Patent Description:
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 <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (2¼ inches). Furthermore, it is important that when driving nails into a concrete work surface, the nail be oriented as close to <NUM>° 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.

"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 <NUM> to <NUM>, and depths ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>. On the one hand, if the operator encounters a track at the wide and shallow ends of the range (e.g. <NUM> wide x <NUM> deep), the operator can position the concrete nailer so that the drive axis of the nail is maintained at <NUM>° 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 <NUM> and the depth approaches <NUM> (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 <NUM>-<NUM>, and preferably <NUM>.

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 2x4's to concrete, which means they must be at least <NUM> (2¼ inches) long. Nailing 2x4'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.

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 <NUM> (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 <NUM> (<NUM>½ inches). ) Moreover, making the tool larger inevitably adds cost. However, the maximum reach attained with the conventional concrete nailer is only <NUM>, 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 <NUM>.

The dilemma faced by conventional concrete nailers is shown in <FIG>, which illustrate how a first conventional concrete nailer <NUM>, <NUM>' is unable to accommodate both short and long nails <NUM>, <NUM> and still drive them perpendicularly into a complete range of tracks <NUM> likely to be encountered on the job site. <FIG> shows that a first conventional concrete nailer <NUM>, having a housing <NUM> to which is connected a magazine <NUM>, is able to depress its contact trip <NUM> against the base <NUM> of the track <NUM>, because the height H1 of the magazine need only accommodate short nails <NUM>. However, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, when concrete nailer <NUM>'uses a magazine <NUM>' that has a height H2 for accommodating long nails <NUM> as well short nails <NUM>, full actuation of the contact trip <NUM> becomes geometrically impossible when the drive axis <NUM> is oriented at an angle A of <NUM>° to the base <NUM> of track <NUM>. Thus, concrete nailer <NUM>' is blocked by the conventional magazine <NUM> so that the contact trip <NUM> is held above the bottom <NUM> of track <NUM> by a distance G, and consequently is unable to fire.

Referring now to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, a second conventional concrete nailer <NUM> that unsuccessfully attempts to overcome such deficiencies includes a housing <NUM> and a magazine <NUM> configured to accommodate both short and long nails <NUM>, <NUM>. The magazine <NUM> 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 <NUM> can handle many sizes of track <NUM> likely to be found on a job site. However, this additional flexibility comes at a price. In order to elevate magazine <NUM> at such a distance above the track <NUM>, it is also necessary concomitantly to lengthen the contact trip <NUM> and drive system <NUM>. When such components as the contact trip <NUM> and drive system <NUM> are elongated, or made taller, the housing <NUM> and all of the other components disposed therein must also be made taller, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The resulting overall height H2 above the work surface <NUM> of the second concrete nailer <NUM> must now be <NUM> (<NUM>½ inches).

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.

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 2x4's to concrete.

<CIT> relates to a powered nailing machine.

<CIT> discloses a nail channel for a fastening tool. The nail channel has a first portion provided by a fastener magazine and a second portion provided by a nosepiece insert. The nail channel is formed when the nosepiece insert is reversibly engaged with a nose end of a nailer magazine.

<CIT> discloses a nail driving device for driving into an object at least a first relatively long type of nail and a second relatively short type of nail. The nail driving device comprises a drive unit for driving a thrust member for driving the nail into the object. - The nail driving device comprise a magazine for holding a supply of nails, a barrel which comprises a side inlet for the first and second type of nail and an actuator for actuating the driving operation. The nail driving device also comprises an attachment which can be mounted in releasable manner on the nail driving device for facilitating driving of the second relatively short type of nail into the object.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a concrete nailer according to claim <NUM>.

According to the 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 <NUM> to <NUM> wide and from <NUM> to <NUM> 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.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a magazine can be configured to accommodate nails ranging in length from as short as <NUM> (½ inch) to as long as <NUM> (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 2x4's to concrete.

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 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.

Accordingly, some embodiments of a concrete nailer of the present disclosure include 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 <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (2¼ inches), the magazine having a bottom portion that defines a cutout disposed proximate the drive track.

According to the invention, the cutout is configured to accommodate U-shaped channels having widths ranging from <NUM> to <NUM> and depths ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>, 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.

In some embodiments, the concrete nailer includes a system configured to maintain an orientation relative to a work surface of nails as short as <NUM> (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.

