Portable pneumatic fastener driving device with improved actuating mechanism

Claim 2

A fastener driving device including a portable housing, fluid pressure operated fastener driving means carried by said housing for movement through successive cycles of operation each of which includes a fastener driving stroke and a return stroke, fastener magazine means carried by said housing for receiving a supply of fasteners and feeding successive fasteners into a position to be driven into a workpiece dring successive fastener driving strokes of said fastener driving means, fluid pressure control means including an actuating member carried by said housing for movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position for initiating the movement of said fastener driving means through a fastener driving stroke, a work contact responsive member carried by said housing for movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position in response to the movement of said device into cooperating engagement with a workpiece, and a trigger member carried by said housing for manual movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises enabling means operatively associated with said members for (1) enabling movement of said trigger member into its operative position when said work contact responsive member is in its inoperative position without movement of said actuating member into its operative position, (2) enabling movement of said trigger member into its operative position when said work contact responsive member is in its operative position to effect movement of said actuating member into its operative position, and (3) enabling movement of said work contact responsive member into its operative position when said trigger member is in its operative position without movement of said actuating member into its operative position.

Claim 3

The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said enabling means includes an enabling structure disposed in an inoperative position when said members are disposed in their inoperative positions, and means mounting said enabling structure in operatively interrelated relation with respect to said members for movement (1) from said inoperative position into a nonoperating position out of motion transmitting relation between said trigger member and said actuating member in response to the sequentially performed movements of (a) said trigger member into its operative position and then (b) said work contact responsive member into its operative position, dUring at least one of said sequentially performed movements, (2) from said inoperative position into an operating position out of motion transmitting relation between said trigger member and said actuating member in response to the movement of said work contact responsive member into its operative position with said trigger member maintained in its inoperative position, and (3) from said operating position into an operative position in motion transmitting relation between said trigger member and said actuating member in response to the movement of said trigger member into its operative position with said work contact responsive member maintained in its operative position.

Claim 4

The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said enabling means includes an enabling structure having first surface means, one of said members having second surface means thereon disposed in engagement with said first surface means during the aforesaid movement (2).

Claim 5

The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said first and second surface means are operable to disengage in response to the movement of said work contact responsive member a predetermined distance toward its inoperative position, thereby permitting said actuating member to move into its inoperative position while said trigger member is maintained in its operative position.

Claim 6

The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said first and second surface means are operable to disengage as said actuating member reaches its operative position thereby permitting said actuating member to move into its inoperative position while said trigger member is maintained in its operative position.

Claim 7

The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said first and second surface means are operable to remain in engagement in response to the movement of said work contact responsive member into its inoperative position with said trigger member maintained in its operative position to thereby render the movement of said actuating member into its inoperative position responsive to the movement of said trigger member toward its inoperative position.

Claim 8

A fastener driving device including a portable housing having a handle adapted to be manually gripped by an operator, fluid pressure operated fastener driving means carried by said housing for movement through successive cycles of operation each of which includes a fastener driving stroke and a return stroke, fastener magazine means carried by said housing for receiving a supply of fasteners and feeding successive fasteners into a position to be driven into a workpiece during successive fastener driving strokes of said fastener driving means, fluid pressure control means including an actuating member carried by said housing for reciprocating movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position for initiating the movement of said fastener driving means through a single fastener driving stroke and from said operative position into said inoperative position for initiating the movement of said fastener driving means through a single return stroke, a work contact responsive member carried by said housing for reciprocating movement adjacent said actuating member from a normal inoperative position into an operative position in response to the movement of said device into cooperating engagement with a workpiece and from said operative position into said inoperative position in response to the movement of said device out of cooperative engagement with the workpiece and a trigger member carried by said housing adjacent said actuating member in a position to be engaged by a finger of an operator grasping said handle for pivotal movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position in response to digital pressure and from said operative position into said inoperative position in response to the release of said digital pressure, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises enabling means operatively associated with said members for (1) enabling movement of said trigger member into its operative position when said work contact responsive member is in its inoperative position without movement of said actuating member into its operative position, (2) enabling movement of said trigger member into its operative position when said work contact responsive member is in its operative position to effect movement of said actuating member into its operative position, and (3) enabling movement of said work contact responsive member into its operative position when said trigger member is in its operative position without movement of said actuating member into its operative position.

Claim 9

A fastener driving device including a portable housing having a handle adapted to be manually gripped by an operator, fluid pressure operated fastener driving means carried by said housing for movement through successive cycles of operation each of which includes a fastener driving stroke and a return stroke, fastener magazine means carried by said housing for receiving a supply of fasteners and feeding successive fasteners into a position to be driven into a workpiece during successive fastener driving strokes of said fastener driving means, fluid pressure control means including an actuating member carried by said housing for reciprocating movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position for initiating the movement of said fastener driving means through a single fastener driving stroke and from said operative position into said inoperative position for initiating the movement of said fastener driving means through a single return stroke, a work contact responsive member carried by said housing for reciprocating movement adjacent said actuating member from a normal inoperative position into an operative position in response to the movement of said device into cooperating engagement with a workpiece and from said operative position into said inoperative position in response to the movement of said device out of cooperative engagement with the workpiece and a trigger member carried by said housing adjacent said actuating member in a position to be engaged by a finger of an operator grasping said handle for pivotal movement from a normal inoperative position into an operative position in response to digital pressure and from said operative position into said inoperative position in response to the release of said digital pressure, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises enabling means operatively associated with said members for (1) enabling movement of said trigger member into its operative position when said work contact responsive member is in its inoperative position without movement of said actuating member into its operative position, (2) enabling movement of said trigger member into its operative position when said work contact responsive member is in its operative position to effect movement of said actuating member into its operative position, and (3) enabling movement of said work contact responsive member into its operative position when said trigger member is in its operative position without movement of said actuating member into its operative position.

Claim 10

The combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said enabling means includes an enabling structure disposed in an inoperative position when said members are disposed in their inoperative positions and means mounting said enabling structure in operatively interrelated relation with respect to said members for movement (1) from said inoperative position into a nonoperating position out of motion transmitting relation between said trigger member and said actuating member in response to the sequentially performed movements of (a) said trigger member into its operative position and then (b) said work contact responsive member into its operative position, during at least one of said sequentially performed movements. (2) from said inoperative position into an operating position out of motion transmitting relation between said trigger member and said actuating member in response to the movement of said work contact responsive member into its operative position with said trigger member maintained in its inoperative position and (3) from said operating position into an operative position in motion transmitting relation between said trigger member and said actuating member in response to the movement of said trigger member into its operative position with said work contact responsive member maintained in its operative position.

Claim 11

The combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said enabling structure is pivotally interconnected to one of said members and includes a portion interposed between said trigger member and said actuating member engaging the latter at spaced positions in general alignment with the direction of reciprocatory movement of said actuating member to provide the motion transmitting relationship between said trigger member and said actuating member when said enabling structure is moved from said operating position into said operative position.

Claim 12

The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said enabling structure is pivotally interconnected with said actuating member and is moved from said inoperative position into said nonoperating position only during the movement of said work contact responsive member in said sequentially performed movements.

Claim 13

The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said enabling structure is pivotally interconnected with said work contact responsive member and is moved from said inoperative position to said nonoperating position only during the movement of said work contact responsive member in said sequentially performed movements.

Claim 14

The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said enabling structure is pivotally interconnected with said trigger member.

Claim 15

The combination as defined in claim 12, wherein said enabling structure is movable from said inoperative position into said nonoperating position out of motion transmitting relation between said trigger member during both of said sequentially performed movements.

Claim 16

The combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said enabling structure includes first surface means, one of said members having second surface means thereon disposed in engagement with said first surface means during the aforesaid movement of said enabling structure from said operating position to said operative position.

Claim 17

The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said first and second surface means are operable to disengage in response to the movement of said work contact responsive means a predetermined distance toward its inoperative position thereby permitting said actuating member to move into its inoperative position while said trigger member is maintained in its operative position.

Claim 18

The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said first and second surface means are operable to disengage as said actuating member reaches its operative position, thereby permitting said actuating member to move into its inoperative position while said trigger member is maintained in its operative position.

Claim 19

The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said first and second surface means are operable to remain in engagement in response to the movement of said work contact responsive member into its inoperative position with said trigger member maintained in its operative position to thereby render the movement of said actuating member into its inoperative position responsive to the movement of said trigger member toward its inoperative position.

Claim 20

The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said second surface means is on said trigger member.

Claim 21

The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said second surface means is on said actuating member.