U.S. patent number 3,673,922 [Application Number 04/602,728] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-04 for fastener driving tool.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Fastener Corporation. Invention is credited to Richard H. Doyle.
United States Patent |
3,673,922 |
Doyle |
July 4, 1972 |
FASTENER DRIVING TOOL
Abstract
A pneumatic piston-driver blade return system for a pneumatic
fastener driving tool includes an air return space continuously
communicating with the lower end of a cylinder immediately adjacent
a bumper. When a top valve for the cylinder is opened, compressed
air drives the piston downwardly against the bumper, and a part of
this air is passed through the piston into the air return space by
means of an O-ring valved passage through the piston. When the
cylinder top valve is closed and the top of the cylinder is vented
to the atmosphere, the air in the return space enters the cylinder
and acts on the lower surface of the piston to return the
piston-driver blade to a normal position in which it is held by
frictional engagement of another piston O-ring with the cylinder
wall. Air below the piston leaks out to the atmosphere through a
driver blade clearance at the lower end of the cylinder.
Inventors: |
Doyle; Richard H. (Mount
Prospect, IL) |
Assignee: |
Fastener Corporation (Franklin
Park, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
24412564 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/602,728 |
Filed: |
December 19, 1966 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
91/422; 92/183;
91/461; 227/130 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25C
1/042 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B25C
1/04 (20060101); F15b 011/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;227/130
;91/415,416,417,422,426,461 ;92/30,169,171,183 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dority, Jr.; Carroll B.
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent
of the United States is:
1. A pneumatically operated fastener driving tool comprising a
housing having a cavity defining a fluid reservoir, a cylinder in
said housing, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, a
cylinder valve means for controlling the admission of fluid and for
the exhaustion of fluid from one end of said cylinder, a piston
return reservoir in said housing, air passage means connecting said
piston return reservoir and said cylinder and including port means
opening in said cylinder adjacent the other end thereof, said
piston including a pair of spaced peripheral grooves in its outer
wall, a ring sealing member in the one of said grooves toward said
one end of said cylinder effecting a pneumatic seal between said
piston and said cylinder, air passage means in said piston
extending from the other of said grooves around said one of said
grooves and including means defining ports in said other of said
grooves, a resilient ring sealing member in said other of said
grooves normally seated against said ports and expandable upon a
selected pressure differential between said one end of said
cylinder and said other end thereof to unseat from said ports to
provide for fluid to bypass around the first sealing member from
said one end of said cylinder to said other end thereof providing
for passage of air into said piston return reservoir.
2. A fastener driving tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said
last mentioned sealing member is an O-ring.
3. A fastener driving tool as set forth in claim 2 wherein the
inside diameter of said O-ring in its unstressed state is less than
the minimum diameter of said other of said grooves, and the
diametrical thickness of said O-ring is less than the width of said
other of said grooves.
4. A fastener driving tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said
piston is generally cup-shaped with a central cavity opening toward
said one end of said cylinder and said air passage means comprises
a plurality of passageways communicating between the inner surface
of said other of said grooves and said cavity.
5. A fastener driving tool as set forth in claim 1 and including a
resilient annular bumper adjacent said other end of said cylinder
engageable by said piston and defining a pneumatic seal when said
piston is at said other end of said cylinder.
6. A fastener driving tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said
cylinder is provided with an enlarged diameter portion at its upper
end defining a shoulder, and wherein said ring sealing member sets
above said shoulder when said piston is in its normal position to
retain the piston in said normal position.
7. A pneumatically operated fastener driving tool comprising a
housing having a cavity defining a fluid reservoir, a cylinder in
said housing having an open upper end and an enlarged diameter
portion forming a shoulder with the remainder of said cylinder and
extending from said shoulder to the open upper end of the cylinder,
a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and provided with at
least one peripheral groove in its outer wall, a ring sealing
member in said groove effecting a pneumatic seal between said
piston and said cylinder and setting above said shoulder when said
piston is in its normal position thereby holding said piston in
said normal position, a cylinder valve means for controlling the
admission of fluid and the exhaustion of fluid from the open upper
end of said cylinder, said cylinder valve means including structure
engaging the piston to stop the piston in said normal position, the
shoulder in the cylinder being spaced downwardly from the open
upper end thereof a distance such that the ring sealing member
rests on the shoulder when the piston engages the structure on the
cylinder valve means, and means controlling operation of said
cylinder valve.
8. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
with a piston operable therein between a retracted position at one
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other and
closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and through a close fitting limited leakage guideway at the
said other closed end of the cylinder;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said one
end thereof;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a closed fluid reservoir in open and continuous communication
with the cylinder below the piston throughout its travel between
said retracted and actuated positions;
e. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting port through the piston and communicating with
the fluid under pressure advancing the piston and open into said
reservoir below the piston when the first mentioned means is
operated to charge the cylinder;
f. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
9. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
with a piston operable therein between a retracted position at one
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other and
closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and through a close fitting limited leakage guideway at the
said other closed end of the cylinder;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said one
end thereof;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a closed fluid reservoir in open and continuous communication
with the cylinder below the piston throughout its travel between
said retracted and actuated positions;
e. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting check valve means through the piston and
communicating with the fluid under pressure advancing the piston
and open into said reservoir below the piston when the first
mentioned means is operated to charge the cylinder;
f. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
10. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
with a piston operable therein between a retracted position at one
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other and
closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and through a close fitting limited leakage guideway at the
said other closed end of the cylinder;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said one
end thereof;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a closed fluid reservoir in open and continuous communication
with the cylinder below the piston throughout its travel between
said retracted and actuated positions;
e. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a port through the piston and communicating with the fluid under
pressure advancing the piston, a valve seat surrounding the piston
and carrying a constricted check valve element to yieldingly open
the port into the cylinder below the piston and into said reservoir
when the first mentioned means is operated to charge the
cylinder;
f. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
11. In combination:
a a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
with a piston operable therein between a retracted position at one
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other and
closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and through a substantially close fitting limited leakage
guideway at the said other closed end of the cylinder;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said one
end thereof;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a snubber means comprising a body of resilient material
surrounding the driver and with a seat having sealed engagement
with the bottom of the piston upon arrestment of the piston at said
actuated position;
e. a closed fluid reservoir in open and continuous communication
with the cylinder above said snubber seat and below the piston
throughout its travel between said retracted and actuated
positions;
f. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting port through and opening above the bottom of
the piston and communicating with the fluid under pressure
advancing the piston and open into said reservoir when the first
mentioned means is operated to charge the cylinder;
g. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
12. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
with a piston operable therein between a retracted position at one
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other and
closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and through a substantially close fitting limited leakage
guideway at the said other closed end of the cylinder;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said one
end thereof;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a snubber means comprising a body of resilient material
surrounding the driver and with a seat having sealed engagement
with the bottom of the piston upon arrestment of the piston at said
actuated position;
e. a closed fluid reservoir in open and continuous communication
with the cylinder above said snubber seat and below the piston
throughout its travel between said retracted and actuated
positions;
f. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting check valve through and opening above the
bottom of the piston and communicating with the fluid under
pressure advancing the piston and open into said reservoir when the
first mentioned means is operated to charge the cylinder;
g. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
13. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
chamber with an open ended cylinder seated therein to reciprocably
receive a piston operable between a retracted position at said open
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other seated
and closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and out of the seated closed end of the cylinder and through
a closed fitting limited leakage guideway in said cylinder
chamber;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said
open end thereof, from fluid pressure stored in said cylinder
chamber;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a closed fluid reservoir surrounding the cylinder and in
