Tool for applying insulation fasteners

1. A tool for driving a fastener pin into a substrate to secure a fastener body to the substrate for fixing insulation or other cladding, the tool being of the type comprising a fastener guide and a driving piston driven along the fastener guide by gas pressure to engage and drive the pin, the fastener guide being displaceable axially inwardly relative to the body of the tool in order to cock the tool for firing of the driving piston, wherein the tool comprises means for enabling the tool to push the fastener body through insulation or other cladding into engagement with the underlying substrate without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur, the tool being thereafter able to be put into a condition to permit firing to take place.

2. A tool according to claim 1 , wherein the means for enabling the tool to push the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur comprises a releasable lock for preventing cocking of the tool during that action.

3. A tool according to claim 2 , wherein the lock is operable to prevent displacement of the fastener guide axially inwardly relative to the tool body at least by an extent sufficient to permit cocking.

4. A tool according to claim 2 wherein the tool is operable to be put into a condition in which firing can occur following engagement of the fastener body with the underlying substrate, by releasing axial load applied by an operator to the tool body to push the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding and then re-applying the axial load to the tool body whereby to cause cocking of the tool.

5. A tool according to claim 4 , wherein release of the axial load on the tool body following engagement of the fastener body with the underlying substrate causes release of the lock.

6. A tool according to claim 1 , wherein the means for enabling the tool to push the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur comprises means for preventing initiation of firing of the tool during that action.

7. A tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool is a gas tool having control circuitry operable to initiate the gas combustion process in response to inwards displacement of the fastener guide, the circuitry being inoperative to initiate the combustion process during a first relative inwards displacement of the fastener guide occurring while pushing the fastener body into engagement with the underlying substrate, the circuitry being then operative to initiate the combustion process in response to a second relative inwards displacement of the fastener guide.

8. A tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool is a gas tool having control circuitry operable to initiate the gas combustion process in response to inwards displacement of the fastener guide, the circuitry being inoperative to initiate the combustion process during a first relative inwards displacement of the fastener guide occurring while pushing the fastener body into engagement with the underlying substrate, the circuitry being then operative to initiate the combustion process in response to a second relative inwards displacement of the fastener guide.

9. A tool for driving a fastener pin into a substrate to secure a fastener body to the substrate for fixing insulation or other cladding, the tool being of the type comprising a fastener guide and a driving piston driven along the fastener guide by gas pressure to engage and drive the fastener, the fastener guide being displaceable axially inwardly relative to the body of the tool in order to cock the tool for firing of the driving piston, wherein the tool comprises means for locking the fastener guide against axial displacement relative to the tool body sufficient to prevent cocking to thereby permit the tool to push the fastener body through insulation or other cladding into engagement with the underlying substrate without cocking the tool, the means for locking being thereafter releasable to permit cocking to take place.

10. A tool according to claim 9 , wherein release of the lock against axial displacement occurs in response to release of axial load applied by an operator to the tool body to push the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding whereby when axial load is next applied the tool can be cocked.

11. A tool according to claim 10 , wherein the fastener guide is associated with a cam system which causes alternative locking and release in different angular positions.

12. A tool according to claim 11 , wherein the cam system comprises a rotatable cam body carried by the fastener guide and having cam tracks which co-operate with a fixed cam member whereby the cam is successively indexed to locking and release positions for the fastener guide in response to axial load applied to the tool body by the operator.

13. A tool according to claim 9 , wherein the lock against axial displacement is releasable by deliberate intervention of the operator after insertion of the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding.

14. A tool according to claim 9 , wherein the means for locking is a cam system.

15. A tool according to claim 14 , wherein the tool is configured such that release of the lock against axial displacement occurs in response to release of axial load applied by an operator to the tool body to push the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding whereby when axial load is next applied the tool can be cocked.

16. A tool according to claim 15 , wherein the fastener guide is associated with the cam system which causes alternative locking and release in different angular positions.

17. A tool according to claim 16 , wherein the cam system comprises a rotatable cam body carried by the fastener guide and having cam tracks which co-operate with a fixed cam member whereby the cam is successively indexed to locking and release positions for the fastener guide in response to axial load applied to the tool body by the operator.

18. A tool according to claim 14 , wherein the tool is configured such that the lock against axial displacement is releasable by deliberate intervention of the operator after insertion of the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding.

19. A tool for driving a fastener pin into a substrate to secure a fastener body to the substrate for fixing insulation or other cladding, the tool being of the type comprising a fastener guide and a driving piston driven along the fastener guide by gas pressure to engage and drive the pin, the fastener guide being displaceable axially inwardly relative to the body of the tool in order to cock the tool for firing of the driving piston, wherein the tool includes a first component configured to enabling the tool to push the fastener body through insulation or other cladding into engagement with the underlying substrate without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur, the tool being thereafter able to be put into a condition to permit firing to take place.

20. A tool according to claim 19 , wherein the first component is a releasable lock.

21. A tool according to claim 19 , wherein the first component is a releasable lock configured to prevent cocking of the tool during the pushing of the fastener body through insulation or other cladding into engagement with the underlying substrate without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur.

22. A tool according to claim 21 , wherein the lock is configured to prevent displacement of the fastener guide axially inwardly relative to the tool body at least by an extent sufficient to permit cocking.

23. A tool according to claim 21 wherein the tool is configured to be put into a condition in which firing can occur following engagement of the fastener body with the underlying substrate, by releasing axial load applied by an operator to the tool body to push the fastener body through the insulation or other cladding and then re-applying the axial load to the tool body whereby to cause cocking of the tool.

24. A tool according to claim 23 wherein the tool is configured such that the release of the axial load on the tool body following engagement of the fastener body with the underlying substrate causes release of the lock.

25. A tool according to claim 19 , wherein the first component is configured to prevent initiation of firing of the tool during the pushing of the fastener body through insulation or other cladding into engagement with the underlying substrate without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur.