阅读说明：本技术 转矩、钻头及其配用卡钉 (Torque, drill bit and staple bolt used therewith ) 是由 约书亚·A·博尔甘 于 2019-09-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种钻具、钻头和卡钉,用于通过同时沿相同方向驱动两个平行的螺丝而将卡钉附接到支撑体,卡钉的每一侧保持一个螺丝,以便使用卡钉将布线紧固到支撑体。钻头包括中央齿轮和两个行星齿轮,这些齿轮使螺丝驱动工具旋转。由钻具的卡盘保持钻头,当其中央齿轮旋转时,使行星齿轮旋转驱动两个螺丝。系带可用于将钻头的壳体附接到钻具,以当中央齿轮和行星齿轮旋转时阻止壳体旋转。钻具可以从水平方向旋转到垂直方向、伸缩并允许钻头旋转90度。(The present invention relates to a drill, a drill and a staple for attaching the staple to a support by driving two parallel screws simultaneously in the same direction, one screw on each side of the staple, in order to fasten wiring to the support using the staple. The drill bit includes a central gear and two planetary gears that rotate the screw driving tool. The drill bit is held by the chuck of the drill, and when its central gear is rotated, the planetary gear is caused to rotate to drive the two screws. A lace may be used to attach the housing of the drill bit to the drill to prevent the housing from rotating when the central and planetary gears rotate. The drill may be rotated from horizontal to vertical, telescoped and allowed to rotate 90 degrees.)

1. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

(a) drilling tools; and

(b) a drill bit carried by the drill bit, the drill bit comprising:

(i) a housing having a sidewall defining an interior having an open end and a closed end, the closed end being opposite the open end, and wherein the closed end has an aperture formed therein;

(ii) a central shaft extending from the interior of the housing through the aperture in the closed end of the housing;

(iii) a central gear attached to the central shaft inside the housing, wherein the central shaft is operable to rotate the central gear;

(iv) a first planetary gear meshed with the central gear;

(v) a second planetary gear in mesh with the central gear, wherein the central gear is operable to rotate the first and second planetary gears;

(vi) a first screw drive tool carried by and coaxial with the first planetary gear;

(vii) a second screw driving tool carried by and coaxial with the second planetary gear; and

(c) a staple, the staple comprising:

(i) a first screw, said first screw driving tool of said drill bit operable to drive said first screw;

(ii) a second screw, said second screw driving tool of said drill bit operable to drive said second screw; and

(iii) a coupler sized to be received in the interior of the housing of the drill bit, wherein the coupler has a first channel and a second channel formed therein, the first channel being parallel to the second channel, the first channel being sized to receive the first screw, the second channel being sized to receive the second screw, wherein the coupler is operable to maintain the first screw parallel to the second screw, and wherein the first screw is received in the first channel

Extends through the first channel, and the second screw is accommodated in the second channel

The passage extends beyond the second passage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first planetary gear has a first shaft and the second planetary gear has a second shaft, the first shaft coaxial with the first screw-driven tool and the second shaft coaxial with the second screw-driven tool.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first axis is parallel to the second axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the closed end of the housing has a first bushing and a second bushing, and wherein the first planetary gear has a first shaft with a first end in the first bushing and the second planetary gear has a second shaft with a second end in the second bushing, the first end of the first shaft carrying the first screw driving tool and the second end of the second shaft carrying the second screw driving tool.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a plate inside the housing, the plate being located between the open end of the housing and the central gear, and wherein the plate has a first hole for the first screw-driving tool to extend therethrough and a second hole for the second screw-driving tool to extend therethrough.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a first portion containing the first channel and a second portion containing the second channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the coupler comprises a bridge, and wherein the first portion of the coupler is connected to the second portion by the bridge.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bridge is arcuate.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupler is made of metal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an insulator carried by the staple.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a tether detachably attached to the housing of the staple and operable to prevent rotation of the housing when the central gear is rotated.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the housing of the drill bit has a protrusion carried by the open end, and wherein the strap is operable to be attached to the protrusion.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the lace is operable to attach to the drill bit.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a housing having a sidewall defining an interior having an open end and a closed end, and wherein the closed end has an aperture formed therein;

(b) a central shaft extending from the interior of the housing through the aperture in the closed end;

(c) a central gear inside the housing and attached to the central shaft, wherein the central shaft is operable to rotate the central gear;

(d) a first planetary gear meshed with the central gear;

(e) a second planetary gear in mesh with the central gear, wherein the central gear is operable to rotate the first and second planetary gears;

(f) a first screw drive tool carried by the first planetary gear, wherein the first planetary gear is operable to rotate the first screw drive tool; and

(g) a second screw driving tool carried by the second planetary gear, wherein the second planetary gear is operable to rotate the second screw driving tool, and wherein the first screw driving tool and the second screw driving tool are operable to drive a pair of screws.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first screw driving tool is parallel to the second screw driving tool.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first planetary gear has a first shaft and the second planetary gear has a second shaft, the first shaft being coaxial with the first screw-driven tool and the second shaft being coaxial with the second screw-driven tool.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the closed end of the housing has a first bushing and a second bushing, and wherein the first planetary gear has a first shaft with a first end located in the first bushing and a second end carrying the first screw drive tool, and the second planetary gear has a second shaft with a first end located in the second bushing and a second end carrying the second screw drive tool.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a plate inside the housing, the plate being located between the open end of the housing and the central gear, and wherein the plate has a first hole for the first screw-driving tool to extend therethrough and a second hole for the second screw-driving tool to extend therethrough.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the central shaft has a first end and a second end, the first end of the central shaft extending through the aperture in the closed end of the housing, the first end of the central shaft operable to be gripped by a drill.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises a strap attachable to the housing.

Technical Field

The apparatus of the present disclosure generally relates to using staples to attach electrical wiring to a support surface using staples as part of the process of laying the electrical wiring throughout a building.

Background

The wiring is used to conduct electricity or electrical signals. The wiring comprises any insulated or non-insulated, non-self-supporting elongate electrical conductor. When wiring is laid throughout a building, the wiring may be supported by the surface of a support member such as a column, beam, or the like. The wiring of the support should be easy to find, track and protect from damage, and unlikely to cause tripping injuries. One way to attach the wiring to the support surface is to staple it. A staple having two prongs may be driven across the wiring and into the support to hold the wiring in place.

A worker fixing the wiring to the support body with the staple may hold the staple above the wiring and drive both legs of the staple into the support body with a hammer. The worker may work on a ladder or in a narrow place and may have difficulty finding the proper location to properly drive the staple into place. In view of the above, there remains a need for an easier and faster way to nail wires to a support without causing damage to the wires.

Disclosure of Invention

A drill bit and staple for use therewith are disclosed. The staple is operable to secure electrical wiring or the like to the support body. The drill bit includes a housing and a central gear configured to be driven by a drill. The drill bit includes first and second planetary gears that mesh with the central gear. The central gear rotates the planetary gears which in turn rotate the two screw-driven tools. The staple includes a coupler that holds two screws in spaced relation and parallel to each other so that they can be driven into the support body by two screw driving tools on the drill bit. Parallel spaced channels in the staple coupler may orient and stabilize the screw and cooperate with a screw driving tool on the drill bit to advance the screw into the support body. The coupler also prevents the screws from being driven too far, potentially damaging the wiring captured by the coupler in the space between the screws.

These and other features and advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from a careful reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a partial side exploded view of a drill, drill bit and staple according to one aspect of the present disclosure, with the drill bit interior shown in phantom, and showing ligaments attached to the drill and drill bit housing to prevent rotation of the drill bit housing;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the strap shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the drill bit shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top cross-sectional view of the drill bit shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the central gear meshing with the first and second planet gears in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the drill bit shown in FIG. 3 showing the central gear engaged with the first and second planet gears in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the drill bit shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a top right perspective view of an arcuate staple for use with the drill bit shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a top right side perspective view of an alternative staple for use with the drill bit shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a top right side perspective view of another alternative staple for use with the drill bit of FIG. 1 in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10A is a side view of a drill oriented to a horizontal position for use with the drill bit and staple of the present invention for driving the staple in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10B is a side view of the drill shown in FIG. 10A rotated to a vertical position for use with the drill bit and staple of the present invention to drive the staple in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11A is an elevation view of the drilling tool shown in FIG. 10A with the drill bit shown in phantom in a horizontal position according to an aspect of the present disclosure; and

fig. 11B is an elevation view of the drilling tool shown in fig. 11A, illustrating the drill bit rotated 90 degrees, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1, the staple 10 is shown in use, with the drill 14 holding the drill bit 18 engaging the staple 10 and driving the staple 10 into the support 22. As the staple 10 is driven into the support 22, the wire 26 is held to the support 22. A series of similar staples may be used to hold the wire 26 to a support, such as support 22.

The term "staple" broadly refers to a device operable to secure a first object to a support, such as support 22. Here, fig. 1 shows a side view of an elongated object, such as a wire 26, attached to a support 22 using a staple 10 of the present invention. As with the wire 26, the wire is not limited to a conductive metal covered by an electrically insulating layer, but rather any item that has a dimension much greater than the other two dimensions and that should be supported by a surface. Alternatively, the term "wire" may be an electrical conductor, an optical conductor, a fluid conductor, a particulate conductor, a solid conductor, a hollow conductor, a set of conductors, a closed conductor, an open conductor, a flexible conductor, or a rigid conductor; for convenience, all of these will be referred to herein simply as "wires".

The wires 26 are secured to a support 22, such as a beam, truss, column, joist, wall, or the like, and the support 22 may be made of wood, composite, masonry, or other material into which screws can be drilled by the drill 14 to retain a length of the wires 26 to the support 22. The drilling device 14 may be any type of power drill, including an electric, battery powered, hydraulic, or pneumatic drill.

The tie strap 30 used in conjunction with the drilling tool 14 and the drill bit 18 is also shown in FIG. 1, and the tie strap 30 is also shown separately in FIG. 2. The first end 34 of the tie strap 30 is applied to the drilling tool 14, while the second end 38 of the tie strap 30 is connected to the bit housing 42 to prevent rotation of the bit housing 42 when the drilling tool 14 is activated. The drill 14 is actuated causing its chuck 46 to rotate. The drill bit 18 is gripped by the chuck 46 and thus rotates with the chuck 46.

As described in detail below, the drill bit 18 simultaneously rotates both screws in the staple 10, while the bit housing 42 does not rotate because the lace 30 holds it to the drill 14. The first end 34 of the strap 30 resiliently grips the drilling tool 14, while the second end 38 of the strap 30 grips a projection 44 carried by the bit housing 42. Because the drill 14 does not rotate (except for the chuck 46), the bit housing 42 does not rotate while the bit housing 42 is held by the tie strap 30.

Referring now to fig. 3, 4, 5 and 6, there are shown a side view (fig. 3), a top view (fig. 4), an end view (fig. 5) and an exploded perspective view (fig. 6), respectively, of the drill bit 18. The drill bit 18 enables the chuck 46 of the drill 14 to simultaneously drive a pair of screws in the same direction so that the staple 10 can be quickly and uniformly attached to the support body 22.

The drill bit 18 includes a bit housing 42 having an interior 88 defined by a sidewall 50, the sidewall 50 having an open end 54 and a closed end 58. The bit housing 42 may be made of plastic, metal, ceramic or composite material, which provides rigidity to retain its components in use when the screw is inserted into the support body 22. The closed end 58 has a bore 62 formed therein for a central shaft 66. The central shaft 66 has a first end 80, and the first end 80 is rotatable when the first end 80 is received and secured in the chuck 46 and the drill 14 is operated. The second end 84 of the central shaft 66 extends through the bore 62 into the interior 88 of the bit housing 42, as best shown in FIG. 6.

Inside the bit housing 42 is a central gear 92 and two planet gears, a first planet gear 100 and a second planet gear 108. The central shaft 66 extends through the bore 62 in the closed end 58 and into the interior 88 of the bit housing 42 to the central gear 92, where the central shaft 66 is attached to the central gear 92 and is operable to rotate the central gear 92. The first and second planet gears 100, 108 mesh with the central gear 92, i.e. the teeth of the first planet gears 100 are interleaved with the teeth of the central gear 92 and the teeth of the second planet gears 108 are interleaved with the teeth of the central gear 92, thus enabling rotation of said first and second planet gears 100, 108. In the case where the central gear 92 is directly meshed with the first and second planetary gears 100 and 108, the first and second planetary gears 100 and 108 will simultaneously rotate in the same direction, i.e., in the opposite direction to the central gear 92. The first planetary gears 100 rotate on the first end 96 of the first shaft 116, which first end 96 may be seated in a first bushing 124 of the closed end 58 of the bit housing 42. Similarly, the second planet gears 108 rotate on the first end 104 of the second shaft 136, the second end 104 being seated in the second bushing 144 of the closed end 58.

The second end 112 of the first shaft 116 and the second end 120 of the second shaft 136 carry a first screw drive tool 152 and a second screw drive tool 160, respectively. The first and second screw driving tools 152, 160 are driven by the central gear 92 via the first and second planetary gears 100, 108, respectively, and may be configured to drive any of a variety of common types of screw fastening heads, such as a slotted head, a phillips head, and a "hex" head, or a screw fastening head such as that shown in the figures, or any screw fastening head configuration capable of transferring the torque of the first and second screw driving tools 152, 160 to a screw being driven.

The term "configured" means that the head shapes of the first screw driving tool 152 and the second screw driving tool 160 correspond to the screw shape of the staple 10 so that the first screw driving tool 152 and the second screw driving tool 160 can clamp and rotate the screws. The drill bit 18 is able to rotate both screws in the same direction simultaneously using torque from the drill 14 and the chuck 46. The first and second planet gears 100, 108 and the first and second screw driving means 152, 158 rotate in the same direction about parallel spaced axes so that they can drive the parallel spaced screws.

The first ends 96, 104 of the first and second shafts 116, 136 are attached to the first and second planet gears 100, 108, respectively, in any suitable manner such that rotation of the first and second planet gears 100, 108 rotates the first and second shafts 116, 136, respectively. For example, the bore 132 formed in the first planetary gear 100 may have a key 148, the key 148 may be aligned with a slot 156 in the second end 112 of the first shaft 116; and the aperture 140 formed in the second planet gear 108 may have a key 148, and the key 148 may be aligned with a slot 156 in the second end 120 of the second shaft 136.

As shown in fig. 6, a plate 70 may be used to close the open end 74 to cover the open end 74 and assist in alignment of its components, including the central gear 92, the first planetary gears 100, and the second planetary gears 108. The plate 70 has holes 76 and 78 formed therein for extending first and second screw driving tools 152 and 160 out of the bit housing 42.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a first staple 162 is shown in use in conjunction with the drill bit 18. The first staple 162 includes a first coupler 166 and two parallel spaced screws, namely a first screw 170 and a second screw 174, which are carried in a channel formed in the first coupler 166. The first screw 170 is inserted into the first channel 178 and the second screw 174 is inserted into the second channel 182. The first channel 178 is spaced parallel to the second channel 182. As shown in fig. 7, first and second screws 170 and 174 are free to rotate within first and second channels 178 and 182, respectively, and heads 186 and 190 of first and second screws 174 are wider than first and second channels 178 and 182, respectively, but the entrances of first and second channels 178 and 182 in first coupler 166 may be widened to allow first and second screws 170 and 174 to be countersunk.

If the first and second screws 170, 174 are driven into the support body 22 until the first coupler 166 touches the support body 22, the lengths of the first and second screws 170, 174 are longer than the lengths of the first and second channels 178, 182 to provide good retention.

The first coupler 166 as shown in fig. 7 has two portions, a first portion 194 and a second portion 198, connected by a first bridge 202. In fig. 7, first bridge 202 is arcuate to define a space for capturing wire 26 between first portion 194 and second portion 198. The space defined below the first bridge 202 and between the first and second portions 194 and 198 is sized to receive the wire 26, the wire 26 being held against the support body 22 when the first and second screws 170 and 174 are driven into the support body 22, which space may be large enough to receive the wire 26 and hold the wire 26 in place.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a second staple 206 is shown. Second staple 206 includes a second coupler 210, and second coupler 210 retains third screw 214 and fourth screw 218 in third channel 254 and fourth channel 258, respectively, formed in second coupler 210 such that third screw 214 and fourth screw 218 are free to rotate. The third and fourth screws 214, 218 are each longer than the third and fourth channels 254, 258 so that the wires 26 can be captured and held in place when the third and fourth screws 214, 218 are driven into the support body 22.

The second staple 206 has a third portion 230 and a fourth portion 234. The third portion 230 includes a third passage 254 and the fourth portion 234 includes a fourth passage 258. The third portion 230 and the fourth portion 234 are connected together via a second bridge 238. The top surface of the second bridge 238 is arched and the bottom surface is flat, in contrast to the top surface of the first bridge 202, which is flat and the bottom surface is arched.

The second staple 206 may be made of metal, plastic, or a composite material. If second staple 206 is made of metal, it may include an insulator 242, as shown in FIG. 8, which insulator 242 may have a similar and conforming configuration to second coupler 210, i.e., insulator 242 may have a fifth portion 246 and a spaced sixth portion 250, with third and fourth channels 254 and 258 sized to receive third and fourth screws 214 and 218, respectively. The insulator 242 may be made of plastic, composite, or other non-conductive material.

The third and fourth channels 254, 258 are spaced apart in parallel so that the third and fourth screws 214, 218 can be driven simultaneously by the first and second screw-driving tools 152, 160 of the drill bit 18.

A third staple 262 is shown in fig. 9, the third staple 262 including a third coupler 266, the third coupler 266 retaining a fifth screw 270 and a sixth screw 274 in a seventh channel 278 and an eighth channel 282, respectively. The third coupler 266 has a flat bridge 286 connecting the seventh section 290 with the eighth section 294.

Fig. 10A, 10B, 11A and 11B illustrate a drill 298 having a handle 302 and a rechargeable battery compartment 306, the handle 302 including a trigger 304. The drill 298 has a pivotable head 310, and as can be seen by comparing fig. 10A and 10B, the drill 298 can be readily used to drive the staple at any angle between 0 and 90 degrees.

The drill 298 has a telescopic chuck 314, and when the user drives the staple in a narrow area difficult to reach, the telescopic chuck 314 can extend forward by several centimeters. In addition, the drill 298 holds a drill bit 318, and as can be seen by comparing fig. 11A and 11B, the drill bit 318 can also be rotated 90 degrees.

Those skilled in the art of construction and installation of utilities within a building under construction will appreciate that many modifications and substitutions can be made to the above aspects without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.