Abstract: A fastener with shaving inhibitor for fastening a material such as a metal sheeting panel to a substrate such as metal or wood. The fastener has a notch angled leftwardly with respect to an axis of the fastener, the notch having a first end and a second end, a leading face and a trailing face, each face having outer edges and a common edge at their intersection. At least one of the leading and trailing faces may be substantially planar but may have other shapes, such as concave. Leftwardly angled notch with faces having outer edges may attract and then cut shavings formed from material being installed, thereby reducing the quantity and/or length of shavings, prolonging the life of the material or the structure to which the material is fastened.

Abstract: A brick tie anchor secures a brick veneer to an underlying structure. The anchor includes a head portion having a shaped body defining a longitudinal axis. The head includes a key portion extending from an end of the body having generally flat sides and an open central area. A shank has an upper shank portion and a lower shank portion. The lower shank portion is threaded for penetration into the underlying structure. The upper shank portion and the lower shank portion are separated from one another by a shoulder. The upper shank portion includes a knurled region extending from the shoulder. A washer is disposed at the juncture of the head portion and the shank. The washer has a diameter greater than a largest measurement across the head portion. The washer includes a resilient sealing element on the side of the washer adjacent to the shank. A driving tool for the anchor is also disclosed.

Abstract: Thermal breaker or thermal barrier structures are disclosed for use in connection with roof decking assemblies wherein the thermal breaker or thermal barrier structures effectively prevent the respective transmission of heating gradients from the interior or exterior building environments to the exterior or interior building environments by thermal conductivity so as to render buildings more energy efficient.

Abstract: A fastener with multiple thread characteristics includes a shank and head. The shank has a penetrating tip distal most from the head. The shank includes a first, conventional thread formation formed therein adjacent the penetrating tip and a second, anti-back-out thread formation adjacent the conventional thread formation, between the conventional thread formation and the head.

Abstract: A new and improved seam plate, for use in connection with securing roofing membranes to underlying roofing decking substructures, comprises a circular disk having a central aperture for receiving a screw fastener, a plurality of concentric ribs for providing reinforcing and bending or flexibility characteristics to the seam plate, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced, downwardly extending projections or eyehooks. Structure is provided upon the seam plate such that the downwardly extending projections or eyehooks, disposed upon, for example, a first one of a plurality of stacked or nested seam plates, are prevented from entering and becoming interlocked with openings or apertures defined within a second one of the plurality of stacked or nested seam plates.

Abstract: A new and improved fastener wherein the tip portion includes a unique and novel structure that enables and facilitates the insertion of the fastener into both wood and concrete substrates. The tip portion includes a half-cone structure in which a pointed tip is defined between a radially outer conical surface portion and a radially inner flat or planar surface portion.

Abstract: A pneumatic fastener driving tool is configured to drive a threaded fastener using both linear and rotational motion. The tool allows a fastener to first be driven linearly, without rotation, through a surface material and into a substrate material, preferably to a depth that causes the fastener to at least pierce the substrate material. The tool then rotates the threaded fastener and causes it to fully engage the substrate material, thereby fastening the surface material to the substrate material. The tool has sufficient linear force to drive a fastener into relatively hard substrate materials, such as steel studs, and has a stationary air motor assembly to reduce recoil generated during the driving process. The tool further comprises a gear reducer assembly that uses a compound planetary gear in order to reduce the overall length of the tool.

Abstract: A housing for a power tool having a power source, includes a fuel cell chamber configured for attachment to the power source and dimensioned for operationally receiving a fuel cell in either one of a first orientation and a second orientation.

Abstract: A threaded screw fastener has a point, a shank and a head. The point is a ballistic point. The shank comprises a linear travel area, preferably unthreaded, adjacent to the point and a threaded area between the linear travel area and the head. The head is a bugle head formed with a Phillips-style recess configured to receive a driver or driving bit. The fastener is configured fasten a surface material to a substrate material and to be linearly driven into the materials before rotation of the fastener is required, thus reducing the number of rotations required to drive the fastener. The fastener is particularly suited to be used with powered driving tools that utilize both linear and rotating driving means.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a metal substrate, an amorphous adhesion layer on the metal substrate, and a protective DLC layer over the adhesion layer. The adhesion layer has a thickness of less than about 8 Angstroms, and has a composition of carbon silicon carbide or carbon silicon nitride. The composition of the adhesion layer provides corrosion resistance for the metal substrate.

