Abstract: A carpentry tool for the installation of parallel boards includes an elongated lever having a rotatable cam pivotally affixed adjacent to a distal end of the lever, a gripper body pivotally affixed at a distal end of the lever, the gripper body having two lugs or brackets extending downward from the lower end of the gripper body, wherein the gripper body includes a multi-piece telescopic section having outer and inner tubing members in slidable engagement, the one tubing member including a first lug or bracket on a lower face thereof, another tubing member including a second lug or bracket on a lower face thereof, opposing the first bracket, and a spindle extending from an upper face of the gripper body, and a mechanism for reversibly adjusting the sliding tubing members at predetermined points.

Abstract: A hidden deck fastener for joining adjacent deck boards and securing the boards to an underlying joist includes a biscuit core having an upper face and a lower face, two supporting leg members attached to the lower face, arranged on opposite sides of a central region of the biscuit core and extending downwardly, a screw well located in the central region, the screw well having a central cavity within the upper face and a controlled flash continuous with the lower face, the controlled flash defining the bottom of the well, a ridge defining a central beam extending through a least a lower portion of the screw well, the central beam extending between the leg members through the central region of the biscuit core, and foot members connected to the lower end of the legs, defined by a living hinge groove at the lower end of the legs.