Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/800,820, filed May 16, 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   The present invention relates to nail positioning and driving devices and, more particularly, to a nail holding and driving device for use with very small, difficult-to-hold nails which includes a generally cylindrical main tube, a toroidal magnet movably mounted on the outer wall of the main tube and a generally cylindrical nail-driving rod which is slidably housed within the main tube, the nail-driving rod being constructed of a ferrous metal material such that the toroidal magnet magnetizes the nail-driving rod so that the rod, when encountering a metal nail, will magnetically engage the nail to support the nail within the main tube in contact with the nail-driving rod prior to the nail being inserted into the desired location by impact of a hammer or other nail-driving device with the upper end of the nail-driving rod. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   There are many hobbies which involve building or constructing models of larger structures, such as airplanes, cars, ships and buildings. While construction of each of these types of models can be enjoyable, one of the most challenging yet rewarding types of miniatures and models to construct are those which replicate buildings and the various furnishings which go into buildings. While some types of models and miniatures can be constructed by use of glue, clips or the like, the more sophisticated and challenging miniatures involve the use of very small nails and other miniature fasteners which are used to secure elements of the miniature to one another. These nails range in size anywhere from an inch and a half in length down to nails which are less than three eighths of an inch in length, which are used for such purposes as securing miniature hinges to a door jam, joining very small or very fine pieces of wood to one another, or other such purposes. 
   One of the significant problems encountered in using such very small nails, however, is that holding the nail in the proper position prior to insertion is very difficult, and it may be even more difficult to properly drive the nail, due to the way in which one must hold the nail for proper insertion. It is common for persons attempting to insert such small nails to grasp the nails using long nosed or needle nosed pliers and then tap the nail to partially insert the nail prior to completing the hammering process. While this procedure will work for many persons who participate in the hobby of building miniatures, as the hobbyists become older or lose some degree of the hand-eye coordination they have come to rely on, it becomes more and more difficult to hold the nail while simultaneously inserting and driving it with the hammer. It can become virtually impossible for such persons to continue to enjoy the hobby in which they have invested so much of their time and effort to become proficient, and therefore there is a need for a device which is usable not only to hold a very small nail in the proper location for driving of the nail but also can be used to drive the nail without requiring additional support devices such as needle nosed or long nosed pliers, thereby permitting even those persons who are unsteady or somewhat infirm to continue to practice their beloved hobby. 
   Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved nail holding and driving device. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved nail holding and driving device which will magnetically engage a nail, support and properly position it for insertion into the material into which the nail is to be driven and facilitate driving of the nail into the material by providing an easier-to-impact hitting surface to be hit by the user. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved nail holding and driving device which includes a generally cylindrical main tube, a toroidal magnet movably mounted on the outer wall of the main tube and a generally cylindrical nail-driving rod which is slidably housed within the main tube, the nail-driving rod being constructed of a ferrous metal material such that the toroidal magnet magnetizes the nail-driving rod so that the rod, when encountering a metal nail, will magnetically engage the nail to support the nail within the main tube in contact with the nail-driving rod prior to the nail being inserted into the desired location by impact of a hammer or other nail-driving device with the upper end of the nail-driving rod. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved nail holding and driving device which can be used with very small and hard-to-grip nails to facilitate insertion of those nails in the desired installation location. 
   Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved nail holding and driving device which is relatively simple and durable in construction and is safe, efficient and effective in use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a nail holding and driving device including an elongated generally non-magnetically conductive main tube and a magnet movably mounted on the outer wall of the main tube. A nail-driving rod is slidably housed within the main tube, the nail-driving rod being constructed of a magnetically conductive material and having a nail engaging and striking lower impact end face and an impact-receiving upper end. The magnet is operative to magnetize the nail-driving rod through the main tube. Finally, the nail-driving rod is operative to magnetically engage a nail to support the nail within the main tube in contact with the nail engaging and striking lower end of the nail-driving rod and drive the nail into the desired location by impact of a nail-driving device with the impact-receiving upper end of the nail-driving rod. 
