Abstract: An endoscopic surgery system includes a plurality of staples and an endoscopic applicator having a staple cartridge for loading transversely arranged staples. The staples have a central region and two side limbs and the applicator has a mobile body for holding a staple to be applied, the staple being arranged in a transverse plane, and for ensuring the deformation of same by bending in relation to the axis of symmetry of the staple.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying studs on strips of material includes a lower plate having a plurality of upward-protruding pins, an intermediate plate intended to be disposed on the lower plate and having a plurality of through housings suitable for receiving the body of the studs and letting the pins of the lower plate pass through, and an upper plate with housings to cooperate with the attaching means of the studs. The pins of the lower plate have a head made of a soft material intended to stop against the body of the studs, in such manner not to damage the body of the studs, when the studs are pressed between the pins of the lower plate and the housings of the upper plate.

Abstract: A clipboard device having an elastic retainer member which is alternately deployable to hold papers or other items in place on the front or rear surface of the clipboard and related methods of manufacture and use.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for applying a rotational force to a structural element during a surgical procedure. The instrument may be designed for increasing an input force to produce an enlarged output force adequate for fracturing an excess section of the elongated element from a remainder of the structural element. The instrument may include an input mechanism that receives an external rotational input force, a cycloidal gear system that multiples the input force, and an output mechanism that attaches to and delivers the multiplied rotational output force to the excess section of the structural element. The output mechanism may also be configured to capture the separated excess section. The instrument may include a housing and a handle for grasping and manipulating during the surgical procedure.

Abstract: A resin insertion device includes a barrel, a piston within the barrel, and a triggering mechanism. The triggering mechanism includes an air outlet, an air inlet, a venturi tube and at least one trigger piston. A resin insertion device includes a barrel having a collar disposed at a first end and a piston disposed slidably within the barrel. A triggering mechanism is disposed at a second end. A first position of the trigger prevents airflow through an air inlet, a second position allows air through the inlet and an outlet, and a third position prevents airflow through the outlet. A method of inserting resin into a bore hole includes providing an insertion device including a barrel, and a triggering mechanism. The method includes depressing a trigger from a first to a second position, placing at least one resin cartridge within the barrel, and further depressing the trigger.

Abstract: A driver for fastening a bone fastener to a bone, the driver comprises an elongated outer member including a first bore extending therethrough along a longitudinal axis and a coupling element that is releasably coupled with the bone fastener. The driver further comprises an elongated material conduit extending at least partially within the first bore. The material conduit including a second bore extending therethrough. The driver further comprises a driving body with a driver head shaped to releasably engage the bone fastener. The driving body includes a distal opening in communication with the second bore to allow the passage of a filling composition through the second bore and through the distal opening.

Abstract: A movable holding bracket is provided for attachment to a fastening tool having a nosepiece for driving a fastener, the holding bracket configured for holding overlapping portions of two members to be fastened to one another, the bracket including a fixed portion configured for attachment to a workpiece contact element of the tool, and a movable portion movably attached to said fixed portion. A holding arm is attached to the movable portion and defines a gap configured for holding the overlapping portions of the two members for insertion of a fastener driven from the tool nosepiece.

Abstract: A safety handle assembly for use with a surgical instrument having an operative distal end portion is disclosed. The handle assembly includes a handle housing and a drive element movably mounted within the handle housing and connected to an associated operative distal end portion. A drive assembly is positioned within the handle housing and is engageable with the drive element to move the drive element within the handle housing. An actuator is movably mounted on the handle housing and an adjustable force-limiting mechanism is interposed between the drive assembly and the actuator. A force-limiting mechanism releasably connects the actuator to the drive assembly. The force-limiting mechanism is adjustable to preset the force at which the actuator separates or breaks away from the drive assembly.

Abstract: A staple-driving gun includes a hollow housing configured with first and second air chambers separated by a partition. A piston unit includes an operating member connected fixedly to a sleeve disposed movably in the first air chamber, and a piston rod disposed movably in the sleeve. The operating member is operable so as to move a valve end portion of the sleeve away from the partition. Hence, compressed air flows from the first air chamber into the second air chamber via a valve hole in the partition, and an air-excluding passage constituted by a gap between the valve end portion of the sleeve and an annular flange of a seal washer mounted on the valve end portion of the sleeve, and an air-excluding hole in the valve end portion of the sleeve so as to urge the piston rod to move toward a staple-discharging member.

Abstract: An apparatus for building pallets comprises a jig frame adapted to maintain a plurality of deck boards in deck board locations on top of a plurality of stringers in parallel stringer locations. A gantry frame is mounted above the jig frame and a plurality of nailing guns is mounted on the gantry frame. The gantry frame is movable with respect to the jig frame to position and operate the nailing guns to nail deck boards to stringers. The nailing guns are mounted to the gantry frame such that they can move up and down with respect to the gantry frame, and the nailing guns are biased toward a lowest gun position. Each gun can move vertically so that when using uneven boards, all guns will fire.

Abstract: A tool for driving and setting nail-pin anchors and anchor bolts into concrete, the tool using the percussive action of a rotary hammer drill. The tool comprises a body member with a spring, a driver, and a ram inserted into the body member's bore. After a hole is drilled for insertion of the anchor, the masonry drill bit of the rotary hammer drill is slid inside the bore of the ram and temporarily locked to the tool. The rotary hammer drill is activated, and the drill bit turns inside the ram without affecting the body member or the anchor. Instead, the percussive force of the rotary hammer drill transfers its impact to the ram and the driver, which impacts the nail of the nail-pin anchor, or the stem of the anchor bolt, setting it into the concrete. A keyed bearing can be installed inside a sleeve of the ram in order to protect the tip of the masonry drill bit from shearing.

Abstract: The invention is a stapler and staple guide assembly for same. The stapler provides automated stapling for stacks of sheet material regardless of stack thickness. In a first embodiment two staple guides load individual sheets or small stacks of sheets onto a staple with the staple supported in a base. The staple is then cut to an appropriate height and cinched. In another embodiment, numerous split guides may be cascaded to increase staple loading speed. Other improvements to a stapling process include dimpling sheets of material and/or pre-drilling sheets of material to simplify loading sheets onto a staple.

Abstract: A food skewering tool is used to insert a skewer into a food item, such as an apple. The tool includes a barrel having an axial bore for receiving and guiding the skewer, and a striker element which applies force to the skewer to drive it into the food item. The striker element may include a detent that receives the skewer and prevents slippage when the skewer is being driven. The length of the barrel and the length of the skewer combine to establish the depth that the skewer will penetrate into the food item.

Abstract: A stapler system for surgical suturing comprising a novel stapler and novel precurved staples designed for use with the stapler. Staples stored on a magazine are implanted by a ram mounted for reciprocal movement on the body of the stapler. The ram is moved to firing position by a handle pivotally mounted to the stapler body. As the handle is pivoted, a flat spring coupled to the ram is biased. When the ram reaches its firing position, the handle slips from engagement with the ram, thus permitting the biased spring to drive the ram downward so as to implant a staple into the incised tissue. The legs of the staple enter the tissue along a curved path. During implantation the staple is bent around an anvil causing the legs of the staple to penetrate the tissue along a curved path. Insertion of the staple legs along this curved path draws adjacent portions of incised tissue together.

Abstract: A flexible surgical stapler assembly includes a staple firing head assembly and a handle actuator assembly connected to the staple firing head assembly through a flexible spine. The staple firing head assembly includes an anvil assembly defining an anvil surface which provides an array of staple forming depressions. A staple housing on the staple firing head assembly carries an array of staples to be formed. A staple pusher means on the staple firing head assembly is provided for exerting a force on the staples in the staple housing to eject the staples from the housing and form the staples against the anvil surface. The handle actuator assembly includes a housing which defines an inner cavity. A cable carrier is provided within the cavity and is freely slidable within the cavity. A length of flexible cable is connected at one of its ends to the cable carrier and at its other end to the anvil assembly of the staple firing head assembly.

Abstract: To effect a mechanical and electrical interconnection of high integrity between flat multiconductor cables, a jig system is disclosed wherein a base plate is specifically designed with a plurality of guide pins arranged in a predetermined pattern for locating a plurality of common length connector strips for establishing connections between matching cable conductor pairs. The base plate further includes a plurality of locator pins for precision alignment of 3, 4, or 5 conductor cables for either tap or splice connections with the cables juxtaposed. The cables are in overlying relation to connector strip eyelets at opposite ends of each strip for establishing a connection between a matching conductor pair.

Abstract: A pallet manufacturing machine and method for joining wooden slats (W) to elongate splines (S) includes spline clamping means (70) mounted on a frame (10). The spline clamping means (70) grip and release the elongate splines (S) so that the lateral edge portions of the splines (S) extend from the clamping means (70). The wooden slats (W) are carried along the length of the frame (10) by first and second advancing means (12-18, 50-56) with the advancing means (12-18, 50-56) adapted to force the slats (W) over and onto the extending edges of the splines (S). In this way, the edges of the splines (S) are embedded within the wooden slats (W) to form a contiguous structure. Drive means (76) are provided for displacing the first and second advancing (12-18, 50-56) means along the frame. In operation, the wooden slats (W) are arranged in a generally parallel, spaced relationship and the splines (S) are clamped in the clamping assembly (70).

Abstract: A multiplicity of integrated circuit connector contact sockets mounted to a plurality of carrier strips are moved between pairs of orientation rollers with tails of the contacts protruding upwardly whereby an upper socket portion of one contact is aligned with an upper socket portion of a contact on a carrier strip in an adjacent row. A plurality of integrated circuit connector insulators having socket receiving apertures formed therein are held together in an array and placed over the contact tails with one tail being received within each aperture of an insulator. The carrier strips are simultaneously advanced beneath a work station wherein a tool presses the insulators downwardly to tightly fit the contact socket portions into the receiving apertures in the insulators. A shearing tool then severs the insulators in the array from one another except for the continued affixation of the contact sockets to the parallel carrier strips.

Abstract: A plurality of hopper stored sticks suitable for mounting food products or the like thereon are individually delivered through a passageway to a feed station in a horizontal position. A rotatable wheel segment provided with a stick receiving slot therein communicates with the feed station and both sequentially shifts and rotates the sticks to an inserting station where a stick delivered thereto is disposed in an upright position aligned with a vertical stick insertion axis. Inserting means including vertically shiftable product supporting structure vertically aligned with the inserting station shifts the product placed thereon along the insertion axis toward an upright stick at the inserting station thereby inserting the stick into the product. The slotted wheel segment is provided with a lever arm engagable by the product supporting structure to produce swinging movement of the wheel segment toward the the inserting station while gravity induces return of the wheel segment toward the feed station.

Abstract: A machine for inserting pliable handles into soft food articles, such as apples, pears, corn cobs, etc. Pliable, nonsplintering handles, made of coiled paper, are used to avoid accidents, especially when the food is eaten by a child. The handle is loaded into a spring holder, supported by a cylindrical jacket, and the food article is forced down on the handle against the force of the spring. The jacket supports the handle as it enters the food, preventing bending or buckling.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in terminating flexible flat conductor cable or the like with contacts having a termination section for terminating a conductor portion thereof includes a flexible, generally U-shaped carrier strip for carrying a plurality of longitudinally spaced ones of the contacts, an anvil assembly, a ram assembly, a stripping assembly, and a guide and positioning assembly. The guide and positioning assembly comprises a support surface and adjustable positioning stops for predetermining the lateral location of the flexible flat conductor, as well as a clamp for clamping the flexible flat conductor on the support surface with its conductor elements extending over termination pockets of the anvil assembly. These pockets are defined by anvil die inserts in slots of an anvil die block and generally U-shaped, longitudinally spaced projections on pressure pads.