. Also, it has now become imperative that, for maximum flexibility, concrete nailers use magazines which can accommodate nails ranging in length from 1/2 inch to at least 2¼ inches. Furthermore, it is important that when driving nails into a concrete work surface, the nail be oriented as close to 90° as possible to the concrete, so that the concrete does not chip, crack or break away, as is likely to occur if the nail is impacted at an angle relative to the concrete. These requirements present a significant test for a concrete nailer when the concrete nailer is required to nail a deep track to concrete. 
         [0003]    “Tracks” are U-shaped steel channels for holding everything from electrical conduits and piping, to partitions, other structural members, and the like. Tracks have become ubiquitous on a job site, and consequently it would be very desirable to provide a concrete nailer capable of quickly and easily nailing tracks to concrete work surfaces. However, the vast range of sizes of tracks used in construction has presented a challenge to the operator, who will frequently encounter on the same job, tracks having widths ranging from 30 mm to 100 mm, and depths ranging from 20 mm to 70 mm. On the one hand, if the operator encounters a track at the wide and shallow ends of the range (e.g. 100 mm wide×20 mm deep), the operator can position the concrete nailer so that the drive axis of the nail is maintained at 90° relative to the channel and concrete. However, as the track gets narrower and deeper, the ability of the operator to drive a nail perpendicularly into the track becomes increasingly difficult. The operator must now skew the concrete nailer so that the nail magazine, which is often mounted on a lower surface of the nailer housing, clears a vertical wall of the track. But then, as the track width approaches 30 mm and the depth approaches 70 mm (a “deep track”), it becomes almost impossible for an operator using a conventional concrete nailer having a magazine large enough to accommodate both short and long nails to drive a nail perpendicularly to the track. The magazine of such a concrete nailer blocks an operator from having sufficient “reach” into the track so that the nailer contact trip cannot be fully depressed against the base of the track, thereby preventing the nailer from being fired. To accommodate all of the sizes of tracks likely to be available on a job site, the reach should be 60-70 mm, and preferably 70 mm. 
         [0004]    Nail lengths further complicate the concrete nailer arena. Short nails are commonly used to nail track to concrete. There are conventional concrete nailers that use magazines which only accommodate short nails. Short nails enable magazines to be made with relatively short heights, thereby creating sufficient reach for the operator to drive the nails perpendicularly to the base of the track and into the concrete. Conversely, magazines that are tall enough to accommodate long nails will also block conventional concrete nailers from satisfactorily nailing into track. “Long nails”, in this context, are nails which are long enough to nail 2×4&#39;s to concrete, which means they must be at least 2¼ inches long. Nailing 2×4&#39;s to concrete is another critical job that contractors need to perform. However, switching between a short fastener magazine and a long fastener magazine results in a significant cost, because the contractor must maintain at least two nailers on the job site, one loaded with short nails and another loaded with long nails; or the contractor must provide the nailer with at least two different magazines, one containing short nails and the other containing long nails. However, switching out various magazines takes time, which increases cost. 
         [0005]    An unsuccessful attempt has been made to solve both problems. A concrete nailer using a magazine that accommodates both short and long nails was introduced with an unusually long drive track and contact trip subassembly to artificially create enough reach for the nailer to drive nails into many sizes of tracks, as well as to accommodate 2¼ inch nails. However, generating an unusually long drive track and contact trip subassembly also requires that the rest of the nailer be made taller. The result is a concrete nailer which is heavier, more unwieldy and less able to fit into tight spaces than the other concrete nailers. (The height of the conventional nailer is 18½ inches.) Moreover, making the tool larger inevitably adds cost. However, the maximum reach attained with the conventional concrete nailer is only 50 mm, and consequently it has much less flexibility to accommodate the sizes of tracks likely to be found on the construction site then one having a reach of 70 mm. 
