Screw driving machine with a belt support and guidance mechanism

Claim 1

A screw driving machine utilizing a long belt holding a plurality of screws to be driven, comprising: a housing; a rotary tool contained in said housing; a screwdriver bit operatively attached to said rotary tool; a nose member slidably attached to said housing so as to allow said nose member to move along a direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis of said screwdriver bit; ratcheting means, operatively engaged with said belt, capable of turning due to relative movement between said nose member and said housing, for advancing said belt and successively feeding each of said screws to an operating position opposite said screwdriver bit; an entrance port, formed in said nose member, so as to guide said belt toward said ratcheting means; an exit port, formed in said nose member, so as to allow said belt to exit said nose member after said screws have been driven; a magazine, fixedly attached to said housing, for supporting said belt behind a leading end thereof as said leading end enters said inlet port, said magazine having a semielliptically shaped guide passage through which said belt and screws contained therein pass, said magazine also including an inlet port located at a first end of said guide passage, where said belt enters said guide passage, and an outlet port located at a second end of said passage, where said belt exits said guide passage, said second end of said guide passage is proximate said entrance port of said nose member.