FASTENER ASSEMBLY WITH LATERAL END EXTENSION

摘要

The present invention is a fastener assembly including a row of fasteners maintained in position by a carrier. The carrier includes a plurality of adj acent sleeves, each of which includes an upper breakable portion, a middle wall portion and a lo wer breakable portion. When a fastener is driven into a work piece, the upper and middle p ortions of the fastener sleeve break away and the lower portion breaks into fragments, so t hat no residual sleeve parts remain with the fastener. This is accomplished by forming the c arrier from a mixture of a stiff polyolefin material and a particulate filler to impart th e necessary brittleness to the carrier sleeves. The plurality of carrier sleeves include two end sle eves. At least one end sleeve includes a lateral end extension in the lower breakable portion w hich helps to balance and stabilize the fastener assembly in the shear block and magazine holder of a fastener driving tool.