Instrument for ligating blood vessels with metal staples

Claim 1

AN INSTRUMENT FOR LIGATING BLOOD VESSELS WITH METAL STAPLES, SAID INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY TERMINATING AT ONE END IN A HOOK-SHAPED JAW, A HANDLE ON THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY, SPACED INCLINED RECESSES IN SAID JAW PROVIDING STAPLE CLINCHING ANVILS, A STAPLE MECHANISM SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID JAW, A PAIR OF STAPLE DRIVE CHANNELS IN SAID MECHANISM IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID RECESSES, A STAPLE DRIVER SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN EACH CHANNEL, STAPLE MAGAZINE MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MECHANISM FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF STAPLES, PUSHERS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID STAPLE MAGAZINE MEANS, A LEAF SPRING MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID MECHANISM AND ENGAGING SAID PUSHERS TO FEED STAPLES ONE AT A TIME INTO SAID CHANNELS, A PUSH ROD SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID BODY AND CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVERS, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID ROD PROJECTING FROM SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY AND HAVING A HAND ENGAGING KNOB, A COMPRESSION SPRING IN SAID MECHANISM FOR RETURNING SAID DRIVERS TO INOPERATIVE POSITION, A COMPRESSION SPRING IN SAID BODY FOR RETURNING SAID MECHANISM TO INOPERATIVE POSITION, A LEAF SPRING ON THE PROJECTING END OF SAID ROD AND A LUG ON SAID LAST NAMED SPRING FOR ENGAGING SAID HANDLE TO PREVENT INADVERTENT OPERATION OF SAID DRIVERS, WHEREBY WITH A BLOOD VESSEL DISPOSED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID JAW OPERATION OF SAID PUSH ROD WILL SERVE TO MOVE SAID MECHANISM TOWARD SAID JAW TO CLAMP THE VESSEL AND CONTINUED OPERATION OF SAID PUSH ROD WILL ACTUATE SAID DRIVERS TO PUSH THE STAPLES OUT OF SAID CHANNELS, AROUND SAID BLOOD VESSEL AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANVILS TO BEND SAID STAPLES AND COMPRESS SAID BLOOD VESSEL FROM THREE SIDES AT SPACED LOCATIONS TO PROVIDE HEMOSTATIC LIGATIONS.