Patents by Inventor Thomas A. McCardle

Thomas A. McCardle has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6239401
    Abstract: A conventional stud welding tool is substantially improved by providing the tool with an electrode with an adjustable aperture capable of grasping studs with a variety of sizes. The adjustable aperture is in the form of a chuck having a plurality of sliding fingers movable along intersecting axes and positionable along these axes to form an aperture of a desired diameter. The fingers have a threaded exterior surface, and the chuck includes a wheel having a threaded interior surface for engaging the threaded exterior surfaces of the fingers for moving the fingers along their axes in response to rotation of the wheel. The chuck is automatically closed and opened by a control circuit in response to the condition of a variety of sensors connected to the control circuit. Also, a collating strip of studs and a feed assembly is used to automatically deliver studs to the electrode under control of the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Senco Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. McCardle, James W. Miser, Jr., Mathias Wottreng, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6098801
    Abstract: A system for automatically feeding studs to the electrode of a manual stud welding tool. The system comprises a magazine associated with the tool. The magazine receives a tandem row of studs mounted in and collated by a disposable mounting and collating strip assembly. A drive assembly is associated with the magazine to advance the mounting and collating strip assembly such that each stud, when it becomes the forwardmost stud of the tandem row, is properly positioned with respect to the tool to be welded to a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Senco Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. McCardle, James W. Miser, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6025569
    Abstract: A system for automatically feeding studs to the electrode of a manual stud welding tool. The system comprises a magazine associated with the tool. The magazine receives a tandem row of studs mounted in and collated by a disposable mounting and collating strip assembly. A drive assembly is associated with the magazine to advance the mounting and collating strip assembly such that each stud, when it becomes the forwardmost stud of the tandem row, is properly positioned with respect to the tool to be welded to a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Senco Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. McCardle, James W. Miser, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4898316
    Abstract: A fastener magazine and guide device for use with a moveable fastening tool. The fastener magazine contains a coil of fasteners and is mounted in a fixed position in close proximity to the fastening tool. A guide is attached at its one end to the fastening tool by an angular tongue, while its other end is mounted near the fastener magazine such that the guide can move with the tool but does not transmit movement to the fastener magazine. The fastener magazine is mounted on an angle to allow for smooth feeding of the fasteners to the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: Senco Products, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. McLaughlin, Thomas A. McCardle
  • Patent number: 4863089
    Abstract: Improvements in the guide body and nail feed mechanism of a nail driving tool, using wire collated nails, to eliminate the formation of loose pieces of collating wire and the trapping thereof under the heads of driven nails to form flags. The tool has a driver, a magazine containing a coil of nails joined together in spaced relationship by collating wires welded to each nail, a guide body providing a drive track for the driver and the nails, and a feed pawl which advances and retracts in guideways in the guide body and has fingers engaging nails of the coil to locate the forwardmost nail thereof in the drive track. As the forwardmost nail of the coil is driven into a workpiece the collating wires break near the forwardmost nail leaving forwardly extending wire segments on the next succeeding nail. The drive track is provided with windows positioned to receive the wire segments of the forwardmost nail and bend them upwardly along the nail shank as the nail is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Senco Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. McCardle, Taylor, J. C., Thomas E. Hentz