Abstract: A nailing machine according to the present invention comprises a nail push member for separating a nail from a nail band supplied to the nail injection hole of the nose member by the nail supply mechanism before the nail is driven by the percussion driver and for pushing the nail to the front of the nail injection hole; and a nail holding means for holding the body part of the nail pushed to the fore side of the nose member by the nail push member in a state that the pointed end of the nail is protruded. Thereby, the nailing machine can easily be positioned in a manner that the pointed end portion of a nail is protruded from the foremost end of the nose member by a predetermined length before the nailing machine drives a nail supplied to the nailing position, and the protruded end of the nail can be inserted into a through-hole of the work.

Abstract: A screw driving machine with a magazine for supporting a belt holding screws that are to be driven. The magazine also serves to guide the belt and screws into an operating position. The magazine is of a semielliptical shape with a guide passage therethrough.

Abstract: In an apparatus for producing a device for detaching portions of workpieces in plate, sheet or leaf form, in particular sheets of cardboard which are used in the folding box industry and which each include at least one blank for a folding box or the like, and adjoining waste pieces, a plurality of individual breaking-out pins are to be releasably fixed at a radial spacing (e) from each other on an elongate conveyor member, at the path of movement of which is disposed a piston or the like pressure element which is directed substantially parallel to at least one of the breaking-out pins and which is adapted to be moved towards a breaking-out pin and which is guided substantially at a right angle to a breaking-out plate to be fitted with breaking-out pins, wherein the conveyor member passes between the piston and the breaking-out plate.

Abstract: A tape for holding nails has a side wall and upper and lower walls extending from both longitudinal edges of the side wall to the same side. The upper wall is formed with notches which open to the longitudinal side edge of the upper wall to hold nail shanks at their upper part near their heads. A fold-back wall is integral with the lower wall and folded back so as to oppose the top surface of the lower wall. The lower wall and the fold-back wall are formed with notches which open to the fold-back edge between the lower wall and the fold-back wall to hold the nail shanks at the lower part neat their tips. Instead of providing the fold-back wall, the top surface of the lower wall may be partially thickened at least at inner end portions of the notches.

Abstract: A blind rivet feed belt for a continuous riveter wherein a series of supporting means for rivet rods is formed on a plastic channel, plastic belts or metallic chains, a series of driven means for advancing said belt and a series of blind rivets inserted in said feed belt.

Abstract: A tool for applying fasteners to a workpiece includes a housing, a fastener driving mechanism for driving a fastener through a driveway, a fastener guide assembly containing the driveway, a fastener magazine for holding and sequentially feeding fasteners to the guide assembly, and an arrangement for properly positioning the driveway relative to the workpiece. The fastener guide assembly includes a head through which the fasteners are driven, and the positioning arrangement includes a pair of opposite beveled surfaces on the sides of the head for longitudinally aligning the driveway relative to the workpiece, and a substantially U-shaped channel in the bottom face of the head for longitudinally aligning the driveway relative to the workpiece.

Abstract: Improvements in a fastener-feeding mechanism for a pneumatically powered, combustion-powered, or other rapidly acting, fastener-driving tool comprising a housing structure, a driver, and a magazine, as well as such a mechanism. The housing structure includes a nosepiece defining a drive track. The drive is mounted for repeatable movement along the drive track. The magazine is adapted to store a strip of collated fasteners, e.g., collated nails, such that a leading portion of the strip extends from the magazine. As a component for feeding fasteners individually and sequentially into the drive track from the leading portion of the strip, a pawl has a groove or grooves adapted to receive one such fastener. A fixed structure confines one of two sides of the leading portion of the strip so as to guide such portion. When in an operative position, a hinged structure confines the other side of such portion so as to guide such portion.

Abstract: An explosive powder charge operated setting device includes an axially extending barrel with a guide magazine for a nail strip extending transversely of the barrel axis. A spring member within the magazine biases individual nails in the strip into the barrel bore. The magazine is aligned with a first aperture opening through the barrel into the bore. Diametrically opposite the first aperture is a second aperture so that a nail strip can be introduced through the second aperture, the barrel, and the first aperture, into the magazine. A stop is displaceably mounted on the barrel and can be held in a first position in the second aperture for holding nails in the strip in axial alignment with the barrel bore axis.

Abstract: An explosive powder charge operated setting device includes a housing containing a barrel with a muzzle forming a muzzle bore at the outlet end of the barrel. Nails held in a carrier strip are fed from a magazine through a first or insertion aperture into the muzzle bore. Each nail has a head projecting outwardly from one side of the carrier strip and the nail heads have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the muzzle bore. The heads serve as stops limiting movement of the carrier strip out of the magazine. Due to the diameter difference between the nail heads and the muzzle bore, the nail heads in the stopped position do not align with the muzzle bore axis. When a nail is to be driven, it is displaced opposite to the feed direction out of the magazine into axial alignment with the muzzle bore.

Abstract: A machine for inserting electrically conducting miniature spring sockets into holes of a printed circuit board without any damage to the circuit board, yet providing sufficient lateral movement to accommodate slight misalignments during the insertion process.

Abstract: Improvements in the guide body and nail feed mechanism of a nail driving tool, using wire collated nails, to eliminate the formation of loose pieces of collating wire and the trapping thereof under the heads of driven nails to form flags. The tool has a driver, a magazine containing a coil of nails joined together in spaced relationship by collating wires welded to each nail, a guide body providing a drive track for the driver and the nails, and a feed pawl which advances and retracts in guideways in the guide body and has fingers engaging nails of the coil to locate the forwardmost nail thereof in the drive track. As the forwardmost nail of the coil is driven into a workpiece the collating wires break near the forwardmost nail leaving forwardly extending wire segments on the next succeeding nail. The drive track is provided with windows positioned to receive the wire segments of the forwardmost nail and bend them upwardly along the nail shank as the nail is driven.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic nailer system for use in the joinery industry. The system includes a strip including a plurality of plastic ferrules which receive a complementary plurality of nails. The ferrules are arranged in a longitudinal row and are connected to each other by at least one severable plastic web. The system further includes an automatic nailer specially adapted to drive the nails individually into a substrate while at the same time severing its associated ferrule from the next adjacent ferrule. Preferably, the automatic nailer includes a cartridge for feeding a plurality of strips into the automatic nailer.

Abstract: An impact nailing and dimpling apparatus is described. In the apparatus there is provided a dimple forming member and a number of valve members for causing the dimple forming member to be repetitively hammered for providing a dimple in a wallboard or other surface and for setting a nail in the dimple. An adjustable nut is provided for shutting off the apparatus when the dimple and nail have been set to a predetermined depth. A nail feed mechanism automatically feeds nails from a cartridge to a position located beneath the dimple forming member. The baseplate is provided with recesses coupled to a source of vacuum for providing a negative pressure between the base and the wallboard or other surface against which the apparatus is held during nailing operations.

Abstract: A nailing strip for use in a power-operating nailing hammer, and having a plurality of nails arranged in a strip, a junction wire fastened to the shank of each nail in the strip, and a sheath covering the wire.

Abstract: A magazine has a housing enclosing a cavity for a coil of fasteners. One member of the housing is movable, e.g. pivotable, to open the housing for reloading. A fastener support member extends across the cavity and is supported by support means on an internal wall of the housing.

Abstract: A stapler having a pistol grip which can be entirely formed as a one-piece molding, without need for separate springs, connectors or other parts. The main springs are not stressed until the trigger is pulled for the first time. Staples of a special configuration are closed by a driver having a specially shaped forming end.

Abstract: A fastener supply includes a collated strip of fasteners having laterally extending ears. The fasteners are held together by spaced, parallel, preferably flexible elongated carrier strips, adhered to the ears. A magazine feeds fasteners to an inclined or tilted position in a drive station of a fastener driving gun. The apparatus is manipulated over a lug so that the lug extends through a fastener to be driven and engages a locating surface for gun and fastener alignment. Fasteners are rotated, as they are driven, from the inclined to a perpendicular position with respect to the lug. Methods of driving are included.

Abstract: A driving apparatus for fasteners, which receives the fasteners, such as nails, pins, or screws attached to a supply belt, has a cutter for cutting off sections of the supply belt as the latter comes out empty of a belt guide channel in which the fasteners are removed, one by one, from the supply belt. Thus, the empty supply belt can be easily removed and prevented from hindering the operation of the driving apparatus. The cutter may be operated manually or by pressure applied by a piston cylinder.

