Improvements in Tack Driving Implements.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb.,
1895
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM THEODORE HOOFNAGLE, of 1026, West
Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, Machinist.]
Improvements in Tack Driving Implements.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in loose tack-driving implements.
The object of the invention is to produce an improved implement which will
automatically present nails or tacks to a plunger so that they can be driven with
facility and without separate handling.
The invention consists in certain new devices and combinations hereinafter
described and claimed.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my new implement with the side-plate of the
magazine or tack reservoir removed;
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the side opposite that shown in Figure 1;
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the side-plate removed from the implement, as shown in
Figure 1;
Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through the implement in the position shown
in Figure 1;
Fig. 5 is a central vertical section through the implement in position at right
angles with Figure 4;
Fig. 6 is an elevation from the side opposite the tack magazine;
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7-7;
Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8;
Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the line 9-9;
Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the line 10-10, and
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are details showing tacks at different positions of the
driver.
A, is a handle or hand-piece for handling the implement, and serves as the base
or support for the several parts; also as a tube or barrel through which the
tack-driving plunger B, operates.
C, is the head or knob adjustably connected with the plunger or driver, and
D, is a sleeve or casing connected with the knob C. This sleeve serves as a
substantial rigid guide for the upper part of the plunger and as a casing for
enclosing the plunger-shifting spring. The knob and plunger being adjustably
connected together, the distance between the shoulder of the knob and the point of
the plunger may be varied at will and the thrust changed so as to drive a tack fully
home or not as may be desired.
Connected with, and pivoted within the handle A, are slotted rocker-arms 2
and 3, respectively, and connected with the plunger B, is a block or cross-head 4,
When the
having pins 5-5 extending outward into cam slots in the rocker-arms.
plunger is reciprocated, the pins through the medium of the slots vibrate the

page_text: rocker-arms and one of these arms through curved bar 6 and clutch device 7
operates to rotate a disc 8, hereinafter described. The other arm operates a
vibrating part upon which is mounted a sliding pin 10, a feeding device 11 and a
retainer 12.
M is a magazine or reservoir for tacks. This part is formed integral with the
handle or is connected with the handle in any suitable way. It is provided with an
opening for the introduction of tacks and the opening is closed by a slide or door 13.
The bottom of the magazine is so formed as to incline toward the disc lifter 8.
This disc lifter is mounted on a shaft extending through one side of the magazine,
and is provided with a series of horse-shoe magnets whose poles, by preference, are
next the periphery of the disc. As the disc fevolves tacks from the bottom of the
magazine are lifted and carried to the upper part of the magazine and discharged
to hopper 14 and thence to race-way 15. The hopper is arranged in the upper
part of the magazine and discharges into the race-way. A brush or obstruction 16
is attached to the magazine adjacent to the lifter disc for the purpose of sweeping
the tacks from the magnets to the hopper. In some instances it is desirable to
have a second or auxiliary brush or obstruction, as shown at 17, to insure the
clearance of the lifter disc as it revolves. In addition to, or as auxiliary of the
brushes, I arrange a soft iron armature 18 over the hopper to release the tacks
from the influence of magnetism and permit them to drop by gravity to the
hopper. This armature operates to reduce or neutralize the form of the magnet
upon the tacks just as they are brought to the highest point above the hoppers.
The tacks being released from the magnetic force will drop by gravity into the
hopper.
19 is a plate cut away next the lifting disc but arranged to close the end of the
hopper opposite the race-way. The race-way or track 15 extends from hopper to
plunger-tube and at the juncture of these passages the race-way is stepped, as
shown in Figs. 4, 11, 12 and 13, so as to permit the foremost tack in the race to
drop away from its successor and to provide a space sufficient to permit the tack to
swing to position in Figs. 12 and 13, without jamming.
X is a magnet in the body of the plunger-tube opposite the race-way to draw the
first tack into position as soon as it is freed from the plunger driver, as seen in
Figure 12.
The brush 10, feeding device 11, and retainer 12, are mounted upon and move
with vibrating arm 9. The sliding pin serves to prevent the tacks from clogging
at or near their entrance to the covered part of the race-way; the feeder
projecting through a slot in the cover of the race-way serves to propel or urge the
tacks forward to the plunger-tube, and the retainer serves to intermittently hold
and retain all except the foremost tack so that it may be separately drawn into the
plunger-tube. The retainer piece is pivoted through a slot with vibrating arm g
and has a spring bearing against its end as shown in Fig. 4. This provides an
elastic or yielding action of the retainer and thus avoids breakage of parts in the
event of a stoppage and jamming at the mouth of the race-way.
+
A guard 20 is arranged as shown, in the magazine above the race-way and the
path of the sliding pin, to prevent tacks from lodging across the race-way.
I preferably make the driving plunger of steel which, in use, adjacent to the
magnet, becomes magnetized and operates to attract the forward tack, and hold it
in position shown in Figure 11. As the plunger rises and passes the front of the
race-way, the forward tack takes the position shown in Figure 12, and when it
reaches its normal position the parts are in position shown in Figure 13, the tack
having been drawn by magnet X into the path of the plunger driver. Obviously,
.nozzle 21 is detachably connected into position shown in Figure 13 whether the
plunger driver be magnetized or not.
The nozzle 21 is detachably connected with the plunger-tube or barrel, and a
number of these of different lengths may be provided for each implement. In this
way, the adjustment of the relative length of plunger and barrel may be effected so
as to drive a tack partially or entirely home.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a plunger-tube, an inclined guide or race-way leading to
said tube, a step or seat at the, end of the race-way for a single tack, a driving
plunger which serves when down to hold the single tack on its seat and a retaining
device between the plunger and race-way for holding the column behind the seat
when the plunger is up, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a plunger-tube, a plunger reciprocating in and guided by
said tube, a race-way opening laterally into the tube, means for delivering the tacks
singly to the passage, and a magnet opposite the delivery end of the race-way to
draw the tacks from the race-way and hold them in position to be driven by the
plunger, substantially as described.
3. In a tack-driving implement, the combination of a plunger-tube or barrel, a
stepped race-way leading to said tube, a retainer for retaining the column behind
the foremost tack and a stationary magnet opposite the race-way for seating and
holding the tack in the plunger-tube, substantially as described.
4. In a tack-driving implement having a magnetic tack lifter arranged at one
side of the tack receptacle, the combination with such lifter, of a hopper or chute
and an armature arranged as and for the purpose described.
TL-13 of October 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.