Method of forming a stacked assembly of roofing caps

Abstract

A staple or nail gun assembly includes a staple or nail gun, a cap feeding device and a cap having a peripheral rim disposed on its underside, a marginal edge on its upper side adjacent a central portion having the shape of a truncated cone. The staple or nail gun and the cap feeding device are generally disposed at opposite ends of the handle of the staple or nail gun. The cap feeding device includes a base, a cap container and a shuttle, and feeds caps sequentially as they are affixed by the gun. The caps are coaxially stacked by means of a coaxial plastic cord or wire with retaining means at the respective ends or in a tubular container with a flanged end. The caps may also be stacked on a rod or held together by melting.

1 : A stacked assembly of roofing caps for use with a cap feeding device and adapted for use with a fastener having an elongated shank for securing a roof member to a roof deck, said assembly comprising a plurality of coaxially stacked said roofing caps, each said roofing cap having two opposite surfaces, said two opposite surfaces being an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein each said roofing cap has a centrally-disposed connecting stud extending upwardly from said upper surface a distance of less than one-half the thickness of said roofing cap between said upper and lower surfaces, and said lower surface has disposed therein a centrally-disposed complementary hole in said lower surface, said connecting stud of one of said roofing caps being received in a frictional fit within said complementary hole of another of said roofing caps when said one of said roofing caps and said another of said roofing caps are placed in coaxially stacked relation.  
   
   
       2 : A stacked assembly of roofing caps for use with a cap feeding device and adapted for use with a fastener having an elongated shank for securing a roof member to a roof deck, said assembly comprising a plurality of coaxially stacked said roofing caps, each said roofing cap having two opposite surfaces; and at least one of the surfaces of each roofing cap being removably glued to one of said surfaces of another said roofing cap.  
   
   
       3 : A stacked assembly of roofing caps for use with a cap feeding device and adapted for use with a fastener having an elongated shank for securing a roof member to a roof deck, said assembly comprising a plurality of coaxially stacked said roofing caps, said stacked assembly being disposed within a cylindrical tube having a length at least as long as said stacked assembly, said roofing caps being selectively retained within said cylindrical tube at one end of said tube.  
   
   
       4 : The stacked assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said cylindrical tube includes selectively-deformable inwardly-extending flanges at said one end of said tube, said flanges being of a length to secure said caps from exiting said tube at said one end of said tube prior to an axial force being exerted on said stacked assembly sufficient to deform said flanges in the direction of said one end.  
   
   
       5 : The stacked assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said roofing caps are selectively retained within said cylindrical tube at said one end by an adhesive label thereat.  
   
   
       6 : A stacked assembly of plastic roofing caps for use with a cap feeding device and adapted for use with a fastener having an elongated shank for securing a roof member to a roof deck, said assembly comprising a plurality of coaxially stacked said plastic roofing caps, wherein adjacent caps are joined together at a melted outer circumferential portion thereof.  
   
   
       7 : A stacked assembly of roofing caps for use with a cap feeding device and adapted for use with a fastener having an elongated shank for securing a roof member to a roof deck, said assembly comprising a plurality of coaxially stacked said roofing caps having two opposite surfaces, said two opposite surfaces being an upper surface and a lower surface, each said roofing cap having a centrally-located orifice extending therethrough from said upper surface to said lower surface; said stacked assembly of roofing caps including upper caps and further including a bottommost cap whose centrally-located orifice has a smaller diameter relative to that of said centrally-located orifices of said upper caps; said stacked assembly of roofing caps including a rigid rod being disposed through said centrally-located orifices of said roofing caps, said rod having a tip of a larger diameter than said smaller diameter of said centrally-located orifice of said bottommost cap and said rod having a neck adjacent said tip and said neck having a reduced diameter relative to said larger diameter of said tip, said neck being received within said centrally-located orifice of said bottommost cap.  
   
   
       8 : A method of forming a coaxially-stacked assembly of a plurality of plastic roofing caps for use with a cap feeding device and adapted for use with a fastener having an elongated shank for securing a roof member to a roof deck, wherein adjacent caps are joined together at a melted outer circumferential portion thereof, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a stacked assembly of plastic roofing caps;    (b) providing a heating means selected from the group consisting of a flame, a laser, hot air, and a heating element; and    (c) using said heating means to heat said stacked assembly of plastic roofing caps along a longitudinal portion thereof such that adjacent caps become meltingly held together at said melted outer circumferential portion thereof.