continuous communication with the cylinder through an opening
therein below the piston throughout its travel between said
retracted and actuated positions;
e. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting port through the piston and communicating with
the fluid under pressure advancing the piston and open into said
reservoir below the piston when the first mentioned means is
operated to charge the cylinder;
f. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
14. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
chamber with an open ended cylinder seated therein to reciprocably
receive a piston operable between a retracted position at said open
end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other seated
and closed end of the cylinder, and with a driver extended from the
piston and out of the seated and closed end of the cylinder and
through a close fitting limited leakage guideway in said cylinder
chamber;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said
open end thereof, from fluid pressure stored in said cylinder
chamber;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a closed fluid reservoir surrounding the cylinder and in
continuous communication with the cylinder through an opening
therein below the piston throughout its travel between said
retracted and actuated positions;
e. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting check valve means through the piston and
communicating with the fluid under pressure advancing the piston
and open into said reservoir below the piston when the first
mentioned means is operated to charge the cylinder;
f. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
build-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
15. In combination:
a. a single stroke fluid pressure operated motor having a cylinder
chamber with an open ended and externally flanged cylinder seated
therein to reciprocably receive a piston operable between a
retracted position at said open and flanged end of the cylinder and
an actuated position at the other seated and closed end of the
cylinder, and with a driver extended from the piston and out of the
seated end of the cylinder and through a substantially close
fitting limited leakage guideway in said cylinder chamber;
b. means operable to charge and to exhaust the cylinder at said
open and flanged end thereof, from fluid pressure stored in said
cylinder chamber;
c. restraining means normally holding the piston at rest at said
retracted position;
d. a snubber means comprising a body of resilient material
surrounding the driver and with a seat having sealed engagement
with the bottom of the piston during its arrestment at the actuated
position;
e. a closed fluid reservoir defined by the seated end and flanged
end of the cylinder engaging the cylinder chamber and in open and
continuous communication with the cylinder through an opening
therein above said snubber seat and below the piston throughout its
travel between said retracted and actuated positions;
f. and air return means for movement of the piston from said
actuated position to said retracted position when the first
mentioned means is operated to exhaust the cylinder and comprising,
a fluid restricting port through and opening above the bottom of
the piston and communicating with the fluid under pressure
advancing the piston and open into said reservoir when the first
mentioned means is operated to charge the cylinder;
g. whereby there is a build-up of fluid pressure in the reservoir
as the piston reaches the said actuated position, and whereby the
built-up fluid pressure is applied to the piston and returns the
same to the retracted position when the first mentioned means is
operated to exhaust the cylinder followed by exhaust of said
built-up pressure through said limited leakage guideway.
Description
This invention relates to a fastener driving tool and, more
particularly, to a fastener driving tool including new and improved
piston return means for returning the piston after the completion
of a power or driving stroke.
Commercial pneumatic fastener driving tools on the market today are
commonly of the type including pneumatic means for returning the
piston after the completion of a fastener driving stroke. Such
tools are frequently operated by a trigger actuated pilot valve
that functions when the trigger is depressed to move the drive
piston and connected fastener driving blade through a power or
drive stroke of a fastener driving operation by the admission of
pressurized fluid into the cylinder of the tool. The drive piston
will generally remain at the end of its power stroke until the
fluid pressure in the cylinder is released, as by exhausting the
cylinder to atmosphere, at which time the piston return means is
effective to return the piston to its normal or static position.
Commercially available fastener driving tools may either return
upon release of the trigger actuated pilot valve, or the drive
piston and driving blade of such tools may move both down and up
automatically upon a single depression of the trigger, before the
trigger is released. In both types of control means are provided
for supplying pneumatic fluid below the piston for returning the
piston to its normal or static position after the air above the
piston has been exhausted. The piston must remain in its normal or
static position until it is again driven through a fastener driving
stroke.
One object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved pneumatic return means for a fastener driving
apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fastener
driving apparatus including new and improved pneumatic return means
for returning the drive piston and associated driver blade to the
normal or static position upon exhaustion of the fluid from above
the piston.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved means for holding the piston of a fastener driving tool in
its normal or static position during its rest between fastener
driving operation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved pneumatically actuated fastener driving tool.
