Explosive fastener driving tool

Claim 2

In an explosively actuated fastener driving tool, a receiver, a barrel axially slidable and rotatable in the receiver, a ram slidable in the barrel between an initial firing position and a second fired position, the barrel having its breech end formed with circumferentially interrupted sets of threads for locking the barrel in the receiver in breech-closed relation and having a longitudinal slot extending in alignment with the thread set interruption, and a pawl movably carried by the receiver and adapted, when the barrel breech is unlocked, to be engaged in the barrel slot.

Claim 3

A tool as in claim 1 wherein the barrel slot has a circumferentially offset portion at its muzzle end, the pawl is pivotally mounted in said receiver, and spring means biases a portion of the pawl into the longitudinal portion of the slot for engagement with a portion of the ram in its second position.

Claim 4

A tool as in claim 2 wherein the pawl is two-armed and mounted on a pivot pin parallel with the axis of the barrel, and a coil spring bearing on the receiver and on one arm of the pawl urges the other arm of the pawl into the longitudinal portion of the barrel slot.

Claim 5

In an explosively actuated fastener driving tool having a receiver for housing the breechblock and firing mechanism, a barrel axially slidable and rotatable in the receiver and having a muzzle portion extending beyond the receiver, the breech end of the barrel and the breechblock being formed with circumferentially interrupted threads engageable to lock said breech end in operative relation to the firing mechanism, the firing mechanism being energizable by relative longitudinal movement of the barrel and receiver, and an interlock means formed on said muzzle portion of the barrel for cooperation with the receiver whereby the barrel breech is prevented from being unlocked when the tool is armed.

Claim 6

In an explosively actuated fastener driving tool having a receiver for housing the breechblock and firing mechanism, a barrel axially slidable and rotatable in the receiver and having a muzzle portion extending beyond the receiver, the breech end of the barrel and the breechblock being formed with circumferentially interrupted threads engageable to lock said breech end in operative relation to the firing mechanism, the firing mechanism being energizable by relative longitudinal movement of the barrel and receiver, and an interlock means formed on said muzzle portion of the barrel for cooperation with the receiver whereby the barrel breech is prevented from being unlocked when the tool is armed.

Claim 7

A tool as set forth in claim 4 wherein the interlock means comprises a circumferential series of pads on the barrel, each of said pads being receivable in a complemental mating recess in an end of the receiver, and one of said barrel pads having a reduced, projection engageable with a complemental land of the receiver.

Claim 8

An explosive fastener driving tool comprising a housing, a barrel axially movable and rotatable therein between a breech open and breech closed position, a spring-pressed firing mechanism including a breechblock in the breech end of thE housing and cocked by relative movement of the barrel and the housing when the latter is urged toward a structure into which the fastener is to be driven, and means at the muzzle end of the barrel for rotating it into breech closed and locked relation to the breechblock, said means being longitudinally movable on the barrel and having a formation for interlocking with the housing in one rotational position to prevent unlocking of the barrel breech when the tool is cocked.

Claim 9

An explosive fastener driving tool comprising a housing, a barrel axially movable and rotatable therein between a breech open and breech closed position, a spring-pressed firing mechanism including a breechblock in the breech end of thE housing and cocked by relative movement of the barrel and the housing when the latter is urged toward a structure into which the fastener is to be driven, and means at the muzzle end of the barrel for rotating it into breech closed and locked relation to the breechblock, said means being longitudinally movable on the barrel and having a formation for interlocking with the housing in one rotational position to prevent unlocking of the barrel breech when the tool is cocked.

Claim 10

A tool as set forth in claim 6 wherein the breechblock and the breech end of the barrel are respectively formed with circumferentially interrupted sets of locking threads, the barrel is adapted slidably to guide a fastener driving ram, the barrel being formed with a longitudinal slot having an offset portion remote from the breech end, and a pawl movably mounted in the offset portion of the barrel slot is engageable with a portion of the ram when the barrel breech is axially moved from locking relation with the breechblock.

Claim 11

A tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein the pawl is pivotally supported by the housing, a resilient buffer is disposed in the muzzle of the barrel and formed with a bore wall coaxial with the ram and adapted to be radially enlarged upon engagement therewith of a trailing portion of the ram, such engagement being potentially permitted by breech locking movement of the barrel to clear the pawl from the barrel slot.

Claim 12

An explosive fastener driving tool comprising a housing, a barrel axially movable and rotatable therein between a breech open and a breech closed position, a breechblock in the housing having a threaded formation for locking the barrel in breech closed relation, a ram axially slidable in the barrel and having an axially tapering portion, a pawl pivotal in the housing and having a portion extending radially through a longitudinal slot in the barrel and partly into the path of the ram, said pawl being cammed out of said path by rotation of the barrel into locking relation with the breechblock, and a resilient, tubular buffer on the other side of the pawl from the breech end of the tool, the bore of the buffer being adapted to be radially expandable upon engagement by said ram tapering portion for absorbing ram energy in the event of overdrive.

Claim 13

An explosive fastener driving tool comprising a housing, a barrel axially movable and rotatable therein between a breech open and a breech closed position, a breechblock in the housing having a threaded formation for locking the barrel in breech closed relation, a ram axially slidable in the barrel and having an axially tapering portion, a pawl pivotal in the housing and having a portion extending radially through a longitudinal slot in the barrel and partly into the path of the ram, said pawl being cammed out of said path by rotation of the barrel into locking relation with the breechblock, and a resilient, tubular buffer on the other side of the pawl from the breech end of the tool, the bore of the buffer being adapted to be radially expandable upon engagement by said ram tapering portion for absorbing ram energy in the event of overdrive.

Claim 14

An explosively actuated fastener driving tool comprising a housing, a barrel axially and rotatably slidable in the housing, a firing mechanism in the housing and arranged to be cocked by relative rearward movement of the barrel and thereafter to be actuated to cause ignition of an explosive charge in the barrel, interlocking means for locking the barrel into the housing and adapted to release the barrel for forward sliding movement upon relative rotation of the barrel and the housing, a fastener driving ram movable in the barrel between a firing position and a driven position, a ram return member mounted on the housing and movable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it extends through a longitudinal slot in the barrel for engaging and holding the ram stationary relative to the housing so that forward sliding movement of the barrel returns the ram to its firing position, and stop means for preventing rearward movement of the barrel to cock the firing mechanism unless the barrel is locked to the housing by said interlocking means.

Claim 15

An explosively actuated fastener driving tool comprising a housing, a barrel axially and rotatably slidable in the housing, a firing mechanism in the housing and arranged to be cocked by relative rearward movement of the barrel and thereafter to be actuated to cause ignition of an explosive charge in the barrel, interlocking means for locking the barrel into the housing and adapted to release the barrel for forward sliding movement upon relative rotation of the barrel and the housing, a fastener driving ram movable in the barrel between a firing position and a driven position, a ram return member mounted on the housing and movable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it extends through a longitudinal slot in the barrel for engaging and holding the ram stationary relative to the housing so that forward sliding movement of the barrel returns the ram to its firing position, and stop means for preventing rearward movement of the barrel to cock the firing mechanism unless the barrel is locked to the housing by said interlocking means.