Abstract: A feeder for headed fasteners, such as rivets (43), driven at equal intervals through a tape (44), is applicable to a riveting machine (10) and includes a plunger (25) advanced and retracted through a guide bush (29) and with a punch (37) at its leading end. When the plunger (25) advances the punch (37) is driven through a delivery passage in the guide bush head (39). A guide tube (45) leads the tape (44) to bring fasteners (43) in sequence into the rivet delivery passage (52). An actuator (56), oscillatable in the guide bush (39), is moved to retracted position by the advancing plunger (25), and is automatically returned to advanced position when the plunger (25) retracts.

Abstract: A rivet driver is disclosed, which comprises a guide space through which a rivet belt is fed, feeder means for feeding the rivet belt through the guide space stepwise at increments equal to the pitch of the branch portions, re-directing means operable in an interlocked relation with the feeding operation of the rivet feeder means for bending the branch portion associated with the rivet located at a driving position in the guide space so that the rivet assumes a different orientation from that of the other rivets in the rivet belt, squeezing means for pushing the flange of the re-directed rivet to thereby squeeze out the rivet member from the branch portion, and a restoring mechanism for bending back and restoring the initial orientation of the branch portion bent by the re-directing means and leading the restored branch portion back to the guide space.

Abstract: A collated fastener strip includes an elongated flexible plastic web having a row of projecting tabs along one or both of its elongated edges. Each tab is provided with an open ended slot with an opening intermediate its end in which is frictionally retained the shank of a nail or screw. The opening is of a quadrilateral configuration to provide improved frictional contact with the fastener shank. The location of the opening intermediate the ends of the slot divide the tab into two arms that can be deflected to accommodate fasteners of different sizes while retaining adequate frictional engagement therewith.

Abstract: There is disclosed a fastener applying apparatus for applying fasteners to articles by passing each fastener severed from a fastener assembly through a hollow needle. This fastener applying apparatus includes an alignment passage in which the fastener assembly is loaded, a guide slot formed at the uppermost end of the alignment passage, means for feeding the fastener to be placed at the uppermost end of the fastener assembly to the guide slot and a force rod adapted to forcibly introduce a cross bar section of the fastener into a cross bar section guide passage positioned on the axis of the hollow needle by advancing the fastener placed at the uppermost end of the fastener assembly in the guide slot.

Abstract: A staple forming and driving tool (10) employing a vertical front portion of a staple head base (34), and sheath (40) to provide a space for reciprocating former member (70) and driver (80). Spring (50) urges base (34) toward sheath (40) with spacer lugs (33) maintaining a defined distant between base (34) and sheath (40).A belt (94) is fed through an opening (100) in base (34) by a cartridge (90) which protrudes into opening (100) and belt advancing means (104, 112) is held inoperative by forming tang (75) during a portion of the forming and driving stroke to prevent movement of staple wire (200) during critical periods of such stroke.The former (70) is moved during the forming and driving stroke through a path which permits former lugs (72) to guide the former staple down to a point adjacent the workpiece (300).

Abstract: A fastener driving tool with an improved fastener package supporting magazine canister assembly constructed essentially of three plastic parts: (1) a mounting part, (2) a package supporting part, and (3) a package covering part. A plurality of ledges on the exterior periphery of a portion of a peripheral wall of the supporting part and series of cooperating ledges on the mounting part act as an adjustable mount for releasably fixedly supporting the package supporting part on the mounting part in a selected one of a plurality of different operative positions depending upon the nail size of the package which is selected.

Abstract: A fastener driving tool comprising a tool body defining a fastener drive track, a fastener driver mounted in the drive track for movement through successive drive and return strokes, a magazine providing a space for retaining a coiled strip of fasteners, a guide passage leading from the magazine to the drive track along which a leading end portion of the strip with supported fasteners can be moved, and a fastener feeding mechanism for moving the leading end portion of the strip with fasteners along the guide passage. The feeding mechanism includes a L-shaped member having a horizontally extending portion and a vertical portion extending upwardly therefrom. The L-shaped member is disposed with respect to the guide passage such that the horizontal extending portion extends through a continuous longitudinal gap in the strip and the vertically extending portion extends alongside the inner surface of the continuous wall of the strip defining the upper portion of the gap.

Abstract: A pneumatically operated fastener-driving tool, particularly adapted for nailing drywall to the framing of a building, includes a housing, a reciprocator assembly mounted within the housing, and a piston mechanism mounted within the reciprocating assembly for axially driving the fastener into the drywall and underlying framing member. Upon actuation of the tool, the piston is pneumatically driven through a fastener-driving stroke and the reciprocator is reactively driven in an opposite direction. The oppositely driven reciprocator assembly absorbs recoil energy during the piston's driving stroke without transmitting an appreciable amount thereof to the housing, thereby substantially precluding housing recoil during driving of the fastener. At the end of the driving stroke, the reciprocator engages and is decelerated by the piston, thereby reducing housing recoil subsequent to the driving of the fastener.

Abstract: A gun for successive adhesion of fasteners, comprising a body, a slide which is slidably fitted in the body, an actuator of the slide having an operating trigger, a fastener loading station on the body, a fastener preadhering station located below the fastener loading station and in front of the slide, a shutter plate for bringing fasteners on the fastener loading station into the fastener preadhering station one by one, and a fastener exiting station in front of the fastener preadhering station, the slide being moved to push out the fasteners located at the fastener preadhering station from the gun.

Abstract: A rivet driver for easily fastening a rivet comprising a male shank and a female tube to separate members has a construction such that the separate members may be united by hydraulically driving the male shank into the female tube to thereby cause the female tube to be radially expanded outwardly and that upon completion of this hydraulic driving, it feeds a subsequent rivet to the supply position and is ready for next driving of the male shank into the female tube of the subsequent rivet.

Abstract: A medical stapling device in which, upon activation, spaced lugs on a driver advance open staples along a track between two grooved rails frictionally holding the staples so that the leading staple will be closed around an anvil at the end of the track and can suture adjacent living tissue. Subsequently cam members which maintained the lugs in engagement with the staples as the lead staple was closed are biased by a spring to a position at which the lugs separate from and move around the staples as the driver is returned to its original position at which the lugs again engage subsequent staples along the track.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a semi-automatic helical insert tool that supports a pair of coils of feed strip having helical inserts thereon. The feed strip is fed through a strip guide to an indexing dial which advances an insert into drive position upon reciprocation of a manually operable trigger on the tool. Actuation of the trigger of the tool not only advances the helical insert into drive position but actuates an air motor to effect advancement of a drive tool into engagement with the insert and drive of the insert into a complementary aperture in a workpiece.

Abstract: A nail feed mechanism for use in power operated nailing guns having a strip of nails joined by two lengths of wire at spaced intervals, for feeding the nails from a magazine to a barrel, and having a nail feed channel, a nail feed pawl adjacent to such channel with abutments interengageable with the nails to advance them into the barrel, contoured surfaces on such abutments around which the wires are bent over when the nail is driven in and spacers on the pawl maintaining the nail out of contact with the bent over portions of wire.

Abstract: A tag attaching device having a guide groove for receiving and guiding a tag pin assembly. The device has a cutting edge and a pressing member disposed to oppose to each other across the guide groove. The pressing member is adapted to press the portion of the connecting bar from which tag pins have been severed against the cutting edge to cut that portion of the connecting bar to avoid various troubles which might otherwise be caused by the projection of the connecting bar, such as damaging of the goods to which tag pins are attached.

Abstract: A power-driven screwdriver for use with a motor-driven tool for driving a strip of screws one at a time into a workpiece and having an outer guide frame in which a slide block and a slide plate are slidably mounted. A screw indexing lever is angularly movably mounted on the slide block and has a pin received in a first cam slot having an oblique portion and defined in the outer guide frame and a second cam slot defined in the slide plate. When the motor-driven tool is pushed toward a workpiece, the slide block and the slide plate are slid into the outer guide frame, allowing a screwdriver bit to engage and drive a screw into the workpiece. After the screw has been driven, the motor-driven tool is retracted away from the workpiece, whereupon the slide block and the slide plate are forced to slide out of the outer guide frame under the bias of a spring around the screwdriver bit.

Abstract: Apparatus including a tape magazine for elongated fasteners and a mechanism for feeding such fasteners in front of a driving means for driving the fasteners into a workpiece. An embodiment comprising an attachment for an electric drill in which screws are carried by the tape from the magazine into the mechanism for feeding in front of a screwdriver rotated by the electric drill is described in detail. The conformation of the tape and the tape indexing means provides jam-proofing and double feed prevention features in addition to reducing the driving force required and enabling the tape to be reloaded for reuse.

Abstract: A tool for driving fasteners includes a casing defining a nose portion and a handle portion within which is a reservoir for pressurized fluid. A driver is mounted in the nose portion that is reciprocated by a piston attached thereto and an assembly for returning the piston to a static position after a driving stroke is also included. The return assembly includes a chamber in fluid communication through an inlet with pressurized air and with an outlet that is in communication with a location beneath the return piston. A diaphragm is mounted within the chamber and is biased by a shoe and spring into sealing engagement with the inlet and the outlet. Another metered inlet is also included in the chamber that is in fluid communication with the source of pressurized fluid and controls the sealing action of the diaphragm. The chamber for the return assembly is also in fluid communication with a second chamber within which is mounted a differential area piston.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for aligning and press-fitting connector terminals into a substrate. The terminals are initially supported together by a bandolier strip, and an alignment tool aligns the terminals with apertures in the substrate to which the terminals will be press-fitted. A pressing tool engages the shanks of the terminals to fold the bandolier away from the terminals and thereafter press the terminals into the apertures.

Abstract: A ram tip component for inserting terminal posts in a wiring board includes an elongated body having an end face and a terminal post receiving passageway extending into the body through the end face and having outer and inner portions with respect to the end face. A terminal post entry slot extends laterally through the body and the end face and opens into the outer portion of the passageway, and a retaining spring is positioned in the inner portion of the passageway to bias the terminal post in the passageway against a wall thereof. The end of the body opposite the end face is provided with a bore communicating with the inner portion of the passageway, and terminal post stop pins of varying axial length are adapted to be supported in the bore to limit displacement of a terminal post axially inwardly of the passageway.

Abstract: A machine to assemble electrical contact retention clips in an insulator including an indexing turret having jaws, a jaw operator, a clip carrying strip feed, a clip loading and clip shear-from-strip mechanism, an X-Y table driven by a conventional microcomputer numerical control to position the insulator and a plunger reciprocable through the jaws to insert clips into the insulator holes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for storing and serially positioning a series of carrier strip mounted electrical connectors at a wire insertion station whereat pairs of small gauge insulated wires are trimmed and inserted into the electrical connectors. Each wire-receiving portion of a connector is located by a projecting portion on the connector. A reeling device advances the carrier strip until the projecting portion registers against a stop which momentarily positions the wire-receiving portion correctly at the insertion station. Subsequent to connection of a pair of wires in the connector the stop is removed allowing advancement of the carrier strip. The stop is then replaced to engage another of the projections on the same connector or another connector to position momentarily another wire-receiving portion of the connector at the insertion station.

Abstract: A plurality of two-piece fasteners are connected together by frangible plastic and are automatically fed past moveable wall portions to an area where they are in operative position to be acted upon by impacting pistons. A first inner and a second, outer, concentric pistons are provided, the second piston driving the outer component of the two-piece fastener through metal sheets to be connected together, and the first piston driving the inner fastener component. A common actuating piston may be provided for driving the first and second pistons, with the magazine for the fasteners connected up to the low pressure side of the common piston. It is not possible to fire the impacting device until a handle thereof has been rotated against spring pressure and the bottom thereof is in contact with the work.

Abstract: A fastener driving tool includes a magnetized driver or a driver with an embedded permanent magnet that is of a tapered configuration. The tool also includes a fastener feeding mechanism that wedges or ejects a fastener from a fastener strip whereupon the fastener is attracted during free-flight to the driver by the magnet. The tool further includes a stop lever that prevents feeding of fasteners if the driver is in a position other than the full return position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for inserting terminal pins into an apertured workpiece. The apparatus includes feeding means for sequentially advancing a supply strip of terminal pins integrally joined by intermediate web portions toward a first station of the apparatus; first clamping means for grasping the terminal pin adjacent the leading one of the terminal pins; second clamping means for grasping the leading one of the terminal pins; punch means for removing the intermediate web portion joining the leading one of the terminal pins and the terminal pin adjacent the leading one of the terminal pins; and insertion means for inserting the leading one of the terminal pins into the apertured workpiece.

Abstract: In a setting device, a magazine is advanced through a guide channel to present fastening elements in the path of a driving member. The magazine is moved in a step-wise manner by a transport pawl, and the pawl, in turn, is reciprocated relative to the drive channel by an operating member. A linkage interconnecting the operating member and the transport pawl, includes a pin secured to the operating member extending into a triangularly shaped recess in the transport pawl. The pin pivots the transport pawl out of engagement with the magazine in the guide channel and moves the pawl rearwardly so that it can again engage the magazine and move it so that another fastening element is aligned with the driving member.

Abstract: In the housing of a setting device for driving fastening elements, a belt-like magazine holding fastening elements in spaced relation is moved through a guide channel transversely of the path of a driving piston. A transport device positioned in the housing moves the magazine through the guide channel in a step-wise manner. A stop lever is pivotally mounted in the housing and is spring-biased at one end into the guide channel. When the magazine is located within the guide channel in the path of the stop lever, the transport device can be operated to move the magazine. When the magazine is moved out of the path of the stop lever, however, the stop lever extends further through the guide channel and its other end engages a pawl on the transport device blocking its operation so that the magazine cannot be moved through the guide channel.

Abstract: A power screwdriver for use with a flexible string of disconnected screws retained in head to tip orientation by attachment to a continuous length of plastic, paper or similar flexible material. The string of screws feeds into a rearward section of a reciprocating shaft of the power screwdriver where the screws are individually advanced into alignment with an engaging bit, the combination bit and shaft being continuously rotated during the course of use. As the forward screw is prepared for engagement by the rotating bit, the retaining plastic or similar material is severed, leaving the forward screw free for emplacement. The screw is engaged and advanced to a forward opening of the shaft by thrust pressure applied by the user to reciprocate the shaft rearward with respect to a power train which is keyed to continuously rotate the shaft and bit. When the thrust pressure is withdrawn, a spring compressed by the rearward motion of the shaft returns the shaft forward to a stable position.

Abstract: This invention relates to a loader particularly for a tacking machine. The loader according to the invention comprises a drum having a cylindrical side wall provided with a helical slot for receiving the shanks of the tacks of a flexible tack strip wound onto the drum. The drum is mounted onto an idle pivot pin within a housing space defined between two half-box shaped bodies connected to one another. Said half-box bodies further define an outlet mouth for the tack strip which mouth is aligned with the magazine inlet of the machine, while the axis of the pivot pin is perpendicular to those of the magazine and the firing nose.

Abstract: The present power driver handles fasteners of varying length mounted on a strip or belt, through a touch-down foot which accommodates fasteners of different length to eliminate wasted motion of the driver. The fasteners are also prevented by said touch-down foot from tipping or going into a workpiece at an angle. The depth to which the fasteners are driven into the workpiece is controllable and any irregularities in the mounting of the fasteners on the strip or belt are compensated.

Abstract: A housing having top and bottom openings is provided with an interior flexible sheet containing a cross-slit for holding a screw in a vertically upright position. The bottom opening is placed over the point into which the screw is to be threaded. A screwdriver may be inserted through the top opening to engage the slot in the screw head so that the screw can be threaded. A plurality of screws can be similarly inserted into a plurality of cross-slits formed along the length of a strip in order sequentially to advance each screw into a position which is vertically aligned with the top and bottom openings. The strip may contain sprocket holes which are engaged by a sprocket mounted in a housing for advancing the strip. The strip may also be provided with detent holes for cooperation with a detent means mounted on the housing for facilitating the positioning of each screw. In addition, a spring-loaded screwdriver may be mounted in the top opening.

Abstract: A cassette for pre-formed U-shaped staples comprising a core member formed with a helical rib and a web of pre-formed U-shaped staple elements wound on said core member in helical fashion following the rib formed on said core member. A tape attached to the web serves to apply rotative movement to the core member which moves axially for dispensing of the staples.

Abstract: A nail-like fastener having a substantially rectangular washer adapted to permit overlapping vertical stacking of a number of fastener/washer assemblies for use in a fastener driving apparatus of the type including a piston. The washers each include two substantially U-shaped recesses or cut-outs disposed one each near the midpoints of the top and bottom washer edges, such that the bottom fastener of a stack may be fired from the driving apparatus without disruption of the remainder of the stack.