Abstract: In a fastener driving tool, a carrier for holding a plurality of fasteners comprises a plurality of sleeves, each sleeve holding an associated fastener. Each sleeve has a body with an axis and a bore, the bore extending axially through the body and the bore being for receiving the associated fastener. A set of compressible ribs is also included within the bore of the sleeve for gripping a shank of the associated fastener so that the associated fastener is positioned substantially in the axial direction of the sleeve when the fastener is driven. Each rib has a curved portion that is concave with respect to the bore.

Abstract: A fastener collation strip has pairs of vertically aligned rail-engaging members or projections which have convergent sides disposed within at least two mutually orthogonal planes such that lower and upper tip regions of the rail-engaging members or projections define point-type contacts whereby the fastener collation strips are movably supported upon the rail members of the magazine section of the fastener-driving tool. As a result of the point-type contacts, frictional forces generated between the collation strips of fasteners and the rail members of the magazine section of the fastener-driving tool are effectively reduced as much as possible whereby the conveyance or transportation of the collation strips of fasteners through the magazine section of the fastener-driving tool is effectively facilitated so as to render the conveyance or transportation of the collation strips of fasteners through the magazine section of the fastener-driving tool as smooth as possible.

Abstract: In a fastener driving tool, a carrier for holding a plurality of fasteners comprises a plurality of sleeves, each sleeve holding an associated fastener. Each sleeve has a body with an axis and a bore, the bore extending axially through the body and the bore being for receiving the associated fastener. A set of compressible ribs is also included within the bore of the sleeve for gripping a shank of the associated fastener so that the associated fastener is positioned substantially in the axial direction of the sleeve when the fastener is driven. Each rib has a curved portion that is concave with respect to the bore.

Abstract: A combustion-powered, fastener-driving tool useful to fasten a dimpled membrane to a foundation wall, via a fastener and a polymeric plug, is arranged to drive a fastener from a nosepiece, through the plug and the membrane, into the wall. An actuating member mounted movably on the tool is movable thereon between an extended, tool-disabling position and a retracted, tool-enabling position. A workpiece-contacting probe is mounted to the actuating member so as to be conjointly movable with the actuating member. The probe includes a plug-holding member adapted to hold the plug as the fastener is being driven, having a tubular wall defining a recess adapted to receive the plug, and having two pointed elements in diametric opposition to each other, each having a point projecting inwardly from the tubular wall so as to press against the plug received in the recess. The workpiece-contacting probe includes a mounting bracket mounted to the actuating member.

Abstract: The present invention is a fastener assembly including a row of fasteners maintained in position by a carrier. The carrier includes a plurality of adjacent sleeves, each of which includes an upper breakable portion, a middle wall portion, and a lower breakable portion. When a fastener is driven into a work piece, the upper and middle portions of the fastener sleeve break away and the lower portion breaks into fragments, so that no residual sleeve parts remain with the fastener. This is accomplished by forming the carrier from a mixture of a stiff polyolefin material and a particulate filler to impart the necessary brittleness to the carrier sleeves. The plurality of carrier sleeves include two end sleeves. At least one end sleeve includes a lateral end extension in the lower breakable portion which helps to balance and stabilize the fastener assembly in the shear block and magazine holder of a fastener driving tool.

Abstract: The present invention is a fastener assembly including a row of fasteners maintained in position by a carrier. The carrier includes a plurality of adjacent sleeves, each of which includes an upper breakable portion, a middle wall portion, and a lower breakable portion. When a fastener is driven into a work piece, the upper and middle portions of the fastener sleeve break away and the lower portion breaks into fragments, so that no residual sleeve parts remain with the fastener. This is accomplished by forming the carrier from a mixture of a stiff polyolefin material and a particulate filler to impart the necessary brittleness to the carrier sleeves. Also, the lower portion of the sleeve includes fragmentable tabs joined at wall junctions which are structurally weaker than the tabs, to facilitate fragmentation between the tabs.

Abstract: In a fastener-driving tool, which may be a pneumatically powered or combustion-powered pin-driving or nail-driving tool, and which comprises a nosepiece and is adapted to drive a fastener from the nosepiece, through a workpiece, into a substrate, a workpiece-contacting probe comprising two permanent magnets is mounted to the nosepiece for magnetically and releasably holding a washer plate made of magnetizable steel between the nosepiece and a workpiece. Thus, a fastener driven from the nosepiece is driven through a washer plate held by the workpiece-contacting probe, through a workpiece, into a substrate. The workpiece-contacting probe adapts the fastener-driving tool particularly but not exclusively for fastening metal lath to concrete walls, concrete blocks, or other building substrates.

Abstract: A strip of collated fasteners is disclosed, which comprises a plurality of fasteners and a carrier molded from a polymeric material. Each fastener has an elongate shank, which has a pointed end, and a head. The shank of each fastener defines an axis and has two portions of different diameters, namely a thicker portion adjoining the head and a thinner portion adjoining the pointed end, and a shoulder joining the thicker and thinner portions. The carrier comprises a separate sleeve associated with each fastener and is frangible between the separate sleeves. A representative sleeve is disposed around the shank of the associated fastener and has an initial axial length, which the representative sleeve assumes when disposed around the shank of the associated fastener but not compressed axially, and a critical axial length, at which the representative sleeve splits when disposed around the shank of the associated fastener and compressed axially.

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.

Abstract: A quieter, more rugged, more servicable and more versatile pneumatic fastener driving tool having an improved pneumatic exhaust dampening device, a more secure mounting between the magazine and the driving chamber, a quick-release chamber door system for swift access to the driving chamber, and an arrangement for positioning the magazine in a plurality of angles to the tool housing.