   The present invention as thus described provides substantial advantages over those nail holding and driving devices found in the prior art. For example, because the strength of the magnetic bond between the magnet and the lower impact end face of the nail-driving rod may be modified or changed somewhat merely by moving the magnet towards or away from the lower end of the nail-driving rod, the size and weight of nails able to picked up and retained by the present invention may be modified, as can the force required to separated the mail from the nail-driving rod, thus increasing the functional flexibility of the present invention. Furthermore, the fact that the magnet and the nail-driving rod are separate from one another, i.e., the nail-driving rod is not a permanent magnet, means that if the nail-driving rod becomes damaged due to the repeated impacts that the rod will undergo, replacement or repair of the rod is far easier than that encountered in connection with prior art devices, where the rod is constructed of a permanent magnet construction material. Finally, because the present invention is capable of being used with very small nails, it is believed that it will provide many advantages to persons having reduced or subpar fine motor skills, whether caused by advancing age or other physical causes. It is therefore seen that the present invention provides a substantial improvement over those nail holding and inserting devices found in the prior art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the nail holding and driving device of the present invention being used to drive a nail into a piece of wood; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the internal elements of the device with the nail-driving rod sliding within the main tube; 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed side elevational view of the present invention showing a nail being magnetically supported on the end of the nail-driving rod via the magnetic force exerted by the toroidal magnet; and 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed side elevational view of the present invention showing how a small amount of putty may be used to support a non-magnetic nail immediately prior to insertion and driving of the nail. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The nail holding and nail driving device  10  of the present invention is shown best in  FIGS. 1-3  as including a generally cylindrical main tube  12  which, in the preferred embodiment, would have a length of approximately one to two inches, an external diameter of approximately 1/16 inch to ¼ of an inch and an internal diameter of approximately 0.05 inches to 0.3 inches. It is further preferred that the main tube  12  be constructed of a non-ferrous material such as aluminum, brass or copper so that the main tube  12  is generally non-magnetic. Additionally, it should be noted that the internal diameter of the main tube  12  will generally correspond to the size of the nails with which the nail holding and driving device  10  is to be used, and therefore it is expected that several different sizes of main tubes  12  may be used in connection with the present invention in order to accommodate various sizes of nails therewithin. 
   Frictionally mounted on the outer wall of the main tube  12  is a toroidal or ring-shaped permanent magnet  20  which, in the preferred embodiment, would consist of any appropriate type of permanent magnet, such as a rare earth magnet, a ferrite magnet, a samarium cobalt magnet, an AlNiCo magnet, or virtually any other type of permanent magnet so long as the magnet provides sufficient magnet strength for the proper operation of the present invention, as will be described herein. In the preferred embodiment, the toroidal magnet  20  would fit snugly onto the main tube  12  to act as a grip or handle that can also be slid up and down the main tube  12  to adjust the positioning of the toroidal magnet  20  thereon as desired. It is important to note, however, that the strength of the toroidal magnet  20  must fall within a relatively narrow range for the operational reasons described below. 
   Also, it should be noted that the toroidal magnet  20  will generally be used as a grip for the holding of the nail holding and nail driving device  10  and as such will preferably include a gripable outer surface such as a molded plastic cover or rubber coating material. Furthermore, references to the toroidal magnet  20  also should be understood to represent the preferred shape of the grip component of the magnet, as opposed to the shape of the magnetic material itself. Of course, the magnetic material may be of many different sizes and shapes within the toroidal magnet  20 , and it has been found that a preferred configuration for the magnetic material would include a pair of bar magnets housed within the toroidal magnet  20  which are oriented such that the magnetic forces exerted by each of the bar magnets work in concert with one another to produce the overall magnetic force applied by the toroidal magnet  20 . However, many different configurations of magnets and magnetic material may be used within the toroidal magnet  20  of the present invention so long as the magnetic force applied provides sufficient magnet strength for the proper operation of the present invention. 
   A nail-driving rod  30  extends within main tube  12  as shown best in  FIGS. 1-3 , the nail-driving rod  30  having a length of approximately 1 to 2 inches and an external diameter which is approximately 0.01 inches less than the internal diameter of the main tube  12  in which the nail-driving rod  30  is extended. Furthermore, it is preferred that the nail-driving rod  30  be constructed of a hard ferrous magnetic material such as iron or steel and that the nail-driving rod  30  include a lower generally flat impact face  32  and an upper head  34  which is a generally flat disk or anvil-shaped body formed on the top end of the nail-driving rod  30  in the same general manner as is commonly found with nails or the like. The nail-driving rod  30  is thus slidably housed within the main tube  12  with the upper head  34  positioned outside the top end of the main tube  12 . 
   The nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention is used in the following manner. First of all, when the nail-driving rod  30  is slidably housed within the main tube  12 , the magnet  20  acts to attract the nail-driving rod  30  due to its construction from the ferrous magnetic material. This helps to magnetically secure the nail-driving rod  30  within the main tube  12 , while also magnetizing the rod  30  via the transfer of the magnetic force from magnet  20  to the nail-driving rod  30 . The magnetization of the nail-driving rod  30  enables the user of the present invention to use the nail-driving rod  30  to pick up the nail  60  which is to be inserted into the wood block  70 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . With a nail  60  made of ferrous material, when the nail-driving rod  30 , particularly impact face  32 , approaches the vicinity of the end of the nail  60 , the nail  60  is drawn into contact with the impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30  via the magnetic force transferred through the nail-driving rod  30  from the magnet  20 . As the nail-driving rod  30  is drawn upwards into and through the main tube  12 , the nail  60  is retained on the impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30 , as shown best in  FIG. 3 . The nail holding and driving device  10  would then be moved to the appropriate location on the wood block  70  and when the device is properly positioned, the nail-driving rod  30  would be extended downwards through the main tube  12  until the insertion end of the nail  60  is adjacent the wood block  70 , as shown best in  FIG. 1 . The individual using the nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention would then impact the upper head  34  of nail-driving rod  30  with a hammer  80  or the like, such that the impact force of the hammer  80  hitting the upper head  34  drives the nail-driving rod  30  downwards within main tube  12  to force the nail  60  into the wood block  70  via contact with the impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30 . Following initial insertion of the nail  60 , the nail holding and driving device  10  may be removed from contact with the nail  60 , with the magnetic attraction between the impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30  and the nail  60  being broken by applying upward force on the nail holding and driving device  10 , or the device itself may be used to drive the nail  60  completely into the wood block  70  by impacting the nail-driving rod  30  with the hammer  80 . This is one of the significant advantages of the present invention, as the vast majority of nail-holding devices cannot be used for driving the nail into the substrate material such as the block of wood  70 , whereas the nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention is specifically designed to enable the user to drive the nail  60  via impact of the hammer  80  with the nail-driving rod  30 . Finally, once the nail  60  is driven, the nail holding and driving device  10  is then ready for driving of the next nail in the desired location. 
