Appeal No. 2004-0364 Page 6
Application No. 09/943,293
pivotally on the cover plate 50 and is located between the first and second slots 51, 52.
A U-shaped fastener 54 has two ends connected pivotally to the operating lever 53.
Perkins' invention is directed to a self-clearing nose section for a powered
fastener-driving tool. As shown in Figures 1-6, a nose section 13 for a powered
fastener-driving tool T is provided which includes a fixedly mounted inner plate 17, and
a removable outer plate 21 which is mounted in face-to-face relation on the inner plate.
The plates cooperate with one another to form an elongated guideway 22 into which the
fasteners are successively fed and from which they are subsequently discharged by a
reciprocating driver element 14. Overlying the outer plate and mounted for slidable
movement thereon is a guard piece 24 which is adapted to cooperate with a safety
device to render the trigger for the tool either operative or inoperative depending upon
the relative position of adjustment of the guard piece with respect to the outer plate. A
pair of adjustable arms 30 and 31 are provided which overlie the guard piece and, when
in one position of adjustment, resiliently maintain the inner and outer plates in
assembled face-to-face relation.
After the scope and content of the prior art are determined, the differences
between the prior art and the claims at issue are to be ascertained. Graham v. John
Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 17-18, 148 USPQ 459, 467 (1966).
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