         [0006]    The dilemma faced by conventional concrete nailers is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , which illustrate how a first conventional concrete nailer  100 ,  100 ′ is unable to accommodate both short and long nails  40 ,  42  and still drive them perpendicularly into a complete range of tracks  44  likely to be encountered on the job site.  FIG. 1  shows that a first conventional concrete nailer  100 , having a housing  102  to which is connected a magazine  104 , is able to depress its contact trip  106  against the base  46  of the track  44 , because the height H 1  of the magazine need only accommodate short nails  40 . However, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when concrete nailer  100 ′ uses a magazine  104 ′ that has a height H 2  for accommodating long nails  42  as well short nails  40 , full actuation of the contact trip  106  becomes geometrically impossible when the drive axis  22  is oriented at an angle A of 90° to the base  46  of track  44 . Thus, concrete nailer  100 ′ is blocked by the conventional magazine  104 ′ so that the contact trip  106  is held above the bottom  46  of track  44  by a distance G, and consequently is unable to fire. 
         [0007]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 , a second conventional concrete nailer  200  that unsuccessfully attempts to overcome such deficiencies includes a housing  202  and a magazine  204  configured to accommodate both short and long nails  40 ,  42 . The magazine  204  is disposed at an unusually large distance above a work surface. The purpose was to artificially create enough reach R so that the second conventional concrete nailer  200  can handle many sizes of track  44  likely to be found on a job site. However, this additional flexibility comes at a price. In order to elevate magazine  204  at such a distance above the track  44 , it is also necessary concomitantly to lengthen the contact trip  206  and drive system  218 . When such components as the contact trip  206  and drive system  218  are elongated, or made taller, the housing  202  and all of the other components disposed therein must also be made taller, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The resulting overall height H 2  above the work surface  34  of the second concrete nailer  200  must now be 18½ inches. 
         [0008]    Thus, it can be seen that in the demanding field of concrete nailers, the ranges of track dimensions, the length of reach, and the size ranges of nails used in concrete nailer magazines are in fact critical parameters. 
         [0009]    Consequently there has been generated a long-felt need for a concrete nailer that accommodates both short and long nails, that drives nails perpendicularly into the entire range of tracks likely to be available on a construction site, and that also has the flexibility to nail 2×4&#39;s to concrete. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In an embodiment of the present invention, a cutout is formed in the bottom of a magazine for a concrete nailer. In the concrete nailer, the cutout is proximate the concrete nailer drive track. The cutout is configured to accommodate tracks having dimensions ranging from 30 mm to 200 mm wide and from 20 mm to 70 mm deep. As such, it is possible to press the contact trip of the concrete nailer against the base of the track or channel so that the contact trip can be fully actuated, and nails can be driven perpendicularly to the base of the track and into the concrete, for a variety of track sizes. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment of the present invention, a magazine can be configured to accommodate nails ranging in length from as short as ½ inch to as long as 2¼ inches. Thus, concrete nailers having such a magazine can drive several different sizes of nails perpendicularly into the track and concrete, and have the flexibility to nail 2×4&#39;s to concrete. 
         [0012]    In the field of concrete nailers, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, the concrete nailer and magazine of the present invention could not actually accommodate, and satisfactorily drive, nails as short as ½ inch. The prevailing thought was, by disposing the cutout of the magazine proximate the concrete nailer drive track, short nails driven along the drive track were exposed to the cutout and would thereby lose vertical support. Without vertical support, the short nails would face serious problems in maintaining the nail alignment along the drive axis of the concrete nailer, resulting in nails that could be thrown out of alignment and jam the drive system. 
         [0013]    However, it was discovered that by mounting nails into a plastic carrier, and then loading them into the magazine, the magazine interface and the drive track of the concrete nailer of the present invention could be configured to cooperate with the nails and carrier to drive a nail and a portion of the attached carrier along the drive axis while maintaining the desired orientation of the nail. 
         [0014]    Accordingly, one embodiment of the concrete nailer of the present invention includes a housing and a drive system configured for driving a nail. The drive system includes a drive track configured to guide nails along a drive axis. The concrete nailer further includes a magazine connected to the housing and being configured to accept nails having lengths ranging from ½ inch to at least 2¼ inches, the magazine having a bottom portion that defines a cutout disposed proximate the drive track. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment, the cutout is configured to accommodate U-shaped channels having widths ranging from 30 mm to 100 mm and depths ranging from 20 mm to 70 mm, while still enabling the concrete nailer to drive nails along a drive axis oriented perpendicularly to the base of the channels, such that the nails fasten the channels to concrete. 
