Abstract: A modular tool functions to drive nails or staples. The tool uses a common air motor and housing and has interchangeable magazines and handle assemblies for nails and staples, respectively. Improvements in the air motor cylinder sleeve, the firing valve, the remote valve, the trigger, the stapler follower motor and magazine, the drive station access door and latch for both stapler and nailer, the nailer magazine and follower, and other features are included.

Abstract: An electronic control system for a pneumatic fastener driving tool of the type having a body containing a cylinder with a piston mounting a driver, a firing valve above and normally closing the upper end of the cylinder, and a space or volume above the firing valve. The volume above the firing valve is normally connected to a source of air under pressure to maintain the firing valve closed. When this volume is connected to exhaust the firing valve opens allowing air under pressure within the cylinder above the piston to cycle the tool. The electronic control system comprises a solenoid actuated valve which, when actuated, connects the volume above the firing valve to exhaust to cycle the tool, a source of electrical current and a control circuit. The control circuit establishes a desired mode of operation for the tool and has inputs from at least a manual trigger and a safety and interprets the inputs including their presence or absence and their sequence.

Abstract: A hand tool in the form of a pneumatically actuated mallet. The tool comprises a conventional pneumatic motor of the type employed in pneumatic fastener driving tools, including a tool body having a main cylinder, a piston/driver assembly, trigger-actuated control valve means, and means for connection to a source of air under pressure. A guide body is affixed to the tool body beneath the main cylinder and has a longitudinal bore to slidably guide the driver. A housing is supported by the free end of the guide body and comprises a closed first end adjacent the guide body with a perforation for passage of the driver therethrough, a peripheral wall and an open second end. A mallet is provided having a body portion and a slightly larger head portion with a shoulder formed therebetween. A retainer is affixed to the housing wall partially closing the second end of the housing. The mallet head portion is reciprocally mounted in the housing with its body portion extending through an opening in the retainer.

Abstract: A fastener supply includes a collated strip of fasteners having laterally extending ears. The fasteners are held together by spaced, parallel, preferably flexible elongated carrier strips, adhered to the ears. A magazine feeds fasteners to an inclined or tilted position in a drive station of a fastener driving gun. The apparatus is manipulated over a lug so that the lug extends through a fastener to be driven and engages a locating surface for gun and fastener alignment. Fasteners are rotated, as they are driven, from the inclined to a perpendicular position with respect to the lug. Methods of driving are included.

Abstract: A drywall tool provides tactile and audible feedback to the user, as a fastener is driven by frequent multiple blows, to indicate when the fastener is properly driven, and the drywall dimpled, without tearing the paper facing of the drywall. Dimpling apparatus and a firing valve for controlling the multiple blows are described. A cam is provided to withdraw the magazine follower from the last fastener in a strip to avoid jamming or damage by a descending driver. Tool apparatus permits use of lightweight, synthetic parts.

Abstract: An improved piston and driver structure includes a synthetic piston body, a bifurcated piston insert and a driver secured within the insert by means of a pin and by means of frictional engagement of the driver by the piston insert when the insert is assembled to the piston body. The piston insert has an enlarged top for dissipating operating pressures over the piston body.

Abstract: A reversible feeder shoe and door system for the magazine of a staple driving tool enabling set-up of the tool for right or left handed loading. The tool magazine comprises an elongated rail terminating at its forward end at the guide body of the tool. A row of staples is slidably mounted in straddling fashion on the rail. A feeder shoe, having a substantially symmetrical inverted U-shaped body, is slidably mounted on the rail in straddling fashion behind the row of staples. A resilient member constantly urges the feeder shoe forwardly so that the forwardmost staple of the row is located in the guide body drive track. The magazine may include a U-shaped elongated body in which the track is mounted. An elongated door is provided, swingable between an open position exposing the rail top and a closed position overlying the rail top to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the staples from the rail.

Abstract: A surgical stapling instrument for forming and implanting surgical staples in the tissue of a patient to close a wound or incision therein. The instrument comprises a body. A row of staples is mounted within the body. A feeder assembly is provided to constantly urge the row of staples forwardly, to locate the forwardmost staple thereof in position to be formed. A pair of staple formers are pivotally mounted on the body and are rotatable between normal retracted positions and staple forming positions wherein they form the forwardmost staple of the row and implant the staple in the tissue of the patient. A pair of levers are pivotally affixed to the body of the surgical stapling instrument to shift the formers to their forming positions and a resilient member is provided to bias the formers to their normal retracted positions.

Abstract: A manually actuated surgical staple extractor comprising upper and lower handles pivotally joined together and swingable between open and closed positions. The upper handle terminates at its forward end in a pair of thin, flat, laterally extending stops separated by a blade-receiving slot. The forwardmost portions of the stops lie in an obtuse angle to the upper handle and are joined together by a thin, coplanar, forwardly projecting, U-shaped anvil. The lower handle terminates in a thin blade. When the handles are in their open positions, the blade is located in the above noted slot with its lower edge above the anvil. When the handles are shifted toward each other to their closed positions, the blade pivots downwardly so that it passes through the U-shaped anvil to a position therebelow.

