Patent ID: 7032683

Claim:
A method of operating a rotary hammer, the rotary hammer being operable in an idle mode and a hammer mode, the rotary hammer including a housing, a barrel positioned in the housing and having a forward portion and an inner surface, the barrel defining an axis, a ram positioned within the barrel and being movable relative to the barrel between hammering positions and an idle position, and a ram catcher assembly positioned adjacent to the forward portion of the barrel to releasably hold the ram in the idle position, the ram catcher assembly including a friction member frictionally engageable with the ram, and a damping member at least partially surrounding the friction member, the damping member being at least partially engageable as the ram moves to the idle position, the method comprising the acts of: moving the ram relative to the barrel toward a hammer position and engaging the inner surface of the barrel with the damping member; moving the ram relative to the barrel from a hammering position toward the idle position; engaging the ram with the damping member as the ram moves toward the idle position; axially compressing the damping member; absorbing an axial force of the ram with the damping member; radially expanding the damping member as the damping member engages the ram; radially compressing the friction member with the damping member as the damping member radially expands; and applying friction to the ram with the friction member to catch the ram with the friction member to hold the ram in the idle position; wherein the act of absorbing an axial force includes axially deforming the damping member; wherein the damping member includes a radially extending outer surface and wherein, the method further comprises engaging the outer surface with the barrel.