         [0016]    In still another embodiment, the concrete nailer includes a system configured to maintain an orientation relative to a work surface of nails as short as ½ inch along the drive axis in the drive track, notwithstanding the proximity of the nails to the cutout. The system includes a magazine interface located at one end of the magazine and disposed proximate the concrete nailer drive track, and a plastic carrier carrying a plurality of nails. The magazine interface and drive track are configured to cooperate with a portion of the plastic carrier and nails to maintain the alignment of a nail all along the drive track until the nail is driven into a workpiece. 
         [0017]    In a further embodiment, a magazine is configured to accept nails having lengths ranging from ½ inch to at least 2¼ inches, so that the nails are oriented in the magazine to be parallel to the drive axis of a concrete nailer. The magazine includes a magazine interface configured to be positioned proximate a drive track of the concrete nailer when the magazine is attached to a bottom surface of the concrete nailer. The magazine further includes a lower portion that defines a cutout disposed proximate the magazine interface. 
         [0018]    Yet another embodiment includes a method of nailing a U-shaped channel to concrete using a concrete nailer having a magazine, where the channel has two vertical walls, a horizontal base, and the dimensions of the channel range from 30 mm to 100 mm wide and from 20 mm to 70 mm deep. The method includes positioning a nose of the concrete nailer above the channel so that a cutout formed in the bottom of the magazine clears at least one wall of the channel; engaging the base of the channel so that a contact trip of the nailer is oriented perpendicular to the base of the channel while the cutout still clears the wall; while maintaining the orientation, pressing the contact trip against the base of the channel so that the contact trip is fully actuated; and firing a nail through the base of the channel and into the concrete. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment, a method of maximizing the reach of a concrete nailer having a housing, a nose portion, and a contact trip includes connecting a nail magazine to the housing so that an interface of the magazine is proximate the nose portion and so that, when the contact trip is fully actuated, the distance from a work surface to a portion of the magazine proximate the nose portion lies in the range of from 60 mm to 70 mm; and wherein the nail magazine accommodates nails having lengths ranging from 1/2 inch to at least 2¼ inches. 
         [0020]    In a further embodiment, a method of minimizing the height of the concrete nailer having a housing and a contact trip includes connecting a nail magazine to the housing so that the magazine provides the concrete nailer with a reach of from 60 mm to 70 mm into a U-shaped channel when the contact trip is fully actuated against the bottom of the channel; wherein the magazine accommodates nails having lengths ranging from ½ inch to at least 2¼ inches. 
         [0021]    The present invention accordingly fulfils the long-felt need for a concrete nailer having a magazine that accommodates short and long nails and is still able to nail a complete range of channels or tracks likely to be found on a job site into concrete, as well as having the flexibility to nail 2×4&#39;s and boards of similar thicknesses to concrete. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a partial elevational sectional detail view of a conventional concrete nailer using a magazine loaded with short nails, and driving the nails into a track and concrete. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 1 , with long nails shown superimposed over the short nails for contrast. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to those of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and illustrating the problems encountered by a conventional concrete nailer when attempting to nail a track to concrete using a magazine configured to accept both short and long nails. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a partial elevational detail view of a conventional concrete nailer using a drive system, drive track and contact trip made unusually long to artificially create enough reach to nail many sizes of track to concrete. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the conventional nailer of  FIG. 4  positioned next to the concrete nailer and magazine of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a side-by-side elevational view, taken from the bottom, illustrating the differences in height between the concrete nailers of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a concrete nailer and magazine according to the present invention, with the contact trip shown in the extended position. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged partial elevational detail view of the concrete nailer and magazine of  FIG. 7 , with the actuated position of the contact trip shown in phantom, and illustrating short nails loaded in the magazine. 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8 , but showing long nails loaded in the magazine. 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged partial elevational detail view of the concrete nailer and magazine of  FIG. 7 , illustrating the contact trip of the concrete nailer oriented along a drive axis and fully actuated against the base of a track to be nailed to concrete. 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10 , but showing the concrete nailer and magazine of  FIG. 7  driving long nails into a 2×4 and concrete. 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  is a partial elevational detail view of the contact trip and drive track subassembly of the concrete nailer of  FIG. 7 , illustrating what happens when a short nail becomes misaligned along the drive axis. 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational detail view of the magazine of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 14A  is an enlarged elevational detail view of the circled portion of the magazine of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 14B  is an enlarged elevational detail view of the portion of the magazine shown in  FIG. 14A  positioned proximate the drive track of the concrete nailer of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 15A  is an enlarged elevational detail view of short nails mounted in a carrier of the present invention. 