Abstract: A brick tie anchor secures a brick veneer to an underlying structure. The anchor includes a head portion having a shaped body defining a longitudinal axis. The head includes a key portion extending from an end of the body having generally flat sides and an open central area. A shank has an upper shank portion and a lower shank portion. The lower shank portion is threaded for penetration into the underlying structure. The upper shank portion and the lower shank portion are separated from one another by a shoulder. The upper shank portion includes a knurled region extending from the shoulder. A washer is disposed at the juncture of the head portion and the shank. The washer has a diameter greater than a largest measurement across the head portion. The washer includes a resilient sealing element on the side of the washer adjacent to the shank. A driving tool for the anchor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A fastener with multiple thread characteristics includes a shank and head. The shank has a penetrating tip distal most from the head. The shank includes a first, conventional thread formation formed therein adjacent the penetrating tip and a second, anti-back-out thread formation adjacent the conventional thread formation, between the conventional thread formation and the head.

Abstract: An anchor assembly structured for use in connection with ceiling or roofing structures for hanging industrial or commercial components, such as, for example, electrical conduits, heating units, water pipes for automatic water sprinkler systems, and the like. The anchor assembly is easy and quick to install, and also provides enhanced swivel capabilities or angular ranges of movement so as to accommodate various system and spatial requirements in connection with the suspension of the components. Suspension and lateral restraint systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a metal substrate, an amorphous adhesion layer on the metal substrate, and a protective DLC layer over the adhesion layer. The adhesion layer has a thickness of less than about 8 Angstroms, and has a composition of carbon silicon carbide or carbon silicon nitride. The composition of the adhesion layer provides corrosion resistance for the metal substrate.

Abstract: An insulation plate has a lower height profile, a smaller thickness dimension, and a smaller transverse extent than those of conventional insulation plates so as to effectively reduce the material costs and weight of each insulation plate. In addition, the insulation plate is provided with an increased number of concentric rib members, as compared to conventional insulation plates, whereby the insulation plate is characterized by enhanced rigidity such that the insulation substrate does not achieve pullover with respect to the insulation plate, and wherein further, the radially innermost rib member structurally cooperates with the centrally apertured recessed portion of the insulation plate in order to provide the same with enhanced strength characteristics in order to resist fastener pull-through.

Abstract: A threaded screw fastener is provided with a head portion that has integrally incorporated therein dual drive structure whereby the single threaded screw fastener can be rotatably driven by alternative rotary drive socket implements or tools, such as, for example, hexagonally configured or Phillips head configured drive tools or implements, or a combination drive tool. A drive socket implement or tool also has integrally incorporated therein both hexagonally configured drive structure, Phillips head drive structure, and domed contour structure for not only structurally engaging both the hexagonally configured structure and the Phillips head structure integrally incorporated upon the head portion of the threaded screw fastener, but in addition, accommodates the low profile domed structure of the head portion of the threaded screw fastener.

Abstract: A driver blade for use in a combustion-powered fastener-driving tool includes an elongate tubular body having a combustion end and a driving end, the combustion end being configured for attachment to a piston, and the driving end having a substantially solid cross-section. The tubular body is in fluid communication with a tool combustion chamber.

Abstract: A system for securing a plurality of slabs of insulation to an underlying roof decking substructure by a plurality of batten strips is disclosed, wherein the plurality of slabs of insulation are disposed within a grid-type arrangement comprising a plurality of transversely oriented rows of the slabs of insulation and a plurality of longitudinally oriented columns of the slabs of insulation. Alternative columns of the slabs of insulation are preferably longitudinally offset with respect to the columns of the slabs of insulation which are interposed between the alternative columns of the slabs of insulation so as to effectively stagger adjacent or abutting slabs of insulation with respect to each other for enhancing wind uplift resistance properties.

Abstract: A threaded screw fastener is provided with thread structure wherein each thread of the threaded screw fastener comprises rearward and forward flank surfaces which effectively serve to enhance the pull-out resistance characteristics or properties of the threaded screw fastener while reducing the installation or insertion torque characteristics or properties of the threaded screw fastener. In addition, the forward and rearward flank surfaces of adjacent threads are separated from each other a predetermined amount so as to effectively capture overlapped edge portions of adjacent roofing panels in order to prevent backing out of the threaded screw fasteners even when the roofing panels undergo expansion and contraction as a result of being exposed to cyclically varying environmental or weather conditions.