In accordance with these and many other objects, there is provided
a pneumatically operated fastener driving tool of the type
including a housing having a cavity defining a fluid reservoir, and
a cylinder in the housing. A drive piston is slidably mounted in
the cylinder. A suitable cylinder valve may be provided for
controlling the admission of fluid and for the exhaustion of fluid
from the end of the cylinder above the piston. The cylinder valve
may operate under the control of a pilot valve, or the fastener
tool may be of the snap action or automatic signal stroke type. In
accordance with the present invention, a piston return reservoir is
provided in the housing and air passage means interconnect the
piston return reservoir and the cylinder adjacent the lower or
other end of the cylinder. The piston is provided with a pair of
spaced peripheral grooves in its outer wall and a sealing member is
carried in one of the grooves toward the open or control end of the
cylinder effecting a pneumatic seal between the piston and the
cylinder. A resilient ring sealing member, which may be of the
O-ring type, is carried in the other of the grooves. Air passage
means in the piston extend from the bottom of this groove to above
the piston to provide a bypass around the upper one of the
peripheral grooves. The sealing member functions as a check or one
way valve so that upon a selected pressure differential between the
upper and lower ends of the cylinder, the resilient ring sealing
member will be effective to unseat from the air passage openings to
provide for fluid bypass around the first sealing member.
It will be understood that during the driving stroke of the piston,
the pressure above the piston does not build up sufficiently to
unseat the lower O-ring of the piston and permit bypass of the
pressurized fluid around the piston. However, once the piston has
reached the end of its power stroke and the pressure above the
piston continues to build up, the pressure will unseat the lower
O-ring to flow into the piston return reservoir. The lower O-ring
will then reseat itself to close the bypass around the piston and
provide the pneumatic fluid for the return stroke of the
piston.
In accordance with another feature of this invention the open end
of the cylinder above the piston has an enlarged diameter to define
a shoulder with the remainder of the cylinder, and the upper
sealing member, which may also be an O-ring, will expand above the
shoulder to retain the piston in its normal or static position
during its rest between fastener driving strokes.
Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description, when given
in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a fastener driving
tool incorporating the improved pneumatic return mechanism
according to the present invention and illustrated with the drive
piston and driver blade in its static or at rest position;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the fastener
driving tool of FIG. 1, illustrated with the drive piston and
driver blade at the end of the drive stroke;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the piston in the
cylinder illustrating the groove and O-ring forming the valve
member and taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is an isometric fragmentary cross-sectional view of the
groove and O-ring forming the valve member in the lower one of the
grooves on the piston and taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.
Referring now to the drawings, there is fragmentarily illustrated a
fastener driving tool, generally illustrated as 10, which embodies
the present invention. The tool 10, as illustrated, comprises a
housing 12 including a generally vertically extending head or
forward portion 12a and a rearwardly extending handle portion 12b
defining a fluid reservoir 16. Pressurized fluid, such as
compressed air, is supplied to the fluid reservoir of the tool by
suitable means, not illustrated. The drive system for the tool 10
includes a main cylinder 18 slidably mounted within a cavity 12c in
the head portion 12a and having an open upper end 18a that is
adapted to be selectively connected to the reservoir 16 and to the
atmosphere. The open upper end of the cylinder 18 is normally in
engagement with a diaphragm type main or cylinder valve assembly 20
under the control of a trigger pilot valve assembly 24. Slidably
mounted within the cylinder 18 is a power or drive piston 26 having
connected thereto a depending driver blade member 28. An exhaust
valve assembly indicated generally as 32 is provided for
controlling the selective connection of the upper end of the
cylinder 18 to the atmosphere.
When the tool 10 is to be operated, the trigger pilot valve
assembly 24 is actuated so that the compressed fluid from the
reservoir 16 enters the upper end 18a of the cylinder 18 and drives
the fastener drive piston 26 downwardly to engage a fastener or
nail supplied to a drive track in a nosepiece or nosepiece
structure 36. The flow of compressed fluid into the upper end of
the cylinder 18 is controlled by the cylinder valve assembly 20,
which includes a diaphragm 40, the periphery of which is clamped
between a cap 42 and the head portion 12a of the housing 12 and
which seats against the upper edge 18a of the cylinder 18. The
diaphragm 40 is resiliently biased against the upper edge surface
18a by a spring 44 located between the cap 42 and the diaphragm 40.
