Abstract: A steel pin is disclosed of a type to be forcibly driven into a steel substrate by using a powder-actuated tool. The steel pin has a substantially cylindrical shank, and a substantially sharp point which extends from one end of the substantially cylindrical shank, which conforms substantially to a tangent or secant ogive except for a substantially spherical tip having a radius in the range of approximately 0.015 inch (approximately 3.75 millimeters) to approximately 0.03 inch (approximately 7.5 millimeters), which has substantially true concentricity, which has surface-texture irregularities with a roughness-height index value not greater than approximately 30 microinches (approximately 0.76 micrometers), and which appears to be substantially free of other surface imperfections when viewed under 60.times. magnification.

Abstract: A steel pin is disclosed of a type to be forcibly driven into a steel substrate by using a powder-actuated tool. The steel pin has a substantially cylindrical shank and a substantially sharp point which extends from one end of the substantially cylindrical shank, which conforms substantially to a tangent or secant ogive except for a substantially spherical tip having a radius in a range of approximately 0.02 inch (approximately 5 millimeters) to approximately 0.03 inch (approximately 7.5 millimeters), which has substantially true concentricity, which has surface-texture irregularities with a roughness-height index value in a range from approximately 10 microinches (approximately 0.25 micrometers) to approximately 15 microinches (approximately 0.38 micrometers), and which appears to be substantially free of other surface imperfections when viewed under 60.times. magnification.

Abstract: A steel pin is disclosed of a type to be forcibly driven into a steel substrate via a powder-actuated tool. The steel pin has a substantially cylindrical shank and a substantially sharp point, which extends from one end of the substantially cylindrical shank, which conforms substantially to a tangent or secant ogive except for a substantially spherical tip having a radius in a range of about 0.015 inch (about 3.75 millimeters) to about 0.03 inch (about 7.5 millimeters), which has substantially true concentricity, which has surface-texture irregularities with a roughness-height index value not greater than about 30 microinches (about 0.76 micrometers), and which appears to be substantially free of other surface imperfections when viewed under 60.times. magnification. Optimally, the ogive is a tangent ogive with an ogive radius about ten times the shank diameter and with an ogive length about twice the shank diameter, and the tip radius is about 0.1 times the shank diameter.

Abstract: A fastener assembly including an elongate annular drive pin having a head on one end and being tapered substantially to a point on an opposite end and a clip member having first and second opposite sides, the first side capable of engaging a desired surface into which the drive pin is driven and the second opposite side including a tubular chimney portion extending therefrom a predetermined distance and formed as a continuous substantially annular member having a central bore extending through the chimney portion and the clip member, the bore having a non-annular cross-sectional configuration on at least a longitudinal portion thereof to provide discontinuous contact about the annular periphery of the drive pin enabling the drive pin to be press fitted within the longitudinal portion of the bore to releasably retain the drive pin to the clip member prior to use and further enabling the chimney portion to positively guide and align the drive pin as it is driven while simultaneously providing controlled outward

Abstract: A forming pin having a shank, a head, a point, and a pair of like grooves on opposite sides of the shank is made by gripping an elongate wire in a position wherein an end of the wire is exposed, forming a head at the exposed end of the wire while gripped, advancing the wire by a predetermined distance, and simultaneously forming the point and forming the grooves. The forming pin thus formed is severed from the remaining wire as the point and the grooves are formed. A pair of dies are used, which are movable so as to pinch the wire therebetween, along with mechanisms for closing the dies. The dies are configured similarly to define suitable forming edges.

Abstract: In a strip of collated fasteners, each having a shank and a head, a carrier molded from a polymeric material has a sleeve for each fastener. Each sleeve has an annular portion and a breakable portion, which breaks into two segments as the fastener gripped by such sleeve is driven. The breakable portion, which is notched at one end, has a pair of similar, laterally opposed, outwardly opening, continuously curved concave recesses with open windows, from which portions of the fastener shank emerges. In a fastener-guiding tool, parallel ribs of a guiding device fit into such recesses, into close proximity with the emerging portions, so as to guide the strip between such ribs.

Abstract: Improved guidance devices, particularly guidance flutes and guidance tips, as used to guide pointed fasteners, particularly drive pins of different lengths and threaded studs, as such fasteners are driven through muzzle bushings of powder-actuated tolls, are disclosed. Such a guidance flute, as extruded from an elastomeric material, has four pairs of non-radial ribs protruding outwardly from a tubular body. Each pair consists of one relatively short rib and one relatively long rib in parallel relation with respect to each other, upon opposite sides of a diametrical plane, when the ribs are unstressed. Such a guidance tip, as molded from an elastomeric material, has a cap portion and a flared skirt, which has plural slots extending toward the cap portion and dividing the skirt portion into plural flanged or flared portions. Such guidance devices, when assembled with such fasteners, can be snugly fitted within a muzzle bushing having a bore diameter within a range of bore diameters.