           [0039]      FIG. 15B  is an enlarged perspective detail view of the magazine interface taken along line  15 - 15  of  FIG. 14B , and illustrating a nail mounted in a portion of the carrier. 
           [0040]      FIG. 16  is an exploded perspective detail view of the magazine interface of the magazine of  FIG. 7  being positioned proximate the drive track of the concrete nailer of  FIG. 7 , and showing a system for aligning nails along the drive track of the concrete nailer. 
       
    
    
       [0041]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0042]    Referring now to the drawings and particularly to  FIG. 7 , a cordless concrete nailer  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing  12 , a motor  14  (shown schematically in phantom) disposed in the housing, a battery pack  16  for providing power to the motor, and a drive system  18  (also shown schematically in phantom) configured for driving a nail and operatively associated with the motor. The drive system  18  includes a drive track  20  disposed parallel to a drive axis  22 . The concrete nailer  10  further includes a magazine  24  connected to a bottom surface  25  of the housing  12 . A bottom portion  26  of the magazine  24  in turn defines a cutout  28  which is disposed proximate the drive track  20  when the magazine  24  is connected to the concrete nailer housing  12 . A contact trip  30  extending from a nose  32  of the housing  12  is operatively associated with the drive system  18 , and is coaxial with the drive axis  22 . In operation, nails are fed from the magazine  24  and into engagement with the drive track  20 . When an operator presses the contact trip  30  against a work surface  34 , the contact trip is moved upwards to its actuated position, thus completing an electrical circuit (not shown) which permits the concrete nailer  10  to be fired, thereby driving nails along the drive track  20 , out the bottom of the contact trip  30 , and into the work surface. 
         [0043]    Although the concrete nailer  10  is described as having an electric drive system  18 , the magazine  24  may also be used in conjunction with concrete nailers having other drive systems, including without limitation pneumatic, hydraulic, powder-actuated/explosive, and gas/explosive. 
         [0044]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show the concrete nailer  10  in which the magazine  24  accommodates both short nails  40  ( FIG. 8 ) and long nails  42  ( FIG. 9 ). One embodiment of the magazine  24  accommodates nails ranging in length from a small as ½ inch to at least as long as 21/4 inches, thus providing the concrete nailer  10  with considerable flexibility. 
         [0045]    Still referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the unique cooperation of components of the concrete nailer  10  and magazine  24  allows the concrete nailer to have considerable “reach” R when the contact trip  30  is moved from an extended position  36  to an actuated position  38  (shown in phantom). This cooperation enables a contractor to use the concrete nailer  10  in constricted spaces and in connection with workpieces having challenging geometries. 
         [0046]      FIG. 10  illustrates how the concrete nailer  10  easily handles one of the most difficult of workpiece geometries likely to be encountered on a job site, namely, when the concrete nailer is required to nail a U-shaped metal channel or “track”  44  to concrete  50 . The sizes of track which are likely to be found on a job site have widths W at the base  46  ranging from 30 mm to 100 mm, and depths D of walls  48  ranging from 20 mm to 70 mm. As previously noted, where this gets particularly challenging for a concrete nailer is when the track dimensions approach the narrowest but tallest ends of the range, namely, when the track measures 30 mm wide, but is 70 mm deep. That is because, when nailing concrete, it is very important to maintain the angle A of the drive axis  22  as close to 90° relative to the concrete as possible. However, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the reach R generated by the concrete nailer  10  is at least 70 mm. Therefore, even though the magazine  24  accommodates both short nails  40 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , and long nails  42  (including nails at least as long as 2¼ inches), as shown in  FIG. 11 , the path  43  of the tips of the long nails  42  (see  FIGS. 10 and 11 ) is still above the walls  48  of track  44 . This enables the concrete nailer  10  using the magazine  24  to maintain the drive axis  22  perpendicular to the concrete  50 , thereby successfully tackling workpiece geometries which, to date, have been difficult, if not impossible, for conventional concrete nailers to successfully handle. (It should be noted that, although the optimum orientation of the drive axis  22  to the work surface  34  is 90°, the concrete nailer  10  is capable of maintaining the orientation of the drive axis at any desired angle relative to the work surface.) 
