Screw gun

Abstract

The invention relates to a screw gun including a driving unit fitted with a slidable cartridge holder adapted for receiving and indexing a separate cartridge containing a plurality of screws. The invention further relates to the replaceable cartridge containing the plurality of screws for use in a screw gun. The invention allows for the loading and insertion of a plurality of screws from a cartridge without requiring a worker to handle and insert the individual screws into the driver.

1 . A screw gun for driving a fastening means comprising:
 a driving unit having a driver and a guide post connected thereto,   a camming means located on said guide post,   a cartridge holder slidably affixed to said guide post and constructed to receive a cartridge containing a plurality of fastening means.   
   
   
       2 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a cartridge rotatably supported by said cartridge holder. 
   
   
       3 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 2  wherein said cartridge comprises a rotatable housing having a plurality of chambers for releasably holding said fastening means and having a means for indexing said cartridge. 
   
   
       4 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 3  wherein said indexing means further aligns said cartridge in said cartridge holder. 
   
   
       5 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 3  wherein said indexing means comprises outwardly extending ribs between each of said chambers. 
   
   
       6 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said chambers include a plurality of fingers for releasably holding said fastening means. 
   
   
       7 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said fingers have a free end and a bound end. 
   
   
       8 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 7  wherein said fingers include of first tapered portion and a second tapered portion constructed and arranged for holding said fastening means. 
   
   
       9 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said fingers further include a groove between said first and second tapered portions. 
   
   
       10 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 9  further including a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       11 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       12 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 3  further comprising a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       13 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 12  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       14 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said driver includes a socket for mating with the head of said fastening means. 
   
   
       15 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 14  wherein said fastening means is a hex-head screw. 
   
   
       16 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said cartridge holder comprises a housing having a front cover plate, a rear cover plate, and a pocket in said housing for receiving a cartridge having a plurality of fastening means. 
   
   
       17 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 16  wherein said pocket further includes an inner pocket wall and said inner pocket wall having an indexing means connected thereto and constructed and arranged for communication with said camming means in said guide post. 
   
   
       18 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said indexing means comprises a sleeve having a cam follower. 
   
   
       19 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said indexing means comprises a sleeve having a cam follower, an oscillating plate and a cam plate. 
   
   
       20 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 19  wherein said indexing means further includes a pawl means housed in said oscillating plate and a spring means constructed and arranged for controlling rotation of said oscillating plate. 
   
   
       21 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said indexing means includes a pin means and a pawl means for automatically aligning said cartridge in said screw gun. 
   
   
       22 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said indexing means comprises a sleeve through which said guide post passes through, a cam follower which cooperates with said camming means of said guide post, and a pin means and a pawl means which extend through said inner pocket wall into said pocket whereby said indexing means function to automatically align said cartridge and to index said cartridge. 
   
   
       23 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 17  further comprising a cartridge rotatably supported by said cartridge holder. 
   
   
       24 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 23  wherein said cartridge comprises a rotatable housing having a plurality of chambers for releasably holding a fastening means and having an outwardly extending rib between each of said chambers. 
   
   
       25 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 24  wherein said chambers include a plurality of fingers for releasably holding said fastening means. 
   
   
       26 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 25  wherein said fingers include of first tapered portion and a second tapered portion constructed and arranged for holding a fastener. 
   
   
       27 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 26  further comprising a groove between said first and second tapered portions. 
   
   
       28 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 27  further comprising a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       29 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 28  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       30 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 23  wherein said cartridge includes a plurality of fasteners. 
   
   
       31 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 30  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       32 . A screw gun having a cartridge holder and a rotatable cartridge for insertion therein said cartridge comprising a housing having a plurality of chambers for releasably holding a fastening means and having means for indexing said cartridge in said cartridge holder. 
   
   
       33 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  wherein said means for indexing said cartridge comprises an outwardly extending rib extending between each of said chambers. 
   
   
       34 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  wherein said means for indexing said cartridge comprises a ratcheting means. 
   
   
       35 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  wherein said chambers include a plurality of fingers for releasably holding said fastening means. 
   
