Patents by Inventor Maureen L. Shea

Maureen L. Shea 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: 7757920
    Abstract: A combustion-powered driving tool for propelling fasteners into a workpiece includes a housing, a power source located in the housing, a nosepiece associated with a lower end of the power source, a magazine associated with the housing and constructed and arranged for storing and sequentially feeding a plurality of fasteners to the nosepiece, and a workpiece contact element associated with the nosepiece and including at least one tooth extending from the workpiece contact element and being constructed and arranged for engaging the workpiece to enable the tool to actuate when the magazine is arranged generally parallel to the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Julius Schwartzenberger
  • Patent number: 7654429
    Abstract: A combustion nailer is configured for use with a fuel cell having an internal metering valve and a reciprocating, biased main stem. The nailer includes a tool housing defining a fuel cell chamber constructed and arranged for receiving the fuel cell, a fuel cell actuator assembly configured for actuating the fuel cell in the chamber to emit a measured dose of fuel during tool operation, and a fuel delivery apparatus associated with the actuator assembly for receiving the emitted dose of fuel and providing it to a combustion chamber. The fuel delivery apparatus is configured for preventing actuation of the main stem by the actuator assembly upon the fuel cell being adapter-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Eric S. Gibson, Walter J. Taylor, Chris H. Porth
  • Patent number: 7571841
    Abstract: An adapter configured for use in combination with a cap on a fuel cell having a closure formation, the cap having at least one leg portion and a corresponding foot extending from the leg, including a ring portion configured for engagement upon the closure formation of the fuel cell and including a top edge, a bottom edge, and a sidewall therebetween having an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall, a grooved portion defined by the inner sidewall, a convex gripping formation on the outer sidewall complementary to the closure formation, and at least one recessed formation adjacent the grooved portion for receiving the foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric S. Gibson, James A. Purpura, Thomas E. Webb, Maureen L. Shea
  • Patent number: 7478740
    Abstract: A combustion nailer is configured for use with a fuel cell having an internal metering valve and a reciprocating, biased main stem. The nailer includes a tool housing defining a fuel cell chamber constructed and arranged for receiving the fuel cell, a fuel cell actuator assembly configured for actuating the fuel cell in the chamber to emit a measured dose of fuel during tool operation, and a fuel delivery apparatus associated with the actuator assembly for receiving the emitted dose of fuel and providing it to a combustion chamber. The fuel delivery apparatus is configured for preventing actuation of the main stem by the actuator assembly upon the fuel cell being adapter-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Eric S. Gibson, Walter J. Taylor, Chris H. Porth
  • Publication number: 20090001120
    Abstract: A combustion nailer is configured for use with a fuel cell having an internal metering valve and a reciprocating, biased main stem. The nailer includes a tool housing defining a fuel cell chamber constructed and arranged for receiving the fuel cell, a fuel cell actuator assembly configured for actuating the fuel cell in the chamber to emit a measured dose of fuel during tool operation, and a fuel delivery apparatus associated with the actuator assembly for receiving the emitted dose of fuel and providing it to a combustion chamber. The fuel delivery apparatus is configured for preventing actuation of the main stem by the actuator assembly upon the fuel cell being adapter-free.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Eric S. Gibson, Walter J. Taylor, Chris H. Porth
  • Publication number: 20080264997
    Abstract: A combustion-powered driving tool for propelling fasteners into a workpiece includes a housing, a power source located in the housing, a nosepiece associated with a lower end of the power source, a magazine associated with the housing and constructed and arranged for storing and sequentially feeding a plurality of fasteners to the nosepiece, and a workpiece contact element associated with the nosepiece and including at least one tooth extending from the workpiece contact element and being constructed and arranged for engaging the workpiece to enable the tool to actuate when the magazine is arranged generally parallel to the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Julius Schwartzenberger
  • Publication number: 20080000451
    Abstract: A combustion nailer is configured for use with a fuel cell having an internal metering valve and a reciprocating, biased main stem. The nailer includes a tool housing defining a fuel cell chamber constructed and arranged for receiving the fuel cell, a fuel cell actuator assembly configured for actuating the fuel cell in the chamber to emit a measured dose of fuel during tool operation, and a fuel delivery apparatus associated with the actuator assembly for receiving the emitted dose of fuel and providing it to a combustion chamber. The fuel delivery apparatus is configured for preventing actuation of the main stem by the actuator assembly upon the fuel cell being adapter-free.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Eric S. Gibson, Walter J. Taylor, Chris H. Porth
  • Patent number: 7306052
    Abstract: A multi-position hook assembly includes a hook and a holding block. The hook includes a free leg and a mounting leg joined by a top span. In addition, the holding block is configured for rotatably receiving the mounting leg of the hook and for releasably locking the hook in a plurality of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Mariam Vahabi-Nejad, Walter J. Taylor, Maureen L. Shea, Barry C. Walthall
  • Patent number: 7055729
    Abstract: An adjustable depth of drive assembly for use with a fastener-driving tool includes a workpiece contact element having a contact end and an adjustment end, at least one stop configured for being secured to the tool and being normally moveable between an adjusting position in which the workpiece contact element is movable relative to the tool, and a locked position where the adjustment end is secured from movement relative to the tool, and at least one biasing element associated with the stop and configured for urging the stop and the adjustment end into a selected locked position relative to the tool without the use of tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Taylor, Maureen L. Shea, William J. Heinzen, James A. Purpura, Barry C. Walthall
  • Patent number: D590840
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Eric S. Gibson, Robert S. Buetow
  • Patent number: D633922
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Maureen L. Shea, Eric S. Gibson, Robert S. Buetow