Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
An electric fastener driving tool comprising: a clamshell body including first and second similar molded plastic body parts abutting one another along a plane coinciding with the vertical plane of symmetry of the body, said body including a head portion enclosing a cavity and a handle portion integral with and extending from said head portion; wall means integral with said body parts extending into said cavity and defining a solenoid chamber; a solenoid winding having a central axial opening supported within said solenoid chamber by said wall means; an armature slidable in said central axial opening in drive and return strokes; a driver blade supported by said armature; a magazine assembly supported by said body at the base of said head portion and at said handle portion, said magazine assembly defining a drive track for said driver blade and including means for introducing fasteners into said drive track; circuit means including a switch supported within said handle portion for selectively controlling the energization of said solenoid winding; said armature including a first segment formed of magnetic material and a second segment formed of electrically insulating material; and electrically insulating connection means supporting said driver blade on said first segment of said armature.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
202 words
An electric fastener driving tool comprising: a clamshell body including first and second similar molded plastic body parts abutting one another along a plane coinciding with the vertical plane of symmetry of the body, said body including a head portion enclosing a cavity and a handle portion integral with and extending from said head portion; wall means integral with said body parts extending into said cavity and defining a solenoid chamber; a solenoid winding having a central axial opening supported within said solenoid chamber by said wall means; an armature slidable in said central axial opening in drive and return strokes; a driver blade supported by said armature; a magazine assembly supported by said body at the base of said head portion and at said handle portion, said magazine assembly defining a drive track for said driver blade and including means for introducing fasteners into said drive track; circuit means including a switch supported within said handle portion for selectively controlling the energization of said solenoid winding; said armature including a first segment formed of magnetic material and a second segment formed of electrically insulating material; and electrically insulating connection means supporting said driver blade on said first segment of said armature.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
182 words
An electric fastener driving tool comprising: a clamshell body including first and second similar molded plastic body parts abutting one another along a plane coinciding with the vertical plane of symmetry of the body, said body including a head portion enclosing a cavity and a handle portion integral with and extending from said head portion; wall means integral with said body parts extending into said cavity and defining a solenoid chamber; a solenoid winding having a central axial opening supported within said solenoid chamber by said wall means; an armature slidable in said central axial opening in drive and return strokes; a driver blade supported by said armature; a magazine assembly supported by said body at the base of said head porton and at said handle portion, said magazine assembly defining a drive track for said driver blade and including means for introducing fasteners into said drive track; circuit means including a switch supported within said handle portion for selectively controlling the energization of said solenoid winding; and impact absorbing means connecting said magazine assembly to the base of said head portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
182 words
An electric fastener driving tool comprising: a clamshell body including first and second similar molded plastic body parts abutting one another along a plane coinciding with the vertical plane of symmetry of the body, said body including a head portion enclosing a cavity and a handle portion integral with and extending from said head portion; wall means integral with said body parts extending into said cavity and defining a solenoid chamber; a solenoid winding having a central axial opening supported within said solenoid chamber by said wall means; an armature slidable in said central axial opening in drive and return strokes; a driver blade supported by said armature; a magazine assembly supported by said body at the base of said head porton and at said handle portion, said magazine assembly defining a drive track for said driver blade and including means for introducing fasteners into said drive track; circuit means including a switch supported within said handle portion for selectively controlling the energization of said solenoid winding; and impact absorbing means connecting said magazine assembly to the base of said head portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
119 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, an improved drive component assembly comprising: housing means including two separable housing parts cooperating to define an elongated cavity, spaced walls integral with said housing defining a solenoid chamber in said cavity, a solenoid assembly comprising a pair of telescoping members defining an annular chamber surrounding a central axial opening, a winding mounted in said chamber, said solenoid assembly being mounted within said solenoid chamber between said spaced walls, resilient means in compression between said spaced walls adjacent said telescoping members for holding said telescoping members fixed between said spaced walls, and an armature assembly including a fastener driving blade slidably mounted for movement along a path extending through said central axial opening.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