In some embodiments, a magazine is configured to accept nails having lengths ranging from <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (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.

Yet there is disclosed 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 <NUM> to <NUM> wide and from <NUM> to <NUM> 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.

There is also disclosed 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 <NUM> to <NUM>; and wherein the nail magazine accommodates nails having lengths ranging from <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (<NUM><NUM>/<NUM> inches).

Furthermore there is disclosed 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 <NUM> to <NUM> 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 <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (<NUM><NUM>/<NUM> inches).

There is provided a method of nailing a channel to concrete using a concrete nailer having a magazine, the channel having a U-shape of walls arranged vertically and a base connecting the walls, the method comprising: providing a cutout in a bottom portion of the magazine; positioning a nose of the concrete nailer above the channel so that the cutout clears at least one wall of the channel; engaging the base of the channel with a contact trip of the concrete nailer oriented perpendicularly to the base of the channel while the cutout still clears the wall; then 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.

The dimensions of the channel may range from <NUM> to <NUM> wide and from <NUM> to <NUM> deep.

The magazine may be configured to accept nails having lengths ranging from <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (2¼ inches).

The method may further comprise: providing a drive system including a drive track configured to guide a nail along the drive axis; and guiding the nail along the drive track so that the orientation of the nail relative to the channel is maintained during travel of the nail along the drive track, optionally wherein the cutout is disposed proximate to the drive track.

The step of guiding may include guiding a portion of a carrier, in which the nail is disposed, along the entire length of the drive track, to maintain the orientation of the nail relative to the channel.

The channel may be <NUM> wide and <NUM> deep.

There is provided a magazine in a concrete nailer having a bottom surface and a contact trip aligned along a drive axis, the magazine comprising: a magazine interface configured to be positioned proximate a drive track of the nailer when the magazine is attached to the nailer bottom surface; and a lower portion defining a cutout disposed proximate the interface, wherein the magazine is configured to accommodate nails having lengths ranging from <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (2¼ inches), and wherein the nails are oriented in the magazine to be parallel to the drive axis.

The cutout may be configured to clear a vertical wall of a U-shaped channel having a U-shape having a width ranging from <NUM> to <NUM> and a height ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>, when the contact trip is fully actuated against a base of the channel.

The channel may have a width of <NUM> and a height of <NUM>.

The height of the cutout proximate the interface may be at least <NUM>.

The magazine interface may be configured to cooperate with the drive track of the concrete nailer to guide the nails along the drive axis to maintain orientation of the nails in the drive track relative to a work surface.

The nails may be mounted in a carrier, and the magazine interface may be configured to maintain the orientation of both a nail and a portion of the carrier along the drive axis.

There is provided a method of maximizing the reach of a concrete nailer having a housing, a nose portion and a contact trip, the method comprising: providing a magazine accommodating nails having lengths ranging from <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (2¼ inches); and connecting the magazine to the housing such that an interface of the magazine is proximate to the nose portion and so that, when the contact trip is fully actuated, a distance from a work surface to a portion of the magazine proximate the nose portion is in the range of from <NUM> to <NUM>.

The distance from the work surface to a portion of the magazine proximate the nose portion may be <NUM>.

There is provided a method of minimizing the height of a concrete nailer having a housing and a contact trip, the height being measured from a work surface to the top of the housing, comprising: connecting a magazine to the housing so that the magazine provides the concrete nailer with a reach ranging from <NUM> to <NUM> into a channel having a U-shape when the contact trip is fully actuated against a bottom of the channel.

The height of the concrete nailer may be less than <NUM> (<NUM> inches), and the magazine may accommodate nails having lengths ranging from <NUM> (½ inch) to at least <NUM> (2¼ inches).

