Patent ID: 7004704

Claim:
A flute positioner for positioning a fastener in the barrel of a tool comprising: a generally cylindrical sidewall having a thickness and a perimeter; a plurality of flexible fins extending radially outward from said sidewall by a first distance, each of said flexible fins having a width in the direction of the sidewall perimeter; a throughbore defined by said cylindrical sidewall; and, a plurality of holding members extending from said sidewall radially inward into said throughbore by a second distance that is greater than said first distance, each of said holding members having a width in the direction of said sidewall perimeter that is at least twice as large as said flexible fin width, each of said holding members being tapered from a base adjacent to said sidewall to a distal concave engaging surface, each of said holding members configured to cause at least a region of said sidewall to bulge outward and into engagement with the tool barrel when said holding members engage a fastener and before a driving force is exerted onto the fastener from the tool.