119 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, an improved drive component assembly comprising: housing means including two separable housing parts cooperating to define an elongated cavity, spaced walls integral with said housing defining a solenoid chamber in said cavity, a solenoid assembly comprising a pair of telescoping members defining an annular chamber surrounding a central axial opening, a winding mounted in said chamber, said solenoid assembly being mounted within said solenoid chamber between said spaced walls, resilient means in compression between said spaced walls adjacent said telescoping members for holding said telescoping members fixed between said spaced walls, and an armature assembly including a fastener driving blade slidably mounted for movement along a path extending through said central axial opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The assembly of claim 3, said housing parts abutting along a plane generally coincident with the central longitudinal axis of said cavity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The assembly of claim 3, first resilient stop means supported in said central axial opening by one of said telescoping members for limiting movement of said armature assembly in a first direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The assembly of claim 5, second stop means engageable between said armature assembly and said housing means in said cavity for limiting movement of said armature assembly in a second direction, and biasing means coupled between said housing means and armature assembly for urging said armature assembly toward said second stop means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The assembly of claim 6, said biasing means comprising a spring in compression between one of said spaced wall means and a portion of said armature assembly, said portion being formed of electrically insulating material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The assembly of claim 3, said resilient means being sandwiched between said telescoping members.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
255 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, the combination comprising: a tool body including a head portion and a handle portion, an elongated cavity defined within said head portion, means defining a drive track extending from a first end of said cavity, a magazine for supplying fasteners to be driven at a drive position in said drive track, a solenoid winding supported in said cavity adjacent said first end, said winding having a central axial opening, an armature having an enlarged flange at one end and having an elongated, generally cylindrical body slidably movable in said opening, a metal spring engaging said armature flange and urging said armature away from said first end and toward a second end of said cavity, a driver blade supported by said armature and movable in said drive track, and control means for selectively energizing said winding to move said armature away from said second end and toward said first end of said cavity for moving said driver blade from an initial position through said drive position in said drive track, said armature including a first portion of magnetic material and a second portion of nonmagnetic electrically insulating material attached to said first portion, said second portion being disposed closer to said second end of said cavity than said first portion, said second portion including said flange and a substantial part of said generally cylindrical armature body, a part of said second armature portion and all of said first armature portion being slidable in said central axial opening of said winding.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
255 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, the combination comprising: a tool body including a head portion and a handle portion, an elongated cavity defined within said head portion, means defining a drive track extending from a first end of said cavity, a magazine for supplying fasteners to be driven at a drive position in said drive track, a solenoid winding supported in said cavity adjacent said first end, said winding having a central axial opening, an armature having an enlarged flange at one end and having an elongated, generally cylindrical body slidably movable in said opening, a metal spring engaging said armature flange and urging said armature away from said first end and toward a second end of said cavity, a driver blade supported by said armature and movable in said drive track, and control means for selectively energizing said winding to move said armature away from said second end and toward said first end of said cavity for moving said driver blade from an initial position through said drive position in said drive track, said armature including a first portion of magnetic material and a second portion of nonmagnetic electrically insulating material attached to said first portion, said second portion being disposed closer to said second end of said cavity than said first portion, said second portion including said flange and a substantial part of said generally cylindrical armature body, a part of said second armature portion and all of said first armature portion being slidable in said central axial opening of said winding.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The combination of claim 9, said second portion being at least partially hollow and said first portion being substantially solid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The combination of claim 9, said second portion comprising the end segment of said armature spaced from said winding.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The combination of claim 9, said driver blade comprising a metal element attached to said first armature portion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
217 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, the combination comprising: a tool body including a head portion and a handle portion, an elongated cavity defined within said head portion, means defining a drive track extending from a first end of said cavity, a magazine for supplying fasteners to be driven at a drive position in said drive track, a solenoid winding supported in said cavity adjacent said first end, said winding having a central axial opening, an armature slidably movable in said opening, biasing means urging said armature away from said first end and toward a second end of said cavity, a driver blade supported by said armature and movable in said drive track, control means for selectively energizing said winding to move said armature away from said second end and toward said first end of said cavity for moving said driver blade from an initial position through said drive position in said drive track, said armature including a first portion of magnetic material and a second portion of nonmagnetic material fixed with respect to said first portion, said second portion being disposed closer to said second end of said cavity than said first portion, said driver blade comprising a metal element attached to said first armature portion and electrically insulating connecting means for attaching said driver blade.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
