Patents by Inventor Michael S. Popovich

Michael S. Popovich 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).

  • Publication number: 20040050898
    Abstract: A magazine for use with a fastener driving tool comprises a slider and a housing defining a chamber, a follower positioned in the chamber to bias fasteners arranged in a strip, and a longitudinal guide member within the magazine chamber to guide fasteners. The longitudinal guide member comprises two fingers that extend inwardly from the slider and prevent the fastener strip from skewing when inside the magazine chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Anthony R. Caringella
  • Publication number: 20040050897
    Abstract: A fastener driving tool comprises a tool body, a muzzle extending forwardly from the tool body and being displaceable into a ready-to-fire position, a magazine for holding fasteners coupled to the muzzle, and a follower within the magazine that biases the fasteners. The follower has a blocking surface that blocks the muzzle during fastener-empty condition and prevents the muzzle from displacing into ready-to-fire position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Anthony R. Caringella
  • Patent number: 6688829
    Abstract: A fastener subassembly for being driven by a power actuated tool comprises a flute having a body and a pin having a tip for being driven into a substrate. The body of the flute has a longitudinal axis, a muzzle loading end, a mounting end, and a hollow bore. The pin is mounted in the bore with its tip proximate the mounting end, such that the tip is protected from pressure between the fastener subassembly and the substrate prior to driving. The mounting end of the flute has wings that extend radially outwardly. The wings allow the subassembly to be mounted in a hole in any suitable member that needs to be attached to a substrate while holding the pin substantially perpendicular to the substrate during driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Anthony R. Caringella
  • Patent number: 6679411
    Abstract: In a fastener driving tool, a retention system for a piston comprises a buffer and a set of bearings in a cage, the bearings being abutted against the buffer. The buffer provides a force urging the bearing radially inwardly toward the piston so that the bearings retain the piston in a predetermined position when the piston is not being actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Edward D. Yates
  • Publication number: 20030116602
    Abstract: In a fastener driving tool, a retention system for a piston comprises a buffer and a set of bearings in a cage, the bearings being abutted against the buffer. The buffer provides a force urging the bearing radially inwardly toward the piston so that the bearings retain the piston in a predetermined position when the piston is not being actuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Edward D. Yates
  • Patent number: 6547120
    Abstract: A compression triggered powder driven fastening tool having a firing mechanism with a sleeve axially movable between first and second positions, a lever cam coupled to the sleeve or some other reciprocating portion of the tool and movable therewith, an indexing lever pivotally coupled to the tool, the indexing lever having a magazine strip engagement portion extending into a magazine channel of the tool, the indexing lever having a cam follower portion engaged with the lever cam, the magazine strip engagement portion of the indexing lever moves between first and second positions in the magazine channel as the sleeve moves with the reciprocating portion of the tool to which it is coupled, the magazine engagement portion of the indexing lever indexes a magazine strip through a channel of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Edward D. Yates
  • Publication number: 20030019902
    Abstract: In a powder driven fastening tool, a channel is included for feeding a strip of explosive powder cartridges to a firing mechanism. A trigger is included for actuating the firing mechanism, wherein the trigger is movable between a first position and a second position. An advancing lever is pivotally coupled to the tool, the advancing lever having a strip engagement portion for indexing the strip which extends into the channel. An advance link is cammingly engaged with the advancing lever and is operationally associated with the trigger so that the strip engagement portion is in a first position in the channel when the trigger is in the first position and so the strip engagement portion is in a second position when the trigger is in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Edward D. Yates
  • Patent number: 6059162
    Abstract: A powder actuated fastener setting tool including a receiver for receiving a portion of a barrel reciprocatable therein between extended and retracted positions, and a substantially enclosed exhaust baffle disposed between the receiver and a muzzle of the barrel when the barrel is in the retracted position for baffling exhaust discharged from the tool during operation thereof. The tool also includes a spring member disposed between a cap fixedly coupled axially to a muzzle of the barrel and the receiver for biasing the barrel in the extended position, and a mechanism for removing exhaust residue from the powder actuated tool during operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Edward D. Yates
  • Patent number: 5310108
    Abstract: In a hammer-strikable, powder-actuated, fastener-driving tool, a breech block is mounted within a generally tubular body by several resilient shock absorber structures, each including an elastomeric grommet, an eyelet having a tubular portion surrounded by the grommet and an annular portion, a washer interposed between the annular portion and one end of the grommet, and a screw attaching the breech block to the body. The screw shank extends through the grommet. The screw head bears against the washer. The breech block mounts a firing pin, which is biased backwardly to a normal position, and to which a hammer-strikable button is connected. A barrel mounted to the body so as to be axially movable with respect thereto has an elongate slot. A stud mounted upon the body extends through the slot. A washer disposed around the stud is biased against the barrel so as to impart frictional drag to the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Richard J. Ernst, Edward D. Yates
  • Patent number: 5273198
    Abstract: A powder-actuated tool for driving fasteners, such as drive pins, into concrete, masonry, or steel workpieces comprises a tool body having a sleeve, a barrel extending forwardly from the tool body, a firing pin mounted operatively in the tool body and movable therein between a dormant position and a firing position, and a manually operable trigger for releasably latching the firing pin and for releasing the firing pin when the trigger is actuated with the firing pin in the dormant position. When moved to an actuated position with the firing pin in the dormant position and releasably latched a spring-loading element extending backwardly from the sleeve manually loads a spring compressively, so as to bias the firing pin toward the firing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Edward D. Yates
  • Patent number: 5269450
    Abstract: In a hammer-strikable, powder-actuated, fastener-driving tool, a breech block is mounted within a generally tubular body by several resilient shock absorber structures, each including an elastomeric grommet, an eyelet having a tubular portion surrounded by the grommet and an annular portion, a washer interposed between the annular portion and one end of the grommet, and a screw attaching the breech block to the body. The screw shank extends through the grommet. The screw head bears against the washer. The breech block mounts a firing pin, which is biased backwardly to a normal position, and to which a hammer-strikable button is connected. A barrel, mounted upon the body so as to be axially movable with respect thereto, has an elongate slot. A stud mounted upon the body extends through the slot. A washer disposed around the stud is biased against the barrel so as to impart frictional drag to the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Popovich, Richard J. Ernst, Edward D. Yates