Tool for driving fasteners

Claim 1

A fastener driving tool comprising: a guide having front and rear ends and a longitudinal bore opening through said front end; a fastener driving spindle movable longitudinally in said bore; means for moving said spindle longitudinally in said bore through alternate rearward retraction and forward driving strokes; a fastener strip pack including a relatively longitudinally rigid carrier strip, and a number of fasteners secured to said strip in longitudinally spaced relation therealong with the longitudinal axes of said fasteners extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said strip; infeed means for feeding said carrier strip longitudinally into said guide bore through one side of said bore following each retraction stroke of said spindle to locate the currently leading fastener on said strip in coaxial driving position within said bore in front of said spindle, said infeed means comprising an infeed magazine attached to and extending laterally from said guide and containing a guideway opening at one end laterally to said guide bore, said carrier strip being slidably contained within said guideway for longitudinal movement along said guideway, and spring-loaded follower means engaging the trailing end of said strip for urging said strip toward said bore; said spindle comprising a forward driving tip for separating the leading fastener currently in driving position from said carrier strip and driving said leading fastener forwardly through said bore into a workpiece positioned in front of said bore during the following driving stroke of said spindle; and said carrier strip comprising a friable material which is sheared and fragmented by said spindle during each driving stroke of said spindle to effect release from said carrier strip of the leading fastener currently in driving position within said guide bore.