217 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, the combination comprising: a tool body including a head portion and a handle portion, an elongated cavity defined within said head portion, means defining a drive track extending from a first end of said cavity, a magazine for supplying fasteners to be driven at a drive position in said drive track, a solenoid winding supported in said cavity adjacent said first end, said winding having a central axial opening, an armature slidably movable in said opening, biasing means urging said armature away from said first end and toward a second end of said cavity, a driver blade supported by said armature and movable in said drive track, control means for selectively energizing said winding to move said armature away from said second end and toward said first end of said cavity for moving said driver blade from an initial position through said drive position in said drive track, said armature including a first portion of magnetic material and a second portion of nonmagnetic material fixed with respect to said first portion, said second portion being disposed closer to said second end of said cavity than said first portion, said driver blade comprising a metal element attached to said first armature portion and electrically insulating connecting means for attaching said driver blade.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
213 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, the combination comprising: a tool body including a head portion and a handle portion, an elongated cavity defined within said head portion, means defining a drive track extending from a first end of said cavity, a magazine for supplying fasteners to be driven at a drive position in said drive track, a solenoid winding supported in said cavity adjacent said first end, said winding having a central axial opening, an armature slidably movable in said opening, biasing means urging said armature away from said first end and toward a second end of said cavity, a driver blade supported by said armature and movable in said drive track, control means for selectively energizing said winding to move said armature away from said second end and toward said first end of said cavity for moving said driver blade from an initial position through said drive position in said drive track, said armature including a first portion of magnetic material and a second portion of nonmagnetic material fixed with respect to said first portion, said second portion being disposed closer to said second end of said cavity than said first portion; and resilient guide means engageable with said driver blade in said drive track between said initial and drive positions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
213 words
In an electric fastener driving tool, the combination comprising: a tool body including a head portion and a handle portion, an elongated cavity defined within said head portion, means defining a drive track extending from a first end of said cavity, a magazine for supplying fasteners to be driven at a drive position in said drive track, a solenoid winding supported in said cavity adjacent said first end, said winding having a central axial opening, an armature slidably movable in said opening, biasing means urging said armature away from said first end and toward a second end of said cavity, a driver blade supported by said armature and movable in said drive track, control means for selectively energizing said winding to move said armature away from said second end and toward said first end of said cavity for moving said driver blade from an initial position through said drive position in said drive track, said armature including a first portion of magnetic material and a second portion of nonmagnetic material fixed with respect to said first portion, said second portion being disposed closer to said second end of said cavity than said first portion; and resilient guide means engageable with said driver blade in said drive track between said initial and drive positions.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
206 words
A switching apparatus for controlling the energization of an electrically operated impact tool, said apparatus comprising: a hand held housing; a switch device supported by said housing and having a differential between the operating forces required for alternate switch operations; an actuator member movably mounted to engage and operate said switch device; a manually movable trigger member mounted for movement relative to said actuator member; a limited movement connection interconnecting said actuator member and trigger member and limiting movement therebetween to a predetermined distance; means mounting said trigger member for movement toward and away from said switch; a first spring means urging said trigger member away from said switch with a force substantially in excess of said switch operating forces; and a second spring means urging said trigger member and actuator member apart, the spring rate of said second spring means being chosen to apply between said actuator member and said trigger member a spring force varying between a minimum and a maximum as said trigger member moves relative to said actuator member through said predetermined distance; said minimum spring force being less than the smaller of said switch operating forces and said maximum spring force being larger than the larger of said switch operating forces.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
206 words
A switching apparatus for controlling the energization of an electrically operated impact tool, said apparatus comprising: a hand held housing; a switch device supported by said housing and having a differential between the operating forces required for alternate switch operations; an actuator member movably mounted to engage and operate said switch device; a manually movable trigger member mounted for movement relative to said actuator member; a limited movement connection interconnecting said actuator member and trigger member and limiting movement therebetween to a predetermined distance; means mounting said trigger member for movement toward and away from said switch; a first spring means urging said trigger member away from said switch with a force substantially in excess of said switch operating forces; and a second spring means urging said trigger member and actuator member apart, the spring rate of said second spring means being chosen to apply between said actuator member and said trigger member a spring force varying between a minimum and a maximum as said trigger member moves relative to said actuator member through said predetermined distance; said minimum spring force being less than the smaller of said switch operating forces and said maximum spring force being larger than the larger of said switch operating forces.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
A switching apparatus as claimed in claim 15, said trigger member comprising a button.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
A switching apparatus as claimed in claim 16, said limited movement connection comprising a recess in said button, an enlarged portion of said actuator member slidably mounted in said recess, and means capturing said enlarged portion within said recess.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
A switching assembly as claimed in claim 17, said first spring means being in compression between said button and said switch, and said second spring means in said recess in compression between said button and said actuator.