Aspects and embodiments described herein accordingly address 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 2x4's and boards of similar thicknesses to concrete.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to <FIG>, a cordless concrete nailer <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing <NUM>, a motor <NUM> (shown schematically in phantom) disposed in the housing, a battery pack <NUM> for providing power to the motor, and a drive system <NUM> (also shown schematically in phantom) configured for driving a nail and operatively associated with the motor. The drive system <NUM> includes a drive track <NUM> disposed parallel to a drive axis <NUM>. The concrete nailer <NUM> further includes a magazine <NUM> connected to a bottom surface <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. A bottom portion <NUM> of the magazine <NUM> in turn defines a cutout <NUM> which is disposed proximate the drive track <NUM> when the magazine <NUM> is connected to the concrete nailer housing <NUM>. A contact trip <NUM> extending from a nose <NUM> of the housing <NUM> is operatively associated with the drive system <NUM>, and is coaxial with the drive axis <NUM>. In operation, nails are fed from the magazine <NUM> and into engagement with the drive track <NUM>. When an operator presses the contact trip <NUM> against a work surface <NUM>, the contact trip is moved upwards to its actuated position, thus completing an electrical circuit (not shown) which permits the concrete nailer <NUM> to be fired, thereby driving nails along the drive track <NUM>, out the bottom of the contact trip <NUM>, and into the work surface.

Although the concrete nailer <NUM> is described as having an electric drive system <NUM>, the magazine <NUM> may also be used in conjunction with concrete nailers having other drive systems, including without limitation pneumatic, hydraulic, powder-actuated/explosive, and gas/explosive.

<FIG> show the concrete nailer <NUM> in which the magazine <NUM> accommodates both short nails <NUM> (<FIG>) and long nails <NUM> (<FIG>). Some embodiments of the magazine <NUM> accommodate nails ranging in length from a small as <NUM> (½ inch) to at least as long as <NUM> (<NUM>¼ inches), thus providing the concrete nailer <NUM> with considerable flexibility.

Still referring to <FIG>, the unique cooperation of components of the concrete nailer <NUM> and magazine <NUM> allows the concrete nailer to have considerable "reach" R when the contact trip <NUM> is moved from an extended position <NUM> to an actuated position <NUM> (shown in phantom). This cooperation enables a contractor to use the concrete nailer <NUM> in constricted spaces and in connection with workpieces having challenging geometries.

<FIG> illustrates how the concrete nailer <NUM> 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" <NUM> to concrete <NUM>. The sizes of track which are likely to be found on a job site have widths W at the base <NUM> ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>, and depths D of walls <NUM> ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>. 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 <NUM> wide, but is <NUM> deep. That is because, when nailing concrete, it is very important to maintain the angle A of the drive axis <NUM> as close to <NUM>° relative to the concrete as possible. However, as shown in <FIG>, the reach R generated by the concrete nailer <NUM> is at least <NUM>. Therefore, even though the magazine <NUM> accommodates both short nails <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, and long nails <NUM> (including nails at least as long as <NUM> (2¼ inches)), as shown in <FIG>, the path <NUM> of the tips of the long nails <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>) is still above the walls <NUM> of track <NUM>. This enables the concrete nailer <NUM> using the magazine <NUM> to maintain the drive axis <NUM> perpendicular to the concrete <NUM>, 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 <NUM> to the work surface <NUM> is <NUM>°, the concrete nailer <NUM> is capable of maintaining the orientation of the drive axis at any desired angle relative to the work surface.

Returning for the moment to <FIG> and <FIG>, the height H1 of the concrete nailer <NUM> can thus be as short as <NUM> (<NUM> inches), compared to the height H2 of the second conventional concrete nailer <NUM>, which must be <NUM> (<NUM>½ inches), an increase of more than <NUM>%. Thus the design of the second conventional concrete nailer <NUM> requires more metal and larger components, and is more unwieldy, heavier and more costly than the concrete nailer <NUM>, and is less able to fit into the constricted space requirements that the concrete nailer <NUM> easily handles.

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the magazine cutout <NUM> is disposed proximate the drive track <NUM>. As shown in greater detail in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the magazine <NUM> includes a magazine interface <NUM> that is aligned along drive axis <NUM> when the magazine is attached to the concrete nailer <NUM>.

<FIG> shows that the cutout <NUM> of magazine <NUM> has a length LC and a height HC. In some embodiments, the length LC is about <NUM>, and the height HC is about <NUM>. When the magazine <NUM> is connected to the concrete nailer <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, the magazine interface <NUM> of magazine <NUM> is disposed proximate the drive track <NUM> of the concrete nailer <NUM>, so that the drive axis <NUM> of the magazine interface shown in <FIG> is coincident with the drive axis <NUM> of the concrete nailer <NUM>. However, at first glance, it is not intuitively apparent how a short nail <NUM>, in particular, can be maintained in a desired orientation along the drive axis <NUM>, in that the travel of the nail <NUM> along the drive track <NUM> is exposed to the cutout <NUM>. That is because, as shown in <FIG>, without support proximate the cutout <NUM>, the nail would likely become skewed from the drive axis <NUM> and jam the mechanism, as shown at <NUM>'.

<FIG> and <FIG> show a system <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention configured to maintain the desired orientation relative to a work surface <NUM> of nails as short as <NUM> (<NUM>/<NUM> inch) in the drive track <NUM>, notwithstanding the proximity of the nails <NUM> to the cutout <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, nails <NUM>, <NUM> are mounted vertically in a plastic carrier <NUM>, which is angled to match the angle N of the magazine <NUM>. When the concrete nailer <NUM> is fired, a drive bar (not shown) of the drive system <NUM> strikes the top of the nail <NUM> presented to the concrete nailer drive axis <NUM> by the magazine interface <NUM>, and separates a portion <NUM> carrying the nail <NUM> from the rest of the carrier <NUM>. Portion <NUM> carries the nail <NUM> all the way along the drive track <NUM>, and moves with the nail even as the nail is driven into a work surface <NUM>. The orientation system <NUM> is configured to capitalize on this effect: the magazine interface <NUM> defines respective guide surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, and the carrier <NUM> defines guide surfaces <NUM> that match the configuration of guide surfaces <NUM>. Furthermore, the drive track <NUM> of the concrete nailer <NUM> is also provided with guide surfaces <NUM>. As shown particularly in <FIG>, the respective guide surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> of the orientation system <NUM> cooperate to maintain the orientation of the nail <NUM> along the drive axis <NUM> during its entire travel along the drive track <NUM>.

To nail the track <NUM> to concrete, the operator positions the nose <NUM> of the concrete nailer <NUM> above the track so that the cutout <NUM> formed in the bottom <NUM> of the magazine <NUM> clears at least one wall <NUM> of the track. The contact trip <NUM> of the concrete nailer <NUM> then engages the base <NUM> of the track <NUM> so that the contact trip is oriented perpendicular to the base of the track, while the cutout <NUM> still clears the wall <NUM>. Then, while maintaining this orientation, the contact trip <NUM> is pressed against the base <NUM> of the track <NUM> so that the contact trip is fully actuated, and the concrete nailer <NUM> fires a nail <NUM>, <NUM> through the base of the track and into the concrete <NUM>.

It can now be seen that the concrete nailer <NUM> and magazine <NUM> according to embodiments of the present invention address the long-felt need for a concrete nailer having a magazine which accommodates both short and long nails, has the flexibility to nail 2x4'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 2x4's into concrete, it should be recognized that the concrete nailer <NUM>, if desired, may nail other sizes of wood with similar thicknesses to concrete as well.

Claim 1:
A concrete nailer (<NUM>) comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) having a nose (<NUM>);
a drive system (<NUM>) configured for driving a nail, the drive system (<NUM>) including a drive track (<NUM>) configured to guide the nail along a drive axis (<NUM>) and a contact trip (<NUM>); and
a magazine (<NUM>) connected to the housing (<NUM>);
wherein the magazine (<NUM>) has a magazine interface (<NUM>) disposed proximate to the drive track (<NUM>) and the magazine interface (<NUM>) is configured to cooperate with the drive track (<NUM>) to guide nails along the drive axis (<NUM>) in use to maintain orientation of the nails in the drive track (<NUM>) relative to a work surface;
wherein the contact trip (<NUM>) extends from the nose (<NUM>) towards the channel (<NUM>) and is configured to be moveable into an actuated position when the contact trip (<NUM>) is pressed against the channel (<NUM>) characterised in that:
the magazine (<NUM>) has a bottom portion defining a cutout (<NUM>) which is disposed proximate to the drive track (<NUM>) and the cutout (<NUM>) is configured to accommodate a side wall of a channel (<NUM>) having a U-shape; and
wherein the cutout (<NUM>) is configured so that a reach (R) of the concrete nailer (<NUM>) is from <NUM> to <NUM> when the contact trip (<NUM>) is fully actuated and pressed against a base (<NUM>) of the channel (<NUM>).