Power-driven tacker with safety device

Claim 1

A power-driven fastener driving machine for driving fasteners into a workpiece, comprising: (a) a housing including a reciprocally movable blade; (b) switch means mounted on said housing for actuating said reciprocally movable blade; (c) a guide assembly mounted on said housing and composed of a first guide fixed to said housing and a second guide pivotally mounted on said housing, said second guide being movable between a first position in which said first and second guides mate with each other to define a drive track through which said blade is reciprocally movable and a second position in which said second guide is angularly spaced from said first guide to open said drive track; (d) a magazine mounted on said housing and said guide asembly for feeding fasteners one at a time into said drive track; and (e) a safety device composed of first and second separate members, said first member being movably mounted on said housing for engaging said switch means, a first spring acting between said housing and said first member for normally urging said first member away from said switch means, the second member movably mounted on said second guide and engageable with said first member when said second guide is in said first position, and a second spring acting between said housing and said second member for normally urging said second member to keep a distal end thereof projecting beyond said second guide, whereby when said distal end of said second member is pressed against the workpiece at the time said second guide is in said first position, said second member engages said first member to cause said first member to actuate said switch means, and when said second guide is in said second position, said second member is kept out of engagement with said first member.