         [0047]    Returning for the moment to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the height H 1  of the concrete nailer  10  can thus be as short as 16 inches, compared to the height H 2  of the second conventional concrete nailer  200 , which must be 18½ inches, an increase of more than 12%. Thus the design of the second conventional concrete nailer  200  requires more metal and larger components, and is more unwieldy, heavier and more costly than the concrete nailer  10 , and is less able to fit into the constricted space requirements that the concrete nailer  10  easily handles. 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIGS. 7, 10 and 11 , the magazine cutout  28  is disposed proximate the drive track  20 . As shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 13, 14A and 14B , the magazine  24  includes a magazine interface  52  that is aligned along drive axis  22  when the magazine is attached to the concrete nailer  10 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 14A  shows that the cutout  28  of magazine  24  has a length LC and a height HC. 
         [0050]    In one embodiment, the length LC is about 28 mm, and the height HC is about 20 mm. When the magazine  24  is connected to the concrete nailer  10 , as shown in  FIG. 14B , the magazine interface  52  of magazine  24  is disposed proximate the drive track  20  of the concrete nailer  10 , so that the drive axis  22  of the magazine interface shown in  FIG. 13  is coincident with the drive axis  22  of the concrete nailer  10 . However, at first glance, it is not intuitively apparent how a short nail  40 , in particular, can be maintained in a desired orientation along the drive axis  22 , in that the travel of the nail  40  along the drive track  20  is exposed to the cutout  28 . That is because, as shown in  FIG. 12 , without support proximate the cutout  28 , the nail would likely become skewed from the drive axis  22  and jam the mechanism, as shown at  40 ′. 
         [0051]      FIGS. 15A, 15B and 16  show a system  53  of the present invention configured to maintain the desired orientation relative to a work surface  34  of nails as short as ½ inch in the drive track  20 , notwithstanding the proximity of the nails  40  to the cutout  28 . 
         [0052]    As shown in  FIGS. 15A and 15B , nails  40 ,  42  are mounted vertically in a plastic carrier  54 , which is angled to match the angle N of the magazine  24 . When the concrete nailer  10  is fired, a drive bar (not shown) of the drive system  18  strikes the top of the nail  40  presented to the concrete nailer drive axis  22  by the magazine interface  52 , and separates a portion  56  carrying the nail  40  from the rest of the carrier  54 . Portion  56  carries the nail  40  all the way along the drive track  20 , and moves with the nail even as the nail is driven into a work surface  34 . The orientation system  53  is configured to capitalize on this effect: the magazine interface  52  defines respective guide surfaces  58  and  59 , and the carrier  54  defines guide surfaces  60  that match the configuration of guide surfaces  58 . Furthermore, the drive track  20  of the concrete nailer  10  is also provided with guide surfaces  62 . As shown particularly in  FIG. 16 , the respective guide surfaces  58 ,  59 ,  60  and  62  of the orientation system  53  cooperate to maintain the orientation of the nail  10  along the drive axis  22  during its entire travel along the drive track  20 . 
         [0053]    To nail the track  44  to concrete, the operator positions the nose  32  of the concrete nailer  10  above the track so that the cutout  28  formed in the bottom  26  of the magazine  24  clears at least one wall  48  of the track. The contact trip  30  of the concrete nailer  10  then engages the base  46  of the track  44  so that the contact trip is oriented perpendicular to the base of the track, while the cutout  28  still clears the wall  48 . Then, while maintaining this orientation, the contact trip  30  is pressed against the base  46  of the track  44  so that the contact trip is fully actuated, and the concrete nailer  10  fires a nail  40 ,  42  through the base of the track and into the concrete  50 . 
         [0054]    It can now be seen that the concrete nailer  10  and magazine  14  of the present invention fulfill the long-felt need for a concrete nailer having a magazine which accommodates both short and long nails, has the flexibility to nail 2×4&#39;s into concrete, and which also satisfactorily nails to concrete the complete range of track presently available on job sites. While the emphasis has been placed on being able to nail 2×4&#39;s into concrete, it should be recognized that the concrete nailer  10 , if desired, may nail other sizes of wood with similar thicknesses to concrete as well. 
         [0055]    While the present invention has been described with respect to various embodiments, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limitations of the appended claims.