Abstract: An apparatus for feeding loose fasteners, such as nails or screws, from the output guideway of a sorter to a plurality of fastening machines. A plurality of holding guideways for holding a quantity of fasteners to be sequentially fed to each fastening machine are attached to an actuator capable of positioning each holding guideway in alignment with the output guideway of the sorter to enable fasteners to be fed into each holding guideway. As each fastener reaches the output end of the holding guideway, it is temporarily retained at that position before it is transmitted to its respective fastening machine for use.

Abstract: An improved nailing machine having a longitudinally reciprocating nail driving ram and a loose nail feeder means associated therewith, which feeds nails to an alignment chamber positioned in a plane adjacent to the stroke path of the driving ram. The nails are fed into the alignment chamber at an angle to the stroke path of the driving ram whereupon a magnet located adjacent to the driving ram rotates the nail from the initially inclined delivery position and draws it from the alignment chamber into a driving position aligned within the stroke path of the driving ram. The nailing machine may be operated pneumatically to facilitate rapid nailing operations, in which case nails are delivered to the alignment chamber by means of timed bursts of air down a pneumatic transfer tube leading from the loose nail feeder to the alignment chamber.