Fastening tool nail stop
A fastening tool having a nail stop which positions a nail for driving and is made at least in part of a contact material which can be investment cast and/or hardened. The contact material can resist wear from the action of driving the nail and the movement of a driver blade. The nail stop can be configured to align nails fed from a magazine and can be offset from the longitudinal centerline of the fastening tool. The nail stop can have a head contact length which is 0.5% to 95% of the length of the nail to be driven. The nail stop is used in methods for positioning a nail for driving.
1. A fastening tool, comprising:
a fixed nosepiece assembly having a nosepiece length and formed of at least a first material and a recess disposed longitudinally along the nosepiece length;
a nail channel having an inner diameter;
a nosepiece insert received into the recess of the fixed nosepiece assembly; and
a nail stop integrally formed on the nosepiece insert, the nail stop having a contact surface defining a nail stop height, the contact surface having a nail stop width and adapted to be contacted by a head of a nail to be driven such that the nail is positioned for driving,
wherein the nosepiece insert has an interface seat at least in part received into the recess of the fixed nosepiece assembly and having a portion projecting away from the nail channel and configured to mate with a portion of a magazine,
wherein the depth of the recess is greater than the nail stop height,
wherein the nail stop width is less than the inner diameter of the nail channel,
wherein the nail stop is configured to have at least a portion of the contact surface configured in the nail channel to receive contact from the head of the nail to be driven, and
wherein the nosepiece insert has a second material formed of a greater hardness than the first material and a greater hardness than the nail to be driven.
2. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nosepiece insert is investment cast.
3. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop comprises a contact material.
4. The fastening tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a longitudinal centerline of a nail track, and
a longitudinal centerline of the fastening tool,
wherein the longitudinal centerline of the nail track and the longitudinal centerline of the fastening tool are configured to have an offset angle greater than 5 degrees.
5. The fastening tool of claim 4 , wherein the offset angle is in a range of from 10 degrees to 20 degrees.
6. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop has a nail stop length which is shorter than the nail.
7. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop has a length of 10% to 90% of a nail length of the nail.
8. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop has a length of less than 25% of a nail length of the nail.
9. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop has a head contact length of 10% to 90% of a nail length of the nail.
10. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop has a head contact length of less than 25% of a nail length of the nail.
11. The fastening tool of claim 1 , wherein the nail stop of the nosepiece insert is a nail stop bridge that bridges the nail channel.
12. A method for positioning a nail for driving, comprising the steps of:
providing a fixed nosepiece assembly having a nosepiece length and formed of at least a first material and a recess disposed longitudinally along the nosepiece length;
providing a nail channel having an inner diameter;
providing a nosepiece insert received into the recess of the fixed nosepiece assembly; and
a nail stop integrally formed on the nosepiece insert, the nail stop having a contact surface defining a nail stop height, the contact surface having a nail stop width and adapted to be contacted by a head of a nail to be driven such that the nail is positioned for driving;
positioning the nail to be driven for driving; and
contacting a nail head of the nail to be driven to the nail stop,
wherein the depth of the recess is greater than the nail stop height,
wherein the nail stop width is less than the inner diameter of the nail channel,
wherein the nail stop is configured to have at least a portion of the contact surface configured in the nail channel to receive contact from the head of the nail to be driven,
wherein the nosepiece insert has an interface seat at least in part received into the recess of the fixed nosepiece assembly and having a portion projecting away from the nail channel and configured to mate with a portion of a magazine, and
wherein the nosepiece insert has a second material formed of a greater hardness than the first material and a greater hardness than the nail to be driven.
13. The method for positioning a nail for driving according to claim 12 , wherein the contacting step positions the at least one nail for driving by a driver blade.
14. The method for positioning a nail for driving according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
using the contact portion of the nosepiece insert to guide the at least one nail for a distance in a range of from 10% to 90% of a nail length of the at least one nail.