Pneumatic device for driving headed objects

Claim 2

aA pneumatic device for driving a headed object having a head and an elongated shank extended therefrom comprising: A. a driver housing; B. a cyclically operable ram supported within said housing for axial displacement along a rectilinear path and characterized by means including at one end thereof a face for striking the head of a headed object positioned within said path; and C. object feeding means mounted on said housing adapted to position a headed object within the path of the ram including, 1. retainer means disposed adjacent to said rectilinear path for supporting said object in a pre-delivery disposition relative to said path with the shank thereof being extended through a reference plane intersecting the longitudinal axis of symmetry for said path, along the length thereof, 2. means including a barrel having an axial bore concentrically related to the path of said ram for receiving said headed object, and 3. means for delivering said headed object from said retainer means to said bore.

Claim 3

means including a barrel having an axial bore concentrically related to the path of said ram for receiving said headed object, and

Claim 4

means including a barrel having an axial bore concentrically related to the path of said ram for receiving said headed object, and

Claim 5

gAte means interposed between said gravity-fed magazine and said ram for serially extracting objects from said file including a cyclically operable shuttle supported for sequential displacement in an article delivery stroke and a shuttle return stroke along a rectilinear path,

Claim 6

gAte means interposed between said gravity-fed magazine and said ram for serially extracting objects from said file including a cyclically operable shuttle supported for sequential displacement in an article delivery stroke and a shuttle return stroke along a rectilinear path,

Claim 7

The device of claim 1 wherein said retainer means includes: A. means defining within said barrel, at one side of said reference plane, an elongated opening having a first planar surface extended in a plane intersecting the reference plane along a line of intersection paralleling the longitudinal axis of the rectilinear path for engaging an extended end portion of said object as it is extended through said reference plane; and B. means defining within said barrel, at the opposite side of said reference plane, another opening including a second planar surface inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel and passing through the bore between the opposite end portions thereof for supporting the opposite end portion of said object.

Claim 8

The device of claim 2 wherein said means for delivering said headed object from said retainer means to said bore comprises: means for pivotally displacing said object about a fulcrum defined by a surface coincident with the line of intersection of said second planar surface with said bore.

Claim 9

means for delivering said headed object from said retainer means to said bore.

Claim 10

means for delivering said headed object from said retainer means to said bore.

Claim 11

means for imparting to said shuttle an article delivery stroke characterized by a piston supported for axial displacement in response to fluid delivered under pressure to said actuator for imparting an object delivery stroke to said shuttle,

Claim 12

means for imparting to said shuttle an article delivery stroke characterized by a piston supported for axial displacement in response to fluid delivered under pressure to said actuator for imparting an object delivery stroke to said shuttle,

Claim 13

a fluid delivery circuit connected with said ram actuating means including a manually operable trigger valve communicating with said reservoir, a poppet valve interposed in said circuit between said trigger valve and said ram actuating means, means adapted to engage a piece of work for opening said poppet valve and a pilot valve interposed between said ram actuating means and said sleeve valve responsive to an axial displacement of said piston, as the piston imparts an article delivery stroke to said shuttle, for initiating driving stroke for said ram.

Claim 14

a fluid delivery circuit connected with said ram actuating means including a manually operable trigger valve communicating with said reservoir, a poppet valve interposed in said circuit between said trigger valve and said ram actuating means, means adapted to engage a piece of work for opening said poppet valve and a pilot valve interposed between said ram actuating means and said sleeve valve responsive to an axial displacement of said piston, as the piston imparts an article delivery stroke to said shuttle, for initiating driving stroke for said ram.

Claim 15

The device of claim 3 wherein said means for pivotally displacing said object includes a cyclically operable shuttle supported for sequential displacement in an article delivery stroke and a shuttle-return stroke along a rectilinear path transversely related to said reference plane.

Claim 16

The device of claim 4 wherein said means for delivering said headed objects further comprises: means for imparting an article delivery stroke to said shuttle including an actuator responsive to a delivery of fluid under pressure thereto, and a fluid delivery circuit connected with the actuator for selectively delivering fluid under pressure to the actuator.

Claim 17

A pneumatic device particularly adapted for driving headed objects comprising: A. a housing; B. an elongated cylinder disposed within said housing; C. means within said housing including a fluid reservoir for confining fluid under pressure greater than one atmosphere; D. a ram having a head of a disk-shaped configuration and an elongated driving body projected axially from the head and supported for axial displacement in driving and retraction strokes within said cylinder along a path coaxially aligned therewith; E. ram-actuating means including a cyclically operable sleeve of a cylindrical configuration concentrically related to said cylinder and communicating with said reservoir supported for axial displacement along a rectilinear path extended between a valve-open position and a valve-close position for alternately establishing pressure differentials across said head; F. feeder means mounted on said body for serially aligning within the path of said driving body a plurality of elongated objects including,

Claim 18

A pneumatic device particularly adapted for driving headed objects comprising: A. a housing; B. an elongated cylinder disposed within said housing; C. means within said housing including a fluid reservoir for confining fluid under pressure greater than one atmosphere; D. a ram having a head of a disk-shaped configuration and an elongated driving body projected axially from the head and supported for axial displacement in driving and retraction strokes within said cylinder along a path coaxially aligned therewith; E. ram-actuating means including a cyclically operable sleeve of a cylindrical configuration concentrically related to said cylinder and communicating with said reservoir supported for axial displacement along a rectilinear path extended between a valve-open position and a valve-close position for alternately establishing pressure differentials across said head; F. feeder means mounted on said body for serially aligning within the path of said driving body a plurality of elongated objects including,

Claim 19

The device of claim 6 wherein said feeder means further includes retainer means for supporting each first-in-line object of said file of discrete objects in an inclined disposition relative to a reference plane intersecting the path of said driving body along the full length thereof.

Claim 20

In a pneumatic device for driving elongated objects, the improvement comprising: A. a portable housing; B. a tubular body of a cylindrical configuration disposed within said housing; C. means including within said housing a fluid reservoir for confining fluid under pressure greater than one atmosphere; D. a ram having a head of a disk-shaped configuration and an elongated driving body projected axially from the head disposed within said tubular body and supported for sequential displacement in object driving and ram return strokes; and E. ram actuating means for cyclically establishing alternating pressure differentials across said head including a cyclically operable sleeve valve concentrically related to said tubular body supported for rectilinear displacement between a valve-open position and a valve-close position for alternately venting each of the opposite ends of said tubular body to atmosphere.

Claim 21

In a pneumatic device for driving elongated objects, the improvement comprising: A. a portable housing; B. a tubular body of a cylindrical configuration disposed within said housing; C. means including within said housing a fluid reservoir for confining fluid under pressure greater than one atmosphere; D. a ram having a head of a disk-shaped configuration and an elongated driving body projected axially from the head disposed within said tubular body and supported for sequential displacement in object driving and ram return strokes; and E. ram actuating means for cyclically establishing alternating pressure differentials across said head including a cyclically operable sleeve valve concentrically related to said tubular body supported for rectilinear displacement between a valve-open position and a valve-close position for alternately venting each of the opposite ends of said tubular body to atmosphere.

Claim 22

A pneumatic device comprising: A. a portable housing; B. means defining within the housing an elongated cylinder; C. means defining within said housing a fluid reservoir for confining fluid under pressure greater than one atmosphere; D. a ram having a head of a disk-shaped configuration and a driving body projected axially from the head and supported for reciprocation within said cylinder; E. feeder means mounted on said housing for serially aligning within the path of said driving body a plurality of elongated objects including a gravity-fed magazine adapted to advance a file of gravitating, discrete objects along a linear path toward said housing, a guide of a tubular configuration coaxially aligned with said driving body and disposed in an offset relation with the magazine, gate means for serially extracting objects from said file, including a transfer shuttle supported by said housing for rectilinear motion along a linear path substantially orthogonally related to the path of the objects of said file, a cylindrical bore extended into said housing adjacent to said shuttle, means connected with said reservoir for delivering pressurized fluid to said bore, and a pressure-actuated piston seated in said bore and connected with said shuttle for imparting linear motion to the rack in response to a delivery of pressurized fluid to said bore; F. ram-actuating means including a cyclically operable sleeve valve concentrically related to said cylinder and communicating with said reservoir supported for displacement between a valve-open position and a valve-close position for alternately establishing pressure differentials acrosS said head, including a body of a cylindrical configuration having a radially projected shoulder circumscribing the body and having a first annular face characterized by a first surface area continuously communicating with said reservoir, whereby the valve body is continuously urged in displacement toward said valve-open position, and a second annular face characterized by a second surface area greater than said first surface area intermittently communicating with said reservoir for intermittently urging said body in displacement toward said valve-close position, and means for interrupting communication between said second annular face and said reservoir, including a pilot valve connected with said bore; and G. manually operable trigger means including a length of flexible tubing extended through said reservoir and having a first poppet valve interposed within said length of tubing, characterized by an actuating stem projected from said handle, a second poppet valve connected with said conduit in circuit series with said bore, and means including a work engaging leg supported for axial displacement relative to said second poppet valve for actuating the second poppet valve in response to an engagement of the leg with a selected piece of work for establishing a fluid path between said first poppet valve and said bore.

Claim 23

A pneumatic device comprising: A. a portable housing; B. means defining within the housing an elongated cylinder; C. means defining within said housing a fluid reservoir for confining fluid under pressure greater than one atmosphere; D. a ram having a head of a disk-shaped configuration and a driving body projected axially from the head and supported for reciprocation within said cylinder; E. feeder means mounted on said housing for serially aligning within the path of said driving body a plurality of elongated objects including a gravity-fed magazine adapted to advance a file of gravitating, discrete objects along a linear path toward said housing, a guide of a tubular configuration coaxially aligned with said driving body and disposed in an offset relation with the magazine, gate means for serially extracting objects from said file, including a transfer shuttle supported by said housing for rectilinear motion along a linear path substantially orthogonally related to the path of the objects of said file, a cylindrical bore extended into said housing adjacent to said shuttle, means connected with said reservoir for delivering pressurized fluid to said bore, and a pressure-actuated piston seated in said bore and connected with said shuttle for imparting linear motion to the rack in response to a delivery of pressurized fluid to said bore; F. ram-actuating means including a cyclically operable sleeve valve concentrically related to said cylinder and communicating with said reservoir supported for displacement between a valve-open position and a valve-close position for alternately establishing pressure differentials acrosS said head, including a body of a cylindrical configuration having a radially projected shoulder circumscribing the body and having a first annular face characterized by a first surface area continuously communicating with said reservoir, whereby the valve body is continuously urged in displacement toward said valve-open position, and a second annular face characterized by a second surface area greater than said first surface area intermittently communicating with said reservoir for intermittently urging said body in displacement toward said valve-close position, and means for interrupting communication between said second annular face and said reservoir, including a pilot valve connected with said bore; and G. manually operable trigger means including a length of flexible tubing extended through said reservoir and having a first poppet valve interposed within said length of tubing, characterized by an actuating stem projected from said handle, a second poppet valve connected with said conduit in circuit series with said bore, and means including a work engaging leg supported for axial displacement relative to said second poppet valve for actuating the second poppet valve in response to an engagement of the leg with a selected piece of work for establishing a fluid path between said first poppet valve and said bore.

Claim 24

The pneumatic device of claim 9 wherein said ram actuating means further includes: a fluid delivery circuit for intermittently delivering fluid under pressure to one end of said tubular body including a conduit extended between said reservoir and said tubular body, means defining a cavity within said conduit, and pressure responsive valve means disposed within said cavity comprising a flexible diaphragm supported for valve-actuating displacement in axial directions characterized by a pair of opposite faces having unequal surface areas, and means for axially displacing said diaphragm including a bore extended axially through said diaphragm for establishing thereacross zero pressure differentials.