The cylinder side of the diaphragm 40 is continuously in connection
with the fluid reservoir 16 through a suitable passageway 46 and
annular chamber 47 so that the pressurized fluid continuously acts
against the cylinder side of the diaphragm 40 tending to displace
the diaphragm 40 from the edge 18a of the cylinder 18. However,
pressurized fluid is also introduced to the opposite side of the
diaphragm 40 through a passageway 48 when the fastener driving tool
10 is in a static or at rest position. The differential pressure
acting upon the diaphragm 40 is effective to maintain the diaphragm
40 in a closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 1. However, as the
pressurized fluid above the diaphragm 40 is discharged, the
pressurized fluid acting through passageway 46 is effective to
unseat the diaphragm 40 from the edge 18a of the cylinder 18 to
direct pressurized fluid into the top of the cylinder 18 and to
drive the drive piston 26 through a drive stroke.
When the fastener driving tool is at rest, or during the return
stroke of the drive piston, the upper open end of the cylinder 18
is exhausted to the atmosphere through the exhaust valve assembly
32. In the illustrated embodiment the exhaust valve assembly
comprises a hollow valve stem 50 secured to the diaphragm and
connecting the upper end of the cylinder 18 to the atmosphere
through a suitable exhaust passageway 52. However, when the drive
piston is operated through a fired or drive stroke, it is necessary
for the upper end of the cylinder 18 to be closed off from the
atmosphere, and to this end there is provided a valve seat 54 on
the cap 42 disposed adjacent the end of the valve stem 50 remote
from the cylinder 18 and adapted to be engaged by the valve stem 50
when the diaphragm 40 is raised at the initiation of a drive
stroke, thereby closing off the upper end of the cylinder 18 to the
atmosphere. Since a substantial impact load is transmitted to the
valve seat 54, the cap 42 is preferably of hardened steel.
Advantageously a hardened steel cap 42 will prevent damage
occurring to the tool 10 if the operator thereof taps with the cap
42.
The trigger pilot valve assembly 24 is provided for initiating the
firing of the tool 10, and may be of known design. In the
illustrated embodiment the valve assembly 24 includes a valve
chamber 58 having opposed valve ports 60 and 62 defining valve
seats alternately engageable by a valve element 63 here shown as
comprising a valve ball 64 and a downwardly extending rod actuator
66. The valve port 60 communicates with the reservoir 16, while the
valve port 62 exhausts the valve chamber 58 to the atmosphere when
the valve ball 64 is unseated therefrom. The rod actuator 66 is
operated by a suitable trigger 68 so that when the fastener driving
tool 10 is at rest the valve ball 64 is seated against the valve
port 62, and when the trigger 68 is depressed, the valve ball 64
closes the valve port 60. Additionally, the pilot valve chamber 58
is provided with a control port 70 connected to the upper end of
the cylinder valve assembly 20 through the passageway 48. It will
be understood that in the operation of the trigger pilot valve,
when the trigger 68 is released, the control port 70 is in
communication with the reservoir 16 through the valve port 60; but
when the trigger 68 is depressed unseating the valve ball 64 from
the valve port 62 and closing the valve port 60, the control port
70 is exhausted to the atmosphere.
To provide for the return drive of the drive piston 26, there is
provided an air return chamber 76 communicating with the lower end
of the cylinder 18 through a plurality of air passage openings 78
including ports 78a opening in the cylinder 18. The piston 26 is of
generally cup-shape with a central cavity 26a opening toward the
upper end of the cylinder 18. The outer surface of the piston 26 is
provided with spaced peripheral grooves 82 and 84, the upper one 82
of which serves as a sealing groove while the lower one 84
functions as a one way valve means to provide for the passage of
pressurized fluid to the air return chamber 76. An O-ring 86
provided in the upper one of the grooves 82 functions as a sealing
member effecting a pneumatic seal between the piston 26 and the
inner wall of the cylinder 18. To bypass around the groove 82 and
O-ring 86, there is provided a plurality of air passageways 90
extending from the lower one of the grooves 84 and communicating
with the central cavity 26a. An O-ring 92 defining a valve element
is positioned within the lower one of the grooves 84. The O-ring 92
is of resilient construction and is normally seated against the
ports defined by the air passages 90. To this end, the O-ring 92 in
its unstressed state has an inner diameter d, shown in phantom in
FIG. 3, smaller than the inner diameter D of the groove 84 and has
a diametric thickness t, FIG. 4, less than the width T of the
groove 84. The O-ring 92 is expandable upon a selected pressure
differential between the upper and lower ends of the cylinder
through the piston 26 so as to unseat from the ports 90a of the air
passages 90 to provide for fluid to bypass through the piston 26
around the O-ring 92 and to supply air to the air return chamber
76.
It is of course necessary to seal the driver blade 28 sufficiently
to trap the air for the return stroke and to this end there is
provided a sealing washer 77 at the lower end of the head 12a and
having an opening 77a closely receiving the blade 28. It is
necessary to provide sufficient air to return the piston 26, but
the volume of return air should not be so great as to require an
excessive air supply or to prevent rapid discharge of the return
air by leakage through the opening 77a after return of the piston
26. It has been found that a ratio of return air to piston
displacement of two-thirds is satisfactory.
To cushion the drive stroke of the piston 26 and to provide a
further pneumatic seal around the driver blade when the drive
piston 26 is in its lowermost position, there is provided a
resilient annular bumper 96 at the lower end of the cylinder 18
which is engageable by the piston 26, as illustrated in FIG. 2,
when the piston 26 is in its lowermost position.
Advantageously the cylinder 18 is held in position in the cavity
12c only by the fluid pressure acting upon it, thus facilitating
rapid disassembly for repair or replacement. More specifically, the
cylinder 18 includes an outwardly extending flanged portion 18b
adjacent an inwardly extending ring portion 12d formed in the wall
of the cavity 12c. The interface between the flanged portion 18b
and the portion 12d is sealed by a resilient O-ring 98 so that the
O-ring 98 divides the space between the wall of the head portion
12a and the cylinder 18 into the chambers 47 and 76. The lower end
of the cylinder 18 is provided with an outwardly extending flange
18c engageable against the inner surface of the cavity 12c to
position the lower end of the cylinder 18. The fluid pressure in
the chamber 47 acts on the outwardly extending flanged portion 18b
to hold the cylinder 18 in place. The spaced positioning of the
work cylinder 18 from the wall of the head portion 12a further
serves to protect the cylinder 18 against damage by impact or other
forces on the head 12a of the tool 10.
To hold the piston 26 of the fastener driving tool 10 in its static
or normal position during the rest period between fastener driving
operations, the upper O-ring 86 locks against a shoulder 18d formed
at the lower end of an enlarged diameter portion 18e in the
cylinder 18. Preferably the shoulder 18d is chamfered to provide an
incline for the O-ring 86.
From the above-detailed description, the operation of the improved
pneumatic return system is believed clear. However, briefly, it
will be understood that in the operation of the basic tool, the
piston 26 and associated driver blade member 28 is driven
downwardly through a drive stroke by the connection of the open
upper end 18a of the cylinder 18 with the reservoir 16. Since there
is not significant restraint to the piston 26 during its downward
movement, the pressure above the piston 26 will not build up
sufficiently to unseat the O-ring 92 until the piston 26 reaches
the bottom of its drive stroke as illustrated in FIG. 2. At this
point the pressure above the piston 26 will continue to build up
until it approaches the pressure in the reservoir 16 and the O-ring
92, functioning as a valve element, will be unseated from the ports
of the air passages 90 thereby providing a source of pressurized
fluid to the air return chamber 76 through the air passage opening
78. There will be no significant loss of air below the piston 26
during the short time interval required for the drive and return
strokes of the piston. Upon release of the trigger 68 the cylinder
valve assembly 20 will close against the open upper end 18a of the
cylinder 18 and the upper end of the cylinder 18 will be exhausted
to the atmosphere through the exhaust valve assembly 32. At this
time the pressurized fluid in the air return chamber 76 will return
through the openings 78 below the piston 26 and will return the
piston 26 and associated driver blade member 28 to its static or at
rest position. The return air will then exhaust around the driver
blade 28 through the opening 77a to prepare the tool 10 for a
subsequent driving stroke.
Although the present invention has been described by reference to a
single embodiment thereof, it will be apparent that numerous other
modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in
the art and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all
modifications and embodiments which will fall within the true
spirit and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *