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Copyright © 1999 Adams Business Media, Inc. Would You Like A Reprint of
this Article? Just One More... Changing the Hammer
But therein lay the problem -- users had to be umbilicaled to some kind of compressor or electrical supply. This is not always convenient at the job site. Battery-powered solutions added the weight of one ni-cad pack in the unit and at least one in the belt pack for when the first one ran down. The Bammer, introduced last year by Porter-Cable, Jackson, TN, is powered, instead, from the combustion of a charge of compressed, liquefied MAPP gas. The gas is delivered from a replaceable cartridge through a 2-stage fuel regulator up to an injection valve. Pulling the trigger fires a piezo-electric charge up to a spark plug in a pre-combustion chamber. An accelerator plate transmits the flame front through 18 holes into the main combustion chamber, creating an even burst to propel the piston forward. A special alloy driver blade drives the nail or staple. The piston and driver are reset each time the nose of the device is pressed against the work surface, an action that simultaneously triggers the fuel injector to deliver a fresh charge. The resetting of the piston also exhausts the previous spent fuel through a two-way valve. The 6 1/2 lb. unit, offered in three configurations for different applications, uses aluminum for the combustion chambers inside an injection-molded plastic casing. The piston uses seals that do not require oil, further reducing maintenance needs and minimizing carbon deposit build-up within the chamber. Since the piezo ignition eliminates the need for a battery, the only concerns are loading the nail cartridge, adding the fuel cell (good for approximately 3000 shots), and taking a break once in awhile. --RM For more information, contact Porter-Cable Power Tools, 4825 Highway 45 North, PO Box 2468, Jackson, TN 38302-2468. 901-668-8600. http://www.porter-cable.com Circle 460. Copyright © 1999 Adams Business Media, Inc. Would You Like A Reprint of
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It was probably a banner day in the woodworking and construction
industries when powered hammers and staplers were introduced. Cabinets could be assembled
at automobile-production-line speeds and roofers could lay shingling in half the time,
with half the effort. Small, portable compressors offered rebuilders the chance to use
pneumatic guns on an array of jobs.