   
       36 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 35  wherein said fingers further include a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion constructed and arranged for holding a fastener and a groove between said first and second tapered portions. 
   
   
       37 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 36  further including a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       38 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 37  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       39 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  further including a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       40 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 39  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       41 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  wherein said cartridge has eight chambers. 
   
   
       42 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  wherein said cartridge has ten chambers. 
   
   
       43 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 32  wherein said cartridge is made from plastic. 
   
   
       44 . A screw gun having a cartridge holder for supporting and indexing a cartridge containing a plurality of chambers for fastening means, said cartridge holder having:
 a pocket adapted for supporting said cartridge,   a passage for receiving a driver of said screw gun, and   means for aligning a chamber of said cartridge with said driver passage.   
   
   
       45 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 44  wherein said means for aligning a chamber of said cartridge with said driver passage comprises a pin means and a pawl means. 
   
   
       46 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 45  wherein said cartridge holder further includes a means for indexing said cartridge within said cartridge holder. 
   
   
       47 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 46  wherein said cartridge holder further includes a front cover plate and a rear cover plate. 
   
   
       48 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 47  wherein said pocket is defined by said front cover plate and an inner pocket wall. 
   
   
       49 . A cartridge for a screw gun comprising a rotatable housing having a plurality of chambers for releasably holding a fastening means and having means for indexing the cartridge in a cartridge holder. 
   
   
       50 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 49  wherein said means for indexing the cartridge in the cartridge holder comprises an outwardly extending rib between each of said chambers. 
   
   
       51 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 50  wherein said chambers include a plurality of fingers for releasably holding said fastening means. 
   
   
       52 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 51  wherein said fingers have a free end and a bound end. 
   
   
       53 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 52  wherein said fingers include of first tapered portion and a second tapered portion constructed and arranged for holding said fastener means. 
   
   
       54 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 53  wherein said fingers further include a groove between said first and second tapered portions. 
   
   
       55 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 54  further including a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       56 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 55  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       57 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 49  which further includes a plurality of fasteners in said cartridge. 
   
   
       58 . A cartridge in accordance with  claim 57  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       59 . A method of loading a fastening means into a driver of a screw gun having a cartridge holder, said method comprising the steps of:
 inserting a cartridge having a plurality of chambers with fastening means therein into the cartridge holder slidably attached to said screw gun, and   aligning a first chamber of said cartridge with said driver through an interaction between an indexing means of said cartridge holder with an indexing means of said cartridge, and   pumping said cartridge holder, thereby loading a fastening means from said first chamber into said driver.   
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 59  wherein said cartridge includes a rotatable housing having a plurality of chambers for releasably holding said fastening means and means for indexing said cartridge. 
   
   
       61 . The method in accordance with  claim 60  wherein said means for indexing said cartridge comprises an outwardly extending rib between each of said chambers. 
   
   
       62 . The method in accordance with  claim 59  wherein said indexing means comprises a pawl means and a pin means. 
   
   
       63 . The method in accordance with  claim 59  wherein during the pumping of the cartridge holder the driver passes through the cartridge and prevents rotation of the cartridge and provides a means for cocking the indexing mechanism to load a second fastening means. 
   
   
       64 . A method of inserting a fastening means into a work niece from a screw gun, said method comprising the steps of:
 inserting a cartridge containing a plurality of fastening means into a cartridge holder of said screw gun;   automatically aligning a chamber of said cartridge with a driver of said screw gun;   inserting a fastening means from said cartridge into said driver by pumping said cartridge holder, and   inserting said fastening means into a workpiece.   
   
   
       65 . The method in accordance with  claim 63  wherein the chambers of said cartridge include a plurality of fingers for releasably holding said fastening means. 
   
   
       66 . The method in accordance with  claim 64  wherein said fasteners are hex-head screws. 
   
   
       67 . The method in accordance with  claim 63  wherein said indexing means comprises a pawl means and a pin means. 
   
   
       68 . A screw gun in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising means for automatically sliding said cartridge holder on said guide post.