Abstract:
A nail driver that is a non separable bottom loader. The driver is equipped with handles with the striking area penetrating through the handle enabling the user to strike the striking area only reduce the vibration received when using it manually or with a hammer. A handle on the rod allows it to be held safely while striking the striking area on top of the rod handle with a hammer. The tool is small enough to be easily stored in a workers tool box. A plurality of sizes permit the user to hold a wide variety of nail sizes required.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a nail driver and, more particularly, to a nail driver that will hold and allow for the insertion of nails into materials under difficult to access circumstances such as tight hard to access spaces. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Carpenters often are required to place nails into materials that are located in hard to access locations. This may be a tight corner, between a counter and a wall, in a narrow spot between rafters or other difficult to access locations. Even though a hammer or nail gun may not fit into that location it is still a requirement that an appropriate fastener be inserted to secure the materials. The carpenter must either fudge and not do the job correctly, try to get a nail into that location and be satisfied with a poorly placed or penetrated nail or devise some Jerry rigged device to try and get the nail into the location in a meaningful manner. 
         [0003]    Hammers and nail guns are the principal solutions that exist in prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,989 offers a hand pounded nail driver. U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,585 also offers a hand pounded nail driver: U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,271 uses a coil spring; U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,234 requires the use of a hammer: U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,135 does so by using air; U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,136 is a multi nail holder: U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,135 requires a hammer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,836 is an automatic driver; U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,040 uses magnets lacking a guide as you pull back on the driving rod; U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,644 requires a hammer to operate. And U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,742 requires air to operate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,836 is complicated in design and requires bearings to facilitate the ram portion and is limited to types and sizes of nails. U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,136 is equipped with magazines defeating the purpose of the present invention by making it too large to be placed and operated in tight working conditions. 
         [0004]    The solutions described in other solutions only partially meet the needs of the carpenter who has a need to do the job properly and efficiently. Other prior art solutions require the use of air or are very bulky restricting them to use in only more open areas thus limiting their applications in the more difficult to access locations between tight spots, through small openings or other difficult to reach or work in locations. Some require the use of a hammer, which in many restricted locations is not possible to swing or to swing with enough force to insert the nail or without the hammer hitting surrounding materials creating damage that could be structural or cosmetic in nature. Still others only permit the use of a hand driver making it slow and tedious where large numbers of larger nails can be driver with the aid of a hammer. These issues can result in less than satisfactory work, less than secure structures or structures failing as time passes and loads are placed on the construction being performed. The overall problem results in work improperly performed because of the impossibility of access or because of the difficulty of access and since these locations are often in semi hidden locations quality control inspections may miss the problem resulting in safety or financial critical loss. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a nail driver that is a non separable bottom loader. The driver is equipped with a handle in which the nail driving rod passes through to the top of the handle. It may be driven with a hammer or manually with the driving handle. A second handle on the barrel allows the nail driver to be held in place and strike the nail that is loaded by gripping the handle on the driving rod and hitting the nail in place. A handle on the barrel allows the tool to be held steady while striking the striking area on top of the driving rod handle with a hammer. The tool is of a size that can be easily stored in a workers tool box. 
         [0006]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide one tool that will work in all locations for the carpenter. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the invention to provide one tool that can be hand or hammer driven. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the invention to fit into tighter locations than other similar solutions. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the invention to hold multiple sized nails. 
         [0010]    It is another object of the invention to remain one assembled tool to prevent loss or inconvenience. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the invention to reduce cost of operations through reduced tools. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a driver portion of the nail driver with the slide stop shown; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a top elevation view of a portion of the nail driver that holds the nail and provides a handle for the use to steady and secure the device; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side and top elevations view of a nail drive driver portion inserted into the handle portion for moving the driver portion against the nail or for using a hammer to drive the driver portion against a nail; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side and top elevations view of an assembled nail driver showing all components in its assembled position. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the Figures. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a driver portion of the nail driver  10  with the slide stop  22  shown. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top elevation view of a portion of the nail driver  10  that holds the nail and provides a handle for the use to steady and secure the device. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side and top elevations view of a nail drive driver portion inserted into the handle portion for moving the driver portion against the nail or for using a hammer to drive the driver portion against a nail. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a side and top elevations view of an assembled nail driver  10  showing all components in its assembled position. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 ; a preferred embodiment of the driver portion of the nail driver  10 . In the preferred embodiment there exists a long slender shaped hardened driving rod  14  with a permanently attached hammer head  12 . The hammer head  12  end, being enlarged in diameter serving as a ram, over the driving rod  14  diameter and comprising a generally flattened end, to accompany a driving rod grip  20  (not shown) and provide a large generally flattened striking surface. The enlarged portion of the driving rod  14  in a preferred embodiment is weighted acting as a ram to help drive the nail (not shown) into its intended material. A driving rod  14  axially extends from the driving handle to transfer blows received from the hammer head  12  or the driving rod grip  20  to a nail located in the barrel  16  by means of a flattened end. The driving rod  14  is sufficient in length to reach the nail located in the barrel  16  and to permit the total penetration of said nail into a selected material for that purpose. A stop  22  right axially extended from the driving rod  14  driving rod  14  for retention within the barrel  16 . The stop  22  in a preferred embodiment is small cylinder shaped embodiment with an enlarged end to prevent the barrel  16  from extending away from the driving rod  14 . The stop  22  is sufficient in strength to facilitate the retention of the driving rod  14  into its barrel  16  through its movement up and down the barrel&#39;s channel  24 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 ; depicts an axially extended barrel  16 , having at one end a barrel grip shock absorber  28  sufficient in length to protect a users hand attached to the external portion of the barrel  16  and a hollow radial magnet  30  near the opposite end and in its preferred embodiment. This top view includes a hollow, elongated barrel  16  with magnet  30 , which purpose is to magnetically hold a nail (not shown) internally to the barrel  16  for the driving rod  14  to strike, in a barrel  16  configuration with an inside diameter larger than the driving rod  14  so that the driving rod  14  (not shown) can slide with minimum friction. The barrel  16  can be a variety of diameters to accommodate a variety of nail head diameters (not shown). A channel  24 , generally rectangular in shape and large enough in width to accommodate the stop  22  with minimal friction encompassing a majority of the length of one portion of the barrel  16  to permit the stop  22  to travel with long pounding strokes. In the preferred embodiment a barrel grip  18  is permanently bonded to the end of the barrel  16  away from the channel  24  end configured in such a manner to comfortably fit a user&#39;s hand. Its purpose is to hold the nail driver  10  (not shown) in position to insert the nail (not shown) into the proper location, and take up the shock of the contact from the nail driver  10  (not shown). At the end away from the channel  24  is permanently attached a shock absorber  26  of a flexible yet firm shock reducing material of sufficient size to protect the hand from receiving blows from the driving rod grip  20  (not shown) as the driver places the nail (not shown) in its deepest penetrating position and begins to contact the barrel grip  18 . Below the channel  24  and before the barrel  16  end where the nail (not shown) is inserted, a generally donut shaped magnet  30  is sealably wrapped and affixed to the outside of the barrel  16  for the purpose of retaining an inserted nail (not shown) into the barrel  16  until it is forcibly driven by means of the driver (not shown) into its intended location. In the most preferred embodiment this magnet  30  would one such as a neodiaminironboride magnet  30  and would be secured with a strong resilient shrink wrap. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 ; in the preferred embodiment of the current invention the assembled nail driver  10  is depicted. Starting at one end and working toward the other we see the hammer head  12  where a hammer would contact the present invention should a hammer be used to drive the nail (not shown) into its substrate. Next we see a shock absorber  26  permanently attached around the hammer head  12  and prior to the driving rod grip  20  to lesson impact if the hammer (not shown) should miss the hammer head  12  when being pounded. This is followed by the permanently attached driving rod grip  20  cylindrical shaped, ribbed and contoured in its preferred embodiment to lessen the possibility of the users hand slipping if the present invention is used without a hammer. In tight locations the sliding of the driving rod  14  against a nail head permits use in areas to tight to use a hammer (not shown) for pounding the hammer head  12 . Following the driving rod  14  cylindrical in shape and hardened in its preferred embodiment the driving rod  14  makes contact with the nail head if being slid or pounded with a hammer forcing the nail into the material it is intended to enter. Lastly the stop  22  is encountered which acts as a retainer in the barrel  16  (not shown) preventing the barrel  16  from slipping off of the driver. This stop  22  consists of a cylindrical portion affixed with an extended diameter top portion larger than the channel  24  (not shown) located in the barrel  16  (not shown). 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 ; an assembled view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a hammer head  12  with a generally flat striking surface for receiving blows from a pounding device such as a carpenters hammer (not shown). A shock absorber  26  permanently attached, generally tubular in shape, to reduce blow damage to the driving rod grip  20 . A driving rod grip  20  configured to fit comfortably in a user&#39;s hand. A barrel grip shock absorber  28  generally tubular in shape, permanently attached to reduce shock and damage to the barrel grip  18  made of a flexible yet firm shock reducing material such as rubber, and of sufficient size to protect the hand from receiving blows from the driving rod grip  20  (not shown) when the nail is in its deepest most penetrating position. A barrel grip  18 , permitting the user to hold in the nail driver  10  in place and guide the barrel  16  for positioning of the nail (not shown). A solid cylindrical driving rod  14  for contacting the nail (not shown) with the general purpose of causing the nail (not shown) to penetrate into a selected material (not shown). A barrel  16  for holding and guiding the driving rod  14  and the nail (not shown). A stop  22  inserted through the channel  24  of the barrel  16  into the driving rod  14  to prevent accidental disassembly of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment of this invention with the tool assembled as shown in  FIG. 2  it shall be seen that the driving rod  14  and driving rod grip  20  are connected in such a manner as to facilitate the easy application of impacts to the nail (not shown) held in the barrel  16 . That the barrel grip  18  and the driving rod grip  20  facilitate the ability to locate and insert nails(not shown) in to selected materials in tight hard to access locations as well as locations conventional insertion tools such as nail guns can access. Below the channel  24  and before the barrel  16  end where the nail (not shown) is inserted, a generally donut shaped magnet  30  is sealably wrapped and affixed to the outside of the barrel  16  for the purpose of retaining an inserted nail (not shown) into the barrel  16  until it is forcibly driven by means of the driver (not shown) into its intended location. 
         [0026]    Provided is a description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that other embodiments differing from the preferred embodiment described are possible and probable in certain circumstances for special use applications and that the described preferred embodiment should not be considered the only embodiment that the claims are intended to cover. 
         [0027]    Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
         [0028]    Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.