Nail driving tool

Claim 2

A nail driving tool comprising: an elongated driving member including a rear end portion having a striking surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member, a transverse notch in said member near the forward end thereof, an axial recess in said member rearwardly of said notch and contiguous thereto, said recess extending rearwardly along the longitudinal axis of said member, said recess and said notch being dimensioned to receive the head of a nail, said recess including a nail impacting surface substantially parallel to said striking surface, a longitudinal slot in the forward portion of said member contiguous to said notch and extending to said forward end of said member, said slot being narrower than said recess and dimensioned to receive the shank of a nail, a nail fulcrum within said slot forwardly of said notch, said nail fulcrum, said nail impacting surface and said striking surface being substantially collinear.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 and including an axial recess in said forward end of said member coolinear with said striking head and dimensioned to receive the head of a nail.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said member includes a center portion and wherein the cross sectional dimensions of said rear end portion are smaller than the cross sectional dimensions of said center portion.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 wherein said center portion is hexagonal in cross section and said rear end portion is cylindrical.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 wherein the diameter of said rear end portion is smaller than the diagonal of said center portion.

Claim 7

The device of claim 3 and including an elongated extension member positioned over said rear end portion and detachably secured to said center portion.

Claim 8

The device of claim 6 and wherein said extension member is magnetized.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1 wherein the forward end of said tool is magnetized.

Claim 10

A nail driving tool comprising: an elongated driving member including a rear end portion having a striking surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member, a longitudinal slot in the forward portion of said member extending to the forward end thereof and being sufficiently wide to accommodate the shank of a nail, said slot having a bottom surface, an axial recess in said member contiguous to said slot and including a nail impacting surface substantially parallel to said striking surface, a transverse notch in said member forwardly of said recess and contiguous to said recess and said slot, said axial recess extending rearwardly of said notch along the longitudinal axis of said member, said recess being wider than said slot and dimensioned to receive the head of a nail, said slot bottom surface, said nail impacting surface and said striking surface being generally collinear along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member.

Claim 11

A nail driving tool comprising: an elongated driving member including a rear end portion having a striking surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member, a longitudinal slot in the forward portion of said member extending to the forward end thereof and being sufficiently wide to accommodate the shank of a nail, said slot having a bottom surface, an axial recess in said member contiguous to said slot and including a nail impacting surface substantially parallel to said striking surface, a transverse notch in said member forwardly of said recess and contiguous to said recess and said slot, said axial recess extending rearwardly of said notch along the longitudinal axis of said member, said recess being wider than said slot and dimensioned to receive the head of a nail, said slot bottom surface, said nail impacting surface and said striking surface being generally collinear along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member.

Claim 12

The device of claim 9 and wherein said bottom surface slants toward the longitudinal axis of said member so that said slot tapers in a forward direction.

Claim 13

The device of claim 10 and including a rectangular axial recess inserted said forward end of said member collinear with the longitudinal axis of said member and wherein the long dimension of said recess extends in a direction transverse to said slot.

Claim 14

The device of claim 9 and wherein said member is magnetized.

Claim 15

The device of claim 1 and wherein: said rear end portion comprises a rearwardly facing shoulder and a removable driving cap including a rim in abutment with said shoulder, and said striking surface comprises a surface on said cap substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member.

Claim 16

The device of claim 13 and wherein said forward end includes a forwardly facing shoulder dimensioned similarly to said rearwardly facing shoulder.

Claim 17

The device of claim 13 and wherein said member is magnetized.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders are annular and the ends of said forward and rear portions are tapered.