Method and apparatus for crimping an exterior corner bead for drywall panels

Abstract

A corner crimper allows a person to crimp a corner bead to drywall at a beam. The corner crimper has a driving member mounted on a corner plate. The corner plate has a first flat substantially rectangular surface that can be positioned over a first surface of the corner bead (attached to the first panel of drywall), and a second flat substantially rectangular surface that can be positioned over a second surface of the corner bead (attached to the second panel of drywall). The driving member is then driven by a power source and impelled toward the corner bead to crimp the corner bead, driving blades or nails or screws or staples into the drywall.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A coiner crimper, for crimping a corner bead to a first panel of drywall and to a second panel of drywall at a beam, comprising: 
 a corner plate, operative to be positioned over the corner bead, the corner plate having: 
 a first flat substantially rectangular surface operative to be positioned over a first surface of the corner bead attached to the first panel of drywall, and  
 a second flat substantially rectangular surface, substantially perpendicular to the first flat substantially rectangular surface, operative to be positioned over a second surface of the corner bead attached to the second panel of drywall;  
   a driving member, mounted on the corner plate, operative to be impelled toward the coiner bead to crimp the corner bead to a first panel of drywall and to a second panel of drywall at a beam; and    a power source operative to drive the driving member.    
     
     
         2 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the power source includes: 
 a trigger mechanism;  
 a coil, coupled to the corner plate, for inductively generating a large magnetic field in response to a large electric current; and  
 a battery operatively coupled to briefly drive the large electric current through the coil in response to the trigger mechanism; and wherein  
 
 the driving member is a magnetic member operative to be impelled toward the corner bead in response to the large magnetic field.  
 
     
     
         3 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the power source includes 
 a trigger mechanism;  
 a coil, coupled to the corner plate, for inductively generating a large magnetic field in response to a large electric current; and  
 a power line operative to receive an alternating current of approximately a standard line voltage, the power line operatively coupled to briefly drive the large electric current through the coil in response to the trigger mechanism; and wherein  
 
 the driving member is a magnetic member operative to be impelled toward the corner bead in response to the large magnetic field.  
 
     
     
         4 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the power source includes 
 a reservoir of compressed air;  
 a valve operative to release a predetermined quantity of compressed air from the reservoir of compressed air; and  
 the driving member is operatively coupled to impelled toward the corner bead in response to the release of the predetermined quantity of compressed air from the reservoir of compressed air.  
 
 
     
     
         5 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  further comprising at least two blades operative to pierce the corner bead and to drive into the first panel of drywall and into the second panel of drywall in response to the driving member.  
     
     
         6 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  further comprising a hammer mechanism operative to drive a first nail into the first panel of drywall and a second nail into the second panel of drywall at a beam in response to the driving member.  
     
     
         7 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  further comprising a screwdriver mechanism operative to drive a first screw into the first panel of drywall and a second screw into the second panel of drywall at a beam in response to the driving member.  
     
     
         8 . The corner crimper of  claim 1  further comprising a stapler mechanism operative to drive a first staple into the first panel of drywall and a second staple into the second panel of drywall at a beam in response to the driving member.  
     
     
         9 . The corner crimper of  claim 1 , wherein the corner plate is adjustable, such that an angle between the first flat substantially rectangular surface and the second flat substantially rectangular surface is adjustable to a non-perpendicular angle.  
     
     
         10 . A method for crimping a corner bead to a first panel of drywall and to a second panel of drywall at a beam, comprising a step of triggering a power source to impel a driving member toward the corner bead to crimp the corner bead to a first panel of drywall and to a second panel of drywall at a beam.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of triggering the power source includes steps of: 
 triggering a battery to briefly drive a large electric current through a coil in response to the trigger mechanism; and  
 inductively generating a large magnetic field in the coil response to the large electric current; and  
 driving the driving member in response to the large magnetic field.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of triggering the power source includes steps of: 
 receiving an alternating current of approximately a standard line voltage;  
 in response to a trigger mechanism and in response to the step of receiving an alternating current of approximately a standard line voltage, briefly driving a large electric current through a coil; and  
 in response to the step of briefly driving the large electric current through a coil, inductively generating a large magnetic field in the coil; and  
 in response to the step of inductively generating a large magnetic field in the coil, driving the driving member to crimp the corner bead to the first panel of drywall and to the second panel of drywall at the beam.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of triggering the power source includes steps of: 
 in response to a trigger mechanism, releasing a predetermined quantity of compressed air from a reservoir of compressed air; and  
 in response to the release of the predetermined quantity of compressed air from the reservoir of compressed air, driving the driving member to crimp the corner bead to the first panel of drywall and to the second panel of drywall at the beam.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising a step of driving at least two blades to pierce the corner bead in response to the step of driving the driving member.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising a step of adjusting an angle between a first flat substantially rectangular surface and a second flat substantially rectangular surface to a non-perpendicular angle, wherein the at least two blades are at the non-perpendicular angle.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising a step of driving at a first nail into the first panel of drywall and a second nail into the second panel of drywall at a beam in response to the step of driving the driving member.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising a step of adjusting an angle between a first flat substantially rectangular surface and a second flat substantially rectangular surface to a non-perpendicular angle, wherein the at least two nails are at the non-perpendicular angle.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising a step of driving at a first screw into the first panel of drywall and a second screw into the second panel of drywall at a beam in response to the step of driving the driving member.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising a step of adjusting an angle between a first flat substantially rectangular surface and a second flat substantially rectangular surface to a non-perpendicular angle, wherein the at least two nails are at the non-perpendicular angle.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising a step of driving at a first staple into the first panel of drywall and a second staple into the second panel of drywall at a beam in response to the step of driving the driving member.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising a step of adjusting an angle between a first flat substantially rectangular surface and a second flat substantially rectangular surface to a non-perpendicular angle, wherein the at least two staples are at the non-perpendicular angle.