Abstract: A surgical stapling system comprising a surgical stapling instrument and a staple-carrying cartridge therefor. The surgical stapling instrument comprises a pliers-like instrument having upper and lower handles pivotally joined together. The upper handle has an elongated front portion terminating in an anvil. A staple former is slidably mounted on the front portion and is axially shiftable thereon by the lower handle between a normal or retracted position and a staple forming position. Cooperating leaf springs are mounted on each of the handles to normally urge the handles apart and the former to its retracted position. Portions of the leaf springs cooperate to lock the former in a staple gripping position. The cartridge comprises an elongaged member having a plurality of transverse slots formed in its upper surface and in parallel spaced relationship.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ligating device which includes a magazine housing containing a supply of ligating clips. The device has two handles and when these handles are squeezed together they clamp a ligating clip about a vessel to be ligated. When the handles are released, a linkage between one of the handles are released, a linkage between one of the handles and the magazine, feeds a succeeding ligating clip into position for use. Thus, the feed of clips in the device is entirely independent of any effort on the part of the surgeon using the device.

Abstract: A latch assembly to lock in closed position the front gate of the guide body of an industrial fastener driving tool of the type wherein the guide body and the front gate (in closed position) define a part of a drive track for the tool driver and fasteners. The gate has a first free end and a second end pivotally affixed by a pivot pin to the guide body and is swingable between a closed position against the guide body and an open position. The latch comprises a leaf spring overlying the gate and having a first free end and a second end pivotally affixed to the guide by the same pivot pin as the gate. The leaf spring has first and second angularly related portions so as to bow outwardly of the gate. A latch pin is mounted transversely on the leaf spring along the juncture of its first and second portions with the ends of the latch pin extending beyond the leaf spring.

Abstract: A surgical stapling instrument for suturing tissues or organs. The instrument is of the type having a fixed anvil jaw, a movable staple cartridge-carrying jaw shiftable toward and away from the anvil jaw, and a staple driver actuator shiftable to actuate the staple driver of the staple cartridge to implant the staples of the cartridge in the tissue or organ located between the anvil jaw and the staple cartridge-carrying jaw. The instrument is provided with a clutch to control the gap between the fixed anvil jaw and the staple cartridge in response to the pressure being applied to the organ or tissue therebetween to preclude over-compression or under-compression thereof. The instrument is also provided with a latch to preclude shifting of the staple driver actuator to actuate the staple driver when the gap determined by the clutch is not within the limits of the proper working gap of the instrument required by the forming limits of the staples.

Abstract: There is disclosed an automatic firing system for pneumatic tools wherein there is a remote valve to produce actuation of the main valve of the device which remote valve has only one moving part, combined with a selector valve, by means of which the tool may be converted from single fire to auto-fire modes, and in the auto-fire mode the rate of fire may be controlled. The pneumatic circuitry is such that less compressed air is used than in conventional auto-fire tools and thus the tool is more economical than prior art tools.

Abstract: A front gate and gate latch assembly for the guide body of an industrial fastener driving tool of the type wherein the guide body and front gate, in closed position, define a drive track for the tool driver and fasteners. The gate is pivotally affixed to the guide body and is swingable between a closed position against the guide body and an open position. A latch plate having tapered end portions is slidably and captively mounted on the gate. A spaced pair of locking blocks are mounted on the guide body to either side of the gate. The latch plate is shiftable along the gate between a gate locking position wherein the latch plate ends are in wedged engagement with the locking blocks and a gate release position free of the locking blocks. The latch plate is shiftable by a manually actuable over-center locking lever assembly.

Abstract: A disposable surgical stapling instrument is taught for forming and implanting surgical staples in the skin or fascia of a patient. The instrument comprises a body made up of two mating halves and having a rear handle portion, a forward portion and a staple magazine portion beneath the forward portion. The forward portion of the body houses a staple driver shiftable therein between a first retracted position and a second extended staple forming and implanting position. A trigger is pivotally mounted within the body and is directly connected to the staple driver to shift the driver between its first and second positions. A portion of the trigger is exposed beneath the body handle portion for actuation by the surgeon. A leaf spring is located within the body above the trigger to urge the trigger to its unactuated position and the staple driver to its first position. The magazine portion houses an anvil plate terminating at its forward end in a coextensive anvil surface located beneath the staple driver.

Abstract: A device for emplacing a purse-string suture in a severed end of a colon or other tubular structure. The device is generally barrette-like and has teeth on the upper and lower jaws which are mutually opposed so as to compress the tissue placed between the jaws and to permit tissue to bulge out into spaces between the respective teeth. Each jaw is provided with a needle guide or track through which a straight needle and suture may be passed and in passing through the needle track it will pass through the bulged out portions of the tissue. To emplace a purse-string suture, the needle is passed through one of the jaws in one direction and then looped around and passed through the other jaw in the opposite direction. A cutting guide is provided for severing excess tissue to provide a suitable cuff.

Abstract: A disposable surgical stapling instrument for the joining together of tubular body organs such as the organs of the alimentary canal. The instrument comprises an elongated body having a tubular housing portion and a coaxial cylindrical handle portion. The tubular housing portion supports at its free end a coaxial cylindrical casing containing at least one annular array of surgical staples. An adjusting rod is coaxially and non-rotatively mounted within the instrument body and has a first end extending beyond the staple-containing casing. An anvil, of improved configuration for easier removal from the anastomotic site, is removably mounted by means of an anvil nut on the first end of the adjusting rod facing the staple-containing casing.