   It is a frequent occurrence that nails  60  which are to be driven into a substrate material are not constructed of ferrous materials, being instead constructed of brass or another such non-ferrous material, and therefore cannot be magnetically secured on the impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30 . In such situations, a simple and elegant solution engendered by use of the nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention is available, as shown best in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . In these figures, it is seen that an amount of a putty-type material  40  such as hobby putty or the like is made available and the lower end of main tube  12  is inserted into the putty-type material such that a small amount of the putty-type material  40  is retained within the main tube  12 , as shown best in  FIG. 4 . The nail  60  to be inserted into the wood  70  would first be partially inserted into the putty-type material  40  with the head of the nail embedded in the putty-type material  40 , again as shown in  FIG. 4 . This supports the nail  60  within the main tube  12  in a sufficiently secure manner to enable the user of the nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention to place and align the nail  60  in the proper position over the wood block  70  into which it is to be inserted. The nail holding and driving device  10  would then be used in the manner described previously, wherein the nail-driving rod  30  is slid downwards through main tube  12  until it contacts the putty-type material  40 , at which time the upper head  34  of the nail-driving rod  30  is impacted with a hammer or the like to drive the nail-driving rod  30  downwards within main tube  12 . The impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30  impacts the nail  60  through the putty-type material  40 , thus driving the nail  60  into the wood block  70 . Once the nail  60  is inserted into the wood block  70 , the putty-type material  40  which has been dislodged from the lower end of the main tube  12  may be quickly and easily removed from the vicinity of the inserted nail, and the same procedure may be used in connection with the next nail to be inserted. 
   It should also be noted that the toroidal magnet  20 , although designed primarily to act as a grip or handle, is movably mounted on the main tube  12  to be slid up and down thereon to adjust the positioning of the toroidal magnet  20  and hence the magnetic force being applied at the lower impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30  will likewise be increased or decreased as the toroidal magnet  20  is moved towards or away from the lower section of the main tube  12 . This adjustability of the magnetic strength is of significant importance, as the weight of the nail  60  will vary with the size and shape of the nail  60 , and therefore greater or lesser magnetic force will be required to retain the nail  60  in magnetic connection with the impact face  32  of nail-driving rod  30 . The prior art does not disclose such magnetic force adjustability, and therefore it is believed that the inclusion of this feature in the present invention provides a significant protectable improvement over those prior art devices which are intended to function in similar fashion. 
   It is to be understood that numerous additions, modifications and substitutions may be made to the nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention which fall within the intended broad scope of the above description. For example, the size, shape and construction elements used in connection with the various elements of the present invention may be modified or changed so long as the intended non-ferrous construction materials used in connection with main tube  12 , ferrous construction materials used in connection with nail-driving rod  30 , and permanent magnet construction materials used in connection with magnet  20  are generally maintained. Furthermore, although the present invention has been described for use particularly in connection with nails, it should be noted that various other types of fastening devices such as screws may be used with the nail holding and driving device  10  of the present invention for their initial insertion, and such use would be understood by one skilled in the art of fastener usage. Also, it should be noted that the toroidal magnet  20  may be modified or changed in terms of the size and strength of the magnet  20 , and in fact one alternative embodiment of the present invention would substitute a magnetized material for the construction material of nail-driving rod  30  so that the nail-driving rod  30  is itself independently magnetized for magnetic connection to fasteners which are to be inserted. However, as the majority of magnetic materials do not have sufficient impact resistance for use in the manner described in connection with nail-driving rod  30 , it is believed that the arrangement described herein of the toroidal magnet  20  mounted on and nail-driving rod  30  mounted within main tube  12  provides the best solution for proper operation of the nail holding and driving device  10 . A second alternative embodiment would include an inner magnetic lining formed on the inner wall of the main tube  12  which substitutes for the magnet  20 , and the process for lining the main tube  12  would be understood by one skilled in the art of working with magnetic materials. Finally, although the putty-type material  40  use in connection with the insertion of non-magnetic nails and fasteners into substrate material has been described with some particularity, it should be noted that virtually any type of inert material, having the general consistency of putty which is used in connection with wood-type materials, may be used with the present invention in the manner described previously. 
   There has therefore been shown and described a nail holding and driving device  10  which accomplishes at least all of